Winter Sailing- Things to Think About…

A few weeks ago, we had some crazy conditions with an unstable South Westerly airflow.  The morning was great with a low tide and 10-18 knots dropping off to 8 knots and gusting around 20.  There were intermittent rain bands with squally downdrafts coming through and there was only a few of us on the water…
Around 11 am everyone went in to warm up but I could see a rain squall approach…I took off just ahead of it and could feel the downdraft intensify…15 knots…20…25…30 knots…it just kept building and it was a solid dense wind!…
At that point, my outhaul decided to let go and I heard a rip sound…not from the sail but from my knee…
Out past the Bluff, with an incoming tide, I crashed…hit the water hard and had to chase my rig as it took off down the Inlet (minus rider)….After retrieving, I flipped the rig to water start the other way.  As soon as I put any pressure on my knee it went sideways and weird angles…not good!
The wind was crazy for about 15 minutes and it took a while to get going against the tide but I managed to body drag into shore.  I think I completed the Club’s first “crawl of shame” as I got out of the water.  A quick ride in a shiny ambulance to Wonthaggi Hospital where the diagnosis was damage to the MCL…Worst still, several months off the water…:-(
Having now had a few weeks to think about the accident, there were a few things that I’d like to chat about:

Firstly, my thanks go to Roy and Doug- who came to my aid once they realised something was not right…it’s one thing that I love about the Club- the way we look out for each other and respond to what ever situation is thrown at us.  The one thing that concerned me was how to signal that I was in trouble….when I was in the water, and particularly as the squall was going through, I needed both arms to hold onto the rig.  That meant that i wasn’t able to get an arm free to signal for help.  It got me wondering about what we might do if the situation ever happens again…I would be keen to hear any suggestions…

Secondly, I’m grateful to Pete for running the body dragging session as part of the Club Training Days a few months ago.  Once I knew I was in a bad way, I also knew that I could get back to shore without a stress by just flying the sail and heading off on a broad reach.

Thirdly, and probably most importantly, I was a bit shocked about hypothermia.  When I got into the ambulance, the crew took my temperature and it was 32.5….that’s seriously low….Granted I had spent some time in the water, but I didn’t feel cold or have any of the typical symptoms of hypothermia- (see Better Health Channel for more info on hypothermia)…Once out of the elements I soon warmed up and my temperature returned to normal.
It worried me a bit, so the next day I spoke to Brett Denning (“Red” to most of you). Red is speed sailor from Geelong, but also an ambo, and I asked him about core temperature and exposure.  He replied that the thing to think about is that there is probably a fair amount of adrenaline running about inside us when we are windsurfing, and that sometime this adrenaline might mask the first stages and symptoms of hypothermia.  So what does that mean?  Well, I think it means for me that I’ve got to be more aware of the  temperature conditions, and not wait until I feel cold before I take action….  maybe a good idea is to break up a session with some time off the water and out of the wind….with a beanie and a polar fleece!!
it probably also means that i should also look out for others on the water, and make sure that they are staying warm enough as well.

As an update, after three weeks of physio, I can walk with the aid of a stick.  Prognosis is looking good- with a few more weeks of physio before I can get back out there…I know it could have been a lot worse, so this time, I don’t think I’ll be rushing too fast to get back….

Being a bit incapacitated, I have been taken aback by the help and support from people around the club…My sincere thanks go to
Roy, Tash, Joel and Josh Worner for dropping in and supplying me with stuff- (the pumpkin soup was awesome..I recommend you all go out and fake an injury just to get some!)… Also to Craig for delivering and chopping up some wood to keep the house warm.  Thanks also to Postie Pete for dropping in for a chat and cuppa, and to Jeff for carrying my mail for me…