Have a great time, smack a few lips for the Vancouver crew!!
Aussie Training Diaries
28 posts
• Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
Adrien, here's a funny vid to get you even more stoked, if that's possible.
Have a great time, smack a few lips for the Vancouver crew!!
Have a great time, smack a few lips for the Vancouver crew!!
- Michael
- Posts: 2777
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:31 pm
Thanks, Michael!
Day 1 (Jan 15th, 2018), Session 1 - Esperance (name of launch TBC).
Humbled. With a lingering tropical cyclone affecting northern spots for the next two days, we drive south to Esperance from Perth- a routine 8h spot check around these parts. Cloud cover there was also providing sub-normal conditions, but we eventually settle on trying to sail a spot that had some waves on offer. Hard to assess the situation from the bluff, but Jaeger and another local seemed to be making it work, although doing some serious hoolla dancing to get in and out. A bit smashed from the travel, I should maybe have thought twice when Jaeger came in and said "it's Hard, but there are a few fun ones, if you can make it out". Wasn't going to sit out on day 1 - rigged 5.2/93, with about 45mins of day light left.
The wind was extremely tricky on the inside, and basically all the way out to where sets were forming. It was like trying to sail North Chestermans on a 0-20knot SE day, expect harder. Once in a while a logo set would come through, but generally it looked manageable for a slog and ride out. Wrong.The travel and having not sailed in many weeks had my slog and ride game off, and I fell in at a rather inconvenient moment. Duck dove my rig effectively to survive a nice set of 3, and it looked like I had a window to get organized to continue out, almost on the wind line and the outside at this point. Wrong again. Half way through getting my rig organized to water start, a wave jacked up surprisingly quickly from an odd direction and dumped on me. What by Canadian standards looked to be a roll-ya-around-abit kinda wave, was a session ender in WA. Sail torn from edge to luff sleeve in the second panel. F#@$. Swim time.
Thankfully the whites weren't hungry for French cuisine this Monday evening, and I had one decoy with me on the water to improve my odds. Still, taking a 15min swim back to shore through a swift rip, with the sun setting in a particularly known-to-be-sharky spot was making for excellent cardio.
Back at the beach with all my limbs still attached, I faced my 500 stair walk of shame back up to the bluffs, where I was surely awaiting a roasting from the peanut gallery. Half way up the stairs, the clouds parted and the most incredible sunset began forming. By the time I was back up to the parking lot, the sky was jaw dropping.
To me, this was WA saying, in a malign kinda way, "Welcome to western 'straya, ya c$#+":
Day 1 (Jan 15th, 2018), Session 1 - Esperance (name of launch TBC).
Humbled. With a lingering tropical cyclone affecting northern spots for the next two days, we drive south to Esperance from Perth- a routine 8h spot check around these parts. Cloud cover there was also providing sub-normal conditions, but we eventually settle on trying to sail a spot that had some waves on offer. Hard to assess the situation from the bluff, but Jaeger and another local seemed to be making it work, although doing some serious hoolla dancing to get in and out. A bit smashed from the travel, I should maybe have thought twice when Jaeger came in and said "it's Hard, but there are a few fun ones, if you can make it out". Wasn't going to sit out on day 1 - rigged 5.2/93, with about 45mins of day light left.
The wind was extremely tricky on the inside, and basically all the way out to where sets were forming. It was like trying to sail North Chestermans on a 0-20knot SE day, expect harder. Once in a while a logo set would come through, but generally it looked manageable for a slog and ride out. Wrong.The travel and having not sailed in many weeks had my slog and ride game off, and I fell in at a rather inconvenient moment. Duck dove my rig effectively to survive a nice set of 3, and it looked like I had a window to get organized to continue out, almost on the wind line and the outside at this point. Wrong again. Half way through getting my rig organized to water start, a wave jacked up surprisingly quickly from an odd direction and dumped on me. What by Canadian standards looked to be a roll-ya-around-abit kinda wave, was a session ender in WA. Sail torn from edge to luff sleeve in the second panel. F#@$. Swim time.
