Shutting down the Launch Pad

 It got so windy overnight that the island weather station went offline because my internet antenna blew 180 degrees in the wind. I had been watching the replacement Tempest unit I installed yesterday which now records barometric pressure properly! Then a few minutes later the power went off for over 600 people in our area. All the morning we were busy closing the cottage without any electricity and I wasn’t sure I’d actually get out on the water.

Jen, Phil and Rosie took me out to the Launch Pad as we’d just flipped over the little boat and put away the 20hp motor. On the island the wind had blown off the shutter on the window where the “Launch Pad” logo was. We couldn’t find it - there was definitely a big storm last night!

So much wind the window shutter blew away last night

I spent a few hours de-rigging sails, deflating wings, loosening screws on foils and putting boards into bags for the winter. I kept the 4.8 and 5.6 rigged in case the power came back on and we would then be able to shut down the plumbing in the dark. Sure enough at 3:30 the power came back on so I would be able to turn on the lights to organize the last bit of the shed and store the sailboat - so I could go out for a quick last session.

The wind had dropped significantly so the 4.8 wasn’t an option anymore. I took the 5.6 Idol on the Fanatic Stingray 140 with the 99cm Slingshot foil. I got foiling several times and made some nice jibes. The sun was so low that I could see the reflection on the stickers on the green navigation buoys when I went by and was backlit. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. I didn’t have booties on despite the 10c water and 10c air. I was fine but after my first fall and the fading sunlight I figured it was time to call it a season. Indeed I’m glad I did as there were a few screws loose on the foil when I got back!

7 tacks to get up into the wind

Kept some speed through several jibes

Wind chart from my newly replaced under warranty Tempest
The wind had dropped but was steady from 4:10 to 4:35

Sunset on a great season

There was a great sunset to mark the end of our 2022 season at the Launch Pad. Let’s see how the plans for 2023 develop.

Warmest November session ever?

 Wow, Nov 5th and the wind was super strong and over 17c from the SSE. I took the old Tiga out to the point to check on the wind. 12 gusting to 27 on my handheld wind meter. Hmm, that would be a challenge sinking the small board or being overpowered with the 5.4 I thought as I walked back to put on my 4/3 wetsuit.

I decided to head out on the 4.8 with the Skate 108 instead. Sure, it would be a lot of tacking to get upwind from the dock. And I’d likely fall in a few times. But as it turned out I managed to stay dry on all 5 tacks and I was off.

The wind got super strong as I got out past the islands. I stayed in sight of the island so Jen could keep an eye on me from time to time. I did several runs with a few good planing jibes but felt that I was pushing the size limit on the Skate 108. So I went to the point and changed boards to the Tiga, hiding the Skate in the bushes at the top of the island.

The Tiga is slow and heavy, but perfect when you are getting blown off the water. I did 4 runs - sinking a bit during one lull in the wind. In the gusts it felt like I was definitely stressing out the Idol 4.8 - a lightweight freestyle sail intended for small windsurfers in Bonaire, not for survival sailing in Georgian Bay gusts. I was pretty tired after yesterdays 3.5 hour session. I decided to head back and was able to plane most of the way back to the dock for a 13.5 km day.

Warm SSE wind and a few good jibes in there

The first 2/3 was on the Skate 108, last 1/3 on the Tiga 257

Post session view from the Launch Pad roof

Wind was pretty steady…

Top speed just 45 km/h. But pretty satisfying for a November session. I looked at iWindsurf later in the evening, it was still windy - but interesting to see they still have satellite of the area before the wind farm and fire.

List of weather iWindsurf weather stations
on Georgian Bay

iWindsurf weather map close up showing the area before
the wind farm and fire.

Tomorrow is the day to put away all the gear. Let’s see if I get one more session in.

3 sport, 72 km day in November!

I think this will go down as my longest November watersports day ever on Georgian Bay!

Wow, it was 17c by the end of the day. I started by checking the water temperature at the Launch Pad. 12c water is pretty amazing for November.

View to the south from the Launch Pad

I walked out to the point with the Skate 108 to check the wind. Nice solid 20 knots from the south. Felt like the 4.8 was a possibility but I decided on the 5.6 Idol which was a good sail choice. 33km of comfortable cruising. I fell in twice but wasn't really cold even with just my 4/3 suit in the 12c water. No tricks to speak of. Feet were fine without booties.

Some nice long runs out to Dokis island

Not very many fast jibes though

Timelapse of taking the sail to the point

Next it was time to try wing foiling. I had the Slick 5.0 wing and the Fanatic Sky 125 board with the high aspect 2000 foil 820 mast and 780 fuselage. I like how stable the Slick wing is in the gusts because it was really gusty. I had a few falls while tacking out of the harbour, but quickly got the hang of the board and kept my now bootie covered feet in the footstraps. I sailed for an hour and other than those first falls, stayed on the foil through almost every jibe. I did find a few lulls where I came off the foil but was amazed at how comfortable I've become.

Wing foiling jibes are sweet! Stayed on the foil for all but 5?
(And those were mostly in the lulls on the east side wind shadow)

Kept my speed up for most of the hour
My forearms were pretty sore at that point

Time lapse of my wing foil session

After a can of soup it was time for my last sport of the day. This time wind foiling. I put on my 5/4 wetsuit for this session. My 3rd sport of the day is the one where I can explore most easily. Upwind, downwind I can head wherever I want to go. I hadn't been on the 4.8 Idol with the Techno 148 and 76cm slingshot foil for a while. It is pretty comfortable even if the board is bigger than it needs to be for me. While I don't stay on the foil completely through the jibes, I'm getting good at making sure I don't fall in either. I went without booties again so I could use the footstraps. Toward the end of the session I did have my left hand cramp up pretty awkwardly. It eventually loosened up but it was a good sign that my day should be finished after 3.5 hours on the water.

