Nice summary of the time up at the lake. Great video Jaye.
I only hade a couple days up there, but it was windy and had a great time.
See you at the Freerace.
Mal
Morgan, I had followed you're progress on GPSTC over the break and been hanging out for you're update. Well done mate.
hey Morgs have you uploaded the footage of your intermediate to rear footstrap shuffle - think you showed it to me up at the lake?
Think it would be useful info as a documentation of how you got your rear strap Mojo happening 
Select to expand quotejirvin4505 said..
hey Morgs have you uploaded the footage of your intermediate to rear footstrap shuffle - think you showed it to me up at the lake?
Think it would be useful info as a documentation of how you got your rear strap Mojo happening
Yeah mate it is coming - have been very busy still editing it - hopefully this week finished.
Cheers
Morgan
Select to expand quoteWanderers Free Race 2015/2016 Championship weekend
Awesome would be the word one would use to describe the week end.The location was great Boreen Point, Lake Cootharaba just a touch north of Noosa part of the Noosa river network.Competitors showing up from near and far – Gold Coast and Hervey Bay was great to see a large contingent of boy and girl Free Racers from Brisbane, Nice. Not to mention the local guys and girls from the Sunny Coast. Great to sail with you all – not often does one have the opportunity to sail with so many world class sailors but there it was at the Lake all week end and a few beers afterwards.
This Event the Free Race 2015/2016 Championship was two by one hour races Saturday and two by one hour races Sunday – choose your best two (Dylan did Thank you). Free Race isn’t a course event it is quite literally as the name implies - a Free Race – competitors have to start in the same area and from there anything goes – find your own wind, flat water, race with your friends or, like Andy Saturday and Jo and Brad on Sunday Elanda Point (that is some major upwind to get back) you can change your gear as many times as you like over the coarse of the event. The Free Race events are for everyone, I am proof of that, I have been learning over the last two years to windsurf but have been made feel more than welcome at these events. So even if like me, learning - come along and have a go. If I feel tired I stop and have a rest - its about being on the water with friends - until you get good then it seems to be about being faster than your friends lol - fun for all right there......
Saturday – forcast wind 20 – 25 knots with possible gusts to 30 SSE Woo Hoo sounds good on paper – Actual, Morning blowing around 14knots with gust to 16, mmm most of us rigged small – my mission for the first race just get on the plane. Did a couple of times (work on technique) Everyone else was planning even Mal got going on his 133 Bic.. There were a few who decided to head over to the far side of the Lake and took up to an hour and a Half to get back. Not going to mention any Names, the wind had dropped right off, fair to say, it would have been a tough call to get back.
2nd Race was a different story – the wind came 15 with gusts to 20 everyone even I was planing. What a good event, here we are some of us just trying to get on the plane and others racing the hell out of each other on the other side of the Lake – how cool is that.
Saturday Night – At Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club hosted by Russell and Tony (great to see you and have a drink) Jonesy’s Gourmet Burgers were a winning treat for hungry Sailors. Anita and I give Jonesy the award for efficiently, expertly and calmly cooking, preparing and serving absolutely delicious Beef and Lamb Burgers. A few beers and a red with festivities for the crew with awards from 2014 season. Award winners see photo – Steve Comiskey, Brad Anderson, Dave Sandos, Kelly Tusler, Me and Michael Jones. I think everyone slept pretty well on Saturday night.
Sunday – Day 2 – race 3 & 4 – got up and the Lake was like a mill pond mmmm….. but as promised on the SeaBreeze forecast, the wind came and came and came first race, it was a steady 15 to 20 ish everyone including me rigged big – Jaye and I had a tussle over the Naish Noa 7.8m sail lol, Dad got the Noa and Jaye took out the 6.6 Avanti Nice. It was on like Donkey Kong and the speed guys were absolutely smashing it out there on the Lake – great for us novices to watch and sail with, they do make it look sooo easy. It was a full on hour for the first race, just enough down haul for me.
2nd Race the wind kept on coming and had built some more – not enough down haul now struggled to maintain control but had some awesome runs. Everyone seemed to stick with the big gear to the most part as did Jaye and I Whoaaaaa! what a ride. Well I was trashed at the end.
Then the drive home – plenty to talk about in the car Jaye and I had some firsts in the races – first time I had the Naish out in the rough over 20 knots and stayed on it..
Thanks to all the Sponsors, especially Andy for being there and sharing in the fun and festivities Healthworks, Surf Sail Australia, Black Project fins, Flying Objects and Free Race and Wind Wanderers for another fun filled, exciting, action packed windsurfing adventure – what a fantastic sport. Thank you also goes out to the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club for their venue and friendly smiling faces.
