Monday, July 6, 2015

Brazil!

Since 5 days now, we are in Jericoacoara, Brazil. It's beautiful here, especially when the sun goes down. Our dates were dictated by a business trip, so we are here at the very beginning of the windsurf season, when the wind is not as strong and reliable as in the main season (August to December). We are still waiting for a day where both of us have fun - here's what happened so far:

  • Day 1: I was reasonably powered on 5.3/96l, Nina was underpowered on 4.2/91. The problem with being underpowered is that you are likely to end up downwind, where the current is strong and the wind is gusty, with big lulls. I had fun, Nina did not.
  • Day 2: Light winds, with some strong gusts. Nina decided to go SUP sailing in the knee- to hip-high gentle waves, and had a lot of fun. I joined here a bit later.
  • Day 3: The wind looked good when we went out, but then dropped a bit. Nina did ok on 4.5/92, and watched a few freestylers working on Konos and Burners. This time, I was the one to discover the penalty for being underpowered on 5.3/92. I switched to a 108, which required a rather long walk back to the windsurf rental place. The bigger board got me going, but felt rather boring. We are too spoiled by our own gear..
  • Day 4: Rain and more rain all morning long. Very light wind, and very small waves. A good day to sleep a lot and get over the lingering cold we both were fighting with. We ended the day by watching the sunset from the sunset dune, and having a few $2 beers and $4 Caipis on the beach. 
Today looks promising. The wind typically picks up around noon or early afternoon, but I can already see white caps. Nina starts to look at me a bit impatiently, so I guess it's time to get ready for windsurfing!
Nina SUP sailing