Great afternoon at sandstone

Pat, Pete. Steve, john and myself

Sails 6.5- 5.8

Pat making good progress on his 160 GO - in OBVIOUS planing conditions

The wind felt nuclear at times

I was on the BIC 283 with a smaller fin (42) and my Gumtree EZZY WAVE 5.8 sail

Got tossed a few times

Just felt fantastic to have the BIC ballistic riding flat across the chop

Had a huge over the front when I was a little rough bearing off at full speed -fighting the tendency to kept going up wind!!

Throw backward still attached and sheared an arm off my hardly used aluminium boom - puts a new spin on stress relief harness lines . No corrosion present just a straight sharp shear off at the head. Long walk back in trying not to slice myself up on the sharp edges or worse put a hole through the sail.

Going faster - hitting harder!!! Broke a low mileage mast base last week running aground at full kilter on a shallow sand bar

Looking forward to tomorrow

Cheers Jeff
Ps Packing on delay for Cootharaba while we have midday tides and SE winds at sandstone

Can't get out today. Anyone planning to be at Sandstone on Sunday?

Waiting to get out as soon as my open house is over at 2
yesterdays sail sizes were 5.2 - 6.0, Steve had to change down from a 6.5 to my old 5.2 and I down hauled the 6.0 til the leech wrinkled at the boom. used a 420 weed fin on the 140 naish with success. Today looks promising too......

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MalJ said...
Can't get out today. Anyone planning to be at Sandstone on Sunday?

Hi mal - yes some of the regulars are turning up

Steve said he would be there from 1. With the tide it will be sailable from 12

I'm going to Booreen for the longboards at LCSC

cheers Jeff

Very lonely at the Lake boys.
Only board at Elanda and only saw one other sail at Boreen. What's that about???
I thought it might have needed a sail number ballot to get on the water.

I am wrecked, 5.7 and 121 carve again today. Could have used 1.0m and 10 litres less at times.

Took out the old RRD out at one stage because I thought the wind was dropping, incorrect.
Big over the bars and yet more damage to the nose and I went in for some 5 minute epoxy magic and to retrieve the carve again.

Has to be the most consistent wind I have seen up here for a long while. Hope you guys get more of the same next weekend.

Anyone know a good chiropractor, I think I am going to need some work done!

Great afternoons sailing today

Tony on his tabou rocket with7.8 plus he took the ORBIT for a run - my test pilot ;-)
Steve on the bic techno
Pat on the 160 go
Pete turned up for a late spin on his Naish and the worked on his speed technique at low tide with the Mistral Energizer.

I had my first runs on the GUMTREE special!
A FANATIC Stingray TT (thunder tail) Dynamic nose flex 170l virtual volume - lots of marketing spin for a great time on the water
Another great afternoon at Sandstone

Cheers Jeff

Hey Pete thanks for a great set of photos

@ballast. Yes the winds have been consistent and seducing. I know I should have been packing for the lake . Got to doing some repairs on the boards in preparation for the holidays

Waiting waiting- hurry up and cure!! Wind is blowing - this baby needs testing (last minutes repairs this morning before sailing this arvo)


Are you coming over to Booreen tomorrow for racing?
Cheers Jeff

Heading up to Sandstone shortly Phantom & big sails

Great Photos Pete

You boys look like you are having a blast woo hoo

Count down is on for Elanda in our house

See you up there

Cheers
Morgan

Shortboard development has shifted to Cootharaba for the September holidays.

Lots happening - really enjoying my progress.
Today's afternoon session was all runs with both feet in the straps and racing with my mate How good is that

Wanted to share a lightwind planing experience.

I've got a new lightwind board :-). A starboard start !!!??

Went out with BIC and Ezzy 7.5. Wind dropped. Couldn't sustain a plane when I pumped. Just dogging around. Jane was out sailing so decided to stick the 7.5 on start. I was keen to experiment as Tony Mata kept telling me it was more than a START ;-). So off I went, a little gust pump pump and I was away - couldn't believe it!!!! We are talking serious planing in marginal conditions with a 7.5 sail - as I said I'd given up on getting the BIC going and not much else was hapening in the lull.

Gave my mate Pete a go as he was about to ride his Naish and 7m . Took start for run. Needed a gust to get going. Had a good run on return 21knts!!!! Can you believe it??

