My two weeks in El Medano have come to an end. We’re all on the plane right now flying back home. Yesterday was my last day sailing and I’m very pleased with the result.

Witchcraft

I started sailing at around noon. I got an email from Uwe earlier this week asking me to try the Witchcrafts and let him know what I think. The OTC used to have two Withcraft Chakra. 100 and 88 litres. I sailed the 100 last year and wasn’t very excited about this board. Witchcraft has the kind of boards that you either like or don’t like. There doesn’t seem to be anything in-between. As far as the 100 Chakra, I didn’t like it. I’m always keen to try lots of different kinds of gear so I took the opportunity to get re-acquainted with the Chakra. The 88 and 100 have gone and there is now a 94. Rumour has it a new Witchcraft Wave will be added later this year. I’m keen to try it once it arrives.

For now I took the Chakra 94 (V2.0). The wind was a little lighter then yesterday, but still a strong 5 - light 6 bft. A board this size was the right choice for me in these conditions. I sailed the board for about one and a half hour. Here’s what I think of the board (and again this is my opinion. There are many who might disagree).

The pro’s: The board planes easily and reaches a nice speed. When you hit a lull the board will keep planing for a long time before it stalls, giving you enough time to reach the next gust and keep going. The three fin setup provides excellent grip and you will have a hard time getting it to spin out. The fins also provide you with excellent upwind ability. In addition the boards turns really well when gybing and making larger turns on the wave. The design of the nose helps you go through white water very easily.

The con’s: I’m not a big fan of the ergonomic foot straps (this is a personal thing). The foot straps are located in such a way that my toes on my front foot keep touching the other strap (not a big thing, but still annoying). I don’t like the way the boards feels when jumping, it seems to have a bit of a live of it’s own in the air. This could be due to the size of the board and may be less obvious when jumping smaller versions. When riding waves I find it hard to make short, snappy turns with the board. This is in part due to the fins (I think) and is (again what I think) the reason why Witchcraft also offers versions of their wave boards with smaller fins. I don’t know if they do the same for the Chakra (which is basically more positioned as a freestyle wave board). The ride is quite smooth, but when you hit chop or a wave the spray keeps hitting me straight in the face. Not something I mind every once in a while, but it gets annoying after a while. Then there is the stance. You need a very wide stance (distance between your feet) on a Witchcraft and keep a more upright sailing position. I personally don’t enjoy that position.

Verdict: Like I said in the beginning, you’re either like or don’t like the Witchcrafts. I don’t enjoy sailing them because I find the ride uncomfortable. Not because they don’t perform (they do). This is the kind of board you really need to try yourself. A friend of mine tried the Chakra and loves it. There’s nothing more personal then a windsurf board I guess.

Update: Bouke (shaper/owner of Witchcraft) was kind enough to send me an email, after reading this article, with some comments and pointers. First let me point out once again that this is my personal opinion and that there are a lot of people who enjoy sailing the Witchcrafts every day. I invite every one to share their experiences with Witchcrafts in the comments. Part of my goal of this blog and website is to get everyone to try more gear, not just listen what the magazines, websites or blogs (like mine) say. Form you own opinion before you buy (I’ll still give you mine though if you ask for it).

Back to Bouke.

1. I spoke about the spray hitting my face. Bouke indicates that this can easily be resolved by placing the mastfoot a little more backwards. I was sailing the board with the mastfoot in the centre. I’ll try this when I’m back in November.
2. The footstraps can be adjusted to create a less wide stance. I will also try this in November.
3. The footstraps are better for your feet as they will preserve your feet better if your sailing for many days in a row.  I can’t test this so I’ll take his word for it.
4. He acknowledges that a more advance sailor would benefit from smaller fins, but most sailors will not notice any major difference. I fully agree. The fins do an excellent job and changing them would only be necessary when you have a more radical sailing style. I assume that you’d rather have the Wave then the Chakra when your style is more radical.

His tips should resolve most of the issues I mentioned. I’ll make sure to try them in November and inform you about the difference they make. You can contact Bouke by the way if you do have questions or need advice. That is one major advance of Witchcraft; support directly from the shaper. That can’t be any better.

