https://vimeo.com/89901565
Monday, March 24, 2014
Waves on standby didn't last long
Putting the wave gear on standby didn't last long, the weather has turned colder but the waves started again. Here is a short clip from yesterday, sunny windy and wavey.
https://vimeo.com/89901565
https://vimeo.com/89901565
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Change in the Weather
It's time for the wave kit to go back on standby and tune up for slalom and speed.
From November to mid March I find it very difficult to get on a slalom or speed board over here in Guernsey. When it's 8 degrees air temp or less the thought of sailing up and down the coast on big slalom kit doesn't do much for me. Even the odd good speed day in those temps isn't great.
Wave sailing definitely takes over when its that cold. Wave sailing in 8 degrees for a couple of hours is no problem.
The weather is changing however and it was time to unload the wave kit, put it on standby for any exceptional conditions and tune up the slalom kit.
I have finned up my PD 110 with a Black Project Fins 37.7 for big sails. Usually I like the BPF 35 in this board but my new Evo 6's should be here soon and I have gone big this year, right up to 9.5 sq m. My PD speed 53 has been finned up with a BPF RS 28. More for 7 and 7.8 sailing in tight conditions. With the first speed contest of the year at the Mondial du Vent is just around the corner I have a feeling I will be using this fin / board combo a lot.
Speed contests are a different beast to free sailing or record attempts. You have to sail as many runs as possible so that you don't miss the best conditions, this means sailing back up wind needs to be quick and easy. That's when the RS will come into it's own compared to a asymmetric record fin.
From November to mid March I find it very difficult to get on a slalom or speed board over here in Guernsey. When it's 8 degrees air temp or less the thought of sailing up and down the coast on big slalom kit doesn't do much for me. Even the odd good speed day in those temps isn't great.
Wave sailing definitely takes over when its that cold. Wave sailing in 8 degrees for a couple of hours is no problem.
The weather is changing however and it was time to unload the wave kit, put it on standby for any exceptional conditions and tune up the slalom kit.
I have finned up my PD 110 with a Black Project Fins 37.7 for big sails. Usually I like the BPF 35 in this board but my new Evo 6's should be here soon and I have gone big this year, right up to 9.5 sq m. My PD speed 53 has been finned up with a BPF RS 28. More for 7 and 7.8 sailing in tight conditions. With the first speed contest of the year at the Mondial du Vent is just around the corner I have a feeling I will be using this fin / board combo a lot.
Speed contests are a different beast to free sailing or record attempts. You have to sail as many runs as possible so that you don't miss the best conditions, this means sailing back up wind needs to be quick and easy. That's when the RS will come into it's own compared to a asymmetric record fin.
Sails ready to come out of storage and into the van.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Speed tails
Just going through some old bits and pieces for a project that's in the pipeline. Found my old event bibs.
Great memories from back then, Brest speed week and my first podium finish in 1993.
Fuerteventura 1993 and having the Great Britain flag and name on the bib, top 10 only had that. It didn't go down well with a fellow competitor who will remain nameless who couldn't believe I had a named bib and he didn't. He even complained to the organisers but it was down to year ranking and I was placed higher than him.
Tarifa speed week, party town!
St Marie de la Mer, Mistral winds.
Great memories from back then, Brest speed week and my first podium finish in 1993.
Fuerteventura 1993 and having the Great Britain flag and name on the bib, top 10 only had that. It didn't go down well with a fellow competitor who will remain nameless who couldn't believe I had a named bib and he didn't. He even complained to the organisers but it was down to year ranking and I was placed higher than him.
Tarifa speed week, party town!
St Marie de la Mer, Mistral winds.
Friday, March 7, 2014
GYM SESSIONS
The hard work continues.
The wind has taken a back step and we have a couple of weeks forecast of very light winds. Hopefully the swell may pick up and we'll get a few SUP sessions in.
The wind has taken a back step and we have a couple of weeks forecast of very light winds. Hopefully the swell may pick up and we'll get a few SUP sessions in.
In the meantime it's flat out at the gym most days. The main aim is to lighten up a bit but also tone up. Finally it seems to be working, still a way to go yet. I started seriously in the gym at the end of November, since then 3 kg have gone.