Definitely looking forward to the next one Jetty to Jetty February
Cheers
Morgan
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Select to expand quoteWindsurfing at Wello 23/01/2016
Decided as it is a Northerly to go windsurfing at Wellington Point – Brisbane.
Anita was up for it too seeing though the tide was in – nice..Well got there and the conditions were very moderate – will I get planing or not – good question. I did get planing and in the straps, not a lot at first as there was not much wind in the first hour it was very moderate. Decided to take the board up and get some lunch – Anita had come in so I joined her. Got the board to the beach and as I went out to get the sail the wind seemed to have come up and the others out were planing all the time now.
Forget lunch and went back and grabbed the board and get back out there – lucky I did, got a few good planing runs in. In the straps clocked a 17.99 knots – tidy for a moderate day – once upon a time only a month ago I would not have even got on the plane on the Naish in these conditions. Would have on the Rio but the Naish has been a bit of a steep learning curve but feel I have advanced
Here is the thing….. going faster and in the straps presents a whole lot of NEW and different events to watch out for and to learn. Ok, so now I am going a bit quicker new Challenges have emerged in my windsurfing learning curve – so fin size does matter – I seem to be experiencing really annoying (what they call) spinout – how annoying is that s%*t. Planing along smiling singing out “so this is what they call windsurfing” and the back just lets go for no apparent reason. I would like to go a bit faster but with this phenomenon seems to holding that in check.
So far I have managed a 23.7 knots man that is fun. I did have a smaller sail on in higher winds. The spinout phenomenon seems to mostly happen in moderate winds with a big sail 8.5m is my biggest. What gets me is – I had the 8.5 up at the lake in moderate conditions and it didn’t spin out unless I got airborne off some chop (accidently) not really sure what to do once in the air (another story another day lol), but that was it. Last week end at Wellington Point every time I got planing and cruizing for a while fin let go, seemed almost in the same place each way. mmmm another quandary – I must be adjusting my stance or something to head upwind – is what I am thinking. Any Ideas??
Probably need bigger fin but really don’t want to spend any more money on getting the Naish going as I believe I will only be on it for a short time. Unless we find a board for Anita (windsup with foot straps and dagger board).
The Bayside race might be on this weekend so looking forward to going in that 
May the winds be with you
Cheers
Morgan
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Hi Morg's, I'm one of the Sandstone newbies being helped out by Jeff and our grand master Pete, Roofer Adam is the other newbie and we egg each other on to learn quicker. You say fin size matters, I want to compare notes with you on fin size because I find it makes a difference too. Our nearby sailing spots are very shallow on lower tides so I use a 42cm when there's not much water and use the 56cm one (that came with my board) when I've got enough water. I reckon the 56cm one seems to give a lot better forwards drive to go faster (ie less sideways slip) but wouldn't mind hearing what you reckon is the effect of fin size on your sailing. I've only got 3 sails to choose from, 5.5 for 18kn+, 6.2 for 12-18kn and 7.0 as my light wind sail but I haven't even used it yet. My intent is to slowly use the sails in stronger wind as my skills improve. Board is a 180L Starboard Express at 250cm x 100cm, I weigh 102kg and I get planing and in the straps quite a bit now with those sail/wind combos but obviously my goal is to up the sail sizes for the wind speed to get the big Express planing all the time. Keen to hear what seems to work best for you.
RQ or Vicci point not quite sure yet - Probs RQ less distance to walk back when we come in lol
Had a nice sail on Saturday out off RQ beach – didn’t start off too well.
Set out with 41 fin on the Naish 180 and 6.6m sail probs about 20 knot breeze all good shouldn’t spin out – WRONG As soon as I got going spin out – funny really seemed to happen at the same area each time – that’s a pattern – not sure why maybe pushing up wind.
