1 categories

Don't break your promises. I told the team that I was sacrificing Feb. This afternoon's forecast looked too good. So I went.

Huey sucked me in with a 37.18 on the dial and a 35.86 10 sec

Then, bang. Mast broke just above the extension.

Unfortunately I had sailed across from mosman park. De-rigged and left everything except the board at PtW. Paddled the board from the end of the spit to get back across. About 2/3rds of the way across when the F@##ing ferry came round the corner. Managed to flag down a passing boat and get a lift the rest of the way across.

Was all set to be a major ave PB but one decent run short.

Enjoy Feb guys and well done to all those setting PB's at Wally world.

YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

WWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 Pt Walter. Bloody exciting! Stacks of wind and plenty of chop!

Nothing to say but WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Naish SP91; Koncept 5.8; Lockwood SL26cm.

2 categories

Peli Point for the slalom racing today. Had a great time and was good to meet the new recruit James as well. Used the centurion "custom" today (by custom I mean it has a crack the length of the equator in it and managed to suck up  a kilo of water!!! ) and a new north ram f8 5.4m. Nice combo for the start but the wind dying and the waterlogged board made the last races tricky. Sonic will be back in operation tomorrow so turn it up again please!!! Sorry I couldn't back you up with any more distance Mineral, I just wasnt out long enough!

Kinetic Sponge 55, North Ram F8 5.4, Goldwing 30

Started with 7.4 Loft, finished  on a 5.8 S2 Severn.

Hardies at Mandurah. Think my arms are going to fall orf I am tin fruited cracking a ton distance wise

2 categories

Peli Point racing with lots of others.

Rigged the 6.8 with 34 Kai and 94 iSonic, thinking "I've never been overpowered on the swan, it's not possible, yeah I know the wind readings have been saying 25 knots, but we're in a shadow..."

How wrong I was.

The first race I was really overpowered, my straps were still set up for wearing booties so were very loose, at one stage I hit a breaking swell and WHAALLLAAAA my front foot fell out of the strap and was dragging in the water, while I was doing around 28 knots...   OMFG I got that foot back in quick smart and had real trouble turning around at the gybe mark.  Man I need practice gybing that board in high wind.

So the next few races I sat out while rigging a much more sensible 5.6, by which time the wind backed off a tad...

Next race I'm lined up for the start, slogging along, ready to go, and WHAMMO some C*ckhead planes past, his board misses mine by about 10 cm and knocks me off with his sail!!!!  Not happy Jan I finished almost last and then went off in a huff to do some speed.

The kiters were out in force and in their usual slow oblivious way were getting in the way all the time... only got one half decent run in.

However this was on the 30 cm C3 Venom, it felt very stable, didn't spin out once, felt slippery, strong, well balanced.  I like this fin a lot   Why the 36 spins out so much in comparison is a mystery to me.

Well done on the PB's el Capitan, that's a big distance you did!  Also commiserations Lao, I can't imagine how scary it would be watching the ferry bear down on you.  Enjoy your holiday.

1 categories

Woodies,

Crazy windy...25-33K.  Real survival stuff.  Hell overpowered going back upwind.

Maxed out on the 5.8 Koncept + Manta 59 + 26 F1.

High tide so the strip was really choppy, and I was on the edge of control a lot of time.  Wanted more from this combo given the wind strength but hit a wall at 36K.  Plenty of peaks at 35K+, and a 36.23 on the dial, but couldn't crack 37 or better.  Still a 5 x 10 PB so fairly happy, but I had expectations of bigger things.  Still I'm happy I got through the sesh without any catapults or gear breakage (it was that kinda day!!)

First 90 minutes was bliss with only two kiters on the strip,,,we managed to avoid each other and even exchange a friendly wave.  Then those guys left and the kook brigade arrived to do their dingle dangle jumps without farken looking!!

Called it a day after damn near collecting one of them, who boosted into my path as I was tracking along at around 35K!!  Totally bailed from my kit and it was a miracle we didn't collide.  Windsurfers and kiters can coexist at Woodies if they exercise some basic courtesy, but after today I'm over it!!  Next time I'll head to Wally World to hang with my bretheren.

It's a real shame cos I love sailing at Woodies, especially on days like today.

Well done Capitan on cracking the ton...big effort in today's maelstrom!  And Chris on some stonkin speeds at WallyWorld.  Sounds like it was PB city there today!  Mark, sorry to hear about the mast, but at least you didn't get cleaned up by the ferry! 

What a day.

We need more seabreezes like that.

Watermans, very windy. 4.2