Its been just over a year since I left Melbourne so I thought its time to fill you in on my year of windsurfing in the UK.
Manchester is not blessed with good water access and 10 mins from the door to on the water has turned into a full day out!
Its nice at the moment, 30c, we've had 2 good summers.
Since I returned I've managed:
- 1 sail at the local council lake (The one where I've previously been given wellies to wear, as I can't go out barefoot for
Insurance reasons, and when we were learning they sent my brother out on a board WITHOUT A FIN!)
The Starboard Rio I'd persuaded them to let me take made their default popout HiFly Motion look good!
This shut down due to council cuts, no loss there!
- 1 sail at the 'local' windsurfing club: West Pennine Sailing Club, again on a lake, but at least its on a hilltop not in a dip.
The predicted wind did not arrive, luckily the day I attended was NW longboard racing day, and I took a spare raceboard (fanatic
megacat) out until the masttrack ripped out. The old hands who'd been raceboarding since the 80's said they'd never seen that
happen before (hmmmm... thats my 4th masttrack, must be doing something wrong)
- 1 Evening 'improvers' session at ANOTHER council lake, good and high and can get a channeling of wind down a valley, but I had
to settle for learner board freestyle. However the beginners thought I was something special with my clew first and backwinding.
- 1 West Kirby sea lake, back in the sea (sort of). Its a big wall which the sea spills over when the tides in, about 1/2 sq mile,
very flat water (held a speed record back in the day for production board
(F2 starlit wave, which was my high wind board back in Melbourne, thankyou hard rubbish!)
I had my brand 'new' ebay special Bic Techno 152L and 8.5m, but for what it was I really enjoyed this session, back planing.
But the jewel in the crown was 4 solid days of bump and jump in Ixia, Rhodes, Greece.
I chose the closest of 3 hire centres (Fanatic & North Sales, the others being JP/F2 & Neil Pryde)
I was lucky to get a solid 20-30knts building through the day each day
(I looked and the next week it was poor).
very similar to B&J in Port Phillip
(except with Mediterranean girls in bikinis....windsurfing!
I thought that was only ever posed for a poster shot)
wind was left cross to onshoreThey had 150 sails (4.0-8.2) and maybe 60 boards, of which I tried about 8,
everything rigged and left at the waters edge for me.
I liked the 105L/69cm Gecko, similar to JP Allride, but the real revelation
was the freestyle Skate 110 just made everything so safe, comfortable, untiring and easy!
planing, pumping onto the plane, staying in the straps off the plane, upwinding, upwinding into a jump, adjusting in a jump,
planing out of jumps, popping the board off flat water, standing up over the board with the sail open it just kept planing,
recovering spinout (of course) although it only happened twice.
Gybing was a bit bitey but so easy to not drop off the plane.
Obviosuly I didn't do any freestyle!
It was uninsured(insurance was only for 300m away from the shore and with 100 euro excess, compared to cost of 50 for a full
catapult so didn't bother) and thankfully didn't break much....just a harness line on the first run at full speed.
And it was good to see windsurfs outnumbering kites by maybe 20:1
I should be out this Sunday at West Kirby sea lake again for a heady 13knts!
SteveUk
Steve. You always will need insurance. You break something every time you sail. Greece sounds awesome along with the babes sailing. Will be over there in 6 weeks ( but not the council lakes). Hampton beach is now basically a 5 knt zone but nothing has really changed except it's a lot quieter there since you left our shores. (A few have been fined up at Dendy though) We had a good summer but there has been nothing for the last 3 weeks since I bought 3 new sails. Great to hear from you and keep the updates coming.
ps also bought a fanatic skate so good to see you really had fun on it.
Thanks Carey, bill. I got Out again twice, once was different, the sealake got its wind and direction to be a proper speed run like sandy point and I got my 'small' board going (old 105 mistral flow, ive gone cheap again, and 5.6 combat) and fast next to the wall, and I'd forgot how much easier gybing is on flat water. Fun but its not bumb and jump. Next time if tide is right. Seeing a few regulars now across several venues in good, already got myself a new UK Bill! and a couple of sort of apprentices I gave benefit of my experience.
Taken up judo as my son wants to fight all thee time. Trying to throw someone, It is a bit like wrestling with a gusty sail, and then getting thrown is like getting catapulted. Lots of falling with soft landings, technique over strength, going with the forces and all that.
Should be out again Sat for more flat water . this time be on bigger racey sail. Its gone much better than I thought for getting time on water this summer
Hey Steve, you sound different. You don't have an accent anymore.
looking forward to hearing your winter sailing reports.