Thought I would put the 37.5 BP type R on and see what happens = better. I had a couple of good runs where I could relax and sail, even in the bumpy conditions. Today for some reason the board seemed to eat it up, I was able to negotiate my way over, around and between some rolling swell at speed 20+ish forgot GPS and Go Pro still on bench at home ready to come lol. Had a couple of stacks going for the rear straps – just did tacks, tried one gybe unsuccessfully. Still trying to get comfortable getting in rear straps – 60% ish seems easy and just happens and the other times miss or get catapulted 
One thing I did do (Jeff) I managed a couple of legitimate water starts even in the bumpy conditions out from RQ. Went to the tip and held it up and board seemed to come around to where it is supposed to be for water starts, flew the sail and one handed moved to the boom – feet up and away. Nice happy with that.I am thinking of putting the centre straps back on to reduce the pressure on the fin. And to stop catapulting, man it hurts now I am travelling at a reasonable pace. Last stack Saturday – travelling full noise – going for the rear strap…… opps missed and gooooooone (yes it was one of those one last run, in fact it was the 5th, one last run lol) I actually broke my cool adjustable harness lines and hit the mast and boom and jarred my back when the harness broke – woohoo what a ride…… Time to come in 
Sunday at Golden Beach
Something just wasn’t right – I rigged the Noa 7.8m with BP 37.5 fin - I couldn’t figure out what it was so ended up coming in – perhaps not enough down haul is about the only thing and new other lines maybe a litte short – had these in the drawer 30 inch. Front arm bent all the time by the looks. I adjusted the boom up to compensate but didn’t really make much difference. The tide and the wind going the same way probably 15 knots and big tide. There was only a couple of guys out
Just had a great weekend windsurfing at Elanda Point at Lake Cootharaba. Arrived Friday night and had a few beers with Andy and Jill and the girls – awesome to catch up.
Saturday morning was nice and windy – hoping to get a good sail in here. It was a bit overcast but still the wind was blowing -ooooh feeling a little seedy must have had too many beers nothing some time on the water wont fix. Anita was out before anyone – set her 3m up as it did seem to be pretty windy, for a before lunch sail.
Sue and Richard were already out on the water – Richard trying out his new 133 red bic looks fast. After having a couple of weeks of not very nice sailing bingo had a blast – I was planing in the harness both straps – no catapults, no injuries – just nice relaxed cruising across the lake. Now, that is what it is all about, have been getting a bit disillusioned about the whole windsurfing thing lately.
Saturday morning I set up the Naish Noa 7.8m (spent the time to get it right), Naish Kailua 180L board mast foot pretty well all the way forward (seems to work) bp 45 fin. In the morning there were some nice blasts in the SE – in the afternoon it was a bit of a struggle to get planing but still fun.
Anita came in and rigged her 4.5m sail on the Starboard windsup. Had trouble with the big centre fin, kept on heading upwind too far. lol
Sunday – Wind Wanderers come and try day – Andy, Jaye and I decided we would sail over (not such a good idea) wind was ok about 10 to 12 knots I rigged the 7.8m, Andy 8.8 and Jaye 6.6m. Jaye and I headed off early – the plan was to make it across the other side of the lake and then head upwind to Boreen. “Make sure you go south of the Red marker Dad” Jaye said. Did that – I got this, a couple of nice planing runs on the way across pretty much to the other side of the Lake – looking good so far. Jaye turned back and went to help Kerry but I continued on my way for what felt like hours. Almost made it to the SW corner of the Lake and wind dropped a bit no more planing and seemed really hard work to get upwind.
Anita decided to try the Starboard windsup with the three fins in and no centre fin – seemed much happier and stayed out for hours – needles to say with no harness she feeling it today.
Looks nice and flat? Sounds like a good weekend. You're lucky all the family is getting into the sailboarding..
Great update Morgan and glad you didn't give the sport away 
. I was at the Windwanderers day at Boreen and didn't spend much time socialising as was too busy trying to sail the fluky conditions! Some great runs on 9m sail but then it would drop off completely for 10 minutes so made for a mostly frustrating day. Should've stayed ashore and met some new people or helped with the learners. Great to see more people trying windsurfing. Anyway, I've sent you a pm to touch base. Cheers mate, Jack.
Decided to go to Victoria Point for a windsurf – Love the park there is soo much room to set up and there is toilets – Anita happy.
Met up with Jack and Mal – caught up with Greg and saw Martin and others blasting away. Must have been nearly 30 windsurfers out there at one stage. Plenty of learners having a go – good to see.
What’s happening with the learning curve at the moment – I seem to have lost a bit of enthusiasm – is this normal at this stage….So what level have I reached – Still using monster boards, still fall off a lot, can’t Gybe. Can plane, can get to foot straps most of the time, can tack pretty well, not bad at selecting and setting up gear now, can beach start even in the deep water, water start sometimes (but can), plane hooked into harness and foot straps.
One of the most frustrating parts is that back footstrap – getting to that strap seems, most of the time all good – but other times just too hard – crash and burn.
I probably spent 2.5 hours in the water had a couple of reasonable runs clocked a 19.7 knots – which was nice.
