4 categories

Well that wasn't a whole load of fun, started all wrong and went on in that vein.

Switched the mobile on about 0800, got a message from Elmo saying he was rigging with a 0618 time stamp.

So had a quick breakfast, loaded the car and finally got out of the house about 0845. Went through the mental check list, GPS boards boom masts etc, got in the car relised I'd left the mobile on the table, went back for it just in case. Got in car again, relised driving sunglasses still on hall table. B&^%$#r but it's overcast anyway, I can do without them. At Novara just before 0900, Elmo's flying around, plenty whitecaps, but not too strong, get the 53cm board, 5.8 koncept mast and boom out of car, rig sail, then start on the board, go to get the fin box, but it's not in it's home behind the drivers seat!!!!! I've had it in the shed playing with fins! Bit more than Bu&&er this time! Through a complete wobbly, start packing everything back in car, when Yoyo arrives, almost bite his head off when he asks why I'm not sailing! But he calms me down by talking about his latest crazy fin, just for the need to know what would happen he's re-boxed a crappy fin, back to front at 50deg. He says it goes much better than expected, so I've just got to try it.

Start re-rigging, and Hardie turns up, Elmo is still flying around, but soon after wind really picks up, Hardie decides to rig at Len Howards, but Yoyo and I have got too far into our rigging and continue at Novarra, as Elmo comes in after getting blown off the water.

Off course by the time we're ready to go out, wind has dropped back a lot, but hopping it will pick up again we go out, get a nice gust carries me out level with Ward Pt, but then drops, blew my gybe but fortunately just enough wind to water start, but it's a very wobbly grovel back to shore, end up almost where Hardie is coming out at the rock garden, plenty of short subplaning tacks back to the car, occasionally trying to get a good enough gust to bear away and test the fin.

Didn't happen the 24.5 knots waas done on the first run out going square. The fin felt nice at this angle and surprisingly also went up wind OK, felt strange going down wind, but that could be because I was too under done.

Need to try it more powered up downwind, if it works in that direction as well as it does across the wind, we'll have to rewrite the rule book!

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Getting Titles is what is what Life's about jst won the unfittext Wsurfer in East Asia today Woohoo, who says its about process and enjoyment

Mike Len Howard was the go., They are building a new road, and it was all closed off, but given I dont observe signs, I drove in anyway.  You will now be able to access LHoward from Novara.   When light and grovelly, I could just easily stand around out back or near shore, when up I could be on my small gear  Manta 54, Tr-7 6.3m, water very flat in parts, could even do alphas.

4 categories

Tabou Thunder 70 + LE 36cm, Tabou Thunder 80cm + JP SS 45cm, NP RSR Eiii7.8m. JP SLW92 NP RSR Eiv 9.5m, Pepe weed 50cm

Early start for a "workin on my waistline" session, wind today allways looked a lot stronger from the shore than what was reality, session today didn't start well with me braining myself 5 (yes Five) times on the trailer tailgate, was pretty pissed with myself after the 3rd hit in 5 mins. first run out was on the 70 wide, took of nice but struggling with being underpowered, so back to shore for launch MkII and the bigger thunder, this was much better but there was still some MONSTER holes and glass off's but over all the set up was working.

For this session I'd changed my stance to a more upright stance rather than leaning out which worked out to be less painfull on the feet and got me through the lulls.

Was going well at the 2-1/2 hours sailing non stop then a wee squall came out of nowhere when I was on the other side and proceeded to give me spanking, crashed the gybe then after a bit of fluffing around managed to water start only to have the wind that strong that I could only get my feet in the footstraps but couldn't hook in, sailed 1/3 the way back before I managed to get the hook set and the arms were very sore from hanging on, the rest of the run back was not pretty where I headed for shore. Unfortunately everyone who was on the beach saw this and thought "game on".

The rest of the session was just trying to keep the distance ticking over in a fading breeze, 5mn from my previous PB the wind almost switched of so I had to rig the 9.5 on the SLW and even then I fell of the plane a few times.

Very happy with the distance, shame the wind was so crap as the water conditions on the whole were quite nice, interesting doing it on a westerly.

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Albany WA North east Oyster harbour.

wind was great strength but from west.... I've been thinking of trying to find a good westerly location for 2 years and kept coming back to the east coast of Oyster harbour. BUT there does not appear to be any public access. North east corner is as close as I can  see you can get without a boat.

So I  prked and walked along the beach.... looks possible I though. As I am alone I rang my darling and let her know where I was, she double checked she knew "in case I have to call a search party"

Anyway Rigged 6.2, JP54 speed and Pepespeed weed 26.  Tried to go up wind but the channel is really as wide as shown on GE and the margins too shallow to sail (despite tide reasonably high). Got about a third of the way to the open water and decided it was folly to continue. At best I would get out, get tired and then really struggle to get back down wind. At worst I would hurt myself and be a hell of a long way from my car etc..

This is not the right location in a westerly but at least I know that now.

I suspect it is the shortest distance I have ever posted, mile and alpha probably personal worsts too. At least I know not to try there.