A cracking crosswind tour from Aspendale to Frankston and back in 25-30 knots.
6 of us headed off from Aspendale in nice surf with good wind. Some of the wind swells were breaking a fair way out. The biggest surf was just past the entrance of the Patterson River.
The wind direction changed when we got to Frankston. I decided to head back without delay cruised back on a good tack. My right thumb was numb so I didn't dally.
A big seal surfaced right in front of me at the mouth of the Patterson River.
I deployed my safety and put the kite in the water to land as the wind was still quite strong.
After landing the others kites, we realised Anthony had not made it back so I headed down to Bonbeach and Carrum but I didn't see him. I gave details to the Carrum LSC in case they or another LSC had seen him. Then Stu said he was back at his van so it was all good.
He said he cramped up and the wind dropped so he landed and walked back, borrowing a shopping trolley to carry his gear.
Overall, an excellent session enjoyed by all.
1 comment:
What a great crosswind tour, and a good reminder of how quickly conditions can change on a longer run. The shift in wind direction at Frankston and the decision to head straight back rather than push on sounded like the right call, especially with 25 to 30 knots and surf breaking around. I also enjoyed the seal sighting at the Patterson River mouth and the way the group looked out for each other when Anthony had not made it back. The tracklog and photos really help show the distance and effort involved in a 19.88 mile session like this. Thanks for sharing such a detailed write-up.
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