On January 15, our holiday in Cape Town, South Africa, continued with a classic couple: Sunset Beach in the morning, Big Bay in the afternoon. Just two nice windsurfing sessions, in which we also started to rig the 3.7 ....

Windsurfing, session report: Sunset Beach and Big Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, 15 January 2020

The idea for this day was to finally ride Haakgat spot. But, at Haakgat, it is destiny that I cannot sail: when there is parking, there is no wind, and vice versa .... And I am not the kind of man who wants to wait in the sun on a sand dune ....

So I returned to Sunset Beach late in the morning with my freind Max; I rigged the Goya Guru 2020 X Pro 4.7, and I entered the water with the Tabou Da Curve 80 TE 2016, set with the MFC G10 Side10 TF / FW combo fins, and with the original central T-Lab Zinger 16, which, with relatively lighter wind, prove a perfect set. At first, I rigged the Guru by fixing the boom end to the upper clew.

As usual, Sunset Beach, in these conditions, proves to be very fun and very educational, despite the many "experts" who consider it a spot with small waves. The waves, todays, are there, and they are more than enough to have fun, perfect for learning, with side / side-off wind. I maneuver well, and I also close a good fast tack on the 80 liters board, although on this maneuver I still have got some job to do. The wind gradually strengthens, and I switch to the lower clew: the Guru confirmes as a sail with a wide range of manageable wind, and very pleasant and light in the hands.

The wind - the mythical Cape Doctor - gradually strengthens, as usual during the day in Sunset Beach. The spot keeps on working well until about 2.00 pm, when the sand starts to fly on the beach, and it hurts when it hits the skin. I decide not to reduce the sail size, but to go home and rest. Quick lunch, refreshing shower, and even a 30-minute nap, to recover energy for the afternoon session. That's life!

Around 16.00, we leave the house to scour the spots. I still reject Haakgat, where the wind has entered very very strong, but waves are nothing special. Here, