Round 1of the NSW GPS Slalom was conducted over the weekend at Jervis Bay as part of the Sand and Sea festival, we were also joined by Raceboard colleagues which when combined as a group the total number of sailboards was close to 50, really showing our sports depth and diversity.

Sailboard event, too much wind, never! Well Jervis Bay and the entire east coast turned it on, with strong offshore winds exceeding 30knts cancelling racing on Saturday due to safety (and ability) concerns associated with this location.

A few brave/foolish soles ventured out to show everyone how it was done and mostly came back with their tails between their legs, all experiencing some nervous moments in the gusty conditions. Results for interest only follow for the unofficial speed challenge which saw Kato come out on top with a brave early run closely followed by Defi Wind local Max who felt right at home in the offshore breeze.



The wind continued to blow into the night and we all hoped for more favorable condition in the morning.

Sunday morning was calm with a 5knt westerly gently blowing across the bay, this quickly shifted to the east and by 10am we had a 5 - 8knt easterly for the Dash Across the Bay to commence which at 11am. 20 odd craft took to the water including foiling kites, foiling windsurfers, Raceboards, One Designs, Formula and Slalom. The foils showed their efficiency in the light airs with the kites home first, Byron followed by Tibor on the foil sailboards then the Raceboards.

As the breeze continued to build and shift towards the NE we embarked on a 30 minute "figure of 8" GPS session, however due to limited wind at the start and a shifting breeze that went from east to north east in a 15 minute period this race was cancelled at the completion of the time period and will not count towards the series. Lesson learnt - only run figure 8 in steady breeze not shifting 15 degrees.

Thankfully by now the wind had settled in the NE and now reaching 14 - 16knts we dropped the rules and went out at 2:15pm for a "no limits" GPS free race which allowed everyone to choose their own adventure and record their greatest distance within the 30 minute period. Max stayed strong on his 9.4 and was fairly adamant a smaller sail would have been more appropriate in the choppy conditions combined with the building breeze. Most others sailed 8.4 to 7.8 range with a few participants opting to use foils.

That's a warp, did wen learn some lessons, yes will we be back to Jervis Bay? I hope so, it's such a great spot and event, we just need the wind God's to deliver us that perfect nor'easter we know the area is so capable of delivering. Thanks to the Mexican's for making the massive effort to come to this event. We should also be very grateful for Lissa and Richie from the Raceboard's for all the hard work behind the scenes in the lead up to this event to make it as good as it can be and also to rescue and start boat guy's, without them none of this would be possible.

Reminder to book accommodation for the state slalom at Myall lakes.
All the held camp sites and cabins have now been released to the public and will sell out very quickly.
so pay deposit now it's a great weekend away. Tell them your a windsurfer for your discount.
we will be posting link to new web site for payment shortly.
huge thanks to our sponsors this year Newcastle Kite & sup
Dave Sorensen and also Adam Quinn importer for Fanatic , Duotone sails and Ion products.
some great things from these sponsors this year going all out to continue to help us deliver a fun season of racing.
There will be free ION rash shirts printed given to all contestants at the state slalom this is a $85 quality product and just one of the things our sponsors are helping us with.
so a huge thanks and please support those who support us.

Thanks everyone who had a hand in running this years Sand N Sea. I haven't commented about this as I need to take a breath before giving any feedback.
Second year for me at this event and although its a great spot its been let down by its lack of flexibility to move start times and location.
We should have had a great event, instead we got a short sail at a VERY unsuitable location and time on Saturday.
I didn't sail on the Sunday, just a bit too light for me to hang around.

My test run was with a 82l board with a 6.6. It started with a 200m swim to the wind line, to fully lit almost maxed out with the return run missing my start point by 2km. Also had to swim in.
With that info and the organisers calling it 12-18 Kts (Bulls@$t) . Smoke on the water to me means its 35+kts . As I refused to be killed or injured by someone else's stupidity , I pulled the pin on competing on their course.

Not wanting to let all this great wind go to waste a few of us Mexicans went around the corner to Paradise Beach which was onshore. Great location and could have hosted a great short track slalom race.

I also checked out Calila Beach which was cross off and had wind on the beach.

Not sure why these locations weren't considered as they offered a safer option than what we had. Interesting to note that the kites at their onshore location ran all their events on the same day.

My 2 cents
A variety of locations to take advantage of ALL the wind directions. The Australian SUP Nationals did this this year.

A flexible start time.....Wind at 9 ...lets race

A 3 day event

Encourage the locals to participate.

So after $700 and 1700km in three days I sailed for 15mins in the event. I did catch up with a few friends and meet a few new ones over a few beers but this event is unsustainable for me.

I won't be back next year, I'll watch to see if the committee makes the changes that this event needs.

IMG_7306.jpeg

GPSWindsurfing said..
Series graphic currently being printed onto rash guards rash shirts generously provided by Series Sponsors Fanatic / Ion / Duotone and Kite & Sup

Register for the Series or States to be one of the coolest cats on the water wearing this exclusive apparel.

