Quick foil before the rain - damn mink

I took a break from morning deck building chores and scored some wind just before the rain set in.

A little visitor to the Launch Pad

5.4 Duke sail on the 99 cm wing. The footstraps were still in the outboard position on the Stingray 140 from racing with the 9.0 last week so that setup was pretty awkward.

I did get up on the foil consistently and logged 10 km in 40 minutes before the wind died and it started raining. 

A nice little late morning foil

10 kms in 40 minutes

Still working on how to keep the mink and its smell out of the storage locker! Thus the photo image chosen for this blog entry…

Persistent the nights before..

And the mink got itself locked inside!

Wow, that’s the end of July. Looking forward to some windier days in August and September!

Foiling for and sailing with Andrew and Tammy

Andrew and Tammy came via motorcycle up to visit and we headed out to the Launch Pad. I started itching to get on the water as there was 9 knots blowing and a brief 11 knot wind reading. So I took out the 6.5 with the 99 cm foil. I got up on the wing a few times  after pumping like crazy just to show them how it worked. But the wind was backing off again so I came back ashore. After their walk to the point we rigged up the Invitation sailboat.

That was a very civilized way to explore the bay. The little single sail boat did very well even with 3 people on it. As the sun started setting the wind backed off completely and we gently cruised back to the dock and called it a day.

No photos, just some nice GPS trails.

A few moments of wind foiling - enough to call it a session

Nice cruising on the sailboat with Andrew and Tammy

Last day of racing in Kingston

I was almost hoping that there wouldn’t be any wind on Sunday. After 2 days on the water foiling, I was maybe ready for a break. But we all rigged up and the wind kicked in around noon again. The kiters were on first, and we were next. I however didn’t make it to the start line in time for the first race.

Our 2nd race was a full up and downwind and I only did one lap as the kids were again so much faster. The wind was building though and my ability to go upwind was improving. Only 3 tacks to get to the mark, not 8 like the first day. The downwind was zen like, surfing silently on some swells and feathering the sail to keep up speed from time to time.

The last race was starting at almost 3pm. I’d been on the water for 3 hours! I got a good start and wound up doing both laps without being passed!

Waiting for the start

My GPS hadn’t charged much after I borrowed a charging cable, so I don’t have much data on the races.

Some of my pre-race back and forth… before the GPS battery died.

We were all packing up and went over to the kite area for the awards. The 4 kids got special student briefcases and were loudly applauded for their efforts. I wound up in 5th out of 7. More importantly I got more comfortable on the foil and met some really great people. Looking forward to my next race at Toronto Windsurfing Club on Aug 4th.

Results… 5/7 and just behind the kids!

On the drive back home I got passed by a pickup with a full windsurf trailer full of gear and exchanged shaka’s. The Enroute stop was full and it definitely felt like post Covid summer travel was in full swing again.

Another pair of windfoil races in Kingston

Once again Kingston delivered with late afternoon wind! The kite foilers went out first and did a few upwind / downwind races. Then it was time for the wind foilers. 

I barely got going at the start and by the time that I was half way to the upwind mark the committee boat came out and asked if I'd accept last place if I just sailed back to the finish. I did and then the slalom course was set for our 2nd and last race of the day. It was the same as yesterday - 4 kids across the line all foiling and 3 old guys struggling to get up on their foils. Eventually Phil, Artem and I all got going and it was a fun 10 minutes of watching the kids foiling through their gibes while we slowly navigated each turn.

There was a photographer out that got some great shots of me on the course:

Me looking stable - check out the
angle on the kid heading upwind of me!

Carl cruising a bit high on the foil!

The kiters are pretty elegant

It was great to see the park so busy on a Saturday afternoon. Family picnics were everywhere. The lots were full and people were parking on every access road.

After packing up, we met in town at Namaste Indian restaurant for dinner. It was fun talking windsurfing all through dinner and connecting with others in the group, like David and Uli with strong Georgian Bay connections.

