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2016 WindSurf Journal

THURS 07JAN2016

Today @ lunch I drove out to Vaudreuils to check the ice on Lac Deux Montagnes. As you see, there is one set of footprints going out on the ice - and they are mine :-) Click on pics to enlarge ...
The ice is solid and 2 to 3 inches of snow on most areas. The issue is there are clumps of ice stuck to the top like boulders - NOT very safe :-( May have to wait n see ... Did see some ice fishermen further to the east near AAO/l'Anse a L'Orme ...





May have to go up north until things "smooth out" here !!

SAT 09JAN2016 Went up north to visit Kathy n Charlie and check things out. Temps were about +2 C and the wind very light out of SE. NO ONE had gone on the ice since New Years !! Once again I am the first !! What surprised me was: there were slushy sections. It was ice underneath and slush on top. My intention was to stay in the bay with the SE wind, but it was NOT enough and CANNOT call this a session - rather a test outing... Was going to use the ice sled with the SW Retro 8-oh on the Chinook 490 mast. Which mast rigged best with the Retro ?? Need to investigate - s/b here...

The other surprise was I tested the ArcticSail and Iceboard on the driveway. The ArcticSail is so heavy it barely slid while the ice sled went down the driveway with me on it - no issue ...

For Sunday they are announcing major rain :-(

MON 11JAN2016 okay we had the major rains and instant freezing.
So, how is the ice now - @ Vaudreuils - somewhat better, but ... announcing snow for tomorrow and ice is rough further out




TUE 19JAN2016 met Martin Plissonneau who is selling his TR-XI 8.4 from 2015



Here he is on his iSonic 117L with the sail Maimi Slalom Open 2015


This was taken from his blog - http://martinplissonneau.com/2015/11/27/miami-slalom-open-english-version/

As can be seen by FRA 1100 , Martin is from and sails for France. He is in Quebec studying at HEC and hopes to do his "stage"/apprenticeship on Hawaii !! He is sponsored by MauiSails, but does NOT appear on the MS page.

He is selling the sail for $800 and it is a proto-type... What are my impressions or thoughts on the sail ?? It has the outhaul cutout which MS complained about at first. It now uses a CC/constant curve mas that MS complained about at first. It still has a LOT of monofilm, The other material feels like plastic - like a tarp ...  I could make it fit my 490 / 75 % mast since it is 460 mast + 26 cm downhaul. However, my mast is still hard top and so ... I feel that I will stick with the MS sails and masts that I have. I am actually VERY curious as to what Barry Spanier and Artur Szpunar will come up with in S2Maui Sails. Martin also mentioned Maui Sails may have a new sail "designer". Will be hard to beat Barry and Art, but a good base to start from ...

For now - stick to what i have ....

SAT 23JAN2016 OKA main beach NE 10 knots on HSM Fire 6.3 ice board 8.5/10

The ice was solid and there was one kiter on a snow board and 15 m² sail. Asked him if the sail was not too large and that ice was too slippery for carving ?? Later he said the wind was too light and ice too slippery ...

Tried the ArcticSail first and it felt like a flop - spun out on black ice and felt like not ready to go. Needed a much larger sail and perhaps sharper edges ...

Put the ice board on the ice and was much better - too bad the GoPro was FULL and there was NO taping of the session. I shoulda known and checked ^&*( As usual lotsa people had questions and ironically almost all complained about lack of snow ... Even more ironic is: there is a nor-easter and the states in the NE sector have had over one foot of snow. My joke of the day is - gotta go south to get some snow ...


this is the ice sled and what the setup looks like ...



WED 27JAN2016 Vaudreuils NW10 knots ice sled HSM Fire 6.3 7.5/10

Yesterday was warm and raining. Today was just under freezing and semi cloudy. Brought my stuff to work in the car in hopes that i could get a quick run in. Forgot my helmet = NOT GOOD. Also should put snow pants in case I fall on such rough ice %$^&*( However, there was no falling and will prepare a short list in case i get to do this again. Wife does NOT like the stuff in the car. Perhaps buy a cheap box for the roof for the sail - that can stay there ... Loading video and if good enough will put it public - for now = private ...







Here is my winter short liste so far ...

ice board
mast base

mast extension RDM
PX RDM 460 mast
alu boom

harness
helmet + sun googles
knee pads

tool bag c/ GoPro & mounts
mittens
glasses
cargoyle / face mask for winter



added some music - youtube freaked out and took video down
vimoe has a 500 MB limit and so , cut the film


Windsurf on ice at Vaudreuils / near Montreal from joe windsurfer on Vimeo.

Around this time of year one does NOT expect that the ice is no good. People have been venturing out with their cars n trucks, but should NOT !!


Photo is from CBC
THURS 04FEB2016
Cannot believe it is already FEB 2016 and I have been on the ice twice with people just freaking out. There is NO snow in Toronto nor Kitchener and in MTL there really is NOT much... Have taken some photos over the last few days and will post them here. It has been raining rather than snowing and the last photo shows about one inch of water/slush on top. Ironically they are now naming winter storms in the States and received over 2 feet of snow in NYC and Philly !!!



Zoomed in above pic to show cars , huts n people on ice !!



and after the rain and warm temps ...


Click pic to see it



SUN 07FEB2016 OKA main beach with ice sled and WindWing 4.6 NE25kph and an 8 outta 10 rating

Yesterday there was supposed to be less wind, but it did NOT show until MUCH later in the day - OKA closes early and I had Sugar Sammy show to go to !! Today the wind was to shift to NE which it did and it felt like more than 20 - 40 kph. The ice was VERY slippery and somewhat smooth with few snow drifts. There was NO way I was trying the ArcticSail and even my HSM Fire 6.3 would be too big. Friday I tried to buy an RDM shim, but Bruno of 2-rad had an unannounced closure
So, I put some foam under the old Mistral boom


Later a fellow turned up who used skis and a training kite sail !!


At one point he went by me as I was standing still and so I took off to see the difference in speeds. I actually had to go faster than I thought I would have to to catch him !! I was being careful cuz I had fallen already once when I pushed it today. Banged my helmet good !! with my head inside obviously !! Ice was NO danger - winter biker told me ice had been measured at 8 and 14 inches. Still spots with water where it is shallow and moving.  Later we saw cars on Rivière Milles Isles - THAT surprised us !!

Here is Luc Marinier data of the day ...


Felt like wind was bigger - more like this ...


TUES 09FEB2016
Read on quebecwind forum that Cartier in Pte-Claire was open water ??
HAD to go see for myself ...
Obviously I am NOT considering going on the water ...
And it is quite far out - NO ice surfing nor fishing here !!




SUN 14FEB2016 Valentine's Day

Was actually thinking of going out onto the ice @ OKA after some snow fell on FRI - more than expected - about 10 inches by my reckoning ... It was colder than originally suggested and still some good winds. The wife made me promise NOT to go out. The danger is no longer the ice, but instead the cold - especially with the wind !! We are talking about -20 degrees C and winds around 30 kph!! The silly nonsense of "feels like" is around -30 degrees - the only birds at the feeder today seem to be the woodpeckers... Actually there is a junco under the suet feeder at this moment ...




SUN 21FEB 2016
went on Rivières Milles Isles to see IF anything would work. Winds were extremley light out of the WNW - probably about 20 kph (<10 knots). There was some wind and the ice is solid - well with slush on top ... Tried the ice sled since it is the lightest.. Bogged down in the slush and would NOT go. Tried the ArcticSail and NO better... Wind picked up later, but NO way I was going out again.. This winter I have been out twice. I should have pushed it hard the 2nd time cuz that the best one, but promised wife not to be out too long ... Today CANNOT count as a session..

SAT 27FEB2016 Rivière Mille Isles ice board HSM Fire 6.3 SW 20-30 rated 8.5 out of 10
Went to the river earlier on to check the ice and it was almost too good and wind was supposed to go to 30-50 kph. Better get out earlier ...
Went out at 11h00 for about an hour and wind started picking up already ...
Made a video with with an extension on the boom. The clip seems to be in the way. Causes this to be too wobbly. Can grind away a ridge or put some foam under clips ...
Here I tried using youtube stabilization. Action starts around 3h10 ...



The irony of the story is: when my wife saw the video, she asked," Is this fun for you ?"

