Windsurfing New Zealand

Saturday November 24th saw 20 competitors turn up at the Dunedin Windsurfing Associations Clubrooms the edges onto the Dunedin harbour basin. 11am was the designated meeting time but in hindsight we could have met earlier, because we arrived to a beautiful 15 – 18 knot Nor Easter already steadily blowing.

The racing was underway before lunchtime and we rattled off 6 course/slalom races that were heavily bias toward slalom with only 2 small upwind legs, (one tack), before we headed off down through the slalom buoys. The racing was tight at first with Gareth miss laying the top mark in the first race but still managing to come 2nd in that race and convincingly 1st in the other 5 races.

After the racing we had chocolate cakes made by Gareth’s wife Vik (very yummy), and beers until we ran dry but not to worry, as we passed the hat around and it was off to the bottle store to get some more so we could enjoy the company of those we hadn’t seen since last season and the sunshine that was pouring onto our deck that we have at the back of our clubrooms.

Later that evening a few went to a concert in town and some went out for a meal, but I would have to say that most were pretty worn out from the days activities and retired early knowing that there was a good possibility of wind the next day.

So we met half an hour earlier the next day and wouldn’t you know it, there was pretty much nothing in the wind department to speak of. So the learners got out there and had a go for a while and then the sow-wester came through as predicted at about 18 – 28 knots and shifty. In fact too shifty to race. So a few of us just went out for a free sail and then it was away home for the Wanaka, Queenstown & Christchurch boys and girls.

All in all a very good time was had by all. Round 2 the following weekend is in Christchurch and that report should be in the next issue of wind & kite mag.

Happy sailing
Paul V.