Well its time to put away the skis and snowboards and dust off all your summer wind toys. Some of us can report that the water is not that bad ! Quite a few sailors have been back out on the water already and some of the crazy kiters never stopped (see story later). We’re hoping for a windy season. Its La Nina pattern this year which usually means Easterlies, not so good here but possible to sail NE at Lake Dunstan so it may be time to explore, see story below about a new lovely site at Dunstan. Though David Crow, local weather guru is predicting good W/NW still and also says he thinks we’ll be getting a few more thermals than usual for more Jardines sailing… All in all looking good for a fun season.

Sat 30th Oct. Frankton Beach 11-3pm. Club Open Day, Social Sail and BBQ Lunch.

Come along and catch up. Tell anyone who’s interested in windsurfing or kiting this yr. to come along to meet others and find out about the club and sailing in our area. The club intermediate windsurf gear will be there for use also. (Clubs providing the saussies you bring the beers !)

Dux de Lux, Middle Bar, 8pm. Cheap beer/wine, few pizzas provided. Come along and tell us what YOU want the club to do this year.

Plenty of advance notice, so put it in your dairies now !

For those of you not doing Jazz and staying local, some of us will be down at the South Coast (contact Sue) and the other good option would be the Opening of Camping Season at Lake Aviemore.. get your tent site fixed for the season as its due to be good here with the La Nina pattern.

Do join up with the club again. We have worked hard last year to organize events, including the infamous Big Downwinder and maintain access to our great local sites, please continue to support us…Don’t forget that Jardines is access to Club Members only you should display the current car stickers…..  and besides, this years stickers are amazing, everyone will want one !

For anyone keen to sail on Lake Dunstan, there are some particularly useful websites for the local vineyards which record the wind at hourly intervals.

www.harvestnz.com –then follow links for ; nz- otago- Wooing Tree (bottom of the lake) or Misha’s (top of the lake). Anything recording N/NW good, NE possible

All club members should have had a pack with information about our usual sailing sites in the area, but some of us tested out a few newer spots at the end of last season. Attached are some photos for these(Pics 1 and 2 Dunstan/ Pic 3 Launch Point at Kelvin Heights, nr golf course);

1) Pisa Moorings, on the Western side of Lake Dunstan. Works in NW/N and sometimes NE. We used to sail from Northburn on the other side, but the locals reckon this newer spot has more consistent wind. Its certainly much better for kiters to launch. It has a nice long stretch of open lakefront that would work for body draggers to go and few hundred meters downwind then walk back up, its also very pleasant for just hanging out and picnics too. It’s a run of about 400-500 m across so encourages you to gybe more and its social cos some Wanaka sailors come here too. The water is not deep so at some times of year it can be much warmer than Wakatipu. Locals say it can be OK temperatures in Sept before the major snow melts start.

2) Kelvin Heights. Works well in a Westerly. There’s a very short track right at the end of the rd, instead of turning right onto the golf course. Little cul de sac where you can park, not brilliant rigging and a few rocks to scramble over, but good fun when you get out, you end up sailing across the bay where Jacks Point is. Worth a try for a change.

Boy these kiting guys are serious !! Check out the attached photos from our club members down at Colac Bay this winter. Mike tells me the latest thing is a wetsuit made with bamboo fibres, which produces something super warm.. must be to cope with these conditions. Good on ya guys !

That’s it for now….

Have a great start to the season ! See ya on the water soon, we hope ….

Any further info Sue 027 640 8596.