MON 29FEB2016Rivière Mille Isles ice board HSM Fire 6.3 SW 20-40 kphrated 9 out of 10
Got home early and there was some wind. The morning was freezing rain and now sunny. Wanted to go before wind kicked just in case - was supposed to be 30 to 50 kph around 18h00. Ice was good with not much wind around 17h15. Waited a bit and it picked up AFTER it started snowing :-( When wind started a ski monitor showed up and tried a few runs. It was still bright enough for him to take a few photos and gave him a joewindsurfer card :-) Since the wind was picking up I took off and continued for about 45 minutes. just as I was considering getting off the wife called concerned, Answered the phone with a glug glug :-) With the rough ice and snow I could push it and lean a lot more than SAT. Like that a LOT more. Was often without gloves and had NO helmet, nor knee pads. Even forgot to change my glasses = not good. Loving it !!

TUES 01MAR2016
It seems in ONT they are having issues with people venturing out on the ice when they should not. Temps have been higher than normal and this is an Audi near Keswick, my old hometown...

Facebook/Barrie411
Went to Sutton,QUE to pick up the two(2) ice sleds from BGOOD.
One is for Yvente from quebecwind who asked if I was interested ...

BGOOD pic
The irony of naming these boards is as follows ...
What does one called them ??
They are like skateboards except with blades - wait a second ...
perhaps the original skateboards should be called rollerblades - wait a second ...
those are skates with wheels 


I like to use the coined phrase ice sailboards => they go on the ice with a board and sails ...
There is NO surfing involved ... Prefer to call the sport I do sailboarding anyway...
The blades actually go to a SHARP point that one sharpens .


BGOOD says the largest sail they ever used was a 4.6 and usually a 4-oh !!
I will have to go get my smallest sail - the North Zeta from the country/chalet which is either a 3.7 or a 4.2. Based on 405x155 measurements , I do believe it is a 4.2...
The WindWing is supposed to be a 4.6 but it is NOT nearly as nice a sail as the North !!

SAT 05MAR2016
Since getting the ice sailboard, Yvente has picked up the red one, I have been sharpening the blades and I have been checking the local river, Rivères Milles Isles ... There is a bit of snow on top of the ice and where the ice is exposed, it is NOT thick, but rather a thin crust. The ideal sled is my snow sled and perhaps try my ArcticSail board again. Here is my winter quiver now...


SUN 06MAR2016 Rivière Milles Isles - 3 sleds on the right 20 kph SW using Retro 8-oh 8/10
Went early in the afternoon since I had some time - even though I was on call from work ... Wind was VERY light when I got there and so rigged the SW Retro 8-oh. First started with the red snow sled since there was quite some snow sometimes as deep as six inches and it was wet snow. The sled did not do so well on the ice patches and dragged a bit and so tried the ArticSail. It was worse. Kept going for a while on the snow sled and thought - what the hey - will try the orange ice sled. It was the BEST and ran over the thin ice sections gathering speed as it went over. I was sailing with NO gloves, my jacket open, hooked in, sun googles on and with the helmet since it did spin out a bit at times. Was NOT able to tack or gybe, but had fun just the same. Spoke with two gentlemen, one of whom went ice fishing and showed that ice was 20 inches thick = NO danger. However, he and I are wary of the section about 3/4 out where there is more current... Was FUN !! Would the blue sled have worked ?? Would have needed a much smaller sail - even in 20 kph winds ... Hope to get it out at least once this winter in a trial run !!!

TUES 08MAR2016
At lunch drove out to Vaudreuils to check it out. Some fisherman were enjoying what we anticipate is the LAST day on the ice safely. The ice was soft n slushy, but still 2 feet thick !!Tomorrow they announce 10 degrees and rain !!


WED 09MAR2016
At lunch drove out to Pte-Claire and saw that we may be windsurfing on water SOONER than later !!
One month ago , this was ALL ice !!


THURS 10MAR2016
Today after my visit to the dentist, I checked out the local river. There were two(2) surprises
1) flock o' seagulls

2) ice fishing holes caused strange melting patterns AND oozed black water n residue :-(



SAT 12MAR2016 CHALET SW20-40kph all sleds 8.5 outta 10 !! HSM Fire 6.3 + Retro 8.0
Supposed to be warm on this day and you can see the pictures from my lunch visits to the local waters...My hope was to go up north to the chalet. No-one else was interested in  coming and so left the house around 7h30. On the ice by 9h00. There was NO water. Started with my ice sled and the HSM Fire 6.3. In the Italian Bay my boot went through 2 inches of ice into 8 inches of water before hitting the ice below - when i kinda almost fell off the board. After that stayed away from that bay ... Tried all the sleds, but the ice was soft and the snow wet and so the BEST sled was my homemade ice sled. Eventually ended up with the Retro 8-oh when the winds dropped. Because the temps were goin up quickly and it was an hour home... i called it a day after about 2 hours ...

It is important to note that much of the time I had NO coat and no gloves. Later I put gloves, but I did sweat quite a bit !!

Looks like winds may have picked up a bit later in the day, but i could not hang around and the soft ice, wet snow and one time fall through made me too nervous ... and i am NOT a nervous guy !!

Winter Summary:

1) SAT 23JAN OKA NE 10 knots Ice + Fire 8.5/10 slippery ice
2) WED 27JAN Vaudreuils NW 10 knots Ice+Fire 7.5/10 ruff ice @ lunchtime
3) SUN 07FEB OKA NE 13 knots Ice+WindWing 8/10
4) SAT 27FEB MillesIsles SW20-30kph Ice+Fire 8.5/10 good ice - not slippery
5) MON 29FEB Milles Isles 20-40 kph Ice+Fire 9/10 !!!
6) SUN 06MAR Milles Illes SW20 kph Ice+Retro 8/10
7) SAT 12MAR chalet SW 20-40 kph Ice+Fire+Retro 8.5/10 ice soft&snow wet 

Average of 8.3 out of 10 !! excellent results


TUES 29MAR2016

There was a Mistral SLE for sale on kiji and I could NOT refuse @ an asking price of $90. SLE stands for Special Limited Edition. It was marked as 140 liters and sold with the slalom fin. Did some research and board seems to be Mistral SLE 303 due to 303 cm length and possibly more than 140 liters. It is definitely a slalom board and FAST. Went through the tunnel in the evening to check the board ...
The board has some blemishes on top, but the bottom is clean with some strange stripes. Ironically this fellow showed me an 84 liter board that he just purchased. Why is this ironic ? When I went to look at some other boards @ auventfou there was a Siemens van there and a fellow looking for a cheap 80 liter board. He is on his way to Hatteras and has been windsurfing for over 30 years. Believe he has discovered that he can ride on older gear really cheaply !! The board is thus 303 cm long, 62 cm wide and probably 159 liters !! The fin is supposed to be 46 cm, but measures as 44 cm - made by Christian Koester who still hand makes fins. Will do an independent post on this board once it has been baptised :-) Supposed to be 7.8 kilos and VERY fast - has won races. The sail range is something like 6.5-9.5. However, anticipate best with 7.0-8.5 range...
Here is a photo from the internet ...

(board is 303 x 62 x 10 cm thick ~ 190,000 cm ³ / 1000 = 190 litres
it is obviously LESS than 190, but hard to believe it is 160 litres !!!)


This video is with a Mistral SLE 296, but i like it - here is the link for future reference:
Here's one with an SLE 303 and  NS 7.3

and who says orange is ugly ?? check JP slalom board - 2016


So, what is different about this board?
    It is long for today, it was wide for then, it is light for both, it has thick rails, square tail and it is FAST. Underneath it has some ledges/layers that I have not seen before nor since !! and it is obviously BRIGHT orange 

Here are some pictures I took :




WED 30MAR2016

Went to auventfou and picked up two(2) Mistral Equipe II's. YES, two of em !! One for myself and another for a fellow windsurfer from Toronto. He wants to pick his up on the way to Cape Hatteras. Both are 375 cm long, 66 cm wide and 258/260 liters. They both came with functioning mast tracks ie adjustable on the fly; mast base with 45 cm extension; 38 cm Mistral Race fins and board bags !! The only issue with both is the gasket - known issue with this board. Also, board #1 has been professionally repaired ...
Again will do a full report once the board is baptized ...
One is quite white like this photo from forum.windsurfing.nl


The other looks more like this: from class.posot.co.uk


Think this is a Mistral Equipe II that James Douglass is on here:
and another of him in lighter winds with water shooting up through the slot:
some railing on a Mistral Equipe - fellow has a few of these on  vimeo

and this is a VERY good discussion about MEQ II

WED 06APR2016

Obviously I was having HIGH hopes of getting out on the water earlier than ever this year - maybe even in March !! NO such luck. The ice is gone and floaties are disappearing, but temps have dropped and get a nice surprise today :

FRI 08APR2016

OK, we had snow again today and it seems so did Toronto !!
Buddy picked up a Mistral Equipe II that I had picked up from auventfou for him.
NICE board for a NICE price !!