Severne

You might wonder what sail I was using. I was sailing a 2011 Severne Blade 5.7. The OTC already has a number of 2011 sails available and ready to be used. I’ve tried various Severne sails last year. I think they are great sails (especially the Blade and S1) for lighter sailors, spots where the wind is very consistent or spots with powerful waves that will keep you going. They lack a bit of power in my opinion which I don’t enjoy. I was curious to find out whether things had changed this year. I was pleasantly surprised as the Blade seems to have more power this year and is as easy to control as before. I liked it so much that I kept using it for the rest of the day (tuning it every once in a while to see what the difference would be) even though the conditions where quite gusty. Normally I would have switched to a power-wave sail from a different brand. Thumbs up for the new Blade.

Starboard Quad and Evo 2011

As I mentioned before the team from boardseeker.com is in El Medano testing all kinds of wave boards and sails. Adrian was kind enough to let me spend some time on the 2011 Starboard Quad 87 and Starboard Evo 86. They also brought smaller models (77l) but the wind just wasn’t strong enough for me to even think about trying them.

N.B. Let me make one thing clear right away. My observations are made based on about one and a half hour of sailing these boards with only one fin setup. If I would have had more time I would have been able to come to a more refined conclusion. I own the 2010 Starboard Quad 81 myself and was keen to see what changes where made. The Quad 81 is basically my reference when comparing the two new boards.

First the new Starboard Quad 87. This has the new fin box and offers various ways of tuning the fins for various conditions and styles. There is a little sticker on the bottom that shows you the different options:

1. Onshore - Big fins forward and small fins in the back, just like the current 2010 Quad.
2. Sideshore - Big fins in the back and small fins forward, like almost every other brand. The board was setup with this configuration.
3. Loose - Only two big fins in a twinzer configuration.Two 16 cm fins are added for this (similar to the new Evo).

The fins are different from last year. They are smaller and more swept backwards. The smaller fins on the 2010 board are made of plastic. Now all fins are made of fiberglass. You can feel that makes a difference as they are stiffer and track/grip a little better. The boards outline seems to be the same (I didn’t have the opportunity to check or measure) but the rocker has been changed (so I’ve been told). The board gets going quite easily and planes very comfortably. It’s not a fast board but neither is the 2010 model. You can feel right away that the board is more maneuverable, more nervous (but in a good way). The board loves jumping (even in this bigger size) and has great control in the air. The second difference can be noticed in its upwind abilities. I was struggling a bit to go upwind. This is in part due to the setup of the fins and also by their smaller size. It will still go upwind but not as nice as the 2010 model. I would have loved to try the onshore fin setup to see what the difference would be. The wind was very gusty near the shore and I had trouble finding decent waves (if any). The board does turn faster and shorter then the 2010 model. I think the more advanced sailors will love this. People who are getting to grips with wave riding will probably not feel a big difference and might even like the onshore setting better as it provides a bit more grip. All in all a very nice board. My only worry is about the sizes of the fins for big guys like me.

Update: I have been looking at images of the Quad and the fins always seem to look bigger and less swept back then the fins I’ve tried. I haven’t found an explanation yet.

Update 2: U-Ride have reviewed the Quad as well. Check their article for more pictures and information.

Next up was the new Evo. The Evo has been gone for a year and has now returned as a new board with two configurations; twinzer or single fin. I sailed the twinzer configuration (also with the new fin box). The Evo has two 16 cm fins that are far straighter then the fins used on the Quad. The board also seems to have more V then the Quad. I noticed that the Evo planes a bit faster then the Quad and has slightly higher speed. It also goes upwind a lot better. Like the quad it loves to jump. I really enjoyed sailing the Evo today. I tried to catch a wave or two but was struggling again. I can’t really say whether the bigger twinzer fins make it harder for very short turns, but long turns are no problem. Being a heavy guy I think the fins will be fine for me. Maybe a lighter sailor would like to use a smaller set of fins.

