Blowing Old Boots [Bob]

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Bob wrote:

About 6 weeks ago someone seemed to find the switch which controls the wind and they turned it on. I think it has got stuck because it has been blowing old boots at Grafham ever since. Today was no exception. In fact the gusts were as big as we have seen on a Sunday all year. It was generally a force 4-6 but in the strong gusts it was just edging into a force 8. We had 8 Sprint 15 sailors at the lake but never had all 8 on the water at the same time. Happily we had BOTH Bob Rowntree & Frank Sandells there to keep us amused with their antics (I'll leave them to fill in the gorey details). Suffice it to say that swimming skills were put to the test. And then Thomas Sandal saw that they were having so much fun that he thought he would join in too.
The score was 1,1,2 - I'll leave them to disclose further details - alternatively, we could run a book on who was the winner.
All good sport but next week we would appreciate one notch less wind!

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George Stephen replied:

It didn't blow hard at the Winter Traveller at Grafham on March 12, just a nice breeze even if rather cold! Are you sure you're not exagerrating?

You used to expect more wind around the equinoxes - that's when daytime = nightime at the equator on c 22 March and 22 September - and it has something to do with where the main weather patterns were likely to be.

Since there has been so much climate change, there's probably some disturbance, but the feature seems to remain.

Before you leap in and talk about winter winds, which I agree can be strong and persistent, there can also be long spells of cold stable high pressure over the UK, with little wind. Our Sprint 15 Winter Series has been known to suffer from such conditions.

My club, Queen Mary runs a Wednesday Evening Series from April to September. I have got nearly all my best results at the beginning and the end of the series.

This year does seem to have a bit more windy and wet than usual for recent years.

George

PS If any other Grafham sailors post a message, what's the betting it concerns the '2' of the 1,1,2?

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Andrew Hannah replied:

Dear George,

Whilst I have no contribution to make upon equinoxial winds, I have to confess that I'm a little confused with your explanation of what the equinox actually is.

I agree the lengths of daytime and nightime are the same at each equinox. But at the equator? Why?

Does it matter what lattitude you are on? South Pole, North Pole, Grafham Ocean, Queen Mary SC. The days and nights are still the same lenghts. Or am I completely muddled-up, as usual?

Kind regards,

Andrew.

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Clive Wood (1388) replied:

1. Either of two points on the celestial sphere at which the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator.

2. Either of the two times during a year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and when the length of day and night are approximately equal; the vernal equinox or the autumnal equinox.

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Gordon replied:

George, I presume this must be the weather report from Coulsdon because I haven't seen either you or 1594 at QM since the trip to Grafham. And you missed the windy bit this Sunday and last week.
Luckily Keith Chidwick filled in for you and did rather well. Have a look at the results on the QM website.

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George Stephen replied:

Hi Gordon,

I wasn't well for a while after Grafham, so my cat just took room in the garage rather than getting the TLC I had intended. I started work on it just over a week ago, but everything went haywire last Tuesday - my time since has been taken up with events around and consequential to Shirley having an emergency eye operation at Moorfield Eye Hospital.

So my hopes of getting the cat back up to speed in time for the start of the QM Wednesday Evening Series this week have all gone. Even if I had completed the work that needed doing, I wouldn't even think of going sailing until Shirley is able to fend for herself (she is at home). The follow up to the op is next Monday, and we have to hope that everything will work out as ok as can be expected.

See you sometime!

George

PS re Equinoxes - I'd have done better if I'd just said "The old saying 'March Winds and April Showers' should be expected to apply to some extent."

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Andrew H replied:

Clive, That was absolutely brilliant. I like the gobble-de-gook of the first description. Is it eurolandspeak, by any chance?

It is almost as bad as the way the date of Easter is calculated. I once tried to have a go for myself, but it was completely beyond me. I even had difficulty understanding the terminology! Like Dominical letters, Golden number, Bissextile, the difference between paschal full moons, ecclesiastical full moons and real full moons.........!

In plain man's english, the date of easter is easy to calculate. It is always two days after good friday!

Andrew.

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Bob replied:

My word. I go away go a few days and when I get back I find acusations about exaggeration, lots of intelectual stuff about the equinox, but not a word from the Grafham entertainment committee. They sure are lying low!!!!!!!!!!!

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Bob replied:

I now see that the chairman of the Grafham entertainment troup is trying diversion tactics - talking about France and estate cars.