Since I now had the gasket for my Mistral Equipe II and there was a little more room in the garage .. I decided to look-up what i could find. Lo and behold there were instructions directly from Tinho Dornellas of Calema : 
and so, using a sharp 3/4 inch chisel removed the old gasket. There are some areas to repair - do i use MarineTex or Marine Epoxy ?? Also had to cut about one cm off the end of the gasket given to me - must have given the wrong measurements. Buddy from Toronto says he uses Marine Glue and Tinho uses Super Glue. Tinho also uses acetone or MEK - methyl ethyl ketone to clean. Dangerous stuff ...

SUN 11APR2016 MEQ II @ OKA main beach TR-6 8.4 W20kph 8 outta 10

It was supposed to be sunny with 2 degrees and winds from the West @ 20 kph/10 knots
On the MEQ II i put the centreboard in, duct tape on the bottom and ready to test
Off to OKA to check it out
The road to La Crête was flooded and the lane was full of snow
So, off to the main beach @ the end...
Wind seemed light and coming from different directions...
Brought only the TR-6 8.4 - Would have liked to use my HotSailsMaui SpeedFreak 8.5 since it is light and easy, but am afraid of exposing the PVC window to the cold 
When I arrived the kiter I had met on the ice in the winter was putting his kites away.
He told me yesterday we was 1.5 hours away and skiing on snow
Today he did not go because he hates cold water...
Two kayakers went out and were properly dressed - they had drysuits.
She seemed surprised that I would go in a wetsuit - told her I was a polar bear ...
Had issues rigging the TR-6 8.4 - seemed like I could not get the mast to the window properly
This was the first time I used the MEQ extension ...
he wind was less than expected ... which was probably good
It was less due to the windshadow and since I had issues with the sail flipping cambers n battens, I did not go out far...
The board performed as expected in any case and I really liked the flotation, tacking in  light winds, etc
I am not used to the connections used by Mistral and will need to rig my TR-6 9.4 in the backyard to ensure it does not impact next outing/use. This was done the following week and the sail was fine... Try regular base next time and how does one change the string/chord on the Mistral extension ??
The rating 8 out of 10 was NOT due to a great session
There were equipment problems , it was cold and not much wind
The beauty of it was - I GOT TO GO !!!

SAT 16APR2016 MEQ II @ OKA main beach TR-6 8.4 W20kph 8 outta 10

12 to 25 kph & was supposed to be NE, but often felt more SE
SE is never good @ OKA main beach
tried duct tape on top since I have NOT installed the gasket , but tape came off
apparently there is some waterproof gorilla tape at home depot
and Canadian Tire
like centreboard not protruding through the deck
would have liked to try it with HSM SPF 8.5 - concentrate on board ...
no gloves and tried video taping, but nothing spectacular - still testing the board
sail was much better than last time
people came to speak to me and are all surprised it is NOT a new sail - 2010 TR-6 8.4
would have liked a little more wind
did fall in once
2 piece wetsuit and not cold even after falling in - hands a little bit
gloves were in the knap sack
did some railing, but with foot in strap on other side
had some issues tacking, but only one way - port to starboard - will blame myself
picture is from video - will put them private - for my eyes only . nothing special 
note to self : when clamping on selfie stick - NOT over adjustable outhaul ...
also ideally ONLY uphaul in the deep - better to beach start



TUES 19APR2016 local river NW25kph MEQ 2 with HSM SPF 8.5 - 7.5 outta 10

Obviously it was a work day and I was also on call. My young son wanted to stay later in the "day care" and so we did not leave Vanguard until about 16h00.  That means I was not on the water until 17h00-17h15. Winds were way lighter than originally predicted 30-50 kph. I was looking forward to trying the NS Duke 6.9 on the MEQ 2. I forgot how much I did NOT like the local river. It will be more difficult to push myself to go there again. Unfortunately NW may not be good from the main beach @ OKA and La Crête is not open yet. Was worried about the PVC and cold, but there were no issues. The air was about 15 degrees C and the water mid 40's F (about 6 degrees C). 

No gloves and no neck cover. Left the fin protector on when I went out and there was a section where the board felt like it was flapping... The centreboard was down and I was wondering if that was the issue. NOT - musta bin the cover coming off 

Again will keep the video private as there is not much to share


SAT 23APRIL2016 OKA Main Beach MEQ 2 HSM SPF 8.5 NW 20-50 kph rated 9.0 outta 10


As luck would have it ... NW is best from La Crête , but it is still inundated with water. Checked my GoPro before leaving and somehow shorted out the battery and so NO FILM  Even worse, I presumed all on the card would be lost too - good thing it was already loaded to youtube as private. Air temperature was about 10 degrees and it was sunny. Winds were supposed to be 20 kph from the NW, but directions changed, there was a wind shadow and the wind kicked at one point . Had a couple of amazing overpowered runs where I actually was pushing it to see if I could not go even faster. Wind near the shore was bad due to windshadow, waves, etc and so did fall in once right in front of the main lounge and then had to do the walk of shame, Before that it was rated 9.5 outta 10. Marc Cyr showed up on his bike and said the whitecaps near Vaudreuils looked like 6.4 weather !!
Lots of people chatted, encouraged, etc. I was the ONLY one on the water and as such very important to have a board ready to take any weather ...
Some of the graphs show that wind was up n down and changing directions ...
All in all a great session !!





Someone on quebecwind gtj surely suggested we check out this image !!

http://www.zupimages.net/up/16/16/7gf9.jpg

SUN 24APR2016 went to country/chalet and the lake is still covered with icy slush 

TUES 26APR2016 went to see Franco and the COMP SST. He had done some repairs and had the original centreboard from the MEQ One that I am trying to sell. Did not like his repairs and managed to purchase the centreboard off him and gave him the one from the COMP. He still has some repairs to do and that was why I was not ready to buy and sell it. This has reduced my efforts / costs and I will be happy to keep the MEQ One if it does not sell !! SOLD 2 days later !!

Franco has purchased a brand new BIC WindSUP and sold his BIC Core 293D.

The MEQ centreboard was full of black mold which I cleaned off with bleach and light sanding. It fits the board like a glove = NICE !!

NO MORE gifts for others - you want it - you gotta pay - like i did !!!

THURS 05MAY2016 went to check out Vaudreuils after work
was hoping to go myself today, but the kid wanted to stay after school and I was NOT feeling well @ lunch and so - went for soup Tonkinois... So, checked out Vaudreuils after work and chatted with some kiters - would have been great with MEQ II and HSM SPF 8.5 !!! Kiter was out with 17 m² and the windsurfer with 6.6 ?? Needed more than that !! Water was NOT that cold and quite high - about 1-2 feet !! Apparently the wind was better around 13h00 and there were windsurfers coming out of OKA ...


FRI 06MAY2016 Ste-Rose NE 20-25 kph MEQ II HSM SPF 8.5 = 8 outta 10

Pretty much the same today. Were supposed to go to Ricardo's with my mother for mother's day, but the wife had a massive headache. And so I tried to go local river and forgot the fin - most of my longboards have fin attached - oh well - lost  20 minutes in traffic. Had fun and NO issue going upwind without the centreboard. Tried light wind jibe/gybe and was ok. People are curious and I explain to them BIG board is required and NO-ONE else does it there. I also prefer spring when water levels are higher. Have scraped fin, cut hand and LOST a $200 weed fin $%^&*(( in that river when water levels are lower ...
NO gloves and only farmer john portion of wet suit . Find water is NOT too cold and don't understand why Helmut n others don't go. Fellow was bare foot in water @ Vaudreuils yesterday !!

SAT 14MAY2016 delivered the MEQ I/one to Milton !! Down to six(6) boards 

WED 18MAY2016 went to see Bruno  of 2-rad while waiting for my kid to be ready to go home from day care - he LIKES to stay late !!! Bruno was JUST back from Hatteras - three(3) weeks I believe - will need to check with "King Kong" to see how it was for him .. Bruno says there were many days with 4.7, 4.2 and 5.3. Some Spanish slalom girl blew them all  away !!! Too bad I could not make it this year ... NEXT YEAR !!!


MON 23MAY2016 was in CT on the weekend and picked up my NP 490/77 mast. Only cost $200 US with shipping included from Golfport BoardSports in Mississippi. 
Unfortunately that translates into about $265 CDN.





As you can see, it is a NP mast that is in great shape. The interesting thing is that once I ordered it, I looked up NP PRO FreeRide since it said constant curve on the mast. It seems people DO consider this constant curve. NP was hard top with Barry Spanier,  seems they had constant curve and eventually went to FLEX TOP.  So, I had some concerns about what did I do again ? Should be investigating before the purchase and not after. The good news is that even if it is 77% constant curve, it will be much lighter than the Chinook 490/40. 

