2021 Sailing Season

 Lac Ste Anne - Alberta Beach Al's Report: Harold and Al showed up at Alberta Beach at 11 am to not very promising conditions.  Even the one kiter was having a tough time.  We both rigged 99 l boards with our big sails and headed out hoping for a few puffs.  Environment Canada had predicted 30 gusting 50 kph but it was more like 5 gusting 30.   The windy parts started lasting longer and got stronger as the day went on.  We both had a great day with 4 hrs of sailing over two sessions! Harold's Report: Allan and I were the only windsurfers out today.  There were 4 or 5 kiters down the beach.  I don’t think that they were from our group.  It was an odd day at Lac Ste Anne.  The wind came in sheets all afternoon, although the lulls in between diminished as the day progressed.  The wind direction moved all over between West and North, which made it interesting.  Al and I were well powered on our 6.5 and 6.1.  The swells we...

Pigeon Lake - Brad's Place Ted's Report: Harold was already out on the water when I arrived at Brad's around 11:30am.  The wind was up and down, but mostly up.  I think Harold won the award for most time on the water, but Ross was a close second.  To be fair, Ross was still kiting when I left at 5:30, so he may have even surpassed Harold. I rigged my 4.2 Hucker and 1100 front wing and headed out.  Brad offered me his 790 wing, but after scratching it yesterday, I didn't feel right using it.  I thought Brad was going to go foiling, but after I was out for a while, Brad joined me finning on his 4.2m sail and Stuby board.  It looked like he had a great session.  It was his first time Finning since the fall of 2019. Al was on his 3.8 all day (the fifth time he has used his 3.8 this year in Alberta - a new record).  He said he had a really great day! Harold sailed on his 4.2 all day.  Vadim was on his 5.0, but said the wind was so up and down that...

Wabamun Lake - Cam and Cynthia's place Cynthia's report: I was in town this morning when I got a call from my Dad saying “it’s windy”.  Cam and Katie were sleeping.  The kids are old enough to stay home alone, so I left them my Visa card ( for Madeline to pay for her haircut) and drove to the lake. When I got there Dad had a 4-5 rigged and it was very windy.  I rigged a 3-7 and both of us went out on foil boards.  We did one reach and realized it was way too windy for our equipment. While we were re-rigging a neighbour came over with his friend Val…. At first I thought it was Harold and Blaine but it turned out to be a neighbor we know and a guy who neither of us had met before.  Val said he used to windsurf on the ocean and hadn’t gone in a long while… he wanted to take his 5-0 Gastra and 95 l Quattro for a rip.   We told him that it was too windy for the 5-0 and offered him an old 4-2 of my Dad’s, but he wanted to use his own stuff so he went out on ...

Lac Ste Anne - Alberta Beach Al's Report: Harold, Vadim, and Allan headed to Alberta Beach for a Friday afternoon sail.  Al rigged a 5.5 with his 84l board and was well powered, with some lulls.   Harold was first to the lake and very happy after this long break without sailing. Vadim was sailing a 6.5 sail and having fun until the wind turned off about 4:30.  Vadim set a new record for the longest swim at Alberta Beach! Ross was kiting with various boards.  Looked pretty cool and effortless on his foil.  Mike got there a bit late and spent most of his time rigging larger kites as the wind dropped off. Thanks, Vadim for the photo. Harold Jibing - Two photos combined by Vadim! Dried Meat Lake - Ted's Place  Ted's Report: I was in Edmonton all day (looking at the wind and checking my weatehr station).  I finally got home around 3:30.  It still seemed windy enough, so I loaded my gear and quickly rigged a 7.0.  When I went out, there was ba...

Dried Meat Lake - Ted's Place Ted's Report It was a smoky warm day but looked marginally windy with an average wind speed of 15 and gusts of 25.  I loaded my gear and drove it down the hill in the truck, not expecting much.  I was also nervous about the weeds which were getting pretty last month. I rigged my 7.0, but the water looked much windier than that, so I also rigged my 5.2.  I still hadn't decided which I would use until just before I headed out. I took out the 5.2.  The weeds weren't as bad as I expected, but I did have to clear the foil of weeds once I was out a 100m or so.  I got up right away on the 5.2 and foiled almost all the time.   I foiled for over 20km and only had to stop once for weeds.  My reaches were short as I had to stay away from both shores, but that was where the best wind was anyhow.  I did somewhere around 70 Jibes. Thanks to Cam's secret foot trick that he showed me when we sailed together at Wabamun, my jibes ...

I left home around 9:30 and arrived at Cam's cabin just after Noon.  Jim and Cam were rigging when I got there.  I parked in Cam's lot because Jim had planted grass seed so didn't want anyone on his lawn.  It was great to see them. Cam was rigging a 5.2 and Jim a 4.5.  Cam went out and then came back in because he was way overpowered in the gusts.  I had my 5.2 rigged, but de-rigged it and rigged my 4.2.  (It uses the same mast as the 5.2....) We all had great sessions.  There were lulls and some BIG Gusts!, but on average it was really good.   The wind started to die at one point, and Jim went in and got his 6.0, but when he came out again, the wind came up, so he had to go back and change again. After 32km I went to shore, mostly to get a drink of water.  Cam was already in because he had to de-rig and get to work by 6:00, and Jim was just coming out after re-rigging again. I chatted with Cam for a bit and drank a water bottle.  W...