I was determined to find one of those twin rear straps on the Kona One. Previous attempts saw me get close and jabbed my foot into the leeward strap coz it was closer...brain still looks for a centre strap and foot always ended there, worked but result was the board was zig zagging as it planed. By the time I was getting used to weighting myself correctly on the board the wind dropped and even the Ezzy 7.5 was struggling to create a bow wave.
I had a very rare chance last week for a quick sail in 15-18knots and finally found the windward outboard strap on the first run and hooked in! Hooray! Sure enough it was like I remembered, I had a smile on my dial from ear to ear
. As I was planing I was thinking of everything I've read about modern rigs, lean more forward and out, straighten the front leg blah blah blah. I was thinking too much and it was taking the fun out of that first run so I shut that part of the brain off and went for feel instead. That worked hell of a lot better, don't think just do it I told myself. It would take hell of a big mistake to spin out this mutha of a board! The 6.4 Kult was not quite in its element with my 100kg weight in that wind but enough to plane the Kona One just in front of the front straps. The 7.5 would have been a hoot in hindsight.
Anyway this is way too kewl I thought, just like the old days but I could never get my sinker to plane in this kind of air. As I skimmed along I tried different things with the sail to trim it for more power. Leaned it back, sheeted in and generally just farked around. Weighting the feet (toes and heels) to see what would happen as this is the first board I've used with outboard rear straps (only ever had wave boards). Then I got too confident and threw it into a gybe at speed....that was a bit too ambitious. Hands and feet were flying around everywhere trying to remember what to do, board stalled and went into a cross of pivot turn and a carve gybe...and then I fell off laughing at myself for being so clumsy.
I've been forcing myself to water start only, luckily it has not been a problem and one of those skills that came back surprisingly quickly.
Had enough time to do around 5 x 1 kilometre straight runs in on and off wind and did some conventional longboard turns and called it a day when the board ended drifting sideways due to the wind dropping. My biceps and forearms had a good session, a good sign was my hands weren't hurting so that was proof my harness adjustments etc. were working.
Slow progress but progress none-the-less. I'm stoked. Can't wait for the next session, might break out the "short board" next time...maybe. Pity the launch area of the lake is a bugger to get back to as you have to sail between 2 oyster leases in a square run. Not too bad on the Kona but I reckon will be a nightmare on the shorter Fanatic. Otherwise I would have already used it. Just getting more confidence back and I'll be OK. Just have to use the 7.5 more often me thinks. Still having to get the brain to remember that I'm 20kg heavier and the 7.5 will be my most used sail!
Sorry about the long post, just felt like having a rave and excited with my progress.