When I got it home, I checked the weight between them and yes, it is much lighter. Also, I still have the NP 490/99 bottom portion, which is even lighter and fits into the top of the NP 490/77 !! Well, let's give that a try !!!

Here are the photos:


It looks good and feels good, but only tests on the water can be the real test. Under the boom and at the top all looks fine along the sleeve. However, just up from the boom  there are wrinkles in the luff sleeve. I am unsure of how it looked with the Chinook and the original NP 490/99. 


When I press the batten  , the sail fills out, but is this the right place for this to happen on the sail or will it feel top heavy ?? In terms of longboarding, this will probably be ideal. Time will tell and leaves for lots more experiments - which I seem to enjoy 
The Chinook 490/40 was sold the next week = woohoo !!

MON 30MAY2016 - went to see Pointe-Claire at lunch. Met Guylain who was rigging up - SW Retro 8-oh with 490 RDM mast and Hawk 135. He does NOT want to use SDM any more since another mast broke ...  Looking @ Ezzy Lion 9.5 ... There were three(3) windsurfers - one with MS Pursuit and another with a Point-7 sail. One of their boards was 101 liters and the other was a smaller Hawk. They were lighter sailors too. Guylain did NOT seem happy about how wind looked, but he took off like a rocket. Two kiters were out and one sailboat. Boat was leaned over a LOT.

TUES 31MAY2016 Rivière Milles Isles NW20 kph MEQ 2 & HSM SPF 8.5 = 8 outta 10

At lunch went to Pointe Claire again and this time there was only one fellow with a beat up BIC Techno M 112 and NP 6.5. It looked he was going fine further out, but he stated he could use MORE wind.

As I was unable to get out of work early and need to pick up the kid... Packed up for the local river at about 17h30 and home by 19h30. Was using the new NP mast setup which was fine... Was surprised that I used 17.5 cm extension and only 32.5 outhaul. Thought is was 35 cm outhaul ?? Wind was light with lots of holes, but was just happy to be able to get out, That is WHY I have this equipment. Neighbour Sargent gave me the thumbs up on my out ... (Checked my notes - outhaul is supposed to be 32.5 - also felt sail looked good and went well) ...

MON 06JUN2016 checked out Pointe Claire with Bhushan. There were about six(6) windsurfers and the same number of kiters in  what I call kite bay. Lo and behold Guylain was there. Another fellow that knew me was there too... Fellow from  Hatteras too ?? In any case .. Guylain was out with his smaller Hawk and a 7-oh. WOW. He was coming in to rig down to 6-oh. Impressive. Check the chart !! twenty to twenty-five knots - wind was SOLID !! Kites were out in sizes 8, 9, 10 and 11 m². Usually I divide this by two giving 4 to 5.5 m² for windsurf sails !! This was confirmed on quebecwind chat 4.7 and 5-oh @ Pte-Claire ...


WED 08JUN2016 Pte-Claire MEQ 2 SPF 8.5 NW 20-30 kph = 7 outta 10

Managed to take a looong lunch and get on the water @ Cartier/Pte-Claire. There was NO-ONE else and that should have been a clear indicator. Winds for one seemed more out of the NW than W. As usual , it was gusty and cold. The cold part is unusual for this time of year and I had to put the full wetsuit. As I was going, I was asking the question people ask me some times,"Was it worth it?" The answer to myself was as follows: When I lie on my death bad, I wish to ask myself the same question !! Here the video - windsurfing during lunch lol



FRI 10JUN2016 OKA MEQ 2 SPF 8.5 NW 20-40 kph = 9.5 outta 10 !!

Managed to take the day OFF and there was NO intention to go and weather forecasts were NOT suggesting good winds... Managed to finish my garden work in the morning and so, packed my stuff and went. When I arrived, had to pay my season's ticket and there was NO ONE @ La Crête !! Looked okay to me and off I went. By the time I was rigged, one kiter showed up. The wind picked up and I did not leave until about 16h00. At that time there were about 3 other windsurfer and as many kiters with three(3) more kiters getting ready to go - Georges was one of em ... Here is the video/non-editted:


My mistake of the day was - I brought what I knew would work NO matter what. I did NOT bring boards in case the wind was as good as it was. Could easily have used the JP SLW and perhaps even tested the Mistral SLE303 !

Father's Day SUN 19Jun2016 - OKA light SW winds JP TR-4 10 = 7 outta 10


My expectations were too high. They were announcing 30 degrees C which is 86 degrees F and it was more than that. Winds were supposed to be 20-40 kph SW which is perfect for testing all the new stuff I have purchased ... 

Winds were supposed to be good around 11h00 and so , I was nervous about the parking and went early, I brought EVERYTHING expecting GOOD winds and NOT the longboard... actually took out front seat of van to fit it all ...

JP SLW92 + Mistral SLE 303 and SB iS 117W 
TR-4 10-oh, TR-6 8.4, HSM SPF 8.5 and just in case NS Duke 6.9 

For me the summary of the day is - too many things broke  

It started when I tried to put the mast base on the SLE. The nuts would NOT slide down the track. Managed to force it with some lubricant and that plate is staying there - even if i have to buy a new one... 

So, I arrive there early and immediately put on lots o sun screen - only 30 tho. When I go with my anemometer to the water, it does not "start". CRAP. Go see the water and wind without. NO anemometer required - wind sucks and I did NOT bring the longboard %^&*

NO crying - "rig big or go home !!" 

Benoit Roland - Guylain's buddy - said the same thing. 
Problem No. 3 - could not get the fins on the JP easily and mix up of screws %^&*(( 
Ok, will try the Wolfgang Lessacher weed fin since there is NOT much happening 
Problem No. 4 - having difficulties rigging the TR-4 10-oh sail ^&*( 
Well,  got everything ironed and was on the water early !! 
From about 11h00 until 14h30 I went BAF/ back n forth and tried various things 
Let out the outhaul, switched the fin to the Select 66 cm fin , pumped the sail , etc, etc 
I could see there were sections on the lake where there might be more wind, butt ... 
This was confirmed later by Marc Cyr - one of our local experts. 
He was out on a SB Carve 145 with a 7.8 sail (don't remember the brand) 
Said he schlogged out to some point and then was almost over
Also said there were two(2) Formula sailors in a bay doing ok 
I gave up and kinda glad i did - am slightly burnt and very tired 
When carrying the board out - problem no. 5 - seems there is a fresh ding in the board $%^&* 
When I arrived home - no-one home and went straight to bed.

It was a HOT day and I was on the water - thus the 7 outta 10 

LESSON - bring longboard AND JP SLW in those winds I would have had a 9+ outta 10 with the longboard today #$%^&&*() 

Oh yeah  - when there is too light wind - the kites take up the whole beach. When the wind picks up a bit, they are all close to shore and hard to get back in. I have MANY kiter friends and love chatting about the differences. Have one buddy who foil kites and made a new buddy today. New buddy was aware about the windsurf foils too !!

Based on the following graph, I would say 16h00-18h00 were the BEST winds of the day. And i missed em - oh well ... Tomorrow is a bigger day - WFH in the pm and then either check it out or go ?? 



As I am not a guy who likes "waitin 4 wind" nor "chasing wind"...
Sometimes days like this make me wonder ...
Do I go back to being a true longboarder ??
like Sailboarder - he has a KONA One and another board for when the wind kicks ...
I have the Carbon Mistral Equipe II/2 XR which is GREAT in light wind and 20-40 kph
If that board does well with a 7-oh sail then there may be no reason to keep all the other stuff
Time will tell !!

Yvente of QuebecWind agrees that one needed patience and wind did not pick up until about 16h00.

http://z11.invisionfree.com/WindsurfingMontreal/index.php?showtopic=11201

From now on - in  20 to 40 kph announced winds - the boards to bring are the Mistral Equipe II longboard, JP SLW wide freeride and the choice of one slalom board - either the Mistral SLE or SB iS with sails 8.x and NS Duke 6.9. That will cover a BIG range !!
Wonder which board will be best with the NS Duke 6.9 ??

AND obviously the NEXT day looked like this !!!


met Helmut at kite bay in Pte-Claire
He was on his 105 liter freewave and 6.0 m² Retro ..
Says he was under when I got there, but s/b ok when i left ...

