Weather could be better, Brighton Runners, Kathleen not invited and a Sad Used Kit Sale.
Has winter gone yet?? Friday evening once more and the winds continue to blow, the rain this week has been exceeding itself and the temperature could definitely improve above the statutory 10°C (typical, I see it has just jumped to 14°C!) although I’m sure all of you taking part in the Brighton Marathon this Sunday will be happy that it’s not going to be a hot day and most who own seafront homes will be happy that ‘Kathleen’ will not be making it to this side of the UK (fingers crossed). So, I guess we are all happy that it’s the Weekend!
It is hard to believe that Easter is done and we are already at the Brighton Marathon. Winter does seem to be keeping a firm grip this year, when normally you’d expect it to clear off and let Spring do its thing. The ongoing forecast is for more wind next week but at least it is looking to be dry at the moment, as we really do not need anymore rain. The ground is saturated and whether genetically modified or not, the crops can’t swim.
I really hope Sunday does stay dry for everyone taking part in this years marathon. I run most weeks and this year, I’ve had just one without heavy rain. We wish all runners and helpers alike the best of luck but especially to my Nephews wife , Toni, who is running it for the first time. Forecast is looking dry and with a 14°C air temp, it should be good weather to run in, apart from the wind of course but we won’t mention that. If you want to know about the road closures, here’s the link.. https://www.brightonmarathonweekend.co.uk/events/brighton-marathon/road-closures
Earlier in the week I posted on our facebook page that a kiteboard had been found on the beach. It had been lost in the ‘normal’ way (as so many have before) but quite rightly the coastguard had been called by the lady who found it, thinking that the kiter may still be out at sea. There has been an increase in beach and water awareness this week after a body came ashore near the Church of the Good Shepherd at the start of the Easter weekend (very sad to learn that it was a young man from Littlehampton, not aware of the cause of his demise but not watersports related, as far as we know) so please do try and take extra care not to lose a board (please mark the board with your contact number.. it saves the emergency services valuable time) or do anything that may look like you are in distress, as the public at large won’t know about the sports we do and how things may look out of control, when in fact they’re not. However, if in doubt always Call the Coastguard, rather than wishing you had later.
Feeling the chill and want to heat up, with a seaview, in a cabin, locally? Well, Frazer has the answer! Many of you will know Frazer, as he runs Brighton Kite / SUP Academy and as a sideline to the watersports business, he has invested in a Sauna (so that he can sit in it an keep warm)! The Sauna is located at Lancing Beach, right on the pebbles next to the Perch Café. It is a wooden barrel style of cabin Sauna and there’s also a plunge bath for those that like to do it properly. Prices start from £15.00 per session or you can block book the cabin for a group of 8 (currently 10% off those prices if you are a local.. top left hand corner of the site). Please pass this on, as word of mouth is always the best for new business https://seasidesauna.com/
We’ve had a bit of a sad moment with a customer who we’ve known since taking on the shop in 1994 ( that’s 30 years of ‘Time’ done this September). He’s had to throw in the towel, after purchasing what he described as his final set of windsurfing kit and all due to an old injury that won’t allow him to play ball any longer. It’s very sad, as he literally has only just bought it back in March and never got further than standing in the shallows, so it’s been used but not ‘used’. This is the list..
North X-Over 5.8m (wetted but not sailed!) £1149.00 now £900.00
North X-Over 5.0m (rigged but never used) £1075.00 now £915.00
North Ultimate Pro 400cm mast (as with the 5.8m, wetted but not sailed) £509.00 now £430.00
MK 150 CPX Wide Tail boom (as above) £440.00 now £370.00
Chinook Extension Carbon Tall Euro pin (wetted but as new) £155.00 now £130.00
Duotone EPX base (Boge UJ type. Wetted) £85.00 now £70.00
Can send pictures if required (when the wind drops off re. sails).
Now for the weekends weather and tides.
Saturday, whilst the West coast of the UK gets a battering from Storm Kathleen our wind stats are not quite as High.. Sou’Sou’East 18 -28kt during the morning and swinging to Sou’Sou’West 17-24kt early afternoon, then decreasing to 14-20kt late afternoon. It’s picking up again during the evening and the night time wind speeds are S’S’W 22-33kts.. presumming that they are correct with Kathleen’s track. No rain and a top temp of 13°C. High Tide is at 10.15hrs on a 5.7m, so be up early if you fancy a Port tack session or if you are heading to the river for wing foiling or a paddle.
Sunday kicks off with a solid 20-27kt Sou’Sou’West wind, which is in for the day but is forecast to drop back to 14-20kt around the time we close up, so be aware of that. No rain mentioned and the temp is 12°C (could be better.. could be worse). High Tide is at 11.05hrs on a 6.2m
And that’s that for another week. Don’t forget that we have many low prices on SUP and Wing packages, so give us a try if you are pondering a purchase. Please forgive any typos etc. as the spell & grammar check appears to have gone home early but most of all, do have a great weekend, whatever comes our way.