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A view of southern Wale's Cefn Sidan Beach from a Fed 5 on a good day.

From: CHRIS WRIGHTchris.wright3@virgin.net Subject: FAILED RIVER CROSSING Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 22:45:39 Matt (Matthew Hurley) isn't the only one with a dodgy arm. Commisserations to him by the way. Mine's not in a sling but is not in a good state. I've got more sense than to get sandwiched between two hefty American football players, but not enough not to pile up a sandyacht. I did mine sailing on Saturday. Typing is painful so this will be short. Went to Wales and had an uneventful though slow journey - lots of traffic near Birmingham and floods caused us to detour off the M1 to avoid delays there. Dave (Shaw) and Andy (Parr) were at the beach and I put my flat sail on a Club Fed 5. An absolute brute to sail the way it was set up. Over 20mph of wind and the yacht very twitchy, with the back breaking away and the cornering not good. Had fun but then I sailed off the beach! Down at the far end of Cefn Sidan the beach ends in the river. Sometimes a nice smooth bank and sometimes a cliff edge. I failed to get the yacht turned in time, having not seen the edge in the windblown sand, so powered at 45 degrees over the edge. There was over a 2 metre drop (about the height of a ceiling in a house) down onto a soft platform then the river. The yacht capsized in mid air and landed on its side on the platform, so stayed out of the river! I landed on the sail numbers. No great damage to the yacht (a bent spindle and a crack or two in the seat) but I've sprained my elbow and wrist (they've never been right since Holland last month) and have a black eye to show for my efforts). "Bugger!" was my reaction. It was very spectacular, so I'm told but I'd not want to repeat it. Don't want to write more today as it's hurting, or very slow if done left handed. An "Old Speckled Hen" now beckons. Chris K800

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