I knew it wasn’t going to be my day when couldn’t bring my computer screen into focus. But, by the days end, I would have had my mobile and wallet stolen, lost my record, turned my hair grey and be boarding a plane at gate 13. And before the twenty-four hours were over, I was up a mountain pass digging the car out snow.

I’ve been chasing a special clock for the timing kit we’re getting for Southend, it turned out you can only get them from the US, but for some reason they can’t be delivered to Europe, but Switzerland’s ok. It saved an expensive trip to the US, plus it was a perfect excuse to catch-up with friends.

Everything was booked, Danni was sorting my lift, and I was staying with an old friend, Wale Schwab. The snow dumped all over Switzerland last weekend, and while the temperature was well into double figures there was plenty of snow for a day in the mountains.

The next 24 hours, it would have been better if I’d stayed in bed. I’d had the usual start with a couple of hours in the gym, but when I got back I couldn’t focus on the screen of my laptop. I’ve noticed my arms a getting too short to read texts on my mobile. My make matters worse, the Barbour pointed out a few grey hairs where making there way through.

I only went for a hair cut for some pictures for Result, but as we returned to the van, I discovered someone had taken a liking to my phone and wallet. It’s a pain loosing the wallet, but what did we do before mobiles, and with a couple of hours before my flight I had to take the wife’s, yet another mistake.

Just before boarding a plane out of gate 13 a get word that Patrik Diethelm had just broken my production record. Down in the south of France a storm was coming in form the southeast, Finian’s favoured direction. Antoine Albeau had won the day and set a new French record of 46.55 knots. But it was Patrik who stole the show with a 44.71 knot run to take the production record.

My congratulations to Patrik, and its worth a note that the normally southeast winds are the steadiest, but not this time, so I’m guessing there’s a lot more to come from the MOS event. But then with our drivenbywind.com event coming up in Southend, I guess this is what we all need, a bit of competition.

Wale lives up the mountain, so when he suggested a shortcut to the slopes I just went with the flow, but experience should have told me to keep my fingers crossed. Every time we’ve been together something’s gone wrong, so I wasn’t surprised to find myself digging out the car out of the snow It took awhile, but finally, and for the first time I can remember, Wale had to admit defeat and back down the mountain.

We met up with Danni on the slopes, fortunately that’s where it stopped going wrong. Nothing much to report, apart from a couple a mates having a good time on the slopes. The only thing that surprised me is, I should have packed my wetsuit.

On the way home we dropped into the local windsurf spot, we’d just missed them on the water but caught up for a few drinks. You’re probably thinking they must be nuts, I was. The wind was blowing like hell, but at eighteen degrees it was way wormer than at home. Can’t really thank Wale enough, sorted everything in usual style, but then that’s his style, nothing but the best.

Back home it was colder, but then not cold enough to keep us off the water, there were plenty of us on the water on Saturday, Sunday didn’t really happen for us, but the forcast later in the week is looking good.