THURS 23JUN2016 Rivière Milles Isles NNW 20 kph 8 outta 10 MEQ2 SPF 8.5

It is the day before St-Jean Baptiste and the day before my holidays. There is NO wind foreseen for the long weekend ... Wind is supposed to be NW 20 kph around 17h00. Okay I better go !! Wind felt more N and off-shore and lighter, but had fun  just the same. Only needed to hook in on about 2-3 runs and had some waves push me a couple of times. NO idea how they developed. Why such a high score ? Got out - beautiful day and met all expectations. Why not more/higher then ? Wind was lighter and from off-shore than expected ... Other than that - all went well  - no falling in the dirty river - oh yeah - since it was announced more W - Rosemere water cleaning station side ...

MON 27JUN2016 OKA La Crête SW 20-50 kph 9 outta 10 MEQ2 SPF 8.5

First day of my holidays.
Missed yesterday when it was very hot and supposed to have 20-40  kph SW winds. Today was supposed to be rainy with chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and winds of 30-50 kph. Yeah right !! Brought my light wind stuff in case - not gonna have what i had last time !! MEQ2 + SLE303 - which i checked for fin and top - do those screw holes need covering ? Strange board. Brought three(3) sails to cover big range (6.3, 6.9 and 8.5) When I arrived there , there were NOT many people and almost NO windsurfers on the water. Two of my kite surfer buddies were there and the foiler showed up later - he had to work .. As I was saying .. when I arrived ... I measured 20 -22 kph SW and nothing looked spectacular.

So, rigged the SPF 8.5 and MEQ 2. Was okay at times and then got to push it. Moved the mast base back and felt it was MUCH better in those winds. Feels like back is better for speed AND control. Am still far away from the straps on this board $%^&* Removed the safety bungee - just keeps getting in the way. The only bad thing of the day - besides the SLE setup - kept scraping the fin and left some nice marks - ready for the repair shop. Was ready to leave  early, but had not filmed AND the sun was out now. - Oh yeah ... Think the name is Claude - George's buddy @ OKA - gave him a run for his money today , but did not pass him - he was on a Retro 8.5 and smaller board ...

So, this is what I came up with :



TUE 28JUN2016

Am supposed to repair my old BIC Dufour WING in the country as my chalet board. Sold the Fanatic Ultra CAT aka FUC board as I do not like the mast base. Rather than repairing the one I have, I bought another for 50 bucks. What a trip to pick it up though. On the way back the main hi-way was closed due to some "incident" and ALL traffic was re-routed. Then the police bus drove by which means something serious happened - NO details on the news or traffic. Hoped to make it home before the torrential rains hit, but no such luck.

FRI 01JUL2016 CANADA DAY - @ chalet BIC Dufour WING + SPF 8.5 = 9 outta 10

Baptised the BIC Dufour up at the in-law chalet. Before putting it in the water ... Tried cleaning the stained bottom, but stains were permanent. Put primer - first white and then grey to cover all. Then the mast base retainers were placed on what i thought was the back "hole" and off i went. The mast was in the front hole and the board felt like it kept wanting to go starboard - was blaming this on the rubbery, bent tiny fin. Put the base in the back hole and exchanged the fin with the original one. Things felt better already. The board felt more "floaty" than I remember the original being ?? Perhaps the original was already water-logged ??

Once I felt that all was good, wind included, I put my selfie stick on the boom and shot a GoPro video. Cut it down to a three(3) minute BEST OF clip and posted it to youtube. People REALLY seem to like this angle/perspective:



and tried putting some music to it !!



04JUL2016 INDEPENDENCE DAY La Crête MEQ2 SPF 8.5 = 9 outta 10 !!

Well, WindGURU, Montreal Weather and WindAlert ALL did it AGAIN. Winds supposed to be 20-40 kph from the SW. Well, I was NOT gonna be fooled agin !! Brought the MEQ just in case and guess what i saw when I arrived ?? Winds about 12 knots MAX and more WSW than SW. Buddy was out on an 18 m² kite !! Okay, MEQ time !! Managed to find decent wind on more than one occasion. NO-ONE was coming further out - out of the 20 kites and about 4 windsurfers. Felt like it almost reached the 20 knots, but NOT according to Ile Bizard stats. Am definitely enjoying going way out on the rails and pulling the sail in and back more. Forgot to move mast base back even more... Felt like winds were more NW when we finished... Perhaps this graph is NOT completely accurate. Let's see what else I can find !!


WunderGround says that winds were reaching about 40 kph , but stays with WSW theory - bizarre:


FRI 08JUL2016 OKA end main beach ENE 20+kph MEQ2 SPF8.5=9 outta 10 !!

Still on holidays and wind supposed to be NE about 20 kph. My bro and his family just left and major rain slated for the weak end. Wind seemed light when I got there and there was NO ONE. Some sailboats and seemed to get decent wind further out - which makes sense for a Nor Easter. And yes, it was better further out and the water has dropped a LOT. Tried to move the mast base back and played with some foot straps. Felt it was better and enjoyed it more just slightly forward. Oh yeah, also moved the harness lines back just slightly. All in all - a GREAT session. I am getting TOO happy about this board  - what to do with the rest ?? Am upset with myself - keep forgetting to bring a jug of water for cleaning the stuff after - sail n boots @#$%^&*(


MON 11JUL2016 @ the chalet - will NOT count this as a session - 0 outta 10 !!

Brought the HPL carbon boom to the in-law/out-law chalet to see if I can build
a kit that stays there.

As follows:

BIC Dufour Wing
MauiSails MS-2 with no cambers - call it MS-0
matching MS 490/75 mast
now HPL carbon boom

Problems started when there was NO rope on the extension...
Found some in the basement - that looked like spectra rope / formuline
somehow this rope seemed "thinner" and I had a difficult time
found some thicker rope , but sail did NOT look right @ all :-(
battens went past mast about 4 to 5 cm %^&*()
tried it on the water and was not happy

tried the fiberglass mast which is 448 cm long
put the other mast base from newer WING @ 45 cm - usually 490+6
this rigged better, but still battens go past the mast
also tried yanking on the outhaul, but this flattened the sail too much
again tried it on the water and was NOT happy

ironically the nose of the board was under the water A LOT
did I gain that much weight or just leaning sail far forward ??

my summary of the day is - the MS-0 is a ZERO $%^&*

also , it was very HOT and moved board to shade
when I came off the water, it looked like there were air bubbles on the bottom
hope this is under the paint and NOT under the board
looks like either painting the board was not such a good idea or the board is finished :-(

WED 13JUL2016 La Crête 32 degrees - wind up n down SW - MEQ/SLE 8.5 - 9/10

Had things to do and there was a HEAT warning !!
Man was it HOT when I arrived at the beach at 13h30...
and the wind was LIGHT - around 10 knots max - fellow was rigging a 9.5
for me it was MEQ2 with SPF 8.5 - as usual ...
the wind got better n  better and peaked at 17h00 - NOT all graphs agree
i left not long after that - about five(5) hours on the water ...
when the wind reached a reasonable level, I decided it was time to try the Mistral SLE 303
there is NO WAY that board is 150 liters !!
when i beach n water started, I put front foot way up
also felt better with mast base all the way up with the SPF 8.5
when it took off, it TOOK OFF
give the SLE an 8 outta 10 on first outing - need more skills too
that's good for a first run with a special board...
put it away and went for one last run with the MEQ2
that's when I pumped into Georges who was on his 13 meter kite and mid wind board
we shared a 7-up that he had with him on the water !!
I took off and kinda raced a young fellow on a short board who wiped me
gotta push harder - Georges seemed to stay closer inshore
when i got off, i heard Georges yelling, but he was with people and so, i let it go
there was this white floaty thing in the middle of the water way #$%^
VoilOKA young chick had NO idea and said it was there since two(2) days
fellow says he is putting in a bar
told him he would run outta stock today - especially if he had ice !!
Park fellow told me he was gonna take care of the "structure" - it was NOT a boat
after the session had fun chatting with Richard and a courier who delivers to my work
he seemed to have a Russian accent and maybe was the fellow Helmut knows ??
Marc Cyr was bragging that he was fine with a 6.4 - in that peak hour
seems like a nice guy and yet, feels like he is laffing at us ...

today was also a test day
was going to look at a GA/Gaastra Swift 10 m² freerace sail - 2 cambers
it is ONLY $250 and I would have to sell my 10 meter sail !!
NOT worth the hassle - would have started with such a sail and then been way over
cancelled the sail check  - it was JF from Terrebonne - skiguy/Guy's buddy



Having cramps in  both thighs both the day of the session and the next. Prior to this, I have had cramps in my thighs once in my life. Due to heat, I was drinking water. Perhaps not enough ? Also, may be time to consider exercises to warm up and down ...
Am also confirming that I have a hernia on the left side...

