Figure 8s for lunch

I remember 35 years ago watching in awe as a really good windsurfer on a short board was zipping back and forth and doing sweet planing jibes at the end of each run. Perfect figure 8s. I think it was on Laurel Lake, while I was at the University of Waterloo.

Lots of figure 8s - and some nice wave rides

My first 20 minutes of this lunch session felt a bit like that with some sweet planing jibes and I kept dry on each one. Except that the water wasn’t nearly as flat as at a small lake in southern Ontario. So as I headed upwind on Georgian Bay toward the open and waves, my jibes became much less reliable. But the wave rides were super fun.

The view before I headed out - solid wind, waves and clearing skies

I was also happy that my choice of the 4.7 Duke and old Tiga 257 was perfect. So comfy riding on that old board. I walked to the point and launched from there. And I was mostly powered during the session, except when I ventured too far into the wind shadows - in search of nice flat water to jibe on. Of course, I’d then wind up in a lull and not be able to plane out of the jibe. I got a bit better at the waist deep submarine low wind slog. 

I hit one great jump, and then had some fun wave rides going back downwind. I was sensing that the wind was dying and needed to get back for some work calls. The wind did indeed drop from the 29 knots I was seeing initially, more to 25 and then even 19 knots after putting my gear away. I’d been comfortable in my 3/2 wetsuit in the 11c air and 12c water but will add some ankle straps for next time I’m in that much wind.

Pre session 29 knots!

Post session 17 knots

Speed chart - good speeds heading downwind at the end.

Interesting to see that I hit the same 47ish km/h top speed that I did recently with the 7.0 and Ray 122. But with what would normally be considered an ancient old slow board and fin.

I headed back from session #68 nicely tired but happy. I was super hungry and was wondering if spaghetti O’s come in a figure 8 version?

After work we headed back out to the Launch Pad to enjoy the sunset and dinner. The sun is setting so much father south now!

Nice weather and wind for Friday and Saturday but too many chores to do on the last days before the local dump goes to winter hours. But big wind predicted for Sunday!

It’s getting dark early

My Wednesday after work windfoil session was short and I’m gonna blame the dark clouds and early sunset. The wind was actually predicted to drop off so I was happy to find 11-14 knots at the Launch Pad. 

This was my first session since my friend sent me this awesome photo of the island over Thanksgiving. It looks like I didn't miss any wind that day!

The Launch Pad from my friend's plane over Thanksgiving

A wonderful 2009 Ed Burtynsky photo.
It is on display at the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite
and at Canada House in the UK

I took the 5.6 Idol and the Stingray 140 with the 76 cm Slingshot foil. I struggled to get on the foil so it was a pretty good workout. I did get some better feeling jibes and managed to dry the full 44 minutes I was out. I was in my 4/3 zip back wetsuit and was comfortable with the 13c water and 12c air.

That Idol sail is so easy to do heli tacks on and I even did a few duck tacks as my transitions. There were even a few good jibe arcs carved on the foil, but there wasn't enough wind to stay on the foil the whole way through. I enjoyed the squiggly up and downwind sections in the middle of the long foil runs.

A few good jibe arcs in there

Definitely enough runs to make the session worthwhile

Foiling in the distance

Lower speed near shore. Thanks for the photos Jen.

On the way home we saw some crazy current flowing through the harbour. The weather is certainly changeable now.

"Would you believe?" - it floats!

Slogging home with my broken foil, I could only think of the TV show Get Smart. Don Adams' standard line was "would you believe?" and Agent 99 was the beautiful straitlaced fellow Control agent.

Pretty happy to rescue the foil! It fit right in the footstraps.

Well I didn't believe that the 99 cm Slingshot foil floats. Which came in handy after the bolts broke on the fuselage and I had to sail back with the foil on top of the board. More on that below...

After a busy but successful day of calls, I headed out in what was supposed to be diminishing winds following a very windy night and morning. I decided to try the 6.2 Duke on the Freewave 116. Rather than slog upwind from the dock, I walked the gear to the point and launched there. It wasn't quite enough wind but I got planing on most runs with a few pumps. I was just barely able to make upwind ground and eventually made it to the waves at Wedge Island. My jibes felt a bit better than on the Ray yesterday, and the Freewave is so much more comfortable to sail, despite one catapult (likely not enough downhaul on the 6.2.)

Slow to make upwind ground on the FreeWave 116

My top speed was fully 20% less than on the Ray yesterday.

I was comfy (even warm for a bit) in my 4/3 backzip wetsuit. The water and air were 14c. After an hour I figured the wind was dying and I slogged back to get the foil.

In the time it took to switch gear, the wind picked up again. So I took the 4.8 Idol on the Stingray 140 with the 99 cm Slingshot foil. When I was carrying it out, the wing felt wobbly so I checked and re-tightened the bolts, which was likely too much?

