1 categories

Valentine, NSW, AU, Ptrik F-Ride 135 and Patrik Ride FR 6.8

That was a crazy afternoon at Valentine with the wind coming, then going, then repeat a few more times....

It was great to be on the water with Sue, Steve, Muz and the usual wing foil suspects. I forgot that blasting in the rain can be painful, but it was worth it when the wind came up again 

5 categories

Mungo Brush, NSW, AU. Patrik 120, Ezzy Lion 6.5, 40cm. Keen to test out my new found chop floating ability, but I found no chop. Only flat. Maybe that means I was doing it right. Incredible progress leaps just now. I've never flown a pointer like I have the last few session. Not sure what happened to cause this, but it's all clicking just now so that's great. 

Not much rain, luckly to score about 12-2pm before it dropped again. 

Marmong Point, NSW, AU

JP Hydrofoil 155 Flow 900 Sailworks 5.2

Havent sailed for weeks so looking forward to a nice day. Well maybe another day.

5- 12kts then 15-18kts then 0 - 5kts S Valentine, NSW, AU

 Sailed 1.45 - 3.15pm with lots of breaks waiting for wind.

 7.5m Turbo- 125ltre Tabou bullit - 38cms tectonics weedy

 WT64 ( 112ltres) - 35cms tectonics weedy

Frustrating..my expectations were too high.

I wore myself out and left just as it was getting good yesterday. I had hopes of a lovely 10-15kts with the big sail on the WT64.

It looked lovely when I arrived and Luke was going ok with the 6.8m on 135ltre in 10-15kts.

I didn't trust it so I got the board ready and into the wettie before I decided on a sail size .. yep it had died to buggerall.

 Rigged the big sail full with less downhaul for power and waited.

Rain was coming and there was a band of wind before it. The lake was flat so it didn't look that windy. I went out with the big board and sail..

Ugh! Too much . I wasn't game to put the power on and the board felt dangerously big. I managed to gybe and came back in to get the 112ltre. Got the 2 sec on the way in. I think that's a board PB as I don't usually use the big board in over 15kts.

Luke was ripping around having a ball..

 Back out with the WT64 and I put more downhaul and outhaul on the sail..I finally got some ok wind but the dinghies were racing and cutting across in front of me going upwind so I had to wait till there was a gap and then tackle their mogul chop wake..

 I had a few bearaways but I couldn't capture the usual feel.. 

 Of course it was dying now . I would have liked a bit more power but  I couldn't belly the sail as the outhaul was caught under the boom.

It was dying below 10kts and I was wobbling along at 4kts trying to keep upwind when one of the racing cats with 2 young girls on it came up on the other tack. I couldn't do anything so just held my line..They kept pointing higher and higher to try and let me go across but I was hardly moving.

They ended up in irons 2m away and I had  to jump in the water to avoid collision. I had already yelled " you're more maneouverable than me , I'm underpowered , I can't do anything! "

Anyway..I tried to waterstart but the wind had died . I managed to uphaul.

Later I saw them go past under spinnaker but they had the sense to go under me so there wasn't an issue. I don't know why people can't just bear off a metre and go below..

The wind died right down to 3-5kts and it was a long wobbly run in. I expected to have to swim for it but made it. All the wingers were paddling in or dead in the water.

Earlier I saw a winger go for a big jump and stack it. The board ended up upside down with the foil in the air. From the angle I was it looked like either he or the wing would get impaled on it..he was lucky he missed it..

 A few more goes swapping boards . If I'd known what was going to happen I would have rigged 6.5m - WT64 and the bigger kit and swapped between them.

 Plodded out in 5-10kts at the end and finished on a good note with a really nice gybe ( only decent one all day)..

 It was frustrating having decent wind and reasonably flatwater ( other than areas of dinghy wake) and  wasting it..

 I might have to drop my expectations.

Lots of wingers who spent a lot of time down in the water , Muzz and another on windfoil, Luke , Stev M and I on fins.