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Funboard Challenge:
Seven days to Learn
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POZO '05: The Moves That Mattered
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To continue our quest proving the versatility of the new breed of funboards, this month we show you just how easy it is to learn on them, how in just 7 days you can be comfortably cruising in the harness. The sister of our features editor, Ramona Waite, travelled to Minorca Sailing in JUNE to become a windsurfer.
I have been surrounded by windsurfers since I can remember. My brother and his friends have been doing it since time began, they were so boring! I mean how can you possibly talk about one subject so much. Although I had a few goes when I was 12 or 13, I never got the bug even though my Dad tried endlessly to get me into it. I found a new inspiration this year in the unlikely setting of the London Boat Show. I'm not sure how watching all the girls crashing at the end of the pool was inspiring, but for some reason I thought that I would be able to do that! So I nagged my brother to get me windsurfing again and with the help of the excellent Minorca Sailing in Fornells Bay, this is how it went...
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WOW this place is amazing! I arrived at the resort after a refreshing 35 min transfer without the usual annoying rep. Back to the WOW, my apartment has an iron (I'm a lady remember) and a fridge stocked with juice, milk and all important water. There is even a washing machine (I doubt I will use this because I have so many clothes - a lady remember). The best touch has to be the TUC biscuits, wonderful!
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| I think that has to be a good omen for the week ahead. After a stress free check in it was down to Marga's restaurant to meet a few of the team and my fellow "sailors". After a mammoth 3 course meal with red wine on tap all for a measly 15 euros I can say I'm well and truly ready for some R&R. I'll catch up with ya tomorrow folks. |
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So the training begins. The pace is perfect. No faffing around with all that technical jargon, instead just what you need to know to get up and going and to turn. All the rest was delivered on the water with the odd sneaky technical point added in to subconciously further your development. Starting off with the basic tack, learning to head upwind and steering which is a novelty to me and surprisingly easy. I am able to get back to the point that I started off from, all in |
the first 30 minutes!
"It is so much fun, and by the afternoon we are already fast tacking our way to the island at the end of the bay and gybing back again."
There isn't room for strops here, just a chilled out vibe with the capacity to learn as you wish.
Not too bad for a beginners class - at this rate I'll soon be turning pro and taking on the girls at the London boat show. Harness tomorrow, wooooh and it is only day 2. To cap it all off there are the much appreciated welcome drinks and the staff taking little old me under their wing for a chilled night out. |
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The first steps, but it's still relaxing
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My god, my back is so stiff, but to be honest my arms are not as sore as I expected. Today was introduction to the harness. The day started with a bit of theory to consolidate what we have already done then it was on to the simulator to practice hooking into the harness lines. Once that was sussed, it was straight on to the water to have a go. |
"The overall impression I got from us learners was that the harness was much easier than we thought and required much less effort than before."
The morning gave us a chance to practice Fast Forward tacks, non-planing gybes and attempts at flare gybes before setting off across to Castel Bay. To be fair life was made easier with the very light winds and by the end of the day it was a mission to sail back to Minorca Sailing and I had to resort to a bit of pumping. The light winds gave me my first taste of freestyling all be it just sitting on the board and attempting to let my instructor jump on my board while we were sailing. (This actually lead to my first fall of the trip, which really puts it into perspective just how much easier it is now!). Hopefully tomorrow we will have smaller boards and bigger sails. (p.s Happy Fathers day Dad, you would be well impressed.) |
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| Fast forward tacks |
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Well I can safely say that I am glad I came here to windsurf - sailing is not my thing. I think I must have the slowest learning curve when it comes to a dinghy, much to the amusement of my instructor. I did however seem to master the trick of going round in numerous fast circles before every tack. So, Gordon hats off to you for risking yourself with me and a Pico, somehow I think it is not a good combination.
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Back to much more exciting stuff - windsurfing. This morning we were initiated with a sail to Capsize Bay on larger sails (5.5m) which made a great diffference to the speeds gained but also made it harder to steer in the harness.
"By the end of the morning sail, I really felt like I had done some work, and we still had the afternoon session."
