It was my wedding anniversary, but Sally let me go out east for the day to catch the wind. A fine wife! Called Scott during the drive…he told me it was blowing big…4.2 at least!
I arrived at Sebonac early afternoon, to watch two wingers struggling to get out of the water in nuking air with crazy gusts. Scott was on shore catching his breath, talking about 3.7. I own a 3.7 but I don't like it, and frankly don't like sailing in that much wind in general. "I'm rigging my 4.2" I proclaimed. I love my 4.2 and 4.7…Naish Force sails balance well for me and make me happy.
"Look at Frank! Frank's on a 4.0!" Scott said.
Frank was sailing inbound, totally sheeted out. Frank is not like other windsurfers. He is mighty. If Frank was totally sheeted out on a 4.0, I would be spanked badly on my 4.2. So I rigged the 3.7.
Meanwhile Christian…who had already rigged…was sitting in his shredmobile watching soccer on his phone. "Football" he called it but whatever. He didn't want to launch in the crazy wind. Frank rigged down to a three meter sail. John Nat put his wing away and rigged something small.
After much hemming hawing and avoiding I launched in the inlet. The wind was blasting, but the current was going into the inner bay so it was hard to get going. After two attempts to clear the inlet sailing westbound Jon Ford convinced me to shlep over to the beach side and launch from there.
I did. It worked.
But it was still too much wind. Fully overpowered outbound I managed to hold it together, even catch some air. Jibing was out of the question though. Bear off? Are you insane? I did an alternative version of a laydown jibe (lay the sail into the water while sailing straight, then step off. Turn everything around, waterstart.) On the way back it was gust lull gust lull waves 2-3 feet and all crazy. I got back to the beach and said I was done. I was having no fun and afraid to get hurt, and if I left early I'd return for my anniversary dinner with time to spare. Should have saved my driving day for Sunday, which is turning out better.
Dunzo.
(Photo: Me just short of tailwalking, returning inbound. Photo by Jonathan Ford.)
I was curious as to how much of a workout windsurfing actually was. Hooked in cruising in easy conditions on a 7.5 was one thing, but how about when the wind was up? A few times now I've strapped on my fitbit when wearing a drysuit or fullsuit (the bit is said to be waterproof but not up for watersports. I thought "surely under a wetsuit it should be fine." 