Wind lifted a little and he headed upwind and got planing on Naish 24.3knts in bigger wind. So $400 gumtree learner board with little paddle plastic fin didn't disgrace itself. Now I need to upgrade the decaying footstraps and see what this baby can do

Cheers Jeff

Another great few days at Elanda Point renewing friendships and making new friends.
Spent time sailing with Jeff and Jane, great fun!
Jane is improving leaps and bounds!!
I had a fabulous really long run right across the bay with Jeff and had to work to keep up!! The fanatic can go!!
A great mixture of all sizes, skills, and ages of sailors all having a great time too!

Went to bongaree thursday morning - decided to regroup at sandstone in the afternoon. Water condition looked too extreme - 'expert'- for me and my pensioner mates. One windsurfer was out going ballistic on the speed strip - looked great.

Got beat up in the afternoon at Sandstone.

Lulled by dropping wind while waiting for the tide to come in I had rigged a 7 and 8.5 (joke!!!)

Didn't really make anything of the conditions. Can't windsurf safely in the high gusty winds - still trying to work out what i have to do?

Went out on the 7 as the wind front came through. Had a couple of VERY overpowered runs on the BIC 283. Knew I was in trouble trying to keep the board on the water and not making too much ground upwind, getting further and further away from the beach . Had a crash where the board rolled sideways as I went over chop. Haven't crashed like that before - ankles are a little tender.

Swam back in to change down - Pete was heading out with a 5.5 - his comment on my 7m 'brave man!'

Ended up on 5.8. Should have went smaller. Still overpowered and my rear footstraps technique in these conditions left me vulnerable to gusts getting into the rear strap. A big over the handlebars was it for me. Knew I was going to break something. In similar conditions recently I sheared an arm of a near new boom. I had the feeling that this time I was going to break something human or worse 'my board'

Pete did very well. With his GPSLOGIT working on speed technique. Steve managed a good overpowered session on his BIC 283.

I know I can't blame my gear - still technique and setup to work on. As they say - 'A growth day'

Cheers Jeff

Thursday low tide in the morning at Sandstone so Jeff Steve and I went to Bongaree channel.

Really crappy conditions, very strong 25-30 kts and about 4feet of chop and a fast tide runout. Steve went out but came straight back in.

I didn't even bother to go out so we decided to catch the incoming tide at sandstone in the afternoon for the flatter water.

Had an 40minute session on the water and and was completely stuffed. Had a go on jeffs 133 carve at the end of the session and liked it.

Too choppy to get any real speed up on my naish. 24.6 with a 5.2 sail works TR7 wave sail and weed fin.

Didn't even bother to take out my speed rig. Lots of spin outs in the chop.

Jeff finally downsized enough but had trouble in the conditions as did we all. Rain squalls, gusty and some BIG bullets that had me overpowered on

my 5.2.

Steve was on an old 5.5 north race sail and had to work really hard too.

I had a great afternoon but the others ..?

Any body heading out to sandstone tomorrow?

Looks like a glorious return to turners camp tomorrow. Hope the ne forecast holds

Plus big day at sandstone on Friday. Please Mr Willy Weather please deliver

Cheers Jeff

Back at Turners Camp for the start of the NE - Should I rig 9.5 or 8.5???

Little white caps - gusts a little intense. Better stick some extra down haul on the 8.5

Pete turns up says I'm going to fly. He rigs 8.5 also - usually I'm on 1 metre more, hope I have enough power.

Heading out on the 'Gumtree special' anxious that it was all going to work.

Tack out away from the shore so I can get a good run in the wind zone. Didn't fall off doing the tack - that's a win

Ok - I'm ready!! Bear off - weight into the harness...yep we have power :-). Pump Pump some hip thrusts Yep we have acceleration :-). It's going to work.....

Board is rising up onto the plane - front foot in, more weight into the harness - lift the windward rail. Accelerating now - quick get the rear foot in!!! Done .... Now wait ... Wait ....WAIT.
FEEL THE RUSH!!! yep all systems go Go GO.

Get the stance forward - don't overload the tail - rake the sail back - don't over sheet - the mantra cycles through my mind....

Jeff RELAX!!!!! Your wind surfing :-) :-)

Ok fire up the rockets and accelerate out and up.. Feel the pink bits working.....,






Heading into the chop in the chanel .... Smash ...smash......I've got to get on top of this .... More power into the harness - hike out. Yes flying over the chop..... Slap slap slap....