Some additional comments on  the SLE:
It did NOT sink nor did it seem to take on water ..
The fin does NOT fit well into the box..
Seemed to want to go upwind - until I moved mast base forward ...
Asking on iwindsurf - how do you know if fin is too big ...
They spoke about tail walking where the entire board lifts off the water...
i will have to try large fins just to see impact where i can tell the difference

FRI 15JUL2016 La Crête with Helmut MEQ2 HSM SPF 8.5 = 7 outta 10 - NOT 20-40SW

Wind was supposed to be 20 - 40 kph SW. As usual, it was NOT !! Now my MEQ2 has become my GOTO board #$%^&* Helmut tried it with his Retro 8.5 and came back with a smile on his face. He confirms it does NOT schlogg; it glides and when the wind comes, IT GOES !!
NOT enough wind for the SLE303 nor the JP SLW92 

FRI 22JUL2016 Mille Isles MEQ2 SPF 8.5 = 9.5 outta 10 !! 20-30 kph W

Tried the Fanatic Hawk 34 cm freeride fin. Got this fin from benwindy when I still had my AHD FF 160.

I also adjusted the mast track more to the middle since I did NOT want to plane as much as stay upwind. The wind was straight down the river rather than at an angle like SW or NW and that was MUCH better. If anyone says I was not planing or going fast, they are stoned. Cars are about 60 to 70 kph and I was going 50 kph easily. Gotta get that Timex GPS working ie use it.
The clay ,  weeds ,etc at the shoreline were disgusting.
For some reason I had difficulty breathing and so cut my session short.
If it was not for that last two(2) items, it would have been 10 outta 10 !!
Was actually considering removing the centreboard entirely - however, it does cut the water from underneath somewhat. Guess it is time to try and put the gasket ...

SAT 23JUL2016 La Crête MEQ2 SPF 8.5 20 kph NW = 7 outta 10

When I arrived winds were about 10 kph or less. As I set up, they got slightly better. My first run out was without PFD and harness. Winds seemed to pick up and went and got my safety equipment. Managed to hook in a few times, but nothing like the day before. Thunderstorms in the distance were making me nervous. When they seemed to be headed directly at the beach, i got OFF quickly. Only Carlos giving kite lesson with 17 m² sail on the water with me. Water was lower than EVER. When I got off Antoine, Richard and others were arriving. Told them typically after the storm the winds die and they DID !!. Got beeped by Thomas while I was setting up. Good thing it was nothing serious. Nothing like being on call during your holidays #$%^&&*

TUE 26JUL2016 La Crête MEQ2 SPF 8.5 WNW 20-40kph = 9.5 outta 10 !!

Today was the BIG trade day with BENF. The SB iSonic 117W for an AHD SL-2 132 board. The SB iS was too much for me and I was practising with an old Mistral SLE 303. Ben missed the iS and asked if I was interested in the AHD SL-2. It is more liters, wider in the tail and somewhat thicker rails. When I asked Yvan of auventfou about the idea - he suggested I go for a used AHD FF 130. Having come from and AHD FF 160, I was not ready to go back to that board ... Would have preferred if this was a bigger SB iS, but this will have to do ... As you can see in the photos ... the AHD is about 5 cm longer, looks like it has a stub nose, like the new wave boards and has a wider, thicker tail - more @ OFO. All this should be a little more forgiving ...




Since wind was announced,  the exchange was done @ La Crête at 11h15 this morning.  Wind was light and I was on the water by 11h30. Others had their lunch. Wind picked up and people came out. Benwindy tapped his head as he went bye. Asked him later if he was suggesting I wear a helmet ?
Non, that's his code for being OVER. He went from an Ezzy Lion 8.5 with cambers to a 7-oh sail. I stayed with my 8.5 and loved it. Had to manipulate gusts, waves, etc AMAZING - time to test the other board - nah - i borrowed an SDM US mast extension as I forgot mine ^&*( Did not want to have trouble coming if JP was waiting !!

BENF went out in the 2nd window with 10-15 knot winds and planed 60 % of the time on the SB iS 117W. This guy is GOOD !! Probably used his GA 8.5 sail.



FRI 29JUL2016 - chalet play time
brought the AHD SL2 132 to the chalet with some sails. Wanted to see how I could handle climbing on the board and perhaps uphauling. Put the HSM SPF 8.5 rather than the Duke 6.9 with the MFC fin that was originally George's. That was in case I actually needed to go up wind. Well. Managed to stay on the board and uphaul a number of times. Actually got the thing moving, but need much more wind. It was not even really longboard weather, but I just had to get out. Van transmission was acting up on the way out . Damn, that's my windsurf vehicle.

The same day I took out the BIC Dufour and it still had "bubbles". It did NOT float well - either it is water logged, delaminated or I gained a bunch of weight. Neither is good :-(

SAT 06AUG2016 La Crête JP SLW92 SPF8.5 & AHD SL2 NS Duke 6.9 8.5 outta 10
Came down from up north chalet to windsurf @ OKA. Time to pay my annual fees - over $40 now. Wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph from the West between 14h00 and 16h00 and it was delivered !! Was more WNW than W though...


I had brought a LOT of stuff cuz I did NOT wanna get skunked. Had the MEQ, JP SLW92 and the new to me AHD SL2 132. In terms of satils - TR-4 10-oh, SPF 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9. At 13h00 the wind was steady, but light and so started with the SLW and the SPF 8.5. That was fun,planing and all until the wind and waves kicked in. I was flying over the chop and slamming down hard with the board. Was with the Wolfgang Lessacher 42 cm weed fin by the way. Had heard there were many weeds and the water was LOW. Did NOT see much/many weeds, BUTT water was definitely TOO low.
When the wind picked up, knew I had to rig down and change the board. Knew it was gonna be the NS Duke 6.9 and  my intention was to try the MEQ2 with this sail. NOT dunn yet ... Caught benwindy rigging down in  the parking lot and he STRONGLY encouraged me to go out on the AHD SL-2. I was reluctant, but followed his advice. I started no problem and eventually got planing FULL speed towards the other side. NEVER tried a jibe on this board and probably not a speed tack either %^&*( So, tried the tack and muffed it - almost had it,  but almost only counts in horse shoes and nuclear warfare.
Couple of attempts at the uphaul and I was OFF. The water start was NOT successful. TIME to PRACTICE. Enjoyed the board and feel it is much tamer and more attainable than the SB iS 117W. It is NO lame duck in  terms of speed either !!
Helmut was out @ AAO with his Fanatic Hawk 135 and Retro 7.5. GOOD CALL !!
People i kinda met today were René and spoke about Fred(?) who has Select fins that sing.
Told benwindy that all he has to do is sand one side of the TE/trailing edge of the fin !!
benwindy also showed me a trick where i small plastic tube holds the screws to the board
says he learned this from Fanatic - i say we patent it :-)

Was actually hoping to go Sunday too, but reports said winds were extremely gusty. One was always over or under = NOT NICE. So, NO loss there

Monday Helmut wanted to go to AAO, and I checked @ lunch. It looked doable, but ... In the end they were all skunked too :-( Somehow I picked and went on the best day of the three

After that - almost NO WIND, very HOT and very DRY ...
Rain  expected Friday
Florida and area is anticipating around 200 mm of rain over the next few days !!!

FRI 12AUG2016 Vaudreuils NE 20-40 SLW92 SPF 8.5 = 8 outta 10

Went at lunch hour to see Max. Knew him from West Island, but have not seen  him since he had a child which is three(3) years old now. Saws he does NOT get out often and as such is interested in my JP SLW. I brought it to show him, but was also hoping he could try it just to see ... I sailed it back n forth a couple of times and kinda waited for Max to come n try it. He came up after I was done and still seemed interested in the board. My issue - I am NOT sure I want to sell any more. Luckily I am NOT tight on cash at the moment and the board will hold its value. There were about four(4) windsurfer and as many kiters Most w/s were on 120-125 litre boards - Hawks n Geckos. They seemed to plane along nicely and most were lighter than me ...  Max pumps , goes downwind and planes ... Does he really need this board ? As he says, he would be planing the entire time and not like we all were - once in a while ...

