successful 10km gps-windsurf crossing Markermeer

successful 10km gps-windsurf crossing Markermeer

Today I used my Suunto to navigate from Gouwzee to Oostvaardersdiep. Not a very impressive distance between both (10km), however a good challenge for me as a beginner in crossings.

For the first time I used a raceboard. And yes, thats something different for sure! Some differences which I found out (I never had a board with 140liters+):

  • you would think it is very stable, but its just 70cm wide and thick.. Therefor it is actually less stable than a lightwind slalomboard;
  • you would think it is very heavy to sail it for 10km on a reach. It is actually very light on the feet/arms, just a good exercise. However I had to search on the board for a while (where do I put my feet);
  • you would think it is quite slow. It was a beautiful day and I shared the water with many other sailors. It was definitly not slow compared to a sailboat. My 25ft  sailboat which I sold this year could not reach these speeds. The wind on the water was too less to glide for my good old hypersonic, soo it even beats my hypersonic (in these conditions);
  • you would think it is not playfull, however it actually is… You are constantly playing with the board angle and let it “surf” on the waves. If you use a wave good it will increase your speed.
upwind versus downwind & Gouwzee versus Oostvaardersdiep
In the graph below you can see the speed, I had higher speed at the start/end-point. At Oostvaarderdiep my speed upwind or downwind was equal. At the Gouwzee my downwind speed was higher. A reminder for next time: don’t forget to start the session with my Suunto. Here is the Movescount session
 

 

Erik Loots

Erik is windsurfer for 10+ years. In his daily life he is professional in construction dewatering, advisor, troubleshooter. Erik likes adventures, explore and to challenge himself. During his life he is trying to get the best out of it and have respect for the earth, nature and future generations. The modern world is about sharing, in this blog Erik shares his experiences, selfreflection and lessons learned.