Another small change that makes a big impact are the new foot straps. Starboard has said goodbye to the straps on the 2010 model (which you had to make tighter by pulling a strap) and gone back to a more classic/standard and comfortable design. Biggest change is the size indication on the inside of the straps. At the OTC you’re constantly using different boards and need to adjust the straps to your liking. I always wondered why no one every put some kind of size indication on the straps. Now Starboard has listened to my prayers. The sizes are in one centimetre increments (I think) and my size is 3. So the smallest size plus three centimeters.

Then there is the new fin box. I still need to be convinced of the advantages, apart from the weight. The 2010 Quad has a similar, smaller version of this box for the smaller fins. I need to tighten these fins every other session because they will be loose again. How will this work in this newer version? Then there’s the issues of getting your fins all the way into the board, so that they make a nice connection with board. I’ve seen guys struggle to get the fins in deep enough. Even resorting to brute force and a rubber hammer. A mini tuttle box will pull the fins into the board. This doesn’t. It tries to push the fins down from the side. Not the best direction if the fin needs to go down. Then there is the fact that part of the screw very often keeps sticking outside the board’s bottom, basically creating a small obstruction in an otherwise smooth suface. We’ve always been thought that a boards bottom needs to be as smooth as possible. Now there are parts of screws sticking out. Might not have any effect, but it just feels wrong. Time will tell!

At the end of the day I concluded that the Evo was my favourite board today. It just made the best of the conditions and gave me the best ride. I can’t wait to try the boards again in different conditions (maybe Wijk aan Zee, North Sea) to see which I will prefer then. I hope the OTC will have these boards in store when I return in November (you’re free to join me if you like, just drop me an email) and give them another good test.

Big thanks

I would like to thank they guys from boardseeker.com once again for giving me the opportunity to try these boards. The guys are hard at work testing a huge number of wave sails and boards and I can’t wait to get their verdict on all of them. Make sure you visit their website now and once the results are up. I’ll make sure to let you know when that happens.

This was probably the best day in these past two weeks. The wind was strong and not as gusty as on other days. Most of my injuries have gone, or at least don’t bother me as much any more, so I could really push hard.

I arrived early at the the OTC because I really wanted to make sure I got my hands on the Starboard Quad 81. I was determined to make this a great day. The Quad is a great board (in my opinion) for going upwind quick, jumping and wave riding. It’s not the best board if you want to go very fast (although it is capable of some decent speed) or do freestyle. I like it because the fins give a lot of power when you’re turning on the waves. There are some new 2011 quads that will turn faster, but I don’t mind as my 100kg+ will get the board around a corner without problems. It’s really a very nice all-round wave board.

I sailed the Quad with the Simmer Style Iron 5.3. Simmer has some really great sails at the moment and this is no exception. It’s a nice onshore wave sail with plenty of power. The wind picked up during the afternoon and people were switching to 4.5 and smaller, but I just kept sailing on the 5.3 without any problems. I had to work a bit harder but I kept in control in the gusts.

Later in the afternoon I switched to a Gaastra Poison 4.7. I sailed the Poison before and, like the Simmer, this is an excellent sail. It’s an onshore wave sail with lot’s of power and great control.

At the end of my session the wind became a little weaker and I switched to a North Sails Ice 5.3, another onshore wave sail. As I mentioned before, I used to sail NS before. I always sailed them with SDM masts. Almost all wave sails these days are cut for RDM masts include the three sails I sailed today. I wasn’t a fan of RDM masts when they first came out because they made the sails feel very soft and a bit slow. Not nice when you’re a big guy like me. That has changed though and current sails (like the three I sailed today) are very powerful sails that handle very well. It would be hard for me to decide which sail I would prefer as they all perform so well.

I also sailed with my GoPro HD today. I have a little rig on the back of my boom that let’s the GoPro sit about 40 cm away from the boom. I think the images look better that way. The boom doesn’t run through the centre of the screen as it would otherwise. I shot a lot of video (which I can’t edit on this laptop) and also put the GoPro in picture mode where it takes a picture every 2 seconds. I’m really pleased with the result. I’ve added two pictures as an example. You can get tons of cool pictures like that (and trust me I will).

