This past Saturday, the first after returning to Thailand, was a beautiful day. I spent the first few hours just lounging on the balcony, enjoying the warm weather and beautiful sights of the Bay of Siam.
The wind picked up in the early afternoon and I was eager to go windsurfing again. By the time I got down to club loongchat, it was clear that many other people had the same idea. I felt I was ready to step up to a more advanced board and bigger sail, but it turned out that everything had been rented out except for a 5 meter sail and a beginner board. I figured I’d deal with that for now, anything so I could get on the water.
It turned out to be a good thing. There was a fair amount of wind, more than I think I’ve experienced before. Before long I was having a great time, speeding in and out, dodging all the other wind and kite surfers, most of whom were far faster than I.
I was definitely doing better than I had ever done before. A couple things were really helping me out. While I was at home, my mother had given me a thin rash guard which was keeping me cool and protecting me from the sun. My dad, a world class yacht sailor, gave me some lessons on the way sailboats work, most of which is applicable for windsurfing.
After I had exhausted myself, I took a break to grab some water and switch sails. Most of the people in the water had cleared out, so I was able to upgrade to a 6.6 meter sail. The largest I had used to this point was 6 meters.
There was a significant difference in that 1.6 meters. Not only in the weight of the sail itself (it took a lot more effort to uphaul to a starting position), but it the sheer amount of wind I could take. I was already tired, but I just couldn’t hold onto that much wind for very long. I’m sure some weight adjustments would have helped a little bit, but it became immediately apparent why all the advanced windsurfers wear harnesses. I’d much rather hold onto all that force with my hips rather than my arms.
There is still a lot to learn, and I was quite exhausted after three hours of sailing. I headed home, and took the opportunity of the sunset to grab a picture.
After this shot I grabbed a quick shower and walked down to the See Sea for my first Panang curry and fresh coconut since getting back to Thailand. Damned delicious.
I walked back to my condo’s little shop and grabbed an ice cream bar in order to cool off a bit. Instead of grabbing an elevator back up to my condo, I walked straight to the truck and drove down to my favorite massage place to get an hour and a half Thai massage. I don’t know how I went 2 weeks without one.
After that, I came back, had a beer and watched a movie before going to sleep, perfectly content.