4 categories

Inverloch Windsurfing Club GPS race day.

Nice to catch up with everyone and have a play.

The forecast was not too bad at 15-20Kts WNW turning W around midday. Not quite how it turned out though.

After standing around sheltering from the rain at the Invy sailing club for an hour or two (always good for a chat), the call was made for Marhers Landing at Midday.

While we were riggin it was definitly 7m to 7.5m and bigger boards as the call. Unfortunately for me, just as we started a squall line came through with gusts well into the 20's, pelting rain, and even some hail for a couple of minutes! I didnt have a smaller sail rigged (unlike some), and even though I had put my IS87 by the waters edge, I didn't feel like the board was a problem. Even on the reaches, the sail was quite manageable, but I was struggling to maintain control out of the gybes. I had a few catapults trying to get the sail back and sheeted in after gybes, but all I could do was persevere and try to last 'till the red flag went up. I managed to do, after one short rest, that but I was pretty shattered at the end. Glad it was only a half hour. I wouldnt have lasted an hour like that. The nearby weather station registered some gusts to 27-28 knots while we were sailing1

Adding to my problems was the water on my sunnies and they were fogging up as well, so I was really struggling to see where I was going in the rain. Glad I had them though as the rain and hail would have been worse in the eyes!

I few of the others had smaller rigs and boards lined up on the beach and went in to change when it hit. I think I might have enjoyed it on my IS87 with a 5.8m sail. I was asking myself 'Am I having fun yet" quite a few times! 

We stood around in the pouring rain and 12 degrees temps and worse wind chill factor for a while hoping for another race, but the wind died out to under 10 knots so we called it a day. Just as we were almost packed up, another heavy rain band came through with more strong winds but it was too late by then.

A big thanks to Doug for running the race and the analysis for the results at the end! 

My best 30 mins in GPS-Results was 19.658, but the official time it was Mid 17's. Not sure what was going on there. Maybe I need to be much more aware of the start finish times. I couldnt see the flag through the rain from the other side of the inlet!  But I barely did more than 30 mins anyhow??

IS110, 2017 KA Race 7.1m, Tribal Weedspeed 34, GW-60

2 categories

Pt Ormond, Elwood, Vic, AU

Early sail with Bero at 9am.

Wind light WNW 10kts when we arrived, then increased 15-20kts.

Got some good runs in the chop inbetween rain squalls.

AHD Maxxride60 90L, Reflex R4 6.2m, 29cm Mistral fin.

4 categories

Area 45, Mahers Landing, VIC, AU

GPS racing. Changed gear 1 min into the race as the body wasn't going to cope with a 7.5 in 25kts just yet.

Jumped onto the smaller stuff only to have the wind drop off and I ended up into the smaller channel. From there it ws impossible to get back into the main spot untill the wind filled in again.

Made it back in and was passing all but just ran out of time. Well done everyone that was a bit of extreme racing. Ever wonder why I wear a Full Face Gath helmet.....works great for Hail as well as sun protection

SL66, Koncept 7.5, Vector 38 used for 1 run

SL52, Koncept 6.6, MRX 24