72FEATUREWAVE SAILING
Unfortunately as windsurfing’s matured, and become ever
more performance orientated, equipment has opened up a
whole new bunch of possibilities and the lure of wind AND
waves has become too much. As such, even during marginal
blows and flat seas sailors are still stuck in a wave mind set –
I see it all the while here at WSUK HQ. Of course what one
determines to be a wave is another sailor’s ripple, but you
get where I’m coming from.
At the merest sniff of a gnat’s fart, the windy vehicle
procession to the beach, laden with all manner of
manoeuvre oriented gear begins. Before long the car park’s
full – mainly of forlorn looking faces gazing out to sea as yet
another predicted bout of windsurfing weather fails to
materialise. For those with responsibilities – work, family and
stuff – it’s infuriating. That 80L wave shredder hasn’t been
used in months whilst the 100L trick stick has only had a few
runs out. And let’s not mention that spangly new 3.7m you
convinced the other half you definitely needed for all those
storm force days! Sod it! You may as well bite the bullet and
buy a kayak.
I’m sure many reading this will sympathises and recognise
the above situ. But how did we end up here?
Paradisial overseas location
Take subject A who learns to windsurf on in a paradisial
overseas location with steady Trade Winds and barely ruffled
waters, the surrounding reef protecting an inviting lagoon
with water so blue it resembles a swimming pool. Before
long, with such pro tuition and high end kit on tap, their
windsurfing skills have progressed and he/she is now belting
along hooked in with feet edging ever nearer those elusive
footstraps. A few more goes, pep talks and some further
guidance has more blatting like a good ‘un.
Fast forward and he/she has now dropped a board size to
something livelier and they’re making frequent sojourns to
the coast. It isn’t quite the Tropics but there’s wind and
he/she is well on the way to nailing those corners. During
one particular fulfilling session, the decision is made to try
something new and air time is achieved. The lightbulb goes
off and armed with a mile wide smile, it’s to the local
windsurfing emporium with fistfuls of readies. The result is
more curves on that new board than a banana. He/she is
soon the proud owner of a super manoeuvrable windy sled
and associated sails. Unfortunately that bigger gear had to
be sacrificed and sold to pay for new, a decision now being
regretted as a sunny 15 knots puffs sideshore across the
beach.
With the best will in the world we’d all be smashing out our
smallest gear and getting amongst the flotsam every session.
For most to accomplish this a serious amount of mileage and
driving to those conditions would be required. With life
constraints already mentioned, most sailors head to their
tried and tested spot as it’s a safe bet and reachable with
enough time to get back home before the kids are in bed.
uk
WIND
SURFING