Kiteival day 2: Pointe d'Esny via Ile Aux Serfs to Trou d'eau Douce + Speed kiting comp
[Pic: Aerial of the Pointe d'Esny sailing club]
Tim Tams, Snickers water and beers in quick succession ...
Very big day – felt like an endurance thing. Nico got rare permisson to launch from the sailing club at Pointe d’Esny. Wind was howling til we set going (11m), then a huge upwinder to get out of the bay – Brad (South African/long scrabbly hair/great kiter) and I got stuck in a hole, with the current around the island dragging us up the river mouth downwind. A gargantuan effort and the longest single direction run of my life eventually got us out of there – my leg was shaking as we eventually got to the reef break!
Then messing about in the flat water while some of the others who'd made it out as far as the sand bar played around there.
Then downwind to our island golf course for lunch – totally exhausted and freezing cold – one of our packing measure for this big trip was to skimp on the wetsuit. Everyone else sung in their shorties, I was in a 1mm radiator top! Thanks to Nana for the hoodie! Anyway eventually got our stamina reset to go intot he sopeed racing comp.
The idea was to wear one of four GPS watches in the flat part of the lagoon, for 15mins, and the winner is the one who achieves a maximum time over 15 secs. Nice ting being you can try out different runs and techniques during your time and it doesn’t matter. So long as you get one decent score. Results not til Saturday. I got one really good run that ended (after 15 secs) in a massive wipeout in 1 foot of coral-bottomed water. LUCKY
View Alex's kitesurfing spots (Tour09, Kiteival) in a larger map
Of course the speed course was a massive upwinder from the island.
Then finished the day with a punishing downwinder to Trou d’Eau Douce (near Hotel Tropical) then Tim Tams Snickers water and beers in quick succession.
Wow – that was exhausting
What I must mention is that my health is deteriorating day by day. Starting off with tickly cough I’ve moved into phlegmy cough, and then sinus blocked – and lots of achiness that I’m not sure whether to attribute to the kiting or the cold. (swine flu!!??)
Big bus ride back to Tamassa Hotel, late feed and BED