SUN 14AUG2016 La Crête NW 20-40 MEQ2 SPF 8.5 = 8.5/9 outta 10

Was supposed to be SW 40-60 when announced earlier in the week and eventually dropped off to NOTHING. I did not give up hope and kept monitoring the situation. Had a family outing and there was a promise of light wind. Brought ONLY the equipment mentioned above. Assumed I would be the only one there, but there were about four(4) windsurfers and as many kiters. Many of them seemed to be amateur and practising their skills ie staying in close. Put the sail in the middle and OFF I went. Practically flew across the lake - there were some waves and some BIG boats (motor and sail). Did not have much time and so just kept doing the BAF/back n forth. Fellow on windsurfer seemed to be quicker than me. Need to commit or ?? Need to get in  straps !! Looked where my feet were and they were not where they needed to be :-( Which board will get me in the straps ? Probably the SLW. Wind actually picked up even more when I got off ... Too bad I had to go ...

FORGOT to mention that I had put gorilla tape on both the top and bottom of the centre board opening with the board OUT. This made the board lighter than EVER !! The centre board was NOT missed at all !!!

THURS 25AUG2016 - Cartier SLW92 & SPF 8.5 - wind died - 5 outta 10 :-(

winds were supposed to be 20-40 kph SW
managed to get okay from BOSS to leave early in order to go out and make it to 5 à 7
no-one there, but seemed to be some wind
when i go , i go and so , i did
never planed and when i stopped, the boom was NOT attached properly
went out again, but had a difficult time coming back
Warren was @ AAO and told me it just died there too #$%^&*(

SUN 04SEPT2016 chalet Dufour SPF 8.5 light SW winds = 4 outta 10

Seemed to be a bit of wind and so rigged up. Board still seems bent and HEAVY compared to the AHD SL2 132 that I was practising on yesterday. The way the board rides with nose under water and welts under board indicates it may be de-laminated , waterlogged or both. To top it all off the boats were making waves and the wind died. Lucky to make it back without falling in %^&*( Kids that were towed are yelling hello and I am ignoring them %^&*()_ Hurricane Hermi hit FLorida and perhaps North Carolinas. We are in a high pressure zone with amazing weather, but NO winds...

SUN 11SEPT2016 OKA La Crête

Wind was supposed to be SW 40-60 in the morning and going towards 30-50 kph in the afternoon. Helmut and I went hoping for SW on-shore winds in order to practise. Winds were more WNW and measured over 25 knots at the shore. People were out on 4.8 sails and less !! Parking was packed, but not all were on the water !!
Martin Plissonneau FRA-1100 was there setting up a MS TR 7-oh sail with a SB iS 107 !! Says he is thinking of changing sail sponsors, but it is NOT official yet.
Helmut and I chickened out because we got cold and were unsure of how much fun we were going to have.

TUES 13SEPT Pte-Claire MEQ2 SPF8.5 SW <20-40kph = 8 outta 10

was a work day with light wind - sunny and warm - so, even with less than ideal wind, it was still an 8 outta 10 . here is what i wrote on iwindsurf:

"today was a prime example of longboard REQUIREMENT
winds announced were 20-40 kph SW
work day and so, carry minimal equipment in car and not a lot of time
take wide shortboard too ? won't fit in car
Mistral Equipe II XR with HSM SpeedFreak 8.5 it is !!
naturally wind was NOT enuff to take 2 hour lunch %^&*(
and was only a bit better early afternoon
fellow was out with a Fanatic Ray 145 and SW Retro 8.5
okay - thought it was wider than 81 cm, but was schlogging big time
i had a riot !! some gliding, but always seeming to do MUCH better than the RAY
for me - the MEQ2 is my saviour !!!
anything else (like shortboard weather) is just fun and cherry on the ice cream "

SUN 18SEPT2016 MEQ2 TR-4 10m² 20 kph WSW = 9 outta 10 !!

Afternoon  was supposed to be 20-40 kph SW, but wifie has plans for the pm. Morning winds ?? Hmmm ... Well, I never tried the BIG TR-4 on the MEQ2 - maybe it is time ?? YUP. arrived there around 8h30 and left around 12h30. For the first bit I forgot to put my windsurf glasses and was out with my good pair #$%^&*
Went in and got the appropriate eyewear and the GoPro.
This time went out without attaching the harness %^&*(
The water is low and hit sandbanks way too often ...
No-one else on the water except a kite foiler trying and a kid trying kiddie kit with poppa
Enjoyed it immensely and give it a high rating - hope the chart is wrog cuz it looked like it was dropping when i left $%^&* and two small bumps after ??


private youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx7baiKJ3Ic





here is the public one - with a bit of music - tried using youtube editor for more than one copy of the music on  here, but $%^&&*()


had a sore back for about 4 days afterwards - first muscles and then spine

and this one I made using GoPro Studio cuz toutube editor sucked for putting multiple tracks on a clip - STILL $%^&*(


SUN 24SEPT2016 La Crète WNW 20-40kph AHD/MEQ SPF 8.5 = 6 outta 10

from quebecwind forum:

aussi la Crête - pas vu benwindy sur l'eau
juste sur dans le stationment après
je lui doit $5 - il m'a dit que 640 va être blcquer et je lui n'ai croyé pas 
benwindy en Hawk 125 et voile Ezzy 7.0
Pierre en freewave 89 et Ezzy 6.5 (la plus large de ces voiles et a vendre)
JF sur AHD FF 160 et GA freerace 8.5 et il m'a dit que ca bien été

moi j'ai eu le misère - manque d'energie et ...
parti en AHD SL-2 132 et HSM SPF 8.5 mais j'ai sauté le chop trop
ok ... change la planche pour qq moins large ??
mis le Mistral Equipe II XR - pa amener la BEE 124 LTD ...
ca bien été mais j'ai eu le misère de re-parti quand j'ai tombé
manque d'energie
des discussions de fun dans le stationement
"where's Georges??"  cool.gif ah oui, il est dans le nord 
belle journée, "good winds" mais plus de vagues que j'ai pensé

JF explained water starts to me in the parking lot. Put the mast on the board - that's how he gets the sail out of the water !! Low score due to FUN factor. I was too burnt $%^&*( from work yesterday which was supposed to be OFF and early this morning too #$%^&&*( Should have changed down the sail too - not just the board !!


WED 28SEPT2016 Vaudreuils SW 20-50 kph MEQ2 Duke 6.9&SPF8.5 = 8.5/10

Wanted to bring the AHD SL-2 132, but wind predictions were low :-( Brought the MEQ2 instead. Here is what I wrote on quebecwind ... Duke was 7.5 outta 10 and SPF was 9 outta 10 !! What I was practising was going between the waves and going as fast downwind as I dared ... 

The AHD would have been too WIDE for the water conditions - THAT is why BENF rode a Tabou 3S 116 rather that the SB iS 117W !! I really need to hone my skills and get that BEE 124 LTD rocking. It will work with an 8.5 and a 7-oh. BUT what if wind is less ?? Just practise ??

Vaudreuils - plein du monde - plus que 20-40 kph NE

benwindy toute la journée en Hawk 125 et Ezzy 7 m²
benf arrive tard - Tabou 3S 116 avec ?? 7 metres aussi
monsieur avec Gecko 112 et voile 7 - pas plané beaucoup mais resté proche
JP SuperSport 136 avec GA 7.8 ou 8.2 -over ??
Georges en kite et filme le monde - kite 13 m² et 2 planches
moi ? avec le petit Impressa - une planche Mistral Equipe II XR
mais 2 voiles Duke 6.9 et SPF 8.5
j'ai utilisé les deux parce que j'ai resté proche

4 planchistes ont resté plus loin et plané, plané et plané encore

Georges a mentioné Stephane ou Sebastien et j'imagine BENF a été un de 4 !!

belle journée, stationnement plein vers 13h00

TRES contente d'avoir pris l'après-midi OFF
sorry FORCE10 !! no wind for you ?? 



Passed by @ lunch the next day - seemed to be more people, less wind and colder. Kites to windsurfers was 2:1. About 9 kites and 4 windsurfers on the water. Benwindy and Georges were there again !! benwindy seems was there really EARLY !!!

This time I had a sore back n thighs for about 4-5 days :-( 

SUN 02OCT2016 @ chalet

Cannot count this one as a session. Just had to get out so I could say that I did... Have no sails from home and so rigged my WindWing with an epoxy mast and the Mistral boom. Had no wetsuit and so went in shorts and my good glasses. The water was cool and NOT cold. Did one BAF and that was about it. Just to say I went :-)

SUN 09OCT2016 La Crête MEQ2 SPF 8.5 = 9 outta 10 WNW

Wind was supposed to be light and did NOT feel like doing the BIG 10-oh. So, brought what is indicated and since winds were supposed to very light, tried mast base all the way up. Had issues with this and so on the other side of the lake pulled in and moved track forward a bit ...
Wind picked up and so, sometimes rode with dagger down and adjusted track back to where I liked it. Had some great rides across the lake !!

