It’s really windy day today. I knew sailing today, would test me to the limits. I put my wetsuit on, I don’t always. After 45 minutes on the water, the inevitable happened. The main sheet got tangled up around the nut that holds the rudder and the tiller together on my Topper. As I tried to release it, a gust of wind blew, there was nowhere for the sail to go but over. I was in the water, the boat on it’s side. I had landed in the main sheet, it was tangled all around my legs. It took what seemed ages to get free. While I was getting free from the main sheet, the Topper slowly turned turtle. While it turned turtle, the dagger board slowly dropped through the casing. By the time I’d got myself free from the main sheet, there was just enough dagger board sticking out, for me to get the tips of my fingers on it.
By this time the Tamar Lake rescue boat came to my assistance. Asked if I were ok? I said I was, then carried on slowly bringing the dinghy on to it’s side. I was then able to pull the dagger board out further, lean on it, and up pops the Topper. Untangle the main sheet from the rudder and tiller, climb back in, off we go again. So, who’d like to join me?
That evening Upper Tamar Lake demonstrated a capsize http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3OHJ8sYi50&feature=youtube_gdata_playerAnd a dry onehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xvQg00o2ic&feature=youtube_gdata_player