Whohoo - after Tuesday's great wing foiling session with my first ever toe-side foiling tacks and yesterday's amazing 6 person windsurfing lesson at the Launch Pad, I didn't have high expectations for a day where the wind was predicated to drop.
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| Spoiler alert - Katie and I had a great time on the Bay |
A short video of our session together…
I took Jen to the highway and by the time I returned to the island and got my 4m Duotone Unit wing topped up to 8psi and got my Fanatic Sky 125l board to the dock, I could tell it would be a challenge to tack upwind in the 16 knot south wind. I went back and forth a few times and then Katie and her coast guard friends arrived.
Katie wanted to go windsurfing so we took her JP Young Gun and the 5.2 Idol up to the point. She launched and sailed over to the old cribs showing great skill in the gusty wind. She did fall on her tack and then managed to sail upwind of the point and out into the bay! Her friends and I were very impressed with her skill and Tom took some shots with my camera. Thanks Tom for taking so many great photos!
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| Richard is impressed! |
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| Katie getting way out into the Bay! |
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| Proud dad going out to sail with Katie! |
I took off after her on my foilboard and we started sailing together. Katie got stuck downwind between some shoals and was struggling to uphaul. A bit more determination on her part and some encouragement from her proud dad and she was back at it! She got closer to the Launch Pad and then got a quick ride upwind from her Seadoo pals. Then it was back and forth on some screaming runs - well I was screaming and she was smiling! I stayed close by on my foilboard but still feel guilty about passing her upwind once and stealing her wind. I didn't think a 4m wing could steal wind from a 5.2m windsurfing sail!
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| The Launch Pad flag with us way in the distance |
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| Dad’s words of encouragement |
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| And she’s off again! |
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| Seadoo and seagull |
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| Foiling tack! |
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| And almost made it around on the foil for tack #3 |
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| Katie getting a tow |
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| The two of us together! |
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| Great smile |
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| Great form! |
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| Seadoo doing a speed check and taking photos! |
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| Butterfly! |
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My GPS trail of the session - including the walk to the point
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The wind dropped off through the afternoon
But 15 knots average is enough to get Katie planing |
For some reason Katie said she couldn't hook in on her preferred goofy side. Oh well, her arms were tired when she finally sailed around the point and down to the dock as the wind started to lighten up. I got to the dock first and we got a great post session selfie.
It was a great day and one that I will remember as vividly as that time Katie and I windsurfed together in Costa Rica.
I think seeing us out having fun together motivated Tom, Jake and Jeremy to want a windsurf lesson. Luckily the wind was now down to 12 knots and we could head out to the simulator for some lessons. Read more on that soon at www.LaunchPadWindsurfAcademy.com/blog
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