2020-05-30 Group blog.... various lakes

It looks like a few of us got out, but we were spread all over the province.  Tim is heading south to Keho tomorrow (Sunday) hoping for big wind...  Here is what I heard from the rest.....

Ted's Story ... 3 sessions at Dried Meat Lake (DML)

The wind today was up and down.  I went out for three foiling sessions.  Whenever a gust came, I was able to get up and foil the rest of the way across.  This usually happened almost every reach. 

I am still a long way away from getting any foiling jibes, but I am pretty comfortable just blasting along above the water; although I notice from all of my sore muscles tonight, that I still have a death grip on the boom and need to relax a lot more when I am foiling!

All in all, a very good day!

Brad's Story

Big Air Jim and Cam's Story

Well I didn’t break any speed or jumping records today but I did get out and tried to make my 7.0 work. 

I had a few planing reaches but I wasn’t disappointed as I had my expectations set pretty low on the east by south easterly. 

Cam joined me just as a gust came through so we had a nice planing session together. Elapsed time, 3 minutes. 

Oh well, we still had some fun.

Handre's Story

Ross's Story

Cross bike ride in  the AM in the river valley,

Nice breakfast on the deck....unfortunately, no lake, ocean or mountain views...

12m kiting at Gull Lake, sunny, 26degC and surprisingly steady breeze and still blowing when I left at 1830.

Dinner at John Lemieux's for Monica's birthday, Thai takeout and beers and a smokey fire.

2020-05-27 Sailing at Brad's

Harold's report!

Hi Gang. 

 

What a day! 

 

Brad was our host at Golden Days, and he was a gracious host indeed.  Hard to say if Brad or Ted provides the better bathroom – I wouldn’t want to dump on either one of them. (Ted is not sure if he should take offence to this or not - at least Ted did provide a bathroom in his motorhome - although Harold chose to relieve himself on the neighbour's trees in plain sight of the road....)

 

The cast of characters today were Brad, Blaine, Al, Vadim, Kent, Mike, Ross and me. 

 

Lots of wind and lots of bumps.  Cool (10C to start) and cold water, but no one stopped despite the bitching and complaining. 

 

I arrived a little early and was able to sneak in 15 or 20 minutes on my 84 litre board and a beautiful colourful 4.7 sail.  Then I had to back off to an often overpowered 6.1 and my 99 litre board. 

 

Al was smarter and only rigged once.  He blasted around on his 99 litre board and his 5.5 sail. 

 

Vadim used a 99 litre board and a 7.0?

 

Kent went out on his foil and a 5.2 sail and must have been out there for 4 straight hours.   I couldn’t keep up with him, even when I was fully powered or overpowered (but I suppose that’s not a surprise). 

 

Brad and Blaine looked good on their foils. 

 

Mike and Ross blasted around on their kites. 

 

So it was a flying circus out there.  

 

The BS session at an appropriate social distance was fun as usual (so much collective wisdom amongst so many with absolutely no influence), and broke up only when the rains came.

 

Can’t wait to do it again. 

 

Harold 

Kent's Speed Record - NOT!

So one highlight from my GPS track was a peak speed of 40knt.   There might be some of you that think perhaps this is my speed as I left my board out the “front door”.  You may be right but a speed record is a speed record no matter how fast that speed was returned to zero…

 

Of course, there was a lot of feedback with the conclusion that either Kent threw his watch on the beach, or it was a GPS glitch.....

Brad's Photos - I don't see any windsurfers on the water - did it really happen????

Looks kind of windy...

Maybe not so much....

2020-05-26 A Mixed Day

Ted - Double Dip

It was windy when I got up - solid White Caps.  Laura and Francis had been visiting and were preparing to leave, so I cooked them breakfast and then visited for a while before they left.  I rigged up my 6.6 and Shark board and went out just as Laura and Francis were leaving.  As I was walking down the hill it started to rain a bit.  I headed out and got planing right away.  I had a few good reaches - although no wind other than in the centre of the lake, and then I could see a rainstorm coming down the lake.  I headed in.

Heading out as it started to rain!

After doing some errands in town in the evening, I came home to wind.  I was still rigged, although my rig was back at the top of the hill, so I carried it back down and headed out.  I planed all the way across - and then slogged all the way back, and slogged back and forth a few more times before coming in.

I made supper for Louise and de-rigged while I was doing it.  As we sat down for supper, the wind came up again and it blew for a couple of hours - missed it.  I guess I will try again tomorrow.