November 2013 and March 2014 photo's
Friday, February 21, 2014
New Partner
Very excited about a new partnership that is about to happen. Can't say what exactly just yet until papers have been signed but it all helps towards reaching my goals.
My first speed board, Lightwave 16". Shaped early 1990 for St Marie de la Mer speed qualifying event. Came 3rd then went on to place 10th in the main event, beating the two who qualified ahead of me. It all kicked off after that. Ended the ...year ranked 10th in the World.
Jimmy Lewis 15.75" speed board built November 1990 ready for the 1991 world tour. Ended the year ranked 7th in the world.
Being dusted down for an exciting new project. More details later.
My first speed board, Lightwave 16". Shaped early 1990 for St Marie de la Mer speed qualifying event. Came 3rd then went on to place 10th in the main event, beating the two who qualified ahead of me. It all kicked off after that. Ended the ...year ranked 10th in the World.
Jimmy Lewis 15.75" speed board built November 1990 ready for the 1991 world tour. Ended the year ranked 7th in the world.
Being dusted down for an exciting new project. More details later.
Monday, February 10, 2014
GUERNSEY BIG DAY
They keep coming. Unbelievable end to 2013 and it hasn't stopped in 2014 yet.
Two of the bigger sets that rolled in on Saturday 8th February.
This is the biggest I have seen Vazon Bay, Guernsey.
Vazon is a horse shoe shaped bay with a few reefs running out to sea from the middle southwards, (centres & suckies are sailable) sand from centres north and rocks lining the Northern edge.
When we get a really big swell the amount of water coming into the bay at high tide is huge and it has to go some where, centres blocks the water from going South so all the water hitting North of centres rips along the beach and out over the rocky northern edge of the bay. The rip passing over the rocks gets confused and is swept back into the bay causing huge chop.
On Saturday the swell was mast high at least but with 4 foot chop bouncing around on it until it got close enough to the beach to break. I sailed with the rip out at the Northern end then beat up wind till I could tack and ride a big un in down wind as much as possible so that I wouldn't get battered on the beach.
A tough days sailing, 5.5m Neil Pryde Fusion HD (seriously over powered on the waves) and PATRIK Freestyle Wave 112 (I needed the volume to get out over the waves and not stall)
On the way out I was perfectly powered but as soon as I started dropping in on the waves the apparent wind was huge. Thats the most testing conditions I have ever sailed. If something had failed out in the middle of the bay it could have been curtains. 8 degrees air temp and 9 degrees water temp didn't help.
Although I had people on the shore watching and recording it, on the water I was alone. When your in there you get on with it but afterwards when looking at the footage and back out to sea you get a strange feeling, a rush yes but hard to say if it was enjoyable.
Two of the bigger sets that rolled in on Saturday 8th February.
This is the biggest I have seen Vazon Bay, Guernsey.
Vazon is a horse shoe shaped bay with a few reefs running out to sea from the middle southwards, (centres & suckies are sailable) sand from centres north and rocks lining the Northern edge.
When we get a really big swell the amount of water coming into the bay at high tide is huge and it has to go some where, centres blocks the water from going South so all the water hitting North of centres rips along the beach and out over the rocky northern edge of the bay. The rip passing over the rocks gets confused and is swept back into the bay causing huge chop.
On Saturday the swell was mast high at least but with 4 foot chop bouncing around on it until it got close enough to the beach to break. I sailed with the rip out at the Northern end then beat up wind till I could tack and ride a big un in down wind as much as possible so that I wouldn't get battered on the beach.
A tough days sailing, 5.5m Neil Pryde Fusion HD (seriously over powered on the waves) and PATRIK Freestyle Wave 112 (I needed the volume to get out over the waves and not stall)
On the way out I was perfectly powered but as soon as I started dropping in on the waves the apparent wind was huge. Thats the most testing conditions I have ever sailed. If something had failed out in the middle of the bay it could have been curtains. 8 degrees air temp and 9 degrees water temp didn't help.
Although I had people on the shore watching and recording it, on the water I was alone. When your in there you get on with it but afterwards when looking at the footage and back out to sea you get a strange feeling, a rush yes but hard to say if it was enjoyable.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Guernsey Wave Sailing
What an incredible month for wave sailing in Guernsey. 4 or five days a week of down the line sailing in winds from 20 to 60 knots.
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