OK, so this was a little weird.

I normally sail St.Kilda / Green Point, but on Saturday afternoon I was on the Bellarine and it was blowing properly, but there were no windsurfers or kitesurfers to be found anywhere! The whole place was deserted, despite what looked like loads of wind, loads of water and loads of fun!
I tried:
Portarlington, and a sailing club a bit west of there with a boat ramp - deserted...
13th Beach - deserted...
Torquay - deserted (well, it was a bit offshore)
Even Lake Connewarre - deserted (looked too shallow though)

As a result I was a bit unnerved by the whole thing, given the complete absence of virtually anyone around anywhere and a total lack of local knowledge I chickened out...

Does anyone sail out there? Or do all the windsurfers / kitesurfers live on the northern / eastern side of Port Phillip Bay?

I missed out on a great day's sailing by the looks of things and don't want to repeat the mistake - HELP PLEASE!

Howdy FS..

I'm a local down this way and was working all weekend. My current role has me mobile around the Geelong area and I too was super suprised with the lack of people out over the weekend. The local gps team challenge crew didn't post and was suprised that no one was out..

As for next weekend - Saturday afternoon in Geelong - for some reason, maybe a bit quite.

Thanks for your reply mate.

Really weird how no-one was around. Ah well, at least it wasn't just my inability to find the sailing spots then... Have you got any recommendations of where / where not to sail? Any particular spots where there's stuff to avoid?

And yeah, I reckon Geelong could be super-quiet next weekend :o) Go Cats!

Unfortunately I had work over the weekend too But next weekend may be another story. I am sure the Cats wont mind if I support them from on the water

Hey FS

We get a few guys out on westerlies and easterlies at willy beach, particularly if it is cranking.

On the lower tides just watch the reef on the western side, it has claimed quite a few fins.

Be careful if the report says it is going NW, offshore!

Another place in a W-SW is also Altona (a bit of a walk though) but is nice a sandy - just watch out for psycho boaters and monster mutant jellyfish around the entrance to koroit creek.

www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=16698

hey FlickySpinny,

around the peninsula:

13th beach - NW
RAAF beach (Barwon river mouth) SW
Ocean Grove - E
Swan Bay - guys have gone out on N
St leonards-indented heads - don't now - ? NE to SE
Portarlington (point richards) any N (great B & J)
Point Henry - everything but E *
Connewarre- any with S *

* weed fin recommended

Would join you this weekend but have just been informed my sister-in-law has won a trip to Hotham and the missus and I are going!!

Every direction is covered - If your ever down give me a PM (shift worker - any time could be a good time!)

Cheers

Red

Hey Flicky,

I've only been to a few spots so far around the region as a windsurfer. I was a bit confused with the lack of turnout on Saturday too. I had to head out of Geelong to visit folks but sat accross the bay for a few minutes on my way out and couldn't find anyone at Point Henry looking through the Binoculars. Usually I spy a few kites up when its North or westerly. And I could see it was blown up nicely there.

I've been to the Portarlington spot near the sailing club you mentioned, only a couple of times though. Its a nice spot with crosswind on a westerly. Never met anyone else there but have chatted with lots that know and have been there at times.

I spoke to 1 of the guys from Stonkers in Torquay. I was told that he and a mate went out hitting the waves somewhere on Saturday and said it was rough with 3.7m sails tackling the surf and 35 knot wind. I thought they would have been at 13th coz I know 1 of them is addicted to that place, but from where they live Point Danger at Torquay would have been a possibility.

Lake connewarre I don't know anything about yet aside from what I have been told. Southerlies there are apparently good when the weed gets blown out of the way.

A lot of my time has been spent at Point Henry so far, its a nice safe spot with plenty of people activity when the wind gets up. Notherlies make it cross shore as does Southerlies add more westerly to the wind direction and you get it coming more onshore. Really close to Geelong too, it takes me longer to load the car than it does to drive there. Since taking up the sport in April I have met heaps of guys there. Mostly kiters but I am finding windsurfers there now at times. 2 car parks, southern for sailing in Stingray bay, or Northern carpark for sailing off the point.

The point has the kind of weed that really grabs your gear when its low tide, more of a silt laiden bottom too so its more muddy than the Southern park. It is however more active as there with heaps of room to set up gear, and kind of easy to miss the South carpark going past if you don't know its there.

I generally sail out of Pt Henry and its probably only been the last few good weekends that I havent been able to go. You may have seen the ute there Viking.

I have also sailed at Pt Richards between the boat ramp and the sailing club. Great light wind spot in northerlies but can get bumpy once the wind picks up.