It's been nearly a year since ......

*this blog started.

*that I started having repeatable planing

*found the front footstraps

*I met Darren and Pete - the coaching team

WOW. What a difference a year makes

Thanks Team

Cheers Jeff
Life's great

IKW and I were out at Redcliffe yesterday on 6.5 and a 6.8m sail respectively. pretty well powered up. Life is heaps easier with a smaller sail - i struggle with anything over 7.0. now , even in light conditions. Go smaller and you may just find you will go faster and start making those gybes!

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Dr Gas said..
IKW and I were out at Redcliffe yesterday on 6.5 and a 6.8m sail respectively. pretty well powered up. Life is heaps easier with a smaller sail - i struggle with anything over 7.0. now , even in light conditions. Go smaller and you may just find you will go faster and start making those gybes!

Thanks for the input Dr Gas

Must admit as a keen beginner I struggle to reconcile my sail choice with the accepted wisdom of everybody on smaller boards and 6m sails?

I dream of joining the crew at Queens on smaller gear - its probably closer than Bribie for me.

Wind graph from Redcliff Surfconnect on Wednesday.












Often we have sat at Turners Camp waiting for the wind to lift and looked longingly at the promising graphs from Redcliff. I recon we are usually 4-5knt less in a NE

I, along with Morgan, struggle to reconcile our size (me..94kg) and necessary board size (me..150-167l 80-92wide) with the suggestion we should be on 6m sails and smaller boards?

I didn't get to 8.5-9.5 sails easily or by mistake, it was more a case of bigger gear got me going and usually in calmer more friendly water conditions. I learnt on a 6.7m sail and a 220l board.

Ive been to Queens (smashed) when 6m sails are being used and have some understanding of the conditions this entails, not for me yet.

I had the pleasure of sailing at Bongaree during the winter westerlies when Ian was there with his Ezzy Cheater 6.5m I was on Ezzy 7m- so not to far off on my sail choice (its what I had). However it was a very demanding day for me with the water conditions that comes with needing that size sail.

So to Wednesday and what size sail should I have been on? My coach Pete was out on a 8.5, Tony set up a 8.7 and I was on Ezzy 8.5 initially overdownhauled but soon released as I needed more grunt.

This long answer is more of a general understanding of where Im at, love to be sailing on smaller gear however my efforts to go smaller have meant much less windsurfing and much more difficult conditions. This afternoon is going to be one of those days. Got all the small gear packed but know that I really haven't nailed the conditions that are associated with the wind predictions.


cheers jeff

Jeff,

Properly matching sail size to wind conditions is the key to enjoying high wind sailing.

Match wind to sail size to fin size. If the water is relatively flat then the board size is almost irrelevant. I have successfully used my 137 lit Slalom board with a 6.4m2 sail and 32cm fin in 20+kts of wind and I weigh 91kgs. In really choppy water, smaller board sizes are easier to handle in high wind. Having said that I've used my 137 and 6.4 in 1m high Waterloo Bay chop in 20+kt NEer.

With your 94kg you should be looking at similar wind / sail / fin range / Board size that I use with my 91Kgs

Wind < 14kts - 8.5m2 - 44 to 46cm - 137lit

13kts < Wind < 18kts - 7.9m2 - 38 to 42cm - 112 & 137lit

16kts < Wind < 22kts - 7.1m2 - 35 to 38cm - 95 & 112 & 137lit

20kts < wind < 25kts - 6.3m2 - 30 to 35cm - 95 & 112lit

25kts < Wind - 5.7m2 - 25 to 30cm - 95lit

Note how sail sizes overlap. What you choose will depend on whether you rig for the lulls or the gusts. I prefer to rig for the lulls. Others prefer to rig for the gusts. Its a personnel choice and what you find comfortable.

Great sailing at Turners Camp low tide the other day. We were going to sail off Woorim beach as our mate John, a long time local and experienced sailboarder and good mate said that it wasn't too bad off the beach at low tide.He was having a good time but working hard.
Jeff got there a bit later than I and I went out when he was still rigging and had a couple of runs and found it tough going as I had too big a board out in the chop in the open water so we decide to adjourn to Turners and brave the low tide for the flat water sailing.

We met up with Sean, a kite sailor and I rigged a 7.0 and Jeff rigged a 7.5 a and Sean rigged an 11.5 kite.

What can I say, sometimes the 7's were too small but mostly they were too big!