Thankfully the whites weren't hungry for French cuisine this Monday evening, and I had one decoy with me on the water to improve my odds. Still, taking a 15min swim back to shore through a swift rip, with the sun setting in a particularly known-to-be-sharky spot was making for excellent cardio.
Back at the beach with all my limbs still attached, I faced my 500 stair walk of shame back up to the bluffs, where I was surely awaiting a roasting from the peanut gallery. Half way up the stairs, the clouds parted and the most incredible sunset began forming. By the time I was back up to the parking lot, the sky was jaw dropping.
To me, this was WA saying, in a malign kinda way, "Welcome to western 'straya, ya c$#+":
- AdrienGrelon
- Posts: 1062
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:17 pm
AdrienGrelon wrote:I should maybe have thought twice when Jaeger came in and said "it's Hard, but there are a few fun ones, if you can make it out".
AdrienGrelon wrote:To me, this was WA saying, in a malign kinda way, "Welcome to western 'straya, ya c$#+":
Nice one, that's an awesome shot, thanks for the update. Can't wait to hear more of your adventures, hopefully no more beatdowns but I'm sure there will be a lot more swims. It looks like such an amazing place! Please do come back with all you limbs dude!!
- Michael
- Posts: 2777
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:31 pm
Wow man! What a start indeed! Brutal that would be an intense swim for sure...
Have a great trip. looking forward to hearing the good stuff to come... Sail safe
Right on A!
Have a great trip. looking forward to hearing the good stuff to come... Sail safe
Right on A!
- Adrian L
- Posts: 193
- Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 6:01 pm
Thanks for the Day 1 report AG! Smiling the whole time I was reading (love the humour and honesty)! Smack-down-and-swim after a long day of travel - been there, more than once ~ (maybe that's why the read had me smiling so hard). Just remember - all the challenging moments on the trip will make sailing our 'local' conditions seem like a cake walk when you get back! 
Enjoy every moment of it!!!
Awesome sunset (and tale) to cap the day! Keep the reports coming!!!
Smack-down-and-swim after a long day of travel - been there, more than once ~ (maybe that's why the read had me smiling so hard). Just remember - all the challenging moments on the trip will make sailing our 'local' conditions seem like a cake walk when you get back! Enjoy every moment of it!!!Awesome sunset (and tale) to cap the day!
Keep the reports coming!!! -
C36 - Posts: 2191
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:17 pm
Sounds scary, I would have pooped my wetsuit. Go get um, big balls Grelon!
-
Richi - Posts: 628
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 10:30 am
Keep the updates coming Adrien.
-
Ryan - Posts: 447
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:19 pm
Have fun down there
You're not missing much up here
You're not missing much up here
-
Alton - Posts: 7068
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 6:09 am
Thanks for the comments and tagging along, guys!
Day 2 (January 16th) Session 2 - Esperance Harbour
Foiled. Kicked day 2 off with a big breakfast, no rush with cloud cover still making the day's outcome uncertain. Ended up running tests on new foil boards and foil sails in the harbour at Esperance. A chilly 24 degrees by Thai/WA standards, it wasn't epic down the line sailing, but hard to complain about boardshorts foiling - a definite change of pace from session 1!
The forecast is still making the coming days uncertain. Might be hitting the road for Margaret River tomorrow.
Day 2 (January 16th) Session 2 - Esperance Harbour
Foiled. Kicked day 2 off with a big breakfast, no rush with cloud cover still making the day's outcome uncertain. Ended up running tests on new foil boards and foil sails in the harbour at Esperance. A chilly 24 degrees by Thai/WA standards, it wasn't epic down the line sailing, but hard to complain about boardshorts foiling - a definite change of pace from session 1!
The forecast is still making the coming days uncertain. Might be hitting the road for Margaret River tomorrow.
- AdrienGrelon
- Posts: 1062
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:17 pm
Glad you got some redemption!
I've had my fair share of sessions that are mostly me vs. white water so I totally know that pain!
Can't wait to see the photos when you catch some waves! Conditions look awesome there.
I've had my fair share of sessions that are mostly me vs. white water so I totally know that pain!
Can't wait to see the photos when you catch some waves! Conditions look awesome there.
- Jennifer
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 10:55 am
28 posts
• Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3