Wow, what great sessions. I got out to the Launch Pad and the wind was showing 13 knots on iWindsurf.com. (That is my own Tempest weather station reporting that data!) I took a quick look at the map on www.iWindsurf.com and yeah, I’m at the windiest place in Ontario!
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| I launched at the only place showing 13 knots on iWindsurf! |
I took the 7m Duotone Slick and 125l Fanatic Sky with the 2000cm2 foil. I launched from the dock, pumped up onto the foil and for the first time ever made it straight all the way out past the old cribs in Key Harbour. One slow pivot jibe and I was upwind out into Georgian Bay. Sweet.
With an old 30cm windsurf harness line on the boom of the Slick, it was easy to go upwind. I wingfoiled for over 30 minutes before I finally fell in. I was in shorts and a lycra shirt - not many days like this. The water and air both at 24c, as warm as it gets here! Foiling is nice as you are up high and don’t get a chilling spray like when shortboard windsurfing. You can also see the shoals better from up 30cm higher!
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| Spot message - I’m heading upwind (south) Fun to see the Launch Pad on Google maps |
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| Trying to imitate the best John Vu foil tracks… |
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| 30 minutes of perfect jibes before my first fall! |
I sent a SPOT message to Jen, as I was working my way so far upwind. First time I’ve ever gone around the islands to the SE and then back north on a wingfoil. Suddenly I got worried that I was going to be late for my 4:30 charity conference call. I did a quick downwinder with only 5 jibes and foiled right back to the dock.
It was only 3:35. So I had a bit more time. I pumped up the 5m Slick wing and headed out. What is the difference between the 7m and the 5m? Well, I didn’t get on the foil right from the dock but when I started pumping, the smaller wing is so much more responsive. I foiled out past the old cribs in Key Harbour but this time I couldn’t go upwind as well as I did on the 7m. I slogged back, finally finding some gusts and then the wind filled back in. I did some tight jibes, a perfect toeside foiling tack (my 3rd!) and then another toeside tack where I dropped off the foil but stayed on the board. The 5m is so much easier to do transitions on. And I don’t catch the tip in the water when pumping the 5m I was thinking about how much I’ve improved in getting upwind - and I might not need to use the old 99cm slingshot foil as much in the fall when it is cold and I don’t want to risk falling in much.
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| My GPS trail on the 5m Slick wingfoil |
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| More slogging on the 5m but then a dozen jibes and foiling tack! |
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| After my session, still the windiest place! I had it all to myself… |
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| The wind blew the pockets out of my shorts! |
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| 21.75km on the 7m wing first, then 5.1km on the 5m wing |
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| The slogging on the 5m wasn’t due to the small wing I just caught a lull when I headed out… whereas I was fully powered for the full 7m session |
| Happy post sessions selfie! |
I made it back in time for my charity meeting and tidied up the windsurfing locker a bit more. What a great day.
It actually happens regularly that Key Harbour has wind while the rest of southern Ontario is in doldrums. Like Kingston, we get regular summer thermals. But with so much exposed Canadian Shield near shore I think the thermals are even stronger. There is a reason the Group of Seven painted all the windswept bent pine trees on Georgian Bay. Might also be why Henvey, the largest wind farm in Ontario is right here. And sad that an accident during the construction of the wind farm caused the huge Parry Sound 33 fire which got out of control because it was so windy on July 20, 2018.
Checking one more time this evening, yeah, Key Harbour is the windiest place from Lake Huron to the St. Lawrence! Who wants to come windsurf, windfoil, wingfoil with me up here?
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