I agree: when the sun is down against your eyes and the place is busy I am always worried i might not see in time someone in the water. Just think the damage a fin at 20 + knots could do. Do you think polarized sunnies would help? I never wear sunnies 'couse i often get wet. And what would be the best emergency manouvre if you cannot avoid contact ? so at least you would know what to do.
Good to document this. Lucky she didn't get her head chopped off. I always wear sunnies when windsurfing, don't think I could windsurf without them.
and wet suit helps sometimes ...
I was cough one day by running fishing boat towing lines.
fortunately hooks ripped my wetsuit not the skin
Lucky, yes!
The white sail is part of the problem. When they are in the water they are really hard to see. With sun in your eyes they would look like part of the reflection if you saw them at all.
I nearly ran into a white sail in the water this winter. No sun in the eyes, just overcast and it didn't show up in the 'grey' water. I just didn't see it until it was 5 - 10m in front of me, and I had to quickly bear away downwind to avoid it.
Fluoro colours for sails and boards are back in and it's a good thing. It's no accident that safety vests use those colours!
I had a close call when I was starting, one of the more experienced guys thought he'd buzz me just as I got back up, his board clipped my calf & both of us ended up in the water - I didn't want to feel my leg, thinking that the fin might've peeled my calf off the bone. It turned out to be the rail that clipped me, I got a sincere apology & he didn't do it again.
