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 

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.