| Just a warning that this post is very windsurfery and probably not very interesting if you don’t windsurf. And if you do windsurf you were probably there today… so I suppose this email is aimed at the 3-5 people who: 1. windsurf 2. are not here in Vass 3. receive this email  |
| Early this afternoon, I was just getting started writing the sunday email when a message came through to our group chat. It was windy. Really windy. I closed my lappy, ran downstairs, got on my bike and rode full tilt down the bay to Neilson. We’d not had any wind all week, and for the whole of September it had been pretty average. But as soon as I got onto the waterfront it became clear that it was the windiest day we’d had all year. Today, on the very last day of the season, it was windmas day. We must have been good. |
  I got my wetsuit on and rigged up. Even on a 4.0M I was so overpowered, and got battered in the shallows for the first few minutes. Fully grown men were riding around on 3.3 and 3.5m sails. Eventually, I got the hang of it, and had a super fun session. Felt pretty cool to be one of the few actually out windsurfing while most people stood on the beach watching. Windsurfing in 40-50 knots with waves and chop is a fucking battle: the gusts are out to get you, the chop is trying to shake you out of the straps, and the waves want to launch you into the air. But still very very fun.   After a few hours, I brought a premature end to my session when I had a massive wipeout and hit my noggin on the mast. Was a pretty mega crash if I do say so myself – I managed to snap the harness lines on impact. Felt pretty shaken up, so I sat on the side nursing the egg on my head feeling sorry for myself. It’s not very nice getting hurt but it is nice to be the centre of attention, so, you know, every cloud.   But what a way to end the year. The last guests have now gone and pack-down starts tomorrow. On Friday, I’m being shipped off to Rhodes for the final few weeks of the year. Looking forward to meeting some new faces and seeing a different part of the country. It’s a good job that I’ve had a good session on the water, because when I sat down to write this email at about midday, I ended up writing a fairly dull couple of paragraphs about how I’m missing the UK. Now, that seems like a silly thing to say. A session on the water really is a mood booster. Hope you have a lovely week Love, James |
Final Day Brings Much Wind
