Thirteen days into autumn and there appears to be no let up in the near perfect windsurfing conditions we’ve been having, and I think that I must have scored about 8 or 9 sessions so far this month. I say near perfect because time constraints, tides and sea states have kept me away from the coast this month and forced me up to Stithians. Not that I’m complaining of course, Stithians is a great venue for getting your tricks and turns dialled, or just blasting around if that’s your thing. But most importantly it has a real good social vibe, a good crowd of windsurfers with lots of friendly banter. However I’m starting to get wave withdrawal symptoms now, and I need to get my ‘High’ soon. Anyone who windsurfs with me knows that my fix is jumping, and to jump you need two things, wind + ramps, the stronger the wind the higher you go, simples!
It was this lust for jumping that did for me yesterday at Stithians. I was tearing around just off the far point, hunting down the bigger ramps in the shallower water, like a shark hunting it prey. After pulling a few nice jumps, I wanted one last run before heading back upwind, and that’s when my fin connected with something big and immoveable while fully planing. I got airborne OK and for some distance too, but without board and rig this time. Well the fin was obliterated, but thankfully the board was undamaged. Sailing back upwind with no fin and a hole in my sail in wind gusting up to force 7 was interesting to say the least.
Sunday session
Life after Jodyne 