Reports suggest that the tragedy occurred after the windsurfer became separated from his board.

Lifeboats and the Coastguard were scrambled after dog walkers raised the alarm but the man was pronounced dead upon arrival at Wansbeck Hospital.

Sea conditions at the time were said to typical and a spokeswoman was quoted saying that the weather “was favoured by windsurfers”.

Our condolences go out to the persons family.

The full story can be found here

RAF WInchman - pic John Tuttiet

Francis' perished UJ

Golden ticketer gets to swim in the English Channel

I had a good sail at Pevensey on Sunday 3rd – Southerly F6-7 cross on, nice waves and flat stuff in between, raining!! poor vis… but near the end of the session (on 5.3 and 90 l RRD) I went to gybe right out the back and the UJ bolt failed with a big crack and the board shot off down the wave leaving me holding the rig like a nana – so I ditched the rig and swam for the board but the breaking waves took it off beyond my swimming ability!! – The shore looked a long way away!!!

Luckily my local Nutley friend Roy and his mate Kevin were not that far off and spotted my helmet with the flourescent strips!! – nowhere was my kit to be seen by the time they arrived; They hung around to stop me getting lonely; whilst I eventually swam in close by the campsite at Normans’ Bay – took about 40 mins I reckon. They tried to tow me on a bit of rope but it was hopeless, flying their rig didn’t work either.

Found my board just up the beach from where I landed, undamaged…. but 5.3 simmer sail, 4m simmer mast and boom and mast extn were gone prob for ever.

I called the coastguard just in case they go out looking for someone.. quite an experience, good job it was warm water.

THEN A WEEK LATER sunday 10th – to my local mates

Hi all – in case you hear via other windsurfing sources, I was re-united with my 5.3 Simmer rig, Mast etc – (after exactly 1 week!!!) intact but a bit scruffier than when I lost it.

Chap found it this am. low tide at Normans Bay close to where I was sailing today and pretty much where I swam in to last Sunday.

He told a local windsurfer who reported it to the coastguard (to whom I had notified the loss a week ago).

Dover Coastguard then called me with a phone number and address! – so there it was!!

Mast – intact, no signs of any stress

Boom – intact – some soft covering rubbed off near the clamp (one side)

Sail – only one small puncture about 1cm and a small clean cut 2cm – all in the ply so east to fix. Bit scratched by the harness lines and boom arms.

Mast extn – all fine.

Not even the downhaul and outhaul had come loose, all was exactly trimmed for sailing…… So that says something for Simmer sails and Mast!!!

As to why it happened (see pics) here’s the bits of the UJ from the board and recovered from the mast extn and you can see looks like some signs of seperation of the rubber to the extent that only a bit was holding it together. So maybe this was 5+ years old but it did not look like there was cracking at the UJ waist which was all I really looked for. Not any more – new ones from now on! Irony is i had just bought 2 new ones this year and they were with my kit in the car.

Francis Goodwin