Sally likes sailing the FSW 77. This is great news!
The love of my life (Sally, not the board...the board is great...actually I love that board too, a lot, and don't every imagine myself with another...I'm just saying I'm in love with that board...)
SALLY not the board has been working towards planing out of a jibe for a couple years now, and has been making good progress. This weekend (back to back sessions late Friday and Saturday) saw her switch her board of choice from the JP FSW 93 to the Fanatic FSW 77. Great news, because the love of my life is only 77 liters (the board,) the wife...well she weighs practically nothing, and the 93 is too bouncy for her at jibing speed, IMHO. So now she's sailing the 5.3 on the 77, which I think bodes (rhymes with boards) well.
Speaking of boding down, Friday (me on the 6.2) the wind came up towards the end, and got to switch from the 109 to the 99. Saturday (when Sally and I were joined by Eileen and some locals) I started on the 109 (hello carve 360s in the straps, more upwind 360 failure, the occasional backwinded jibe and backwinded jibe attempt nose stuff), but then as the wind came up I grabbed Sally's 5.3 (politely) and sailed it on the 99, then on her old 93 FSW. Could have put it on the 77 by the end of the sesh, as what I really needed was a 4.7. Most wind I've had at Mecox in ages.
Perhaps for others too. Immediately after switching to the 5.3/93 combo, I was standing at the launch facing the beach when a large orange blob appeared on my right shoulder. I turned to find 12 meters of kite coming towards my face. Stepping to the side to not get entangled, I looked for the jerk who was landing his kite on my head, but he/she was not to be seen. Instead I saw control lines and bar sans controller dragging behind, coming into the beach.
Shit.
Told Sally and Eileen I was going out to look for the kiter, took a run, saw nothing, and after jibing saw flashing lights at the launch. A boater had called the unattended kite in to the authorities. Authorities (the Bay Constable, who got there pretty darn fast) ultimately concluded the kite had been blown off the beach at the Cut, and crossed the bay unattended.
I would not want to sail into those lines and get tangled mid bay. No thank you.
(Photo: Sally smiles for her final launch on the 93, before getting sporty with the 77.)
HMMMM......When it is blowing easterlies here the beach is packed with kites and windsurfers sailing together - unfortunatley the amount of kites has now overtaken the amount of us windsurfers on the water ........... and believe me they have no idea of what ''right of way'' means! My son kites so am not anti them but I can tell you you have to have eyes like a chameleon when sailing together.
Posted by: Bunty Cachia | July 22, 2013 at 09:50 AM
more kitemares! This bad trend is going to end badly , and probably for us windsurfers, baby and the bathwater thing......
Posted by: Kevin O | July 22, 2013 at 11:43 AM
Kiteboarding and windsurfing Launchsites need to be separated by at least a football field length. This same stuff happens at South Seaside Park, NJ. Nobody wants to be pro-active, so we wait... Tom, NJWWA
Posted by: Tom Latham | July 22, 2013 at 12:14 PM
Tom, this kite blew downwind about a mile. None of the other kiters went out after it. The vast majority of kiters in the area are as concientious and on the ball as you'd want. I would not have wanted to be on the water and hit by this thing...I was standing in knee deep and it was all I could do to not get tangled up.
Posted by: Michael | July 22, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Oh boy, really not what we need as we struggle for whatever access we can preserve or open up.
Posted by: Phil G | July 22, 2013 at 12:42 PM
You should have grabbed that kite. It was a sign of God. He wants you to quit WS for KB...
Posted by: TonyWind | July 22, 2013 at 07:00 PM