All in all a great day with great weather and great gear. Five stars without a doubt!

Just one more day before we go home. I’ll try and make the best of it.

South of El Medano are two cities, Los Christianos and Playa de las Americas. El Medano has quite a relaxed vibe with lots of Spanish locals and windsurfers visiting from all over Europe. Most people just come to relax and enjoy the beach and wind. It still has its own personality. Los Christianos and Las Americas (or LA as some people call it) are cities created with one purpose in mind; to get as many tourists as possible in one place. This is where Easyjet offloads enormous amounts of British and, more recently, Eastern-European tourist to enjoy their low budget holiday.

So far the introduction. Yesterday we went to the Siam Park next to Los Christianos. A big water park that attracts lots of tourists. I have to admit that it’s a nice park with lots of rides. What I find a good thing as well is that they use salt water straight from the ocean to fill their pools. Tenerife is very dry and their a shortage of sweet water, so kudos for that.

The people inside the park are what turns me off a bit. First there’s the lobsters. Lobsters are people (mostly British) who seem to be totally unaware that there is such a thing as sun screen. They step out of their Easyjet plane as white as paper (I don’t know how they do that), take of their shirts and start to burn themselves without any protection. I’ve seen some of the nastiest burns you’ll ever see and these people still keep walking around in the sun. I mean burns where actual holes are starting to show in the flesh. My theory is that they have so much alcohol in their bodies throughout the entire holiday that they don’t feel the pain. I wouldn’t be able to move with burns like that. I can only guess skin cancer will go up in the coming years. Take my advice and always (yes, even when it’s not that hot) wear sunscreen. You’ll thank me later.

Then there are the tattoos. There were many. I’m not a big fan of tattoos. There are occasions where a tattoo can look really good on a person. That can be because it’s a unique tattoo or because the tattoo just seems to fit the person. It’s also possible that you’re Maori, in which case all tattoos look good and make you look like a bad-ass. In the park however most people who had a tattoo clearly took them because they thought it was a fashion statement or they got drunk and decided it was a good idea to get a tattoo. Still not a problem if you have great physique (which means you are full of muscles or look like a playboy bunny) or don’t have an actual job (like a football player). You will get away with it. Most people however looked like they weigh a ton and don’t even know what a mirror looks like. Then there are those, and I’ve seen many, that thought putting a name on there body was a good idea. You could tell that many tattoos had been altered or (in many cases) made completely black. I would feel like an idiot when I would have a black stain on my body which make me look like a leper. My advice, if you’re thinking about a tattoo make sure it will make you stand out and not look like every other fat idiot in the pool. Never, ever, ever, put a name on your body unless it’s someone who died and you can’t have a fight with. All other names are off limits!

Last but not least there are the people who are just anti social. These were a bit harder to spot at first. The park has a rule that all rings, necklaces, sunglasses and other jewellery has to be taken off when you’re in the water. This makes them look a bit more like normal people (except for the tattoos). To be honest, it doesn’t even bother me that much when people feel the need to talk as if everyone around them is deaf. It does bother me when you try to cut in line all the time and then act all surprised and aggressive when someone points that out to you. Also, even though it’s true that we are outside and not indoors, do they have to smoke every where they go? Not everybody likes the smell of cigarettes. And could they please get a grip on their children? Some of these kids just go completely nuts when they get inside the park and the parents just let them. They will run, slide and swim into anything and anyone without even as much as an apology if they hurt someone (mostly smaller kids). Raising kids does seem to be a challenge to some parents.

Before I forget; the language. British tourists (at least the ones in the park) expect everyone to speak English. They don’t seem to realise they are in Spain and not everyone speaks English. Maybe someone should tell them there are more people in the world who speak Spanish then English. Get some perspective. The Russians don’t seem to care what anyone speaks (they don’t speak any languages apart from their own) and will misbehave in their own language.

So, there you have it. Some of my observations. Like I said the park is ok and the lines are not that long compared to other amusement parks. It’s just the people inside the park I could do without.