Looks bloody awesome. And finally, something that won't be stained by sunscreen on the first day! Thank you to our awesome sponsors!

gpswindsurfing.com.au/2019-registration/

Pre-register to get access to the discounted series rates and save time on Saturday morning. You can also join Marmong at the same time if you're not already a member of a club.

For those entering on the day, the club now has an EFTPOS machine, so no need to bring cash. We can process your credit card on the spot Saturday morning.

Valentine is great in a SW-SE wind, can't wait!

sboardcrazy said..
Great choice of location! Much better than offshore at Marmong.

Or offshore at Huskisson....

kato said..
Thanks everyone who had a hand in running this years Sand N Sea. I haven't commented about this as I need to take a breath before giving any feedback.
Second year for me at this event and although its a great spot its been let down by its lack of flexibility to move start times and location.
We should have had a great event, instead we got a short sail at a VERY unsuitable location and time on Saturday.
I didn't sail on the Sunday, just a bit too light for me to hang around.

My test run was with a 82l board with a 6.6. It started with a 200m swim to the wind line, to fully lit almost maxed out with the return run missing my start point by 2km. Also had to swim in.
With that info and the organisers calling it 12-18 Kts (Bulls@$t) . Smoke on the water to me means its 35+kts . As I refused to be killed or injured by someone else's stupidity , I pulled the pin on competing on their course.

Not wanting to let all this great wind go to waste a few of us Mexicans went around the corner to Paradise Beach which was onshore. Great location and could have hosted a great short track slalom race.

I also checked out Calila Beach which was cross off and had wind on the beach.

Not sure why these locations weren't considered as they offered a safer option than what we had. Interesting to note that the kites at their onshore location ran all their events on the same day.

My 2 cents
A variety of locations to take advantage of ALL the wind directions. The Australian SUP Nationals did this this year.

A flexible start time.....Wind at 9 ...lets race

A 3 day event

Encourage the locals to participate.

So after $700 and 1700km in three days I sailed for 15mins in the event. I did catch up with a few friends and meet a few new ones over a few beers but this event is unsustainable for me.

I won't be back next year, I'll watch to see if the committee makes the changes that this event needs.

Kato you make some good points. I guess the organisers based the location on the prevailing winds.

Personally I'll be back.

Photos from the day. Just some happy snaps I took. Sorry some are un sharp but people were about 1km away!
I have some better res ones if people want any although if they are un sharp that won't help that.

A solid day's racing was had with many sailors clocking over 60km on the day. Challenging conditions with a very shifty breeze which was also very inconstant with 18knts one minute or on one part of the course and 6knt on the other.

None the less we had 16 register which was a reasonable turnout with a few more very capable sailors on the sideline who we hope to see at future events.

We tried for 5 x 30 minute GPS races but in the end managed to count only 2 as the fickle wind render the others invalid.

Massive thanks to Greg for manning the rescue boat and encouraging his boy's to come along which we look forward to seeing the youth division heat up.

Fun facts

1. of the 2 x 30 minute GPS sessions Tibor manged to cover nearly the exactly same distance in both only missing by 2m, that's consistent.
2. The difference between first and second after 30 minutes was 34m or 3.2 seconds

Next up
State Titles at Myall Lakes held over 3 days, an event not to be missed by anyone on the east coast that considers themselves an avid sailboarder.

With a little under


until the start gun for race one of the NSW State Slalom and GPS Titles, it's time to start getting excited for those who have already entered.For those who haven't entered or haven't considered coming it's time to start making arrangements, Now!


The event will provide racing for all abilities with the focus being on fun and inclusivity, race the clock, race the gps or race ya mate, there will be something for everyone.

A range of formats are proposed over the 3 day including; GPS free racing, GPS figure of 8, downwind slalom and long distance slalom, all being ran by our highly experienced 5 man volunteer race crew.

In an attempt to lure some cane toads from north of the boarder we are offering $100 off your entry for anyone from QLD to come on down and enjoy the only major slalom/gps event on the east coast this summer.

An added incentive for this event is your entry fee includes an extremely limited rash shirt provided by our series sponsors
ION/Duotone/Fanatic and Kite & Sup which will be distributed at the event.

Limited accommodations is still available onsite, however a multitude of alternate options are available within 10 minutes of the venue including Hawks Nest.

We look forward to having a great long weekend on and off the water and growing on previous years number entries, be there or read about it on seabreeze and wish you had! or you could always be one of those people who say's "next year".

Some great footage from 2017 when we had fantastic north easterly breezes and conducted a lot of racing.

.be

Enter now @ gpswindsurfing.com.au/

NSW Slalom Titles Myall Lakes GAME ON.

With a great forecast it's not too late to come and spend a great weekend away.
The place is just beautiful and so nice hanging around with family and friends and to sail in fresh water no weed sandy bottom straight from your cabin or camp site what's not to like.

Allot of people are going up on Thursday or Friday morning. The people going Thursday will get the advantage of some practice in.