The NE wind just got stronger and stronger.

I was out on my 140 naish freewide and 7.0 Ezzy Freesail and Jeff was out on a 155 Fanatic thunder tail and Ezzy 7.5 lion and we were flying!!!!!! Sean was tea bagging in the big gusts on his kite

The gust must have been 25 odd kts and there was a freestyle sailor with a 105 ltr and 5.2 sail doing his freestyle tricks out there too!!

All in all a great afternoons sailing, we went home, as they say, tired but happy!

Janet and I are planning a session at Turners Camp tomorrow. Can spare the time and wind looks good, so we need to continue our mission to "get back into sailboarding after 20 years". (I am still in pain from the last session bruising my ribs!)

Wondering if Waricle might be keen? We have never been there before - don't actually know exactly where the spot is, but Jirvin4505 is giving us some basic directions.

Change of plan ... aiming to sail on Tuesday.

Well we’re fraudulent posting reports in this thread, as we don’t actually own one of those ridiculous looking fat SHORT boards! But after trying Pete’s at Turners Camp this afternoon, that may change soon … !

Janet and I are just getting back into sailing after a 20 year hiatus. Our gear was mostly stuffed, so in the last 6 weeks or so (since Jeff seduced us into travelling up for a comeback session on his gear on a windy day at Elanda Point) we’ve been accumulating bits of sailing gear faster than the Syrian rebels accumulate American weapons.

But we haven’t actually DONE much sailing. We had a really heavy session at Sandstone 2 Fridays ago, and I’m still sore from that. Good to be blasting again though. It alerted us to more gaps in our quiver, so this morning we headed back in for another consultation with Dr Simon at Board Crazy, who prescribed and dispensed a new Gaastra Force 5.0 sail (would have bought a 4.5 as well if he’d had it … the price was so good) plus a mast to suit and a few other bits.

We then headed north, past home and directly to Turners Camp finding Pete already out on the water around 1pm. We rigged the Severne 5.7 for Janet on the old Metal Rock (which she loves) and the old North Crossfire 6.6 for me, on the Mistral Explosion 120. At first we struggled for enough power as Pete planed back and forth with an 8.0 Ezzy. There were lots of holes in the wind and I can’t gybe at all any more, so I spent plenty of time in the water. Once Janet had her rig adjusted, she was unstoppable. She always sails about twice as much as me.

Pete went home for a bigger board, but later it picked up and he had to really haul his sail flat to manage the sail. I got worn out. The arms were getting elongated out of their sockets and I was huffing and puffing and coughing doing long waterstarts where the boom and mast tip kept sinking deep down in the current. Janet had a big scare when her harness hook got caught in some tape wrapped around a footstrap and she couldn’t get out, board upside down and head just out of the water. She got it, but was really shaken by the experience and we have to get a quick release hook for that harness!

I needed a rest, but that was cut short by Pete offering me a go on his fancy 140L F2 short board. I didn’t think I could handle it, but actually I got up and the thought bubble streaming behind me as I screamed along said “I want one!”. Big crash, more hard water starting, lots of crashes getting going and I got back exhausted again. Pete pointed out that I didn’t have enough downhaul, so we ripped into it.

I had to try the little 105L Mistral Flow that I got cheap and hadn’t ridden. The 6.6 was really too big now as the wind was up, so I had more crashes and difficult water starts interspersed with some beautiful fluid planing runs. Lovely! Wish I’d tried it with a smaller sail, but we had to get back to family duties. Headed home tired but happy … what a great thing to be doing, and Turners Camp at high tide is a great spot.

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AvB said..
Well we’re fraudulent posting reports in this thread, as we don’t actually own one of those ridiculous looking fat SHORT boards! But after trying Pete’s at Turners Camp this afternoon, that may change soon … !

Janet and I are just getting back into sailing after a 20 year hiatus. Our gear was mostly stuffed, so in the last 6 weeks or so (since Jeff seduced us into travelling up for a comeback session on his gear on a windy day at Elanda Point) we’ve been accumulating bits of sailing gear faster than the Syrian rebels accumulate American weapons.

But we haven’t actually DONE much sailing. We had a really heavy session at Sandstone 2 Fridays ago, and I’m still sore from that. Good to be blasting again though. It alerted us to more gaps in our quiver, so this morning we headed back in for another consultation with Dr Simon at Board Crazy, who prescribed and dispensed a new Gaastra Force 5.0 sail (would have bought a 4.5 as well if he’d had it … the price was so good) plus a mast to suit and a few other bits.