(N.B. I have nothing against the British or Russians. Just the ones that seem to be at places like Los Christianos, Las Americas, Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Turkey, basically any low budget holiday destination.)

Finally

I didn’t windsurf yesterday. That doesn’t mean there was no wind. There’s wind every day. My body just can’t take the abuse everyday and I do like spending time with my family as well. I’ll probably sail again on Friday and Saturday before we go back home on Sunday. Stay tuned for updates.

Another afternoon session. I took yesterday of to recuperate and have a look around the island. The wind is a little weaker until Friday. Friday and Saturday look good again.

Anyway, I arrived at the OTC in the afternoon and the wind was a small force 6. I went out with a Fanatic Freewave 95 and Tushingham Storm F10 5.75. I like the whole Fanatic Freewave range. They are great bump-and-jump (as we all know, that’s what FSW means) boards. Easy planning, turning and not afraid of catching air. Same for the 95. I’m afraid I’ve neglected the Tushingham sails in past years. Not by choice, Tushingham is a big brand in the UK but not in the Netherlands. I don’t come across these sails very often. The first time I came into contact with Tushingham was here at the OTC. I still thought they looked heavy and a little ugly (sorry, but the british don’t have the same sence of design as the Italians). After sailing Tushingham for the first time, I had to completely change my opinion about their sails. They are very nice sails. Same with the Storm. It’s a freeride sail. You don’t have to be afraid to push it or even crash it as it has plenty of reinforcements. Nice neutral sail with plenty of power. Not a lot more a can say about it. Just a nice sail.

The wind started dropping later in the afternoon so I switched to a Starboard Futura 111 and Ezzy Free(ride) 6.5. The Futura is just a great freerace board. It gets going with a little pressure, accelerates easily and has great top end speed (maybe even a bit much for some). Going upwind is easy. Just a great board that clearly is the little brother of the I-Sonic range. The Ezzy Free(ride) is just that, a nice freeride sail. I’ve tried several sizes over the past year (6.5, 7.0 and 7.5) and always enjoy sailing them. Easy handling, nice power delivery and great control. Don’t expect world record speeds, just nice freeride cruising. One small remark though; Ezzy sails really need to be trimmed correctly for them to work well. Always make sure there is enough downhaul (Ezzy sails are trimmed more with downhaul then outhaul in my opinion) and outhaul on the sail or it will make the sail feel heavy and slow instead of light and fast. Very important!

At the end of the day I was one of the few planing will every one else was trying to hang on to their wave gear, hoping the wind would come back. Another advantage of being at the OTC; when conditions change, you change gear and keep planing.

Last but not least; I managed to get a new injury. I kicked against the back footstrap real hard and hurt two of my toes. That won’t keep me from sailing however

I was late today at the OTC. Sailing three days in a row makes you hurry less to go sailing. Most of the gear was out on the water. The wind was again force 7 and quite gusty. I decided to start with the RRD FreestyleWave 96 and Vandal Riot 4.8. The RRD was a bit big, but hey, at least I was planing through all the lulls. The Riot is one of those compact sails that excel in freestyle and more powerful wave manoeuvres. It didn’t suit me very well. Sails like this tend to have a limited windrange and are harder to trim when the wind is stronger. It performs very well in the right wind conditions and I’m sure freestylers will love it, but just not in the gusty conditions we had today. After a few runs I decided to switch to another sail. I took the KA sails Kult 4.7. Very powerful sail. A bit hard to control in the strong gusts. Did enjoy sailing it. I then got a change to switch to KA Sails Kaos 4.7. This sail is a bit more compact the the Kult. I personally felt a little more at home with this sail. I felt it was powerful like the Kult but a bit easier to handle.

After sailing on the RRD for most of the afternoon I switched to the Fanatic New Wave Twin 86 and North Sails Ice 4.7. This was the third time in a year I tried the Fanatic and I’ve made up my mind; we will never be friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love the other Fanatic boards. It’s the twin I just can’t seem to get along with. Maybe it require more advanced windsurfing skills or I’m doing something else wrong. The boards is hard to get planning. Doesn’t go upwind very well and stops as soon as the gust is gone. The North Sails Ice on the other hand felt like coming home. I’ve sailed NS the past years (before switching to Ezzy) and still think they make excellent sails. The Ice is so easy to control and has a lot of power. Great sail.

