Hi All,

 

We had a rather traumatic...IBERIA experience- as we boarded the plane in JHB they told me they only had 3 of our 5 bags!  which 3 was the naging concern... ended up being the 3 board bags ...which ment we arrived with sails, boards and masts, but no fins, no extensions, no bases and no tools ...and no clothes!!!!!

 

Pete cruised the paddock and managed to smos a 38 debo 2 from Ross Williams and 2 extensions - this ment the iSonnic 111 / 7,8m combo would work - but nothing else!

 

Skippers briefing etc was cool with all the big names....Dunkerbeck, Antone, Finian etc etc....

 

The venue is awesome.... beautiful bay, warm water, very small bikini's ........and very budget accomodation!!!

 

The wind kicked in on tues afternoon and the 9,0m was rigged in the hope of finding a big fin.....5 mins before my start ...Andrea - the Cape Town Regular RRD guy, lent me a 48 fin and i raced out to the start, with not enough time to get upwind enough, i had to start at the leeward buoy and a few seconds late..... passed one dude, then got stuck in a hole with not even enough wind to get my overdownhauled 9,0m going.....kicked and broke my left 2nd toe......and that was that......

 

Managed to buy a 38 DEBO SL4 from AUG 3 - Gonzola, should be good with a 7,0m!!!

 

Bags arrived yesterday with fins etc and we spent the afternoon testing the 111 / 7,8m combo vs the 133/ 9,0m combo in 10 to 18knots !!!! The 111 is faster once going but the sad reality is that you have to fight the 9,0m and hold on in the gust to be competitive......

 

The racing was super interesting with the guys generally using between 9,0 and 9,5m sails ...... Dunkerbeck bombed out in his semi because he only had an 8,8m sail..... Antone was a class act and his 105kgs with a 9,5m on and 85cm wide board is untouched in speed and tactical skill....Ross Williams is the lightest of the successful.. at just over 90kgs - the reality is that in these light conditions the heavy guys have even more of an advantage with 6 of the 8 in the final weighing more or less 100kgs Antone, Finian, Peter Volwater, Micha, and the tall French dudes.... they can plane in 7 knots with the big gear but most importantly can hold it down in the 18knot gusts!!!!

 

Not much wind forecast for today... but hopefully Saturday we will get some "strong wind" and be able to use the small gear - 111/7,8m  combo on which i feel most comfortable......sailing a table with a spinnaker is not great (133 / 9,0m)

 

HAVING a BLAST..............

 

 Cheers

 Jamo