Foil fail-ish

Tried to foil at the beach. Fail. Too light . . . got up for a handful of tacks but not enough with the get upwind, and impossible to ride waves or gybe. So that's the limit for the SB. And I think it's too slow :o

Went to look at the estuary and the guy with the foil from last year, with the 16m XB, was out so I got tooled up again and headed out to keep him company at high tide.

Started out just fine, got my courage up and did some downloop gybes. Dropped the kite once, and it was interesting reverse launching it. The higher AR shows . . . got going again, then as the sun went down the wind dropped a little and I chickened out and heading back to shore.

So the LF still works, eh.

Back again

Gah, wind never arrived. Probably just as well, an easy easing back into it to test the tender bits.

Tried to ride the Sonic and the TT but the wind kept falling. Waited for the tide to come in then tried the foil, but it was just too shallow out there. Or my mast is still too long (!) despite all the bits I've cut off...

Ho-hum, this'd better do

Last one for a while . . . don't ask.

It's light but I'm enjoying running through my repertoire of TT tricks, so that was nice. Might have clicked with getting the best air out of the SB too . . . maybe.

Riding with ol' Murphy

Forecast let me down. Got to the beach about 3, launched the 12 but it was naff. Did one tack to the surf life club then halfway back. Gave up and went back to the launch park. Stood around a bit and it didn't seem like it was going to pick up, so I went for the Sonic2 18.

Set up down on the beach, much fiddling with bridles, lines on the new bar. Easy prefill--it was almost filling without help, good old batons. Got it into the air but the tips wouldn't open out. Hmm...ended up waggling the bar and that did the job.

So out on the water and Murphy's Law, wind has picked up. Crikey!

Bit hairy, but as I get used to it, I start to push it some. Narrow bar setting and line extensions slow it down too much in the surf, and it's so high AR it's not suited to sheet n go, so it was difficult but goddamn the hang time! Need to work on the technique to get the height. Drifts ok, cos it's so light, and I recovered an overfly too.

Couldn't sack up enough to land it on the beach by myself, so went over the dunes to the park and got a hand so that worked well. Long bridles, crikey!

Low tide goodness

Good session getting to know the SB, at the beach this time cos the tide is out. Waves make the great kickers, and it's good to note the kite drifts excellently. In fact, the light wind bump n jump is groovy too, surprisingly good height and hang. It's just not exciting...so far. Doesn't have that rip off the water that's exciting...

Wind was supposedly just over 20 knots...wanted more.

A new toy!

Good forecast and the tide was right...and I had the time. So let's go.

Started out light and picked up but the kite was deforming so I landed and pumped it more. Better! Still a bit of a hiccup if I sheet out fast and rapidly...hmm.

Can't figure out how to jump it. Really seems I'm either out of touch with the TT or the technique has to be spot on, or at least very tight. Maybe 12m is still too big...

Had some fun, got the tricks flowing finally after a messy start.

After a very long time I headed back to shore to call it a day, and who should be there be Mr Axis?! Couldn't say no to a ride on the foil!

It's a prototype aluminum mast and fuse, flat G10 wing set. Board was a carbon stubbie. Whole thing was taut (like a toiger) and light. 600mm mast might have helped.

Easy to ride, great speed range, and stable but still fun to flick around. Adrian reckoned I was riding very nose up, but I was keeping the speed down cos I was overpowered on the 12. Low speed stall was gentle and no nasty speed twitches. In fact, I got a runaway on a gust that just kept building speed but I rode it out for a long time before deciding to bail. There was a bit of fish-tailing but Adrian said all the wing and fin holes were hand tapped and are wonky! :o Good ride though, I want it :D

Adrian reckons I need a bigger wing and is going to get the factory to make one :D hope he brings a 7 or 800mm mast too.

Season gets under way

Got out on the last of the tide to try put the new kite. Seems ok :D wind wasn't up to much put I got to play some...