With 5 previous state champions and current champion Remi the racing should be electric as I am sure Max would like it back.

We will go up to the caf? one night for dinner either Friday or Saturday not decided yet.

For people that are locals or just coming for the day see the reception to get a free day pass.
Accommodation is set up with %10 discount Myall shores Holiday Park Robyn ph 0249974457 PH1300769566. Please mention you are a windsurfer.

We have lucky door accommodation prize for Myall lakes generously provided by Myall shores to be given away to a lucky windsurfer.

Don't forget the free printed rash shirt thanks to our sponsors Newcastle Kite and Sup, Duotone & Fanatic and Iron products.

We also have arranged Max Gaubert to do a coaching clinic during the event which will be very interesting to hear from his experiences from PWA racing and the Maui race scene to his junior windsurfing journey.

Briefing 11.00 hrs
First Possible Race 12.00 hrs

30 knot NE brease from 2 years ago lets hope it repeats itself.

to the peaceful nightlife

4 day long weekend, 4 days sailing (from light wind foiling with a 10.0, to a fully lit session with a 7.0 on a 90L board!).
Sessions all logged on gpstc... gpsteamchallenge.com.au/team/view/33

I learnt a lot during the event, like the importance of moving my hands back down the boom to let the board fly a little higher in the water , the different behavior of how a foiling sail flips differently to a slalom race sail (more power sooner, before I fully sheet in, which comes higher up and can pull you off balance!) , the joy of sailing down the line of swell fully sheeted in and flying off the fin , the difficulty staying on the plane through a gybe when you bounce of the back of the next wave and your board sinks in the brackish/fresh water. The intense speed of Byron, Remi, Rick . Starting on-time helps with a good position for the first gybe, but damn it does get crowded... oh and don't hit the buoys!

The organisers and volunteers did a great job with the conditions but ultimately we only managed a fun GPS 30 minute session on day 1 and 3 races on day 2. I could have done with a drop !

If you haven't been to Myall Lakes before, I would definitely encourage a visit next year! Such a great spot, tranquil and typically Aussie

If you haven't raced before, it is a great way to learn, even if you don't win! There are a lot of different people and classes to race in (youth to 21, open, masters and above) as well as the option of just comparing yourself to people with the same size sail or board... not everyone drives a Ferrari. Although the winners of each race were all on 8.4-8.6 sails and 130-138L max 85cm wide boards... so the right gear definitely helps.

And then there is all the time between races to hang out with your (new) friends. I really had a nice long weekend.

A great weekend was had by all who attended, such a magic spot which we are yet to see the best of, but I'm sure it's to come.

The positive forecast kind of delivered on Friday be it late which allowed a single 30 minute GPS Freerace to occur in a 14-18knt NE breeze which everyone had some good speeds on the course in the flatish water and manged to cover some good ground with the winner Remi smashing out 22.586km in the 30 minute window, well clear of 2nd place by a massive 1.144km, sorry Byron. Remi's track shows limited time in the purple/blue zone ie less than 10knts with no "park ups". This bloke is one of the fastest sailors in Australia and it's great to see his speed, big things to come in in 2020 from Remi, many say an Australian Title is not too far away.

With a highly variable forecast for Saturday we were presently surprised to watch the southerly move up the coast and finally arrive around 10:30am, what we got was a swinging breeze, directly onshore, of 12-16knts, a large downwind "M" course was set by our talented race crew and we were on.

Most competitors opted for sails in the range of 7.7 - 8.4 and their respective big board and fin. We sail to the mustering area where we awaited starts in waist deep water on a sandy bottom (the perfect arrangement for slalom racing. There was a bit of waiting between races for suitable conditions prior to commencing the next race as the wind fluctuated on the bottom end limit of racing but we managed to get 3 quality races completed that tested everyone's skills and taught everyone some new tricks about racing like, getting off the start line with pace and clear air, picking your line out of the gybe to stay high heading to the next mark, pinching on a tight run cause the wind has shifted, running deep over waves, getting out of the gybe before the wind shadow of other affects you, this is racing.

Unfortunately Sunday just didn't happen as another weak southerly arrived over night and left us with a transitioning breeze over Sunday.

With a great vibe on and off the water with everyone there to enjoy a weekend away, at a location you don't usually sail, doing something you don't usually do (compete). When we say compete we refer to the personal battle with the person in front of you, the one behind you and yourself.

The format of the series is structure to bring out your best in the conditions present and I'm fairly sure most will attest improve your sailing and take it to the next level. We welcome sailors of all levels to come to these events and try something different, you can sail with your GPS every other day of the year, but to come away to an organised event with like minded people and sail in a structure manner for a couple of days will definitely improve your sailing and help you get better numbers on you GPS every other day of the year you sail.

Planning for the 2020/21 event is underway at the same location next year at a similar time where we hope to see plenty of new and old faces.

Echoing the previous comments... Love heading up to this place. Great conditions, top location and awesome people to share the adrenaline that racing brings! Sincere thanks Byron, Muzz and the others who organised this weekend.