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| Owner:
mas Member Member#: 7693 Location: Registered: 29-06-2008 Diary Entries: 382 |
19th April 2025 Windsurfing: Bradfield Wind Direction: ENE Wind Stength: 12/27 Surf / Sea State: Mid Swell Air Temperature: 17 Sea Temperature: Cool Weather: Cloudy Max Speed: 19.43 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 24nm (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Returned to wind foiling at probably my favourite location after a couple years absence due to illness. Had a lot of catching, so caught up with all the news from long time mates. Winging dominates around here as most of the old wind foilers are now winging! except a couple of fin and wind foilers including me. I decided a couple of years ago, I wasn’t going to bother as I simply don’t have enough time to learn new tricks. It’s a great sport though. I really only like long cruising upwind and back, with long runs, whether its Slalom boards (my favourite) Long boards, or wind foiling, my least favourite, as I find it a little boring after awhile. Winging isn't suited to cruising IMHO. Foiling is less stress on the body so, can’t slag it off! Nothing changed ass I faffed on sail choice 7.8 or 6.5, after measuring the wind ENE 12/27 kts in the gusts, so I started rigging 6.5, then it eased so switched to 7.8 which was waaay to big in the middle! I fitted the wrong mast and had the boom upside down, so had to start again ffs! So was on the water last! Nothing new there! I was also on a new board after selling my Patrik monster door board. I bought Starboard Freeride wood sandwich 160L 208 long and straight away I like it, because its definitely behaves like Large Slalom board dressed up as a wind foil board. Next week I will be ordering a 56cm IQ fin, for those great summer sea breeze days at the shallow water surrounding the Dip location, or cruising the coast line! I took off over powered and went straight over the top as the board breached within 100 metres. Spoiler alert – I had left the +1 spacer on the 355 stab and with the 900 front it was over foiling in the gusts off wind. Lucky thing I had the 95 cm fuse on, which is very forgiving. I use upwind reaching to keep foils 12” up and prefer not to go any higher than I need to. Trouble was the swell in the middle was high and as soon as I bore off a bit on port tack I flew over the front door, as the port straps were too tight to get in! Bugger and I couldn’t be bothered to drag the 95cm mast back on land. That I think is the negatives of foiling. On a fin, you just land and make adjustments. Steve and Si launched out of Wrabness which is actually a better location than Bradfield, as the point has clean wind, but it was blowing F5 in the gusts and I had to shelter in the shallows until it calmed as I could sheet in at all. Oh for a 6M sail! Both sailors were headed in the other direction, so I turned back, but lost sight of them. The Starboard is very light and skittish. It pops up without pumping just a stamp down on the tail and it flies, but I definitely have to be in both straps on windy days, and I stopped counting after 15 front door exits on port tack, as I couldn’t get in the straps. The board is pretty fantastic, but broad reaching is tricky! It over foils sheeted full power no matter how much nose pressure I applied, so straps are a must. Also, Rear stab has to be set a minus if its windy, and I shall buy a 800 front wing which will give be good speed heading downwind. In fact I wish I had a fin in because it’s just a great mini formula board! I missed Steve and Si, on the way back to Bradfield, but was concentrating on experimenting with foot positions. The straps locations are perfect, but I need the mast foot a little more forward on windy days. I fell in every gybe attempt and the nose is too small for me to tack at the mo, so, water started every fall. Speed was good 19.43kts broad and 17.2 upwind because I couldn’t allow it to go broad due to front door exit risks. Am expecting 22kts + which is faster than the Patrik off wind. Downwind is nowhere near as good as the big Patrik tho, which pinged it straight down wind. The Starboard feels like a Slalom foiling board which is great. Covered 24 Nm only due to so many falls, so the effort around 3hrs was a lot more! I spent winter in the gym, so Cardio and strength was never in doubt, finishing 3rd in the March rowing challenge covering 212 km, after giving the winner and 2nd (290 km) a 8 day start. Now sitting 2nd in the treadmill challenge 140km and the leader 155km with 10 days to go. I pulled a hamstring on port tack water starting, and its now very sore, so wont windsurf anymore in case of injuries. Great day sailing for me an all the wing foilers were having a fantastic time! Interesting that on a 12k Row (1hr) for me is Zone 3-4 HR (Max 130), 10K 45min treadmill is Zone 3-5 (Max 145) yet 3hrs Foiling is was mainly Z3 Max (148). Its much easier stress on my body on flattish waters. |
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