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Windhogger said...
Would like to get to S/P myself again sometime....last time I was there, was in 1989 for the w/surf speed trails, when it blew an insane 60knts one day and Mal Wright pulled 41+knts...a day I won't forget ..could barely hold the rig on the beach.
Some of you guys would remember that one, I think Tony Wyn was there also.
Has there been many days like that since?
Only
one that I can think of:
27/09/09. Nothing else comes close! Those two days were insane!!!



Plenty of times I have seen W-NW gusting 35-40+ but WSW to SW over 35 knots is quite rare and as Adrian said, it still has to coincide with daylight and a low enough tide to sail the speed course. Even WSW-SW over 30 knots is frustratingly rare these days, maybe a few times a year with the right other conditions.
The best we have had lately (apart from 27/09/09) is a few 25-30 knots days with the odd really good squall to 40 or so. If you are on that squall it can be fantastic!

Some years we get summer Easterlies that blow over 30 knots for a day or two, and some years we even get a few of them but they are not as fast as a good WSW. Usually more gusty and with a short tide window. I can't remember any Easterlies this year that topped 30 knots, at least not when I was there.

edit: Oh yeah, this day was probably the next best: Wednesday, October 27, 2004.

Speedweek 2004!