Brighton to Frankston downwinder prep run before Across The Bay

Session 321.  Cesar asked me to do a downwinder with him from Brighton to Frankston the day before Across the Bay.  I was keen to do one, as always, and to try out my North Nugget board with footstraps.   We also wanted to test the Black Night trackers and our VHF radios on the water.

We met at Brighton, got the trackers from Neil, then pumped up our kites and headed off.  It was strong and gusty at first, there were only 3 other kites on the water.  I got yanked a few times and stacked, losing my bifocal sunglasses.

I then got the hang of the Nugget. It turns well and is very stable for gybe turns.  We got to Ricketts, the last bail out point. The wind was good so we continued on.  The wind backed off about then and was easier to handle. I was no longer feeling overpowered on my Lithium 12.

I did some fast sections then slowed down to ride the swells.  It was a good run all the way to Frankston. We landed our kites near the sailing club, had a coffee, then caught a taxi back to Brighton. 

The trackers worked well, its back to SeaSpecs for the big day tomorrow and the Nugget with footstraps was fine.   The radios were good but still tricky to use on the go.  I am thinking about how I could fix one to my helmet adjacent to my ear.

It was nice to get a run in without the pressure of the big event.

The northerly wind dropped off in the afternoon so we timed this one well.

GPS Log