It is vassiliki and this photo was taken during the second race around lunch time. The wind was building a bit.



You've probably been there a few times too and you must know that the big wind fills in after midday. Most of the surfers don't come out of bed till lunch time, sleeping in and recovering from the night before. Ofcourse the cats and mono's had race day and were on the water by 10;30 AM.



There were some surfers out that early, the first few, but they stuck close to the beach and don't show on the pictures.



Mind you just over an hour later we the crossshore kicked in and I mean KICK in. Boats going over at A mark which was layed right up the windward sloop (Big gusts) .



I banged that FX throught it's gybes keeping my eyes shut and one hand on the rear beam; did the submarine job but recovered.



Did recently well but had a hard time keeping the boat from lifting all the time. I was hoping for a cross out for this race as I messed up my start and was damaging the good results of the 2 races in the morning.



Than when everybody went I stayed out to learn to keep the boat down and then I found that lifting the boards when going upwind made all the difference in the world. The boat wanted the drive rather than lift.



When all the boats returned the committe had altered the course and added a triangular loop right up there in Surf City.



Amid force 6 winds the committee boat tried to explain the course to me on the water but I couldn't see the bouy. Then they said just follow the lead boat. And as their was an excellent tiger crew there I thought that that would work as they would be in the lead anyway. Stupid me.



Had a good start in the fourth race. Was all the way down the line trying for a port start but the angles were wrong for a port start so I tacked back to starboard tack right under the Tiger crew that was suppost to be in the lead. The rest of the fleet were piled up near the starboard end. Had a very good upwind leg and covered the Tiger from lee they couldn't pass me to luff (uni-rig !)



Than the fleet spread and I had only eyes for my bows so that I didn't dive downwind. Hobie 16's blasting along all over the place. Near B I saw a few cats heading for Surf city as it became called. It was perfect windsurfer weather and all were out and sailing to the luff and lee of the C mark.



Normally I like solo sailing but now I really missed the my crew. Those surfers don't know anything about right of way. And ofcourse two surfers on a collision course did the imerengy manouvre right on C mark; jump in ! I had to luff the boat hard and she went out of control. I was blown backward with considerable speed and unintentionally tacked away from C mark. Now I had lost speed the surfers didn't see me as danger anymore and streak right in front of my bows and sterns, not realizing that I could strongly accellerate away. Once I found the hole in the crowd I janked on the mainsheet and didn't mind the C mark and hit it. Then I was really pissed. Made my 360 around the the A mark and away from the surfers. By that time I knew that that finishing would be my cross out. In those conditions everything must go perfect on a boat like the FX-one or the H16's will just pass you on handicap and many did.



So I think the answer should be : don't conclude to much from the pictures; there was definately wind that day. It was just a typical day at vassiliki, a mild seawind in the morning and a blasting crossshore in the afternoon.



Nice resort I must say. I did many hours of FX-one there, both singlehanded and doublehanded. I actually got everybody pulling up their boards at the end of my holliday last june. In the first days every other person declared my insane. Brobu most like you experienced when you pulled up your boards.



Anyways enough talk about the FX-one. I did enjoy myself thoroughly, but wouldn't mind not sailing that boat again.



Wouter