Kept having premonitions about losing the camera that I had attached to the selfie stick. Was always careful when starting in the shallows and at one point almost brought the camera back to the van. Kiter seemed to be drifting out to the main beach but in the deep. He seemed okay before. Fellow came walking out and gave him his "leech line" and kept walking towards kiter. In my attempts to get out from the shallows I broke the selfie stick and lost the camera. By the time I realised , I did not know where it happened ... If one has so many premonitions about something, how can the event be avoided ??  Will NOT let that loss drop the quality of the ride - keeping it at 9 outta 10. Just don't have the proof ...



Could not get a better graph than this one - wind felt better than this at times ...


THURS 13OCT2016 AAO AHD SL2 132 NS Duke 6.9 WSW 20-60kph = 8 outta 10 
Yesterday on kijij I was looking at a board called Copello Thunder 145:


The reason I looked at the board was it was for $400 including 2 fins and board bag and was a little more flotation than my AHD SL2 132 which I seem to have a little trouble with in terms of uphauling , tacking and in lighter winds. Asked how much without fins n bag and it was already sold - in  less than one day = under priced and I  knew it ...

Today was supposed to be rainy with WSW winds 20-40kph. Originally I had put the MEQ2 on the car, but I changed that in the morning to the AHD SL2 when I thought it would be on-shore winds @ AAO. When I arrived there was ONLY one kiter on the water, The wind was straight on shore and barely any waves - considering it was so on shore... Paul ready to go and about 2 other windsurfers thinkin about it. In the end it was 2 - 3 kiters and 3-4 windsurfers. Machine to pay did not work again - told others I refuse to pay then $%^&*( Everyone else was rigging 5.8 and less. I had the slalom board and smallest sail was NS Duke 6.9 and so that was what I used. Was it a day for the BEE with HSM Fire 6.3 = NOT !! They said wind was up n down from 12 to 23 knots !! Oh oh, told fellow I will stay close to shore ...

The water was high which is excellent for AAO. Walked the board out past the rock. Was surprised board did NOT take off until I was about half way across and then MAN did it take OFF. Same thing on the way back and this time I ended up in deeper water. With the waves n all, I did not even attempt uphaul nor water start. I swam it in and was VERY pleased that others checked with me that all was OK !!! Did a couple of runs lie this and called it a day. Was able to sail when wind was down and when the board GOES, it really is time to get in the straps. The board just flies !!!! NICE

One of the reasons I got off the water was time constraints - had to pick up the kid, but also was getting major cramps in both calves. Was it lack of stretching, liquids or ?? I definitely did not eat much and only drank soda and coffee all day. Stretch and drink electrolytes ??

Oh yeah - no gloves and not cold. Put the gagoyle on my neck just to be sure ... Obviously had the wet-suit , booties, etc ...

SUN 16OCT2016 La Crête WSW 20  kph MEQ2 SPF 8.5 = 6.5 outta 10

Was looking at a 2008 Fanatic Shark LTD 135 @ 2-rad this weekend which is going for ONLY $525. Bruno said there was a LOT of interest and I should just buy it on-line.  I had my finger on the paypal button, but called Helmut first - since I already have the AHD SL2 132, why not use the money to go to Hatteras ?? Told Bruno would like 2 weeks next year !!



Wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph or 30-50 kph depending on source of information. The dudes all went to Champlain - Les Roches ... When I arrived at OKA, Guillaume came over and asked me if i was "joe windsurfer". Apparently his father is a fan - especially posts like the Fanatic Ultra CAT repair  He stated most sites and blogs spend most of their effort talkin about the new toys and forget most of us are NOT on the new toys. There were about four kiters and two windsurfers including myself. The other windsurfer was the fellow from whom I purchased the MS-2 8-oh in 2011 - my notes say his name is Christophe from Laval. He used a HiFly 132 carbon board which was from Martin vanGeenhoven and a NS sail 7.3 - no cambers - says he planed  for 20 seconds. I was hoping to practice with the AHD SL2 132 and now was convinced I was NOT going to buy the Shark. It was NOT a failing score because I did get out, no gloves, and had the longboard - thank goodness for that ... That was a pretty poor wind provision !!!!

SAT 22OCT2016 La Crête NW 20-50 MEQ + SPF 8.5 = 8 outta 10


It was colder than usual since we have had unusually warm October. Was about 13 degrees C and NO gloves were needed. It was a rainy weekend and there was NO-ONE there besides me. Should have put the NS Duke 6.9, but there was not much time. Took off and when I fell in had issues getting out and going again with the waves and gusts. So, I stayed in close and did speed and wave runs all the while practising water starts. With this board I can lean the boom on the board and I should have tried that. Was asking myself why I must always go that one time when I get killed. This time staying close and practising meant there was NO issue. KNOW your LIMITS ! When you are alone, one CANNOT TAKE CHANCES. Actually part of the fun was the fact that I was alone. With the seagulls, racoon and the rest of nature. Almost looking forward to winter sailboarding which i would like to call skateboarding , but that name is taken ...


SUN 23OCT2016 liquid smoke !! ALL DAY




SUN 13NOV2016 La Crête MEQ2 NS Duke 6.9 SW 20-50 kph = 9 outta 10

Wind was supposed to be 20 - 40 kph SW and so brought AHD SL2 132 , the MEQ2 , HSM SPF 8.5 and the NS Duke 6.9. Did NOT bother bringing the HSM Fire 6.3...
When I arrived the wind looked good !! There were whitecaps and wind was SOLID on-shore... Wanted to test the MEQ2 with the new gasket and so it was MEQ2 with the NS Duke 6.9.



Buddy (JP??) arrived asking if i had a spare life jacket. Now I understand why I was staring at my spare in the garage !!! Believe he was the same fellow who lent me a mast extension once. Explained to him the wind was definitely on-shore and kiters were running parallel to shore. He preferred to have a jacket and I suggested he ask the kiters. Just as I was considering lending him mine, he came back with a borrowed life jacket.
So I screamed back n forth parallel to shore avoiding a piece of wood floating where i assumed it was either marking depth or a rock. Well, later I found the rock with my fin. The fin came off and there was NO damage to the PB. The metal bolt was still attached to the special Mistral bolt which was NOT lost. Normally I deduct points for broken or lost parts, BUT i am so relieved about ONLY losing a second hand fin and NO damage to the board. Last time it was a US box and catapault caused hole in the Fanatic Ultra CAT...
Some graphs show 16 knots for today and others show MUCH more. It was a GREAT session.
Forgot to mention that I sailed with NO gloves. At times I had to blow on my hands to keep them warm, but it was fine ...

This was the fin I broke n lost:



SAT 19NOV2016 OKA end of main beach 20-30 kph E MEQ+SPF = 8.5/10


Yvente was saying 5.8 at Vaudreuils at around noon. For me it looked like light wind day.
Packed the JP SLW, MEQ, SPF and TR-4 10-oh. Antoine from work saw me heading out !!
When I got there a foiling kiter was getting off and wind was okay, but not sure and would be alone.
For safety sake I used the MEQ and SPF. Planed a couple of times, but was always wind and fun. Managed to fall in on first tack, but okay after that. No gloves and when hands were cold , came in and blew on them until ok. They were fine after. Temperature was about 10 - 12 degrees C.
Was wondering whether JP SLW would have done the job with an 8.5 or would require 10 meter sail ? I was NOT ready to take risks today ...
When wind got lighter, had a headache and cold feet, I decided it was time to get off. Kiter came with his wife when I was packing. He was going to use a 17 m² kite which is exactly double what I was using. He should be okay.
Tomorrow is supposed to be more wind, but rain n snow :-(
La Crête is already closed - NO MORE westerlies from there :-(
Called Johnny, but he was moving furniture.
I could not wait and feel I got the peak wind of the day !!
From the graph, Vaudreuils did look good: best @ 11h00-12h00 tho



SUN 27NOV2016

It was 2 degrees C with some sun coming out in the afternoon.Wind was supposed to be 20-30 kph SW. So, I put the MEQ2 on the van with the TR-4 10-oh and TR-6 8.4 inside. Was NOT bringing the HSM SPF 8.5 with the PVC window. When  I got there, the wind was LIGHT, slightly cloudy AND I am on call. NOT worth the effort. Sat on a picnic bench and marvelled at the beauty. Daughter was to drop by this afternoon and so, headed back home. The girl @ the gate asked if I really was going in the water. Told her my plan was to stay ON the water :-) Guess the season really is over now !! Lwt check next week just for chite n  giggles ... Eight degrees on THURS and two on SAT with some wind potential - and no pager - can take more chances :-)

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