Last but not least, I used my waist harness for the first time today. Still a bit painful but I felt more at home with it then with the seat harness. Probably a day of rest tomorrow. There will be wind every day for the rest of the week, so I can afford to miss one day.

Another strong windy session. The wind was 7-8 bft, but extremely gusty. This made it harder to sail as the wind would drop to force 5 and then come back a force 8. I went out with the Ezzy Wave Panther 4.7. I love the wind range of these sails. You can trim them for any wind condition. A little more downhaul and outhaul and your good to go.

I have been looking forward to trying the Carbon Art boards at the OTC. They have three CA Wave V boards and I took the 81l. I have to say I didn’t enjoy this board very much. The Wave V have a more classic wave shape for riding bigger waves. It’s a fast board but needs quite a bit of power (either by wind or waves) to keep going. Today we had neither. The problem is that El Medano doesn’t provide conditions for these boards to excel in. Once I got going the gust would be gone and the board would stop again. Floating on this board was almost impossible so I decided to switch boards quickly. I then took out an RRD Twinwave 82. In my experience almost all RRD boards are very easy going. I still love the huge soft pads. The Twinwave worked very well. Nothing extreme, just easy sailing and good control. In the afternoon the waves started building and I switched to the Starboard Quad 81. Still my favourite.

I’ve also been experimenting (forced because of my hurting ribs) with harness line lengths. I’ve been sailing 28″ and 30″ lines and … I like it! As soon as I can wear my waist harness again, I want to see how I perform with longer lines. I also had a chat with Ben Profitt (he’s here sailing and testing gear) about his harness lines and he’s been using 34″ lines. I still have a long way to go.

Here’s one of lives lessons; when you’re hurt, go see a doctor and when that takes to long, get Indian food. I have been in pain these passed days because I hurt my back and ribs. I still wasn’t feeling too great yesterday and I wasn’t sure I would be able to sail today. Yesterday evening we went to an Indian restaurant with some friends. We got some of the extra spicy food. I love Indian food and this was a real treat. Now comes the great part! When I woke up this morning I hardly had any pain and I could sleep on my side without pain (I had been sleeping flat on my back the previous nights, which I’m not used to). My conclusion; Indian food is like medicine (and the Indians have probably known this for many years).

Now, let me tell you about my day.

El Medano summer 2010 - day 6

Other stuff

The OTC is full of wonderful toys that have been brought there by the guys from Boardseeker Magazine. They are doing a wave test. Boards between 75 and 80 liters and sails between 4.5 and 5.0. Lots of new and beautiful 2011 toys. Multifin and especially quad, seems to be the way to go this year. They have quads from Fanatic, Goya, Quatro, Starboard, JP, Tabou and more. Then there are the twin and thruster fins from brands like JP, Naish, Exocet and more.

You’er probably waiting for me to put some pictures of the 2011 toys on the blog by now. I can’t. I forgot to bring the charger for my camera and I’m looking for a solution as we speak. You’ll just have to wait.

There are a lot of world cup windsurfers in El Medano at this time. This weekend El Medano will host the spanish championships and a lot of windsurfers took the opportunity to come the El Medano after Pozo. They will not be disappointed as there will be 7/8 bft winds and some nice waves. I’ve been watching them prepare and the stuff they do is just insane!

Last but not least: Stoked Publications has just released the English version of the The World Kite and Windsurfing Guide. A must have for anyone who ever wants to go some where else besides his or her home spot. I already have the European version and will most likely order this one as well.

It’s been a while since I last posted an update on this blog. Work has just really been keeping me busy. Time for some new posts. Let me start by recapping the last few days.

I’m currently in El Medano, Tenerife enjoying my summer holiday with my family. Things just aren’t going as planned.