We then headed north, past home and directly to Turners Camp finding Pete already out on the water around 1pm. We rigged the Severne 5.7 for Janet on the old Metal Rock (which she loves) and the old North Crossfire 6.6 for me, on the Mistral Explosion 120. At first we struggled for enough power as Pete planed back and forth with an 8.0 Ezzy. There were lots of holes in the wind and I can’t gybe at all any more, so I spent plenty of time in the water. Once Janet had her rig adjusted, she was unstoppable. She always sails about twice as much as me.

Pete went home for a bigger board, but later it picked up and he had to really haul his sail flat to manage the sail. I got worn out. The arms were getting elongated out of their sockets and I was huffing and puffing and coughing doing long waterstarts where the boom and mast tip kept sinking deep down in the current. Janet had a big scare when her harness hook got caught in some tape wrapped around a footstrap and she couldn’t get out, board upside down and head just out of the water. She got it, but was really shaken by the experience and we have to get a quick release hook for that harness!

I needed a rest, but that was cut short by Pete offering me a go on his fancy 140L F2 short board. I didn’t think I could handle it, but actually I got up and the thought bubble streaming behind me as I screamed along said “I want one!”. Big crash, more hard water starting, lots of crashes getting going and I got back exhausted again. Pete pointed out that I didn’t have enough downhaul, so we ripped into it.

I had to try the little 105L Mistral Flow that I got cheap and hadn’t ridden. The 6.6 was really too big now as the wind was up, so I had more crashes and difficult water starts interspersed with some beautiful fluid planing runs. Lovely! Wish I’d tried it with a smaller sail, but we had to get back to family duties. Headed home tired but happy … what a great thing to be doing, and Turners Camp at high tide is a great spot.

Great writeup!

Fantastic report and a really huge day for you two just getting back into it.
Well done!

Great writeup by Andrew and Janet. Their enthusiasm is contagious!

a great Nor Easter building in the afternoon had us trying to guess the right size sail for the day.

A started with 7.0 and 140 Naish freewide but as the wind was patchy I went back home (5mins away) and got my early planing f2 And fitted a weed

fin and the 7.0. and managed to get going and keep going whilst Andrew and Janet rigged.

As the wind increased I opted for the smaller Naish and the 7.0 and had a great session till I got tired and the chop got really big!

Andrew and Janet were trying to tune their new gear and cope with the strengthening conditions.

I had some spectacular gybes and some even better crashes in the big waves.

A 5.0 and 100 ltr board would have been right for the conditions when we finished!!

I really enjoyed their company and look forward to more epic sessions.

Today is is the third day of three straight days of NE conditions. ??????

Monday I sailed at Turners with Sean and his 12.0 kite

yesterday with Andrew and Janet

Today I went over the passage from Turners Camp to Pacific Harbour with John and we sailed over to the islands near the Avon wreck and back.

Third day day on the 7.0 and 140 naish

The wind was strong enough but but patchy and gusty at times though the water is flatter there.

Not much forecasted for tomorrow but time will tell!!

Rostered days off. Hoping forecast holds for Turners Camp Thu, Fri, Sat arvo then wind wanders at Golden Beach Sunday morning.

Cheers Jeff

Turners Camp fourth day in a row,!
Notso great.
started with the f2 and 7.0 and then changed up to 8.5.
Hard work but got planing 50% of the time.
Hoping for better tomorrow.
A spectator was enthusiastic in his praise of our efforts and his interest in taking up the sport.
We may have a new learner....

Hey Waricle/Jeff, I'm not the enthusiastic Turner's Camp spectator, but I've been reading this blog with great interest. I'm a 44yo Beachmere kid who's surfed, boated and sailed yachts for a good many years and Jeff's story has tipped me over the edge to give windsurfing a go, my wife said she always wondered why I haven't tried it sooner actually given our easy access to the water. I'll have to come over and catch up with you guys for a chat when you're having a sail because to be honest I don't know where to start. Do I go to some lessons with someone like Surf Connect or Sunshine Coast Sailboards? Do I go down to RQ and do some of their learning Saturdays with everyone else's kids? Or do I just guts it and buy a beginner setup and go sailing with like minded locals like you guys? Cheers, John