Daughters partner managed to find a Fanatic Sting Ray TT 170L ($50 special) it is full of holes and someone has tried to repair it with fibre glass and it has melted the foam – some repairs needed. Maybe it is the board
Anita went out for a sail when the there was some water. Not so good this time
Hayden had a go too on his new 108l board – not much good there either
Probs RQ Beach this week end
Cheers
Morgan
A little video
Good video Morgs.
Now that you have tacking and planning in harness and straps down pat, what your next challenge?
Suggestions in order of importance:
- consistent water starts (so you don't have to uphaul)
- consistent gybing (less time in the water and more time sailing)
- smaller board: 130 to 150 (more control, speed and fun in high winds)
- carving and planning gybes (woo hoo factor)
Select to expand quoteJohn340 said..
Good video Morgs.
Now that you have tacking and planning in harness and straps down pat, what your next challenge?
Suggestions in order of importance:
- consistent water starts (so you don't have to uphaul)
- consistent gybing (less time in the water and more time sailing)
- smaller board: 130 to 150 (more control, speed and fun in high winds)
- carving and planning gybes (woo hoo factor)
Thanks John - sounds like a plan
Fixing the Fanatic Sting Ray TT 170 to see how I go on it - hopefully have it ready for a run next week end.
Have a great sail this week end mate
Cheers
Morgan
Great Sail at RQ yesterday - couple of pic
Heading to Viccy Point today
Cheers
Morgan
Select to expand quotejirvin4505 said..
great shots Morgs - can't see any evidence of lost MOJO??
Just needed some decent wind...time for a smaller board... 
^^^ +1 Sounds like you have out grown (in performance) your current board
Get the 130 L board, more maneuverable for gybing is faster and will give you some excitement to get your mojo back !!!
hi morgs if you are going to the windfest i have just the board to get your mojo back!!!
Finally I started to have a go at gybing at speed – made it half way around most times ran out of steam and fell in backwards. That will be technique for sure…
Had a nice sail at Victoria Point again Sunday – there is a lot going for Viccy point nice park, toilets, grass, shady trees and at high tide plenty of water.
Caught up with Mal, Ella, Josh, Jack, Greg a good few out even came across Curtis – nice to see you mate. The family even turned up and Ben and Hayden had a go.
Wind was up when we got there – Jaye took out the RRD twin tip 108l and had some fun in the morning and in the afternoon took out his Naish Nitrix 135l with the Avanti 6.6 sail with Bp 37.5 fin.
Me I chose to ride the Naish Kailua 180l with Naish Noa 7.8m sail and bp 45 fin was a nice day on the water. I was trying not to up haul but at one stage the wind had dropped and after 5 goes at beach/water starting (chest deep) I decided it was going to be easier to just uphaul (twice) for the rest of time I beach/water started. One of the advantages of Viccy point is you can touch pretty much most places. Very cool for us learners.
I have probably reached Intermediate stage now and funny to watch my daughters partner getting sooo frustrated he couldn’t get going. ‘Man I have been doing this for 2 and half years to get to this stage, keep at it’ Tough sport to learn but worth it when you get there. Mal and I were talking, it wasn’t that long ago that was us out there getting frustrated that we couldn’t get going……
A couple of photos
Cheers
Morgan
Morgs,
The following is a step by step guide to gybing. The step in bold is a tip from Simon Fyfe that really helps.
- Get as much speed as possible before you turn
- Take rear foot out and plant on the inside rail just behind the inside front strap
- Bend your knees and look towards the clew of your sail
- Move your sheet hand towards the clew and your mast hand towards the mast
- Let go your sheet hand and swing the sail away just before your dead down wind, keep carving the turn. Grab the boom on the other side next to the mast as the sail swings round
- Move your front foot over from the outside front strap to between the inside front strap and the mast
- Grab the boom with your other hand and lean back with your toes pointing towards the front of the board, push the board forward with your feet
- Bear away and get back up to speed and in the harness and footstraps
Select to expand quoteJohn340 said..
Morgs,
The following is a step by step guide to gybing. The step in bold is a tip from Simon Fyfe that really helps.
- Get as much speed as possible before you turn
- Take rear foot out and plant on the inside rail just behind the inside front strap
- Bend your knees and look towards the clew of your sail
- Move your sheet hand towards the clew and your mast hand towards the mast
- Let go your sheet hand and swing the sail away just before your dead down wind, keep carving the turn. Grab the boom on the other side next to the mast as the sail swings round
- Move your front foot over from the outside front strap to between the inside front strap and the mast
- Grab the boom with your other hand and lean back with your toes pointing towards the front of the board, push the board forward with your feet
- Bear away and get back up to speed and in the harness and footstraps
Sorry, I don't understand this part where you are basically looking backwards??
