By DAVE LANE
This years Starboard Severne Winter Wave Series was shaping up to be the biggest yet. We have between 14 – 20 regular competitors here in SA and they were all fired up for a good winter season.
We are lucky here in SA to have our best wave spots on either side of the Fluerieu Peninsula, with the more wave prone Day Street at Middleton and the Mid Coast at Seaford. Middleton works best in North West conditions and the Mid Coast works well in Notherlies and South Westerlies.
Starboard Severne Windsurfing SA Winter Waves Series – Round 1
Well the wind certainly arrived, a solid 25 knots NNW greeted us at Day Street on Sunday morning, just the swell wasn’t co-operating. It had dropped to 1 foot waves if we were lucky (could have held a slalom comp?) 13 competitors signed up across the open mens, open womens, Masters over 40’s and the Grand Masters over 55’s. Some stand out sailors on the day, Ty Andrews with some amazing corkscrews (?) and power carves, Brett Roberts was also lining up plenty of sections. Bondy was impressing his new flame with a solid two hour sail (although we did get worried when she started up his car and drove off – she came back though) – good stuff mate! Other stand outs were James Barr, Gareth, The Prof and Chris Hale, with some great wave riding. Special mention to the open womens competitors, Gen, Kym and Anthea, great effort from all the ladies, some really nice rides in amongst a fair bit of floating.
Starboard Severne Windsurfing SA Winter Waves Series – Round 2 – This event was cancelled due to no waves, so we just had a free sail!
Starboard Severne Windsurfing SA Winter Wave Series – Round 3
What a great day and a great turn out to round 2 of this years Starboard / Severne Winter Waves Series, 22 sailors on the water, 14 signed up for the comp,
It was certainly winter, with the wind bitterly cold, great for our expat sailors to be sailing in conditions that seemed like a spring day in Weymouth!
We kicked off at 1pm in 15-18 knots northerlies, cross shore, 1 foot waves if you could score one, a one hour expression session with everyone on the water having a crack. Wind picked up towards the end of the hour with a solid consistent 20 knots for the good part of the hour,
Stand out sailing from the likes of Ian Gibbins dominating in the grand masters with some great wave riding. Kym and Anthea fought out the womens with some solid wave riding and jumps on the way out, I thought the crew could have been a bit more generous to Anthea with the judging considering it was her birthday, but it wasn’t to be (happy 50th Anthea!)
The Master fellas was the most represented group in the months round, with Juan scoring some of the biggest and longest jumps on the day, also winning the duck gybe tally (if there was one), Good to see some new faces out there with Simon and Rob as well as a few of the sea cliff locals, Ron, making the trip down to the mid.
Open Mens was great to watch from the beach with Brett Roberts, Dave Bond and Gareth Williams trying to out loop and out wave ride each other. Bondy with some great forwards and some good kidney slappers and Brett doing what Brett does (how he doesn’t serious do harm to himself is beyond me) especially trying jump gybes in 6 inches of water.
Special mentions to Geoff Mitton for the forward loop attempt on the way in and Richard Upton for getting barrelled in the shore break (would have made for a great video) Thanks again for all who made it down, a great warm up for states next month,
We are still hopeful of having our Sates Titles in August, so keep an eye out for the report of this event soon!
