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| Learning the basics …. |
Come morning, Frank, Jaja and I took our first lessons in windsurfing from the resort’s lady instructor. It was a breezy morning but learning to windsurf wasn’t a breeze at all. In winds stronger than about 8 knots and also depending on the size of sail used, the rig is actually pulled to windward over the sailor. The force of the wind pushed the rig upwards towards a vertical position, increasing the sail area presented to the wind which, in turn, increased the wind force on the sail.
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| Trying my hand at windsurfing |
At the same time, the sailor is being pulled to a more upright position to leeward. The whole setup is therefore inherently unstable. During my trial, I did not take any action to counter this and, as a consequence, was pulled over completely to leeward, ending up in the water. Thus, trying to keep my balance, much less raise the sail, proved to be quite an ordeal. Only Frank was successful, albeit for a few seconds. Well better luck next time.