PJ (24612km):
4901 days ago 1 categories 
29-10-11 Lake George SSE to S 12-26 knots-7.8m+JP Slalom VI68+C3 Sting2 40cm-6.3m Loft Balde+Fanatic SL111+Select S11 35cm
Arrived day before, waking up to the sound of (music) breeze though the Tea Tree's. Rigged up x2 rigs and boards and smacked the water by around 7am. The wind started SSW and slowly tracked to a S'ly direction by days end. Cloudy with some showers during the day which was nice to wet the face and hands but fogged up my glasses. There was one major squall in whick I couldn't see jack shit but after a few hundred k's you sort of knew where you were heading!
Started with 7.8m Loft Bade with JP, sailing around to the Northern side of the spit. Blow me on my first starbord tack at speed with the sun directly in my eyes I smacked into one of only 5 clumps of floating weed. Major catapault, I really did see stars straight after with subsequent major boom bend, it was wrecked and I was pissed. Sailable back to launch site. Session ended 30 mins.
Standing there looking whether to change boom from 6.3m to 7.8m and thought wtf I'll go out on my 6.3m Bade on Fanatic. As it turned out I probably would have been blown out on my 7.8 and the sweet spot was probably a 7m that I dont have.
Sailed upwind on 6.3m doing 2 km legs for an hour then headed downwind to Northern side of spit and longer legs. First few runs pretty cautious through weed areas that you can sail between but as the sun rose in elevation spotting up was easy.
During the day the wind was at times patchy especially after squalls, drifting around glugging and waiting for the wind to kick in. Another phenomena is the weed slowly rises to the surface during the day, catching weed fequently. Solution was to sail right of the small island.
Saw a couple people on the water one of which I could swear was going to get blown downwind and was really worried for. A begginer intermediate who knows enough to get into trouble! He was on 7.7m biggish guy continually stacking. Hell I was 6.3 and powered mostly.
Towards the end of the day without the clouds and sunnies I would have been absolutely blinded by the sun! Running out of daylight with my hands pretty well butchered! I headed back knowing I was so so close to 400kms but with no light I had to call it a day!
Other than wrecking my boom it was a good day for distance sailing. My hours were crap due to weed and or non-planing at times but in a strange sort of way I enjoyed it all Would you?????

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