NO GO for the RETRO :-(

SAT 30APR2011 - As you may have read, I was trying to purchase a SW Retro 7.5 to go on my Autima 490 90% mast. A local fellow was saying that was selling everything since he had hurt himself - "blessure oblige" - which means obliged to sell due to injury !! He had a "barely used" Retro 7.5. When I went to see him, there was no visible signs of injury or body part loss. The shoulder had been hurt a few years ago. Well buddy, I broke my shoulder two(2) years ago on the ice windsurfing on my homemade sled and I do more windsurfing now than ever !! Is he just milking the sympathy ticket ?

Okay, let's have a look at the sail. The sail did NOT seem to have an adjustable head strap. What year is this sail? Does not know...  Supposed to be 490 max luff. Let's give it a try. He seemed to have difficulty aiding the mast into the head cap. And there was about 25 cm of downhaul before done. Checked the head and yes the cap was not into mast. Even with that 3 cm extra, we were still looking at too much downhaul AND i did not like how mast fit onto mast base with no sleeve/collar. (Just did a double check - the SW Retro 7.5 did NOT have an open head until 2008 - thus the sail was pre-2008)

Then it just got weird. When I pulled my mast out of the sail, there was a male head cap for a sail stuck in my mast cap !! I showed the fellow why the cap did not fit in. The sail still had a mast cap on the strap ... Asked him if it was his - he said NON. Okay, brought it home and checked the sail with a cap that i use with the 490 - nope, it's there. Oh well, i have a spare mast cap now.




If and when i get a SW Retro 7.5, it will be with open head and from 2-rad or Pat Bergeron $%^&*() - actually now know it just needs to be a SW Retro 7.5 after 2008. Did the measurements - my mast is 491 cm and the Chinook base allows one to move the adjustment piece (what is this called anyway?) down to the bottom - adds another 8 cm from the pulleys. This gives a total of 499 cm - absolutely require an open head on the Retro ie after 2008 !!

After checking the sail I went to the chalet and picked up mast for the North Zeta 3.7 for teaching, BIC Dufour Wing for teaching and light winds, mast base for the BIC Dufour (specialized bases in the day) and my "new" Fanatic BEE LTD 124 (not used by me yet). Next morning put my replacement footstrap on the BEE that I received from a local expert. Still need a fin screw for that one - ordered one on-line and now have some spares too. Almost all set with 3 boards and 4 sails :-) Some of it is old junk (more than 10 years old) , butt like everyone says - JUST GET ON THE WATER and SMILE :-)

WILD surfing video wins 100K

Another day for the Local PROs

THURS 28APR2011 - temps were up and SO were the winds !!! On the quebecwind forum they are talkin about 3.7 sails and 78 liter boards -- OKA ?? I am not equipped nor experienced for such music ...Day for the pros?

One : "retour de coteaux.....3.7 over total....liquid smoke....vent 1 radpat 0........"

Here's some photos: http://svezz.photostockplus.com/event_816959
This is data from Mirabel areoport which is close to my home...

First Time on Water in 2011 :-)

TUE 26APR2011 -- Finally made it out onto the water - after work today. Did NOT get out in FEB like redsurfbus :-) Winds were still ENE and 12 knots with 16 knot gusts. Went to the Riviere Milles Isles which is five(5) minutes from my house. Since it was ENE, I went behind the church in Ste-Rose - shore facing North. The wind was light when checked from shore, but looked much better further out. Rigged the MS Pursuit 8.5 loose on the AHD FF 160 board with the mast base in the middle and the "new" used Select 48 XL fin. Air temp was about 55 Fahrenheit or about 15 degrees Celsius. Had the 5/3 BARE steamer, "new" used life jacket, boots, hood rolled down and thinner Chinook gloves. Winds were up and down with some wind shadow near shore. Managed to plane a few times and had a spectator sitting in a car watching me. NO-ONE goes windsurfing there other than me. Could have used my 10-oh, butt would rather be under than over on my first time out. So, was NOT perfect, but had a smile on my face when planing. Was on the water for about one(1) hour before started getting dark and slight drop in wind. Looking forward to the next session - no more steamer nor gloves hopefully. The jacket and fin were great. One was a trade and the other $20. My windsurf budget can handle that with NO issues. Still looking at 7.5 sails that will fit on 490. Will probably end up with a Sailworks Retro. Nothing wrong with that sail !! Asked on the Australian windsurf forum about suggestions with smaller sails on 490 mast and got NO response at all - surprising !! Yvente and Bruno Artis both tell me I should be happy about the Gaastra Flow 3X 7-oh and they are right - stop wishing for more and be satisfied with what i have $%^&*() and stop the shop %^&*() Get on the water like today and only change what needs to be changed %^&*()

Wanted to go Wednesday as well, butt my wife would not let me :-( Tomorrow / Thursday  is BIG winds - do i bring my stuff n go directly after work ?