Morning Session

Kent

Goes to show that you need to live at the lake to get some wind.  Blaine drove out and met Cam and me.  Together Blaine, Cam and I watched some glassy water.   I went home, mowed the lawn and decided to try it.  Foiled about 60% of the time….

Ross

Well I drove out to Alberta Beach.   Cool and grey but 11m kiting, very west.  Contacts in, shirt and shoes off.  Reaching for wet suit.....oops, left hanging up in the basement at home.....

It can't be age since you lot remember your wet suits most of the time, and I am so much younger. I must be working too hard.

Andreas

Well I don't know where the heck you guys were but I went golfing and it was blowing solid 4.7 the entire back nine!!! Such a pain.

Harold

By the time I checked the 511 road cams, the wind seemed to have died off, but it was still blowing in a  couple of other places.  It looked like pretty localized blows. 



What happened? 

2020-05-14 More sailing at Ted's

2020-05-14 - More Sailing at Ted's.

It started yesterday with Harold's email.....

Hi Gang. 

Ted’s place may be the call tomorrow. 

Environment Canada Hourly Forecast shows winds 30 gusting to 50 from 9AM to 2PM (which means 3PM?).   Windfinder Camrose shows winds building to 16 knots for 3 hours starting at 11AM, building before and diminishing slowly after.  Sunny all day.  Cool, but not bad, especially with the sun.  And the water is warmer than the big lakes.  

So unless something changes dramatically, I’m going for sure.  Al will probably be coming. 

Ted will be there for sure. 

I checked with Ted and he is looking forward to seeing whoever shows up.  He has set up the bathroom in the motor home for us. 

I told Ted that we would all maintain social distancing, so don’t let me down! 

See you tomorrow?

This morning I got a phone call at 9:00 from Kent.  He was already in Camrose and would be arriving in about a 1/2 hour.  I told him that the lake looked very filled in with white caps all the way across!

Harold called a few minutes later and said he was already by Hay Lakes, and that Al was somewhere behind him.

Then Ross called.  He was coming too but hadn't left Edmonton yet. 

Mike sent an email saying he wasn't coming, but then Ross talked him into it and he showed up too.

Gerry then sent an email telling us to have fun.  He was watching it snow at his house, the high was to be 5c and his lake is still full of crushed ice.  He will not be sailing today.

Harold, Kent and I got out on the water first.  I rigged my 6.6 Hucker, Harold was on his 6.1 and Kent was on his 5.2 and foil.  The wind was gusty but very strong at times.  Lots of overpowered sailing, but lulls as well.

Al arrived about a half-hour later and took out his 6.5.

The temperature started off at about 12c but kept falling during the afternoon, ending up at about 5c.  The water temperature wasn't bad.  I think our hands got the coldest.  

Harold

Ross and Mike arrived after lunch but decided not to go out as the wind was somewhat offshore, gusty and there isn't a good kite launch.

Mike and Ross - Watching the Action!

The wind started to drop off, or at least the lulls started to get bigger by about 1:00 - so, Al, Harold and I called it quits.  Kent, however, went out again and sailed for a few more hours on his foil.  He is sure making it look easy.

Kent Foiling with Harold in the background

After sailing we all sat around and chatted while keeping appropriate distancing.  It was great to see everyone.

I think this is the most windsurf equipment I have ever had on my lawn!

Sailing at Teds

2020-05-01 Friday at Ted's

Harold and Al decided to drive out to Dried Meat Lake to visit Ted and go for a sail.

It was a gusty day, and we may have missed the best sailing by an hour or so, but we got out shortly after noon and sailed for a few hours.

Ted on his 6.6 Hucker and Shark board!

The lightweights (Al and Harold) were planing a little more consistently than me, but I was on a plane more than not.

Al and Harold

Al

Harold

Louise came down and took some photos - thanks Louise.

I took out my Jetski to try to get some video of Harold and Al by driving next to them and taking closeup shots of them while sailing.  Unfortunately, the positive battery lead must have worked itself loose, and I found myself drifting in the middle of the lake.  I may have missed some of the best sailing while I was paddling the jetski back to shore.    When I got to shore, (way downwind)  I was able to re-connect the lead, and then drive it home.

Ted - Paddling Home

I picked up my board and walked into the water, but the wind had lightened up, so I hauled it back out.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.  Louise made fresh cookies which we enjoyed while sitting on our lawn chairs, appropriately distancing ourselves from each other - but enjoying a beer and some great conversation.

We were all packed up by about 4:30.  Great day!

Ted trying to video Al - just before the Jetski stopped!