Wind foiling lets me explore!

Lots of touchdowns and slowdowns on my windfoil jibes

Overall I'm hard pressed to say which sport I like most. I'm really grateful to be able to do all 3 in a day and enjoy the different sensations. It also helps that various different muscle groups are used.

The angels streaming out through the clouds!

Wing foiling in France!

 12 years ago I visited Almanarre / Hyeres and windsurfed and windsurfed on the east side of the peninsula on an onshore east wind day. On an east wind the offshore glassy water on the west side looks great but also a bit scary when you are alone.

Post session smile!

Jen and I had had a good time taking our niece and nephews Hobie sailing earlier that morning in Sanary-Sur-mer. (It was a the same place I taught the kids to windsurf 2 days ago.) So I was alone in the surprisingly nice Corolla hybrid station wagon rental.

Morning sailing session with niece and nephews

My first stop was at the windward beach where a few small rental operations were out on the water. There was also huge sailboat regatta offshore! A local recommended the UCPA just a bit farther along the peninsula. I went there but they were closed for the holidays - one of the staff pointed me to the nearby Fanatic store which gives lessons and rentals. Talking to the gentleman there, the don’t rent wing foil gear because it all comes back damaged. I suggested that I’m a pretty good rider but he put me onto the phone number of another shop who might do rentals.

There was a huge sailing regatta on the east side

The Duotone rental centre that wouldn’t rent wingfoil gear

I chatted with Joe from MF Kite and he was helpful but said it was too late for a 3.5 hour rental and lesson. No, I just want a one hour rental. What gear? A 6.0 and 110l board. Yes. I’m on my way. 7 minutes later I was presenting my drivers license and collecting gear. Do I launch through all the boats in the marina. No, just take the gear to to beach in your car. I’m good with a shorty in the 22c air and 20c water. No we only rent long wetsuits at this time of year. What about the offshore wind? Don’t worry, no one ever gets lost, there are lots of kite operators who might help. Any rocks? Nope just gradual sand! 

The MF Kite rental centre

Ok then, I was happy I had a station wagon (still had to take the mast off the board) and quickly loaded up and headed to the west side beach I’ve admired but never launched from. I reassembled the board, pumped up my wing and hid my keys.

A nice long first part of my session 100% on the foil with 5 jibes

The wind would eventually drop on me

Off I went. A few quick pumps and I was going. I actually did several runs and many jibes and didn’t fall in for 15+ minutes. It was easy to stay upwind and fun to be out with around 2 dozen other wingers, a dozen kiters, a dozen windfoilers and a dozen windsurfers. So 40% wing, 20% kites, 20% windfoilers and 20% windsurfers.

Good rental gear

After a few more runs the wind dropped big time. Kites were falling, wingers were slogging and only a few kite foilers and pro windfoilers with 8m sails were going. I slogged upwind practicing some wing handling and enjoying the warm water and nice sunset.

Yup, we are in France!

Sunset in Almanarre and the end of our trip

I went back to MF Kite and returned the gear. I had a huge smile on my face on the drive back to Jen’s parents’ rental. We head to Toronto in 36 hours but my first wing foil in France hopefully won’t be my last!

Fun in the south of France at the Funboard centre!

It was the first time in 11 years since I’ve been back to the south of France. 420 blog posts later and the French name of my blog makes sense a bit again! One of the first stops after we arrived in Provence was to check out Le Jai Beach right by the Marseilles airport. I’d taken a selfie there years ago:

Visiting my old windsurfing spot - Le Jai

My blog post from 11 years ago (they repainted the statue)

Still busy at the end of October

Foiling is popular

View from the Le Jai car park

Jen and I are now visiting her parents and decided to take a trip to the Almanarre / Hyeres region and see what the different Windsurfing spots had to offer. I had been there just once in the year we lived in Provence. I was eager to get back and see what the conditions were like.

Gonna be fun at the Funboard Center!

We drove first to the Funboard Center. We talked to Eric Thieme the owner (and famous PWA sailor) and it looked like pretty good wind but maybe a bit side offshore and sheltered to get going until it built a bit more. He had got windsurf and Windfoil gear but no wing foil gear. So we decided to take a look at a couple other spots including spinout.Fr

Fanatic gear at Spinout.fr and Almanarre in the distance

Checking out the east side kite beach

East side kite beach panorama

West side beach panorama

There are lots of other kite surf beaches but no other rental gear I could find. It was interesting that pretty much everywhere we went there was an equal mix of 1/4 Windsurfing 1/4 wind foiling 1/4 kiting and 1/4 wing foiling. The French really seem to be getting into every kind of wind and water sport. What was really amazing was for Wednesday at the end of October how many people were out on the water in all of the different locations. Of course it helps that the weather was 24°C! 

After looking around a couple of different places we decided to go back to Funboard Center. We had some nice quick delicious salads but I was eager to get going. I took a Tahe 130 with a pretty big foil underneath it was perfect. I just could head out of the wind shadow a little bit with the 6.2 Neil Pryde sail and get going. I had both feet in the straps and was cruising on the buttery smooth water as there’s a nice long and low peninsula that keeps the water smooth but the wind pretty steady.

I sailed for the full hour that I had rented and got to see Jen out stand up paddle boarding a bunch of times on my jibes on the way in. It really is spectacular to be here.

Nice to support a fellow Fanatic school!

All smiles!

Erik Thieme and me!

Windfoiling in Almanarre - halfway down the peninsula 

My GPS trail shows that I did 18 km in the hour I was out and was planing for 60% of the time. I think I need to get back down here at least another time in the next four days that we’re here.