I didn't have my GPS watch with me as I forgot to pack a charging cord and I couldn't find a shop in Kingston that carried one. Hope to find a cord and record a few more races on our last day of racing tomorrow.

First 3 windfoil races

After an early morning skippers meeting with the kitefoil crew, it was hurry up and wait for the wind time.

Skippers meeting with the kiters 

More coaching from Max

I had the 9.0 Kona sail and 76 cm wing and the Fanatic Stingray board all ready to go, stored under a tree in Lake Ontario Park. Max reviewed the course designs for the day. As predicted by the locals, a good SSW thermal blow kicked in around 2pm.

The first foil kiter heads out

We were all out on the water when the first kitefoilers headed over the line for their start. I wasn't 100% sure if they were going to run us at the same time as the kiters and wasn't at the line when our horn went. I did get going before the last two windfoilers in our little 7 person fleet. The wind was definitely in the 15 knot range.

Upwind downwind course - I only did one lap though

I headed upwind and after my first tack wondered if I'd ever make it to the upwind mark. 60 year old Bonaire resident Phil was a tack ahead of me and I kept trying to catch him as we crossed on our tacks. The last two windfoil kids eventually crossed the start line and passed me on their way upwind. Eventually after 8 tacks the upwind mark was in sight and I was dead last to round it.

I was amazed that I made the downwind leg with just one jibe. I was pretty excited when I crossed the finish line.

Then it was time for two slalom races. The first was 15 minutes long, the second just 10. Both were tiring. In each case the 4 kids were foiling and across the line right as the horn went. Us 3 older windfoilers  struggled to get going in the now lighter 10-12 knot winds. We did our laps and my jibes got better but I was never able to foil through one with the big 9.0 sail.

Race #2 - 15 minutes of slalom!

Race #3

After the races we packed up the gear and enjoyed some pizza that tasted great on the park benches. Then it was time to head our separate ways to our hotels.

Windfoil clinic with Max Robinson

Kingston is hosting the first foil festival including foil sailboats, kite foilers, wind foilers and wing foilers. Local coaching legend and international wing foil competitor Max Robinson is leading a contingent of kids and a few old guys from Toronto Windsurfing Club.

I left home alone at 6:45am and enjoyed the drive out to Kingston, thinking about road trips to the Gorge and Hatteras. But those good memories include Jen who is off Kayaking with girlfriends this weekend. So I’m solo this time.

We started the clinic with a windfoiling clinic in the lovely Kingston Park.

After lunch we headed out in the 3-8 knot winds off Lake Ontario Park. I did get up on the foil once pumping like crazy in a gust. 

My first Kingston foil session

Max was quite determined to help me improve my sail pumping technique. I'm really bad at it still. Will spend some time watching videos and keep working on this important skill. But right now I just can’t seem to visualize the moves or move my hips to the rhythm.

It was fun to have a group dinner at the Kingston Yacht Club after the foiling. Fun to connect with others who are getting up the foiling learning curve and share other connnectsions to places like Bonaire.

Wednesday night Kona racing

I made it down from my mom's place to the Toronto Windsurfing Club and had memories of that drive many many years ago when I was a 23 year old student on a summer work-term and would put the YPSI Wayler on the family Volvo.

This time I had the 23 year old windsurfing trailer with me to collect gear to take to Kingston.

I missed the first race start, but made it to the line for the next 3 races.

I managed to do two laps on this race!
With a bit of speed to cross the finish line.

The race course was short compared to the run back upwind
to the Toronto Windsurfing Club
At least I was planing part of the way back!

Hit 25 km/h on the way back upwind!

I collected some gear to take to Kingston for the windfoil event there. Should be a good road trip.

Ready for a road trip - minus the Kona board…

Wednesday night race foiling

Wednesday night racing started a few weeks ago in Toronto. This was the first night this year that I was able to get down there.

Some moderate wind was predicted, so I decided to take along my foil!

