3 categories

Safety Bay, WA, AU

Phew thankfully you can save the data logger session to the card after sailing, put my daughters sd card in by mistake and it was empty

Quite windy today, slowly building but had to leave for work anyway. Had one of those ooohhh F*!@* moments out in the deep, one of the large swells decided to break on the lip and the poor mistral doesnt do so well with no water under it, sideways, with 25 knots of wind. Poor thing just whipped around. Hang on a minute never mind the poor board, I was still hooked in with my feet firmly in the straps while all this was going on, must have looked like a forward loop attempt. No injuries luckily, just a crack on the nose (of the board)

Lots of traffic out there for a weekday and the higher tide made the speed run a bit choppy.

Good session though

Mistral 91, Reflex3 6.2, C3 stingII 27 weedy

Melville Beach, WA, AU

Very enjoyable sail with new RDM mast making gybing easier.

Xfire 80, Koncept 5.8, CL weedy 26

Melville Beach, WA, AU

6.5 111 33

Nice to have some WIND again.

Work really does get in the way of fun, but I suppose without work we could not afford our fun. I have a feeling this is going to get expensive

Pelican Point, WA, AU

Ttoo busy at work today so only managed a quick sail after work

Quick Pt Walter session after work. Great fun and this combo felt great. Just wishing for more wind most of the time.

CA SP47; Ram 6.3; Lockwood Curtis 23.5

4 categories

Peel Inlet, Liptons

Fun day with a nice crew (and team) on the water, had a much better time (and better speeds) on the M91 earlier, found the wind way too gusty to get a decent run on the speed board.

Got an alpha PB last month first time out with the new KA 7m and today beat that PB 3 times with the first proper sail with the 6.2m - 32 knots crosswind speed - gotta love the new Koncepts

Naughties were heaps of fun again, riding the swells in the next bay.

Mistral 91, CL SW 28 (alpha), Mistral 47, CL SW 22, KA Koncept 2015 6.2m (awesome)

Liptons, sonic 95 and 5.8 Ka , changed to CA speed later but I think I was already used up.

Great fun day, I just love those wide open spaces.

Great alphas JJ, and Anita I guess that "just one more run" was worth it after all

4 categories

Peel Inlet, WA, AU

iSonic 76 - Koncept 5.8 - Choco Weed 28

Peel Inlet, WA, AU 5.7K, M47, 21 tribal weedy

an exciting day in more ways than one.

Liptons with JJ, Jeff and Geoff, Ado and 25 from the SRM and a bunch of Coastals. I got to try out my birthday present - the tribal weedy, we helped rescue an injured kiter (hope you're OK Ian!), a 5X 10 PB and a surprise nm PB. As I was on a roll with the speeds and well powered up I thought I'd go for a nm, even though it was late in the day. Looks like it was a good decision! Whoo Hoo! I have to say the tribal weedy is a success!

Couldn't quite manage a 2 sec PB, but that score is a second best.

Thanks for the sail recommendation Pete, it was spot on!

That's about 20 tacking legs to get back upwind from the channel marker. I wanted to make sure I went far enough for a nm! By the time I got back to the bottom carpark I couldn't be bothered putting in the last few tacks to get to the top carpark and I walked the last bit.

The kiter story:

Pepe and I were standing around deciding what to rig, when there was a bit of a commotion in the water, someone yelled "call an ambulance" and a kiter rushed up and asked if they could borrow a board to bring in an injured kiter who was paralysed. Pepe phoned the ambulance and gave them directions. (It was interesting that although there were heaps of locals there I was the only one who knew the name of the street we were on - from directing Pinnaroos on how to find Liptons.) One of the kiters was in the water supporting the injured one, then they put him on the board and floated him in to shore. They wanted to carry him onto the beach but Pepe insisted they leave him where he was, on the board at the water's edge until the ambulance got there. I was relieved to find out he could move his feet and hands (he was not paralysed). Pepe supported his head and I got a windproof jacket and towel to put over him so he wouldn't get chilled in the wind. It turned out he had "spear tackled" into the shallows, hit the bottom with his head and then his body had folded over his head. A kiter nearby saw him face down in the water, waving his arms in distress, but the injured one couldn't right himself. Another kiter who could see what was happening but was too far away, was yelling - get him out of the water, he's drowning!, but the closest kiter first had to depower his kite so he could safely help the man. He turned the man over, and supported him until the board came out to lie him on. The injured man was 72 years old, and said he saw his life flash before his eyes. He was in a lot of pain at the base of his neck. I have no doubt he has a serios neck injury, but the fact he still had good movement and feeling in his hands and feet was a good sign.