Wind machine does not stop anymore! Fifth consecutive day of Peler at Lake Garda, truly remarkable as for intensity, the last mornings. Today, I surfed at Prà de la Fam, with my 3.7 sail ....

 

Windsurf, sessions report: Prà de la Fam, Lake Garda (Peler)

I had not yet tried the experience of being overpowered, with my 3.7 sail, with the Peler wind. Today, we experienced the thrill of this sensation!

When I woke up at the Prà parking lot at 6.00, this morning, it was clear that it would have been a great day, because the lake, offshore, was already nicely rippled. At the Pra, instead, the wind, generally, rises later. With my friend Claudio, we immediately agreed that we would have had lots of fun.

After a quick breakfast, I immediately started to rig: first, the board, the Fanatic Quad 87 TE 2013, deliberately set with a quad fins set, instead of a twinzer set, to make the board a bit slower, imagining what I could have met in the water; then, the sail..... Before deciding to use the 3.7 with the quad, I always check a bit the conditions. I prefer to have power with the wave board, to easily get planing, ride upwind at will,  and have the situation under control. Thus, I rigged the Ezzy Elite 4.2 2017-2018. But.....

 

I entered into the water at 8.00. My set, for the first half hour, proved to be the right one. The slight sail overpowering, at that time, was acceptable, and indeed allowed me to ride well upwind, and to enter the jibe, at full speed. The lake water surface, as during the last weekend at Malcesine, was not very tidy, but still less chaotic than that one of Malcesine, with semi-regular wave sets, about 1 meter high, less exploitable to make good jumps, as the wind's direction, here at Prà, forces to keep a route sub-parallel to the waves. Maneuvering, as usual, turned out to be a little easier near the shore, downwind of the spot beach, where the water was relatively flatter.

Very pleasant air and water temperature, and maybe, due to the feeling of confidence that the Prà gives me, I went out with my shorty wetsuit (feeling comfortably).

 

 

But after half an hour, the lake gave its best, and I started to feel the sail getting bigger and more difficult to handle. Perhaps, I could simply go to the beach to shit the outhaul and reduce the belly (or in retrospect, perhaps I could immediately enter into the water with the 3.7). However, mindful of the Peler bomb, taken at Malcesine last year, I decided to stop and to switch for the 3.7. At 9.00 am I returned to the water, while Claudio continued unabashed to ride with his Neil Pryde Wizard 4.2 and his custom and self-constructed board, proving to have really a good technique.

Back in the water, with surprise, I note that under burst even the 3.7 was almost too big, but, certainly, more manageable. Unfortunately, the 3.7 (an Ezzy Elite 2016), is a bit bastard sail, 'cause unstable, and always wanting full wind to give speed. Therefore, in the central part of the session, it went well, and I was amazed at how well I could ride closed hauled well with a quad and with a 3.7 ... Then, after 10.00, because of some lulls and jump of wind direction, the sail required more tecninque, and to keep the quad fast and gliding, I often found myself gliding with the back foot out of the strap.

 

 

 

As for maneuvering performances, I landed some good jibes with the 4.2, with exit at good speed (but, I have to improve the ability to keep the switch stance in the final part of the jibe), and a stunning (at least, for me) fast tack on my 87 with 3.7 with the choppy conditions .... But, on the whole, nothing memorable (or comparable to the quality of maneuvers I land in flat and tidy waters).

Having to return back to office at 14.00, I could not linger too much (but the wind would have allowed, perhaps with a sail change, to ride for longer time). It would have been nice also to take a bath in the incredible warm lake water of this summer, and to have some relaxation at the beach right after.... but dreams are dreams ... So I spent just some minutes at the spot beach to take pictures of my friend Claudio, and others still in the water at 10.30 (including Matteo from Detour, already with Goya Banzai 2019).

And now, an interesting weekend is predicted in South France (and Sardinia/Corse too): finally the chance to ride at the sea again, and above all, finally again the mistral!

Aloha. Fabio

Click here, for the whole slidegallery of the session.

 

Here below, the video of the session.