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WA SURF Mandurah Marathon / Crasher Cup.

Big congrats to Jesper and also Isaac, who wasn't far behind. 

The wind was very light, maybe 13 - 15 and the course tricky; very broad one way and very tight the other. Perfectly sailable though, if you chose the right gear, which I didn't. Failing to consider upwind ability I opted for my 85 litre Manta 59 with 8.0 Warp and 32 Talon. Just couldn't make it back to mark on the second tight reach so called it quits.

Thanks to all involved in the organising and Happy New Year!!!

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Mandurah estuary, put gps on after the race and went for a little play on the ISO 90, 7.8 Reflex, 34 GW.

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Mandurah race... Great turnout! Thanks guys for putting in the effort to organise it, and well done to Jesper and Isaac.

Got there just in time to make the start. Used the 7.8m and Mistral 82cm with a short chord 42 fin thinking it wouldnt be too upwind. First leg went way too far upwind after being told the mark was upwind of the scientific observation tower. Oops. Only just made it to the mark deep off the wind once I spotted it. Jesper got there first, with PD right behind and just in front of me, not being so far upwind. The way back was inevitably upwind. I tried to get some speed up out of the mark but ended up in a bubble of no wind with a big knock. I was sitting about 20m downwind of the wind line for about a km, with the guys who cut into it having no problems heading back. PD got smashed by the knock and was probably sailing 30deg lower than the other guys who got the gust a bit later. Seeya Pete. I struggled to get upwind on the small fin and watched Jesper and Isaac heading about 10 deg higher just inside the gust line. Only just made it to the inside mark. No probs on the way out since it was a bit off the wind. Then back to the slog on the next leg. Langer was catching me like I was standing still on the way back but then I'd make good ground on the inside gybe and put some distance on him again. It was punishment being so underfinned. At one point the wind switched off completely at the inside mark, and Jesper and Isaac couldnt get planing. I made up a lot of ground on them but had the same prob myself out of the mark. Pumped a lot and finally got planing but they were long gone. Poor matty was left in the lull for a while. Back on the mission out, and made some ground up on Jesper and Isaac, but the inevitable upwind last leg killed any chance of being competitive. Slogging along at 18-22kts underfinned is good punishment. I will write 1000 times. "I will not use a small fin on a tight course"

Did 2 short runs on the 113 to test my new 37cm fin afterwards, and got my 2 sec from that. The rest was in the race.