The afternoon brings a progression to smaller boards (F2 190's) and beach starting. Ha! First attempt - perfect - second attempt - not so hot - and boy is it hard work lifting that sail onto your head, my brother makes it look effortless! After some practice it was back to fast tacks and the Fast Forward non-planing carve gybes, with a few unsuccessful flare gybes to get us used to the new kit. Ooof, only half way into the session my fellow partner in crime and myself had to call it a day, our shoulders were begining to take their toll. Windsurfing really works you're muscles. I'm a physio so I should know, it could be my new prescription - a wonder drug (although judging by the state of my brothers back and tendons, I'm not 100% sure)! |
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| Just cruisin' and the beach start. I almost look like I know what I'm doing! |
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Not such a good start today. I felt a bit over powered by my sail as the wind had picked up, I was also finding it hard to get into the harness in the stronger winds. I did manage to sail my first course, all be it a simple triangle course but I made it and with the wind coming from a westerly direction and not the usual north-east I felt that I adapted quite well. That was until I tried to head upwind - messy. Sailing back to the centre I felt defeated, I seemed to keep stalling and
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was becoming frustrated and impatient with the amount of tacks necessary to get back that I eventually gave in and got a lift in the rescue boat. To my relief my rescuer had told me that I had done well to get where I had and that the wind was shifting all over the shop. The afternoon sail was much better. I dropped down a sail size and had much more fun, I was even getting my beach starts, but still struggling with the non-planing carve gybe. I seem to have fallen into the habit of doing basic gybes.
In the evening we took a bus trip to Ciutadella which is the old capital city of Minorca but remains the religious city of the country. As it was the fiesta of San Juan the city was in high spirits. The city offered quaint street stalls and a lovely riverside restaurant which provided a great end to the hardest and most frustrating day so far! |
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Being rescued and resting
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Day 6 and our instructor decided it was time we took a group sail up the bay to the town of Fornells for an ice cream, however this seemed to be a shared idea across all other windsurfers and ended up as a mass cruise. In the afternoon we sailed to Castel Bay again which gave me a chance to practice getting in and out of the harness and trying to steer whilst in the harness - something I have found fairly difficult.
"Another good thing about this windsurfing is that you get a great tan!"
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After all this windsurfing I really think I had caught the bug! I decided to extend the day and have a one-on-one session with the instruction of Jono, who I have to say is a bit of a slave driver! (In a good way though, he got results - I can now do the non-planing carve gybe, at last). Later that evening I took a boat trip to the Caves just out of the Fornells Bay to do some cliff or should I say big rock jumping. The caves have to be one of the most stunning things that I had seen so far on the island. The water was an amazing saphire blue and the jumps were exhilarating. Right, now I am off to Bar Wilson in a place called Son Parc for a drink (oh dear - Ed). |
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Regatta day, and what it has all being leading up to. I have heard of sleepless nights over this event! Unfortunately due to unforseen circumstances I was unable to compete (Hmm, not sure what sort of sleepless night was had here - Ed). Nothing to do with the previous night out at all (of course not - Ed). Anyway the day sounded like great fun and I'm sure I would have given the winner of my group a run for his money, so well done Dom. (Ramona, you are rubbish, I told you to beware of the instructors! - Ed) The last evening was in the form of a traditional prize giving and then dissection (humiliation) of the races by video. |
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On the hangover highway (in the outside lane)
This was initially a disappointing day. There was no wind so I decided just have a play on the Laser 4000, which was fun as I got to go out on the wire. Due to the lack of wind I decided to finish my packing.
"On my way back down to the beach with my bags packed I turned the corner and saw people planing. I got so stressed that I had missed out - the bug got me!"
I have become a die hard windsurfer! With half an hour left of my holiday I ran down the beach, kitted up (not sure what rigging up is yet) and went out for my last and best sail of the holiday. I got planing and had such a wicked time.
Windsurfing is brilliant, there are no other words for it.
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| Ramona makes the beach start look easy |
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| Tik Tack |
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Thanks Clyde, Bob, Jono, Emma and Minorca Sailing Holidays!
Boardseeker Babe Page
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