I just saw that it is gusting 47knots at Wilsons Prom . I hope I see some super speeds posted tonight .
No wind in my office though !!! ( actually there is but we won't go there)

our reign of terror may be coming to a rather abrupt halt

47 @ Wilsons Prom usually equates to about 20-25, if you are lucky... so hopefully I wont be missing too much.

Matt , Twas blowing 35 at Falkner just before , the wave boards in the car . Whats the bet it dies in b..t at 4.30 !!! Maybe seeya at Middle Park ? or Smellwood .

Oddly enough, I haven't sailed a really good SW'er at Middle Park -> usually would head off to the PiT. I have been told it gets a nice swell on a really good blow, but every time I have sailed there (on that wind direction), the sea-state is usually quite confused - so I tend to prefer a SE'er.

Given that it is "Twilight Thursdays" tonight, I think I'll head off to Elwood, should even be a few other guys there to sail with - and it gets a nice rolling swell too.

Looking at the latest PiT graph, it might actually get a 30kn SW'er - which is kinda surprising, as yesterday's charts had the Low-pressure quite south of Tasmania, so I expected it to slide away to the south.

Here is something interesting - windfinder.com had this to say about Wilsons Prom... note the -41 degrees and 107 knots...

Methunks Mr Windfinder may have a slight problem with their forecasting



Hardies run will be blown away

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elmo said...
Hardies run will be blown away

And frozen over... -47, Brrr! Might have to break out the wettie!

need to take an oxygen mask too- look at the pressure! Thats half an atmosphere... Better also hook up some O2 to the car or it might not make it. To put that in perspective thats about the same as the air pressure 7km into the sky...

Ya reckon there may be a wee glitch in their system then

nup all good just checked it! typical weather for mandurah this time of the year

midnight run at hardies on friday then

I wonder if anyone was out at Sandy today? I got up this morning, looked at the forecasts that said 20-25 knots with the direction closer to SW than WSW, saw bugger-all wind outside and went to work. Never got over 15-20 knots here in Sale and the Yarram station was mostly 20kts gusting 28 so I don't think we missed anything special.

hmmm climate change happening faster than expected :(

Well...... I do know that this January had an unusual lack of strong winds in the Pit. Hopefully February, March and April will make up for it!

i've got an off topic question for you speedsters...if 50% or more are aussies in the top 10 gpsspeedsurfing why is it that i never see any of you on the canal with with finian and company or the other group with whitey or dunky???

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jp747 said...

i've got an off topic question for you speedsters...if 50% or more are aussies in the top 10 gpsspeedsurfing why is it that i never see any of you on the canal with with finian and company or the other group with whitey or dunky???

not sure about this but i believe you have to be invited to play with the big boys
slow boat has sailed the trench.....

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snides8 said...

jp747 said...

i've got an off topic question for you speedsters...if 50% or more are aussies in the top 10 gpsspeedsurfing why is it that i never see any of you on the canal with with finian and company or the other group with whitey or dunky???

not sure about this but i believe you have to be invited to play with the big boys
slow boat has sailed the trench.....

how'd he do snides? them not so big boys as one group under whitey i think only posted
30-35kts. while the top guys were hitting 42-46kts.

cant remember how he went, maybe Slowy can recall.....
i would be wrapped to see 35 on the dial especially with the conditions the poms had the other day...infact i would be wrapped to see 35 at any stage....
unfortunately the big boys have a distinct advantage at the pointy end of the game so for little boys it will all ways be a case of trying to at least 'punch above your weight'

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jp747 said...

i've got an off topic question for you speedsters...if 50% or more are aussies in the top 10 gpsspeedsurfing why is it that i never see any of you on the canal with with finian and company or the other group with whitey or dunky???

For most I think it is as much a matter of expense as anything else.

I heard a rumor that a Euro sailor was offered a place in a MOS event for many thousands of dollars. But there was no guarantee that he would even get to sail if the day had epic conditions. The organizers would have the final say in who got to sail if it was potential record conditions to limit crowding and maximize the chances of those chosen.

There is also very little sponsorship support available in this country with a relatively small windsurfing market.

That said. There have been a number of Aussies who have managed to be competitive in Europe over the years. Mal Wright actually won one of the first events held on the Canal. Mal, Peter Dans and Tony Wynhoven have all competed in Euro speed events and more recently Chris Lockwood did very well indeed in Europe and Namibia.
And thats just the ones I know of.

And, we have a world class speed strip here at Sandy Point so we can go very fast and not have leave home!

Canal was really fun. Very windy. Saw FM blow away the outright record. Finished 2nd fastest on the day with an official 42.9kts. I was hitting a brick wall- lots of runs around that speed. Conditions were arguably the best I've sailed in. Unfortunately the smallest sail I had was a 5.6m and it was gusting to 55kts on the course- so I was rather overpowered. FM was on 5.0m. The other guys were on 5.0 or smaller and getting smashed. That was the trigger to get into fin design. (insert shameless plug) My brick wall moved a bit in the last year or so thanks to the KA assy design (end shameless plug).

So did anyone sail at the Pit yesterday ? I had a quick session at Smellwood around 5.00 , it had moderated to 20-25 knots .

good enough reply for me sailquik and slowboatso it's up to sponsorship and expense i guess the only way is to invite the wssrc people and smother them with aussie sponsorship to direct a sanctioned event at the sp pit..

In response to JP747, I don't suppose it's that enticing to leave warm, consistently windy WA in our summer, to wait around in freezing Europe in the hope that some breeze might eventuate at the Canal or the Ray.

What would you rather; two months of 20 - 25 knots five days a week with the occasional 30 knots in 30 degree air and 23 degree water, or two months of freezing cold misery and rain with the very occasional storm at 40-50 knots?

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AUS1111 said...

In response to JP747, I don't suppose it's that enticing to leave warm, consistently windy WA in our summer, to wait around in freezing Europe in the hope that some breeze might eventuate at the Canal or the Ray.

What would you rather; two months of 20 - 25 knots five days a week with the occasional 30 knots in 30 degree air and 23 degree water, or two months of freezing cold misery and rain with the very occasional storm at 40-50 knots?

This place of yours sounds Awesome AUS1111, where is it I wanna live there? Oh yeh I forgot, that's why I moved to WA 15 years ago...... Not that it's delivering this week, if you came over to Perth this week, you'd think these guyz are just having us all on

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AUS1111 said...

In response to JP747, I don't suppose it's that enticing to leave warm, consistently windy WA in our summer, to wait around in freezing Europe in the hope that some breeze might eventuate at the Canal or the Ray.

What would you rather; two months of 20 - 25 knots five days a week with the occasional 30 knots in 30 degree air and 23 degree water, or two months of freezing cold misery and rain with the very occasional storm at 40-50 knots?

am sure one you speedfreaks had hit 48+ but couldn't get if ratified since the ratifying people are in freezin' europe so i guess it's time for you guys to sort of chip in and get sponsorship to hold a speed event at sandy..yes

I guess you mean a WSSRC ratified speed event JP? There have been quite a few very successful speed events held here since the late '80's but none has had WSSRC ratification (except for MI's private attempts).
The problem is still the same. The difficulty (and unsatisfactory nature) of setting up fixed gate/camera timing and the high cost of meeting WSSRC conditions.

We are hopeful that when (not if ) low cost personal GPS are ratified by the WSSRC the the other costs may be able to be negotiated to a manageable level, then we will be in business!!!

let me know when that happens cuz am pretty sure the world record will be akin to the america's cup meant for you guys not european not american not some far flung place