I am pretty sure I am looking through the turn where I want to go as I am looking for chop as I sail at Redcliffe
Select to expand quoteSurfinfreak said..John340 said..
Morgs,
The following is a step by step guide to gybing. The step in bold is a tip from Simon Fyfe that really helps.
- Get as much speed as possible before you turn
- Take rear foot out and plant on the inside rail just behind the inside front strap
- Bend your knees and look towards the clew of your sail
- Move your sheet hand towards the clew and your mast hand towards the mast
- Let go your sheet hand and swing the sail away just before your dead down wind, keep carving the turn. Grab the boom on the other side next to the mast as the sail swings round
- Move your front foot over from the outside front strap to between the inside front strap and the mast
- Grab the boom with your other hand and lean back with your toes pointing towards the front of the board, push the board forward with your feet
- Bear away and get back up to speed and in the harness and footstraps
Sorry, I don't understand this part where you are basically looking backwards??
I am pretty sure I am looking through the turn where I want to go as I am looking for chop as I sail at Redcliffe
When I give the advice
Bend your knees and look towards the clew of your sail
A big problem with a lot of people in a gybe is there body position they tend to look down wind not at the exit, the old saying your body will follow your head is important in gybing , as you start to carve if you look at the clew for a second I find it automatically seems to put your head and chest looking at the exit of the gybe which has the effect of keeping you sheeted in and puts your whole body at the correct angle following image is what NOT to do , lean back straight legs not looking at exit
this shot not perfect but much better rig sheeted in driving through turn knees bent looking at exit
Matt Pritchard taught me this.
(If you don't know who Matt Pritchard is...please hand in you windsurfing gear to Board Crazy...your licence has been revoked).
When he saw my gybing…he laughed and said…"Right now lets do it properly"
This is the same for 9m race sails as it is for 4m wave sails.
1. Front hand on top of boom as FAR FORWARD as it can go AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take one deep breath to slow your actions down)
2. Back hand as far back as it can go AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take another deep breath to slow your actions down)
3. Jiggle feet so they are loose in straps AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take another deep breath to slow your actions down)
4. Unhook and bend your knees and hang down low AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take another deep breath to slow your actions down)
5. Bear off a little, keep hanging low AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take another deep breath to slow your actions down)
6. Back foot out of the strap and on leeward rail just in front of BACK straps (heel on the front bolt of the back strap and toes on the rail…..AND KEEP SAILING FAST (take another deep breath to slow your actions down)
7. Now this next bit will happen fast…so prepare yourself. ROLL your body weight onto the inside of the board to start the turn and SHEET IN HARD WITH BACK HAND and BEND YOUR KNEES and LEAN FORWARD.
8. PULL DOWN REALLY HARD and LEAN FORWARD on your front hand as you start the turn downwind and your body crosses over the centre line. You should feel the rig pull you over the centreline of the board to start the turn…..its a CARVE GYBE - SO BACK ARM BENT - SHEETING IN HARD - FRONT ARM STRAIGHT FORWARDS.
NOTICE: 7 and 8 really happen at the same time. The pull down on the boom and the bear away happen together….I have just broken them up here to make it clearer…..If you DON'T do one…you WON'T be able to do the other.
9. Now this is the crucial bit. Just BEFORE your board goes through dead down wind. PUNCH and I do mean PUNCH (REALLY REALLY HARD!!) the back hand forward AND AT THE SAME TIME STAMP and i do mean STAMP the old back foot in between the mast base and the front strap…now its your front foot!
This is crucial to keeping speed through the turn…keeping the rig light and making the gybe in ANY condition….REALLY turn at the hips…so the PUNCH and the STAMP are the same body / hip rotation. (DON'T ARGUE - JUST DO THIS!)
The PUNCH and the STAMP rotate the board through down wind...AND put your body in the right place to grab the new side of the sail. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
10.The rig will rotate easily because you have your hand a LONG way forward as per 1.
11. You will still be going off the wind on the new side, BUT because you are going fast it will be easy to transition hands as the rig will be very light and RIGHT in front of you!!!!!.
12. Grab the boom on the new side and sink LOW again…you are about to load up the sail as your are still sailing very deep on a broad reach.
13. Once loaded up…start pointing back up onto a broad reach still planning!!!
WELL DONE YOU! Nice gybe.
Thanks guys. Theory course complete, if only I could do the practical component this arvo.
Looking impressive Morgs! You're going terrific!
