The beach itself is long and wide. There is a rock pool (and rocks) about 600m south (near Warner Beach). There are more rocks about 500m north of the launch site. So even if you are underpowered, and driven downwind, you should land safely.
The best time to sail is on a neap tide, after a period of moderate Easterlies (these flatten the surf). If the SW blows for 24 hours or more, the swell gets big, and a sidewash develops, that makes sailing difficult. On a spring low tide, the backline breaks on a sandbank. Wait for the tide to fill in by a foot or two before sailing.
Quite often a new SW wind is side offshore when it first starts blowing. This makes sailing difficult, because it is light on the inside, and strong on the outside. If you wait for an hour or two, the wind swings a bit further to the South, fills in on the beach, and makes sailing safer and more pleasant.
Rigging area: There is a small patch of grass next to the ablution block at the end of Topham Road. There is also an outside shower, for rinsing kit and body after sailing.
- Andy