I headed out from the dock and was having fun going super slow on the foil and going upwind with ease. I got out to the waves and had some nice jibe attempts and downwind runs east and then west of Wedge Island. But then while heading alongside some swells I heard a snap and dropped off the foil. I quickly figured that something broke and cursed the deep water in which I figured I'd never find the now detached foil. But it didn't sink!

The foil was floating out behind me so I swam back and collected it. It fit nicely in the footstraps and I slogged a bit uncomfortably back to the Launch Pad. I figure I'll have to extract the bolts like I did 2 years ago when I hit a rock with the foil. Thinking back, this was the first gear failure I've had in 6 years since I broke the boom on my 9.0.

Foil track in the SW wind

How I got the foil back home

Yes, the 99 cm foil wing floats
even with the weight of the fuselage and rear wing

Really low speeds, but almost got planing
with the foil on top of the board on the way back!

The Slingshot garage

The lull between sessions

So that was session 66. Back to the city now for Thanksgiving. I think I'm going to buy a wetsuit hood for my later October sessions. And some new bolts for the foil.

Call me Ray

There was a beer commercial back in the late 70's "you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay..."  Well I'd used my Fanatic Ray 122 just once in the last several months, having had a bad session early in the year on it. I think I'd tired of the board, just like the Ray Jay Johnson bit?

But at 5pm with winds averaging 16 knots, I thought - I've fixed the crack in the nose, let's give it another try. Instead of using the heavy 9.0 like in August, and without footstraps like in May, I actually had a good session on the board.

Blasting

The video gives a good idea of the speed before I approach shore

Hi dear!

View from the S/W - no planing jibes :-(

And it got windier after I was done!

Nice sunset

It was fun going fast. While I've hit 50 km/h on the Skate 108 this year once, it is generally slower and slappier. The Ray is really built for speed, and even goes across the chop better, I think because I'm using the fin more. I hit 48.1 km/h, but didn't really carve through any jibes.

Lots of 40 km/h runs and hit 48.1 km/h top speed

The air was 12c, water 14c. My 3/2 flashbomb wetsuit was perfect. Tomorrow is supposed to be very stormy...

Foiling and sailing

When I headed out after work the wind was still 18 knots which was exciting - maybe another shortboard day? Then after putting on my 3/2 long wetsuit it was 15 knots. I'm glad I didn't take the 7.0 and 122 Ray which was tempting. Rather I headed out with the 5.6 Idol on the Stingray 140 with the 99cm wing and smaller rear wing which was the right choice.

Vanessa came out and took a few photos and a video of me.

Foiling past Vanessa

Spectacular skies

Hi Vanessa

Returning!

There is one really good jibe in that path

I was still finding the foot placement for the 99 cm foil difficult to pinpoint, but on the one jibe where I got it right, it was great. The stall speed of the 99 is really low, so if I don't bobble off the foil to the side it is easy to keep going through the sail flip.

Eventually the wind dropped to 13 then 11 knots and it was over - just a nice slow downwind. The water was 15c, still fine on my feet.

So that was session #64 and 17/30 days in September!

With still a few knots of wind out there, I headed with Veronica in her sailboat. We had a great little sail. There was weather approaching, but it missed us, and we saw a wonderful double rainbow.

Scruffy sailor

Fun sailing

First mate & rainbow

The windsurf locker at the foot of the rainbow!

Dinner was memorable with champagne to celebrate my big decision on 2021 and beyond...

Vanessa in the waves

After I finished a crazy busy day of work, I suggested that Vanessa come out to the Launch Pad to take advantage of the steady SW wind and clearing skies. 

Vanessa enjoying her best day of the year!

She was game and Timo was napping. We took her favourite 5.7 firefly and the Skate 108 down to the point. The wind was 15-20 knots and relatively warm at 14c. Vanessa beach (rock) started and began planing on her first run.

Getting ready for Vanessa's session

The super mom is going to do it!

All smiles after the beach (rock) start.

Screaming on her first run.

Going on the Skate 108!

Nice scenery

Vanessa roaring back

After taking some photos of Vanessa I went back to rig up. I decided to take the 5.6 Idol on the Techno 148.

I did some tacks upwind and was soon sailing back and forth with her. I suggested we head through the shoals and head to the waves near Wedge island. What fun, Vanessa followed me out through the narrow opening between two shoals and we sailed beside each other out to the swells. We played in the 2-3 foot waves going back and forth even getting a few wave rides.

I was in my 2 mil suit and didn't fall in the whole time. It would have been pretty cold if I had - I figure that is my last day this year in that thin suit. Maybe it was the Santa hat that kept me warm! Vanessa decided to go back but not before getting some nice photos of me having fun.

Fun windsurf tracks - a few full planing jibes

Fun on the Techno

Thanks Vanessa for the photos

Top speed 40.1 km/h