El Medano summer 2010 - day 1 (Sunday 11.07)

We flew in early with Ryan Air to Tenerife. The wind predictions are great for this week. We took our time after we arrived in the morning to get settled and have some lunch. I went sailing in the afternoon. The trade wind was blowing strong with 7-8 bft. I checked in at the OTC and went out on a Quatro Tempo Twin 76 and Gaastra Poison 4.2 (set to maximum wind). I had a good time even though the wind was very strong at times and there was a lot of chop. Even the smallest chop could launch you up in the air.

I was getting close to the end of my session when a very strong gust hit me. The rope on the boom front broke and the boom was released from the mast. I smashed into the mast and was thrown into the water. I waived to another windsurfer and he went back to the OTC to get some help. Graham came out with some extra rope and he managed to get to boom back on the mast. While sailing back I noticed the left side of my back was really painful. That’s where I had hit the mast. That was the end of my session for today, and as I would find out, for the coming week as I really hurt my back and ribs.

El Medano summer 2010 - day 2 (Monday 12.07)

I had a really bad night. My back and ribs are really hurting and I have nothing to kill the pain except for some aspirin. I made it through the night and got me some ibuprofen in the morning (the strong stuff: 600mg). I can highly recommend ibuprofen when you’ve got muscle pain. Works well. I managed to get through the day. Even payed a visit to the OTC and messed around with my GoPro HD together with Graham. I’ll post some results when I’m back home.

The wind was still very strong by the way.

El Medano summer 2010 - day 3 (Tuesday 13.07)

I had a really rough night and deiced it was time to go to the hospital. I went to Hospiten Sur where the doctor decided it was probably a good idea to take some X-Rays. The doctor concluded I didn’t break anything, but I did have some swelling which was causing me so much pain. He gave me a prescription for several medicines that would fight the swelling and ease the pain.

As before, the wind was howling. I was a little sorry I missed these sessions, but was comfortable with the thought there’s nothing I can do right but try and get well as soon as possible.

El Medano summer 2010 - day 4 (Wednesday 14.07)

This morning there was little improvement. I decided to take as much rest as possible and let the medication do it’s job. I must say I’m feeling much better this evening and I’m feeling positive about my recuperation. I just have to make sure I force myself not to get back in action too soon and hurt myself again.

It’s still very windy by the way. A little less then before but still a solid force 6.

Something to read

The predictions for the rest of the week look really good, so I do hope to get at least a few sessions in before we go home. In the mean time I’m reading the latest edition of Windsurfer International. Enjoy!

Finally back at sea (Tuesday)

It has been a few months since a last sailed at sea. I was at IJmuiden today. It looked like the wind would be North so that the waves would reach the beach behind the pier. Unfortunately the wind was a little easterly so we had flatwater in the front. I started with my Ezzy Wave Panther 2 6.0 and my Angulo Sumo 105. Excellent combination and I had a lot of fun blasting from the front to the back. The wind picked up during the afternoon, so I switched to my 5.2 and Starboard Quad 81. There was a very nice swell outside, as well as some stronger wind, so we went to the outside and had fun there. I’m very bad at jumping with wind from the right, so I took this opportunity to practice my jumps with excellent results. Strong winds, lot’s of sunshine and nice temperature, a five star session to me.

High wind slalom (Wednesday)

I had a meeting until late, so I decided to go for a quick session at Pampus Haven. I had to be home on time as well so very little time to sail. I decided to use my Gaastra Vapor 6.7 and F2 SX 68 because I still have a Smartfins fin that I need to test and this seemed to be the perfect occasion. I was wrong! The wind kept increasing and I would have been better of with my Ezzy Wave Panther 2 5.2 or 4.7. I had been sailing for five hours the day before so there was little strength left. I managed to hold on, but it was just too much. I thought about changing gear but decided to call it a day and go home. The wind predictions look good until Sunday. I will probably be at IJmuiden on Saturday and Pampus Haven on Sunday. I’ll try and get some rest before that time. I’m sure everyone else who was there had a great time with these strong winds and blue skies.

Some reading material