Owner:
mas
Member
Member#: 881 Location: south Coast Registered: 24-07-2004 Diary Entries: 17
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15th July 2017
Windsurfing: Felixstowe Fludyers Wind Direction: WSW Wind Stength: F2-4 Surf / Sea State: lumpy Air Temperature: warm Sea Temperature: warm Weather: warm cloudy Max Speed: 22.45 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 9.1 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Don't really like the Fludg it always seem bumpy / lumpy but a sail is a
sail. 4 out, Squiz, Hurrells with Ian, Paul D arriving just after me around
2. Wind was offish and not great but a lucky parking space was offered by
Neil made the decision to stay. They were planning, off / on so big kit and
perseverance with the Patrik Fride 145 and chance to plane on salt water
with my 8.6 Gaastra Savage. Stay with the stock 48fin and loaned my 50cm
MFC SL fin to Craig who was struggling to stay up wind on his AHD. Moved
the mast track back to the 3/4 position same as the river. The North Shoxs
jammed in the sand at the Fludg, another reason I don't like sand rigging
kit! The guys were wallowing so hung around till gusts came thru and it was
OK first run. The board only goes if you point completely down wind and
pump. Do that too often and miss the gust you soon lose ground down wind.
Fortunately tide was flowing in, against wind, so fairly easy to stay up.
Planing off waves / swell is nice at the fludg both going out and coming in
especially. Tried several times to get a decent run, including belting
along with either Neil or Craig, but the board just don't want to go with
my weight. Top speed (against Neil) was 22.45 kts, but with such a big gust
comparing JP 146 to Patrik – the JP would hit 25kts easy. At the fludge
the JP was pretty bouncy, but the Patrik is much more stable and
controllable over waves, strange because the back of the board is huge. It
sails very comfortably to be fair with a 48 fin swept back, but a dog with
the 50cm upright. The JP felt very small at speed whilst this board feels
huge. Again tacking it on the sea is 75% successful where as I feel in the
JP 90% of the time! The Patrik is definitely a board for comfortable easy
sailing. It would make a great rental board if it wasn't eggshell
construction. Paul D was using his wide style Tabou 137. Nice looking board
with a 7.8 North Ram. All was well till he fell for the sucker punch of the
Fludge, never sail there when the tide turn, even if wind is up - the tide
floods around the corner taking you towards the Dip and a very long walk.
We all came in be4 tide but he got pulled round the corner, fortunately not
too far to walk...done it many times so learnt my lesson...I did warn
him...!
Prob keep the Patrik board and get some out board footstraps fitted by a
pro, as not confident enough to do it. That's one of the major design flaws
of the board, its 75 wide yet no out board straps to push against the side
and drag some speed out of it. Cant do much about the other design flaw -
the mast track is way forward (set at the rear) of the 43cm I like - its a
whopping 51cm, so you either are always trying to get thrown over the top
or you close the slot too quick, crazy. The others had some decent runs
with Ian always on the plane with Craig. Neil had a good sail and Squiz
sailed way off in the great yonder. Wind died pretty quick so not a great
sailing day but nice hour workout, as missing the gym quite a lot. Been
advised by the Gaastra boys, never set the downhaul less than recommended
even in very light winds! The sail leech must be soft all the way to the
boom and use the outhaul for light/strong wind adjustments. They are right,
even in the light winds, it felt nicer. I slackened off to the top 3
battens at Bradfield Friday in the lighter sections and was forever luffing
up. You would think less downhaul helps in light winds, but they said no
way, rig bigger !! Great advice!
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