NEAR MISS
I was now making my own way out through the channel and watched Timo pick up his first wave, the long period meant the swell was powerful and the reef was setting them up as perfect lines despite the imperfect weather. Timo’s opener was a mast high screamer and he locked in two top to bottom turns before wisely kicking out as the wind on the inside was still pretty fickle, something I was acutely aware of as I bobbed along trying to reach the wind line. Timo, further out, was just planing as dark lines appeared on the horizon. A massive set was looming and I pumped to get moving further downwind, knowing that those long period swells have a habit of moving faster towards you than you think. Once you see them, it can be too late already! Timo didn’t have such luxury, despite having more power in his sail he was in no-man’s land – he was too inside and too deep to get to the channel and if he continued further out he was sure to get hit by the approaching set. His only option, and it wasn’t a good one, was to turn immediately and try and get some down face speed up and get to the shoulder if possible. Timo gybed quickly in front of an ever growing face, by now I was safely in the channel but had a front row seat on something I didn’t want to watch – my brother about to get eaten by a mast high plus monster!
