4 categories

Safety Bay, WA,

The wind was dropping out after the gusts so quickly, I went with the M112 - a good decision as I had to float back a couple of times in nothing. Then got caught out in the bay with a gust of about 24 knots. Tide was over the jetty with waves breaking on the bar.

Wasn't planning on a NM but hooked a nice gust in the pond so just kept going, hard to keep the board down in the bay - the swell was huge.

Fun morning, mostly sunny and only a couple of B&Js out.

Mistral 112, GPS 7.3, CL carbon weedy 31

2 categories

Another interesting Dutchies Winter session after the W word

Could see someone going quite well up by cables and decided to give it a go.....

The track shows my smooth exit off the beach, neatly cutting through the walls of whitewater.

3-4 Floggings later I was out in the big washing machine and managed to pinch my way back upwind staying outside the danger zone for the best part.

Joined by Green Eggs and Thommo I managed to outrun a few big walls in to the saftey zone south of the groyne

Wind faded and you can see my downwind reentry to the beach. Another epic session!

3 categories

Green Island, QLD, AU

didnt wear the GPS on tuesday, it was out of control, couldnt keep the kit on the water.

Barnaby from Severne very kindly lent me his 6.2 overdrive but the 107 with a 37.5 fin was all over the place!

For wednesday he also lent me his 97 which was a much better combo. The overdrive felt weird after being on the reflex but once i got it dialled in it was a great sail, much more user freindly than the reflex but obviously not so stable but heaps of fun.

I decided to have another go at the free race today and was going well until about 10 mins in when the rope on my harness line snapped and i was left with the plastic tube to use as a harness line..i thought that was game over but found that if i took about 50% through the harness and 50 % through my arms i could hold on.....it became game of grit your teeth and hang on....i decided to continue until the harness tubing snapped which miraculously it diddnt and i got a PB Hour!

i actually quite enjoyed that hour it must give you some kind of endorphin release and it was howling!!

Ill try and download the google maps picture but ive never done it before so may not work!

I had to leave on thursday and only got to sail in 1 and a half races before rushing onto the ferry in my wetsuit with my board under my arm and missed the last 2 races on the final day. before i left i was in 8th overall but had to use my 2 28ths on the last day as discards which took me to 10th overall which was a bit dissapointing.

Rowen LAw had a fantastic event finishing 2nd overall and giving Sean Obrien a serious run for his money. I was also 10th in Freerace which was again a result of only doing 2 of the 5 races. i can certainly improve in that discipline for next year.

All in all it was an awsome event and id love to go back next year. Ian Fox was a brilliant race director who got us on the water in some truly miserable conditions (never thought id be shiveruing in tropical North Queensland but at times it was freezing!).

Arrived back at Perth to have an aborted landing due to fog...sent back to Adelaide where they lost my gear and arrived back in Perth 10 hours delayed...id never been to Adelaide so ticked that box and a nice man delivered my kit back to my house about 10 hrs after that alll in one piece so all in all a great week....thoroughly recommended....Mark and JJ would love it!!