As for Lake Connewarre... the wind doesnt blow the weed in a southerly. You just need a good weed fin. However the weed has the effect of flattening out chop and makes it like sailing on glass (as long as you dont get hooked up and come to a sudden stop). Once we get more consistant southerlies, the Lake will be the place to sail.

If the ute is the one in your profile pic then I haven't seen it there yet. George I only met 3 or 4 weeks back, he's told me a bit about you and a few of the guys that follow these forums and get together on the water. Also met Front out there Don't remember their profile names on these forums though.

I've met 4 or 5 other windsurfers that don't seem to follow this website aside from the wind reports. A few are locals and plenty seem to travel down from melbourne.

Eric,

I met you a few weeks back out at the point.. Heres a run down of some of the crew at point Henry (name in brackets is seabreeze alias)

Pat (oceanBlue 64) - white commodore ute
Geoff (monty) - falcon station wagon
Frant (frant) - white combi van or green land cruiser
Steve (shuurminator) - green land cruiser
brett (red) - green subaru forester
Tony (tony wyn) was a silver VW van

and a cast of others....

If you see one of us just say g'day and you'll be in the loop in no time

Cheers

Red

Not wanting to jinx things but...... Sunday out at Pt Henry is looking pretty good at the moment. Will need a good day out after we win the flag. GO CATS!

Dang.

This sunday is my first Sunday shift of a new fortnightly rotation. Been moved to a new department at work and every second friday shift swaps with a sunday.

My chance of any sailing will be on Friday if conditions are good. Saturday looks like it will be flat.

Well I know its the GF tomorrow but..... the forecast is looking real nice for some light wind sailing off Pt Richards (maybe even the Lake if it swings real southerly) just after lunch. I am sure the gods of sport will forgive me if I dont watch the game. Go Cats!

Looks like no wind for the grannie today!!!

Dunno what I'll be doing tomorrow, looks a bit windy?!?


Couldn't have worked it better, no wind=watch footy, recovery at the beach tomorrow!

Select to expand quote

Sailhack said...

Looks like no wind for the grannie today!!!

Dunno what I'll be doing tomorrow, looks a bit windy?!?


Couldn't have worked it better, no wind=watch footy, recovery at the beach tomorrow!

I dont know... the 12 - 15 later this arvo looks good for the 8.5 on the big board plus with the temps above 23 I dont think I can resist!

Well yesterday I am glad I didnt watch the grand final and went sailing instead. Wind was light - about 6 - 8 knots from the SE. But the sun was out and it was warm, so I had to go. Spent 3 hrs playing out at Pt Richards on the Go with the 8.5, just cruising back and forth.

Today was a different story. Went to Pt Henry and it was blowing 15 - 18. The direction was anywhere from the NW through to the SW. It kept swinging all the time. Was a great session though. Had the 105 Hypersonic rigged with the 5.8 Kult. Would liked to have had a little more power (maybe I will get a small cammed sail soon) but I had some great long runs.
Was also good to see some guys come down from Melb for a sail.

Got to say that the Bellarine was the place to be today!

I tried Aspendale this afternoon but it hovered around 8-10knots and wasnt enough to plane. The forecast said it was supossed to increase (20-30kts I think)this afternoon.

Hey guys,
I'm going to be back out on the Bellarine this Saturday PM. Thinking of heading to Point Henry based on the wind forecast... (not wanting to jinx it) anyone else planning on being out there, or got a better spot? Look for the old-skool VW panelvan and a bright sail (see my avatar - that's the 5m I reckon I'll be using) and I'll see you on the water!
Cheers,
Ian

FlickySpinny,

It sounds like a few of us will be on the water tomorrow at Point Henry. Forecast looks better for the arvo. Most of us sail at "1st carpark" (the road sweeps to the left (alcoa on your right) and then sweeps back to the right to the point. At the right sweeper a dirt road goes straight on - follow that down to left and you'll see a rigging area.

I think I might have spoken to you at SHQ sandy weekend on the sunday morning? I was derigging (Starboard sonic/ KA Koncept & subaru with a trailer) next to you when you were rigging up?

Red

Hey Red - yup, that was me! Thanks for the reply and the details - I'll see you down there. Fingers crossed and getting keen. Was planing for a sail this PM, but not looking promising up here in Melbourne at the moment... See you on the water! Cheers, Ian

Unfortunately I have other commitments tomorrow arvo so I wont be able to join you guys At least you can rest assured that there wont be someone there asking heaps of questions and getting in your way as you try to do a PB

Hope you get good winds and have a great day