I’ve never foiled off Cherry Beach. Man, there are a lot of weeds there. Sometimes I had to stop and sail backwards to clean off the weeds. Which only worked sometimes and then cost time in the race. I also ran into some sticks and debris and past a very large dead fish. The biggest piece of debris was a 2 metre bamboo rod that I hit. I figured it would snap in half when I hit it. Instead, it broke a bit and then remained stuck to the foil mast under my board. When I got up on the foil it would just lightly drag in the water and I’d get up to speed. And if I foiled a bit lower it would get submerged and really slow me down. I finally got rid of it by sailing backwards at the upwind mark.

First time foiling at Toronto Windsurf Club

More than a few weeds

Some decent upwind foiling
but my strategy at the upwind mark was lacking

I didn’t keep up with either the race boards or the good foilers. Most people were doing two laps of the course and I only did one lap in each of the three races. Max our local teacher and wingfoiler extraordinaire was doing nicely racing on his wing foil.

I was using my Kona 9.0 rig which isn’t really suited for foiling. I’d do it with more draft next time. Andree got a fun video of me crossing the finish line with my unorthodox setup.

It was great fun to be out again with all the regulars at TWC on a diverse range of equipment!

Not windsurfing but sailing and foiling

The wind hasn't really even touched 10 knots in the last few days.

So I headed out in my son's new sailboat for a nice sail around the island by myself and then with Christine.

A few laps around the island!

And had a session another day trying the foil behind the boat. I hadn't tried that in 4 years. It is easier with the 99 cm foil! I also realized that starting behind the boat doesn't work for two reasons. One, there is nothing to lean against - the rope moves up down and sideways. Starting to the side gives you something to edge against. Two, the turbulence from the propeller REALLY disturbs the foil under water. Intellectually I knew that, but when trying to cross from one side of the wake to the other, the prop wash was super tricky. So starting on the side, and then staying there as the wake builds and edging is the trick to a good boat foil session.

 

Hoping for some windsurfing at Toronto Windsurfing Club over the next week and then off to Kingston for a foiling regatta.

6.5 sail over 6.0 wing

The (cold for July) north wind finally switched to west as predicted at 3pm. I headed out to the Launch Pad and got out the 6.0 wing with the Stingray 140 board and 99 cm foil.

I started at 3:51 and got a few nice runs on the wing but then slogged back and forth twice and headed in to switch to the 6.5 sail. That got me going steadily for a total of 9 kms. Until my wing pumping gets better, I’m definitely more powered on the old windsurf sail than the new wing.

I had one super smooth windfoil jibe right in front of the point where Jen, Geoff and Christine were watching. Barely lost any speed at all with just a minor touchdown.

One very nice jibe in there!

Christine also got a bit of video. Thanks for that!

9 kms of wing foiling and wind foiling

Towards the end of my session in the now very light wind I towed Phillip down to the old cribs where he continued doing some snorkelling. We then got his Invitation sailboat out for the first time this year.

Overall a great feeling to get out and enjoy 50 of the 100 or so minutes of foilable wind!

Quick one before the lightning!

Knowing I had a 2pm charity call, I decided to head out for a session in the unstable SW wind that had thunderstorms predicted for mid-afternoon.

It was barely showing 9 knots but I figured it would build so I took the 6.5 and the 99 cm foil. After a few tacks upwind I did indeed find wind which eventually got to a powerful 15 knots. I was pretty comfortable and managed some decent jibes. I realized I really need to keep pressure on my back foot toes as I round the jibe to keep the foil carving the whole way through. My speed stayed over 15 km/h through many of the jibes.

After 45 minutes I decided to head in and try the wing. As I headed back out on the wing I saw some impressive lightning bolts. Even though the wing isn’t as scary in a lightning storm as a carbon fibre mast sticking in the air, I still figured it was time to head in. I got inside just as torrential rain started. 

Total rain in the hour from noon to 1pm was 21 mm.  https://tempestwx.com/station/42510/

The tempest weather station also has some neat charts of the two lightning storms approaching then leaving.

Two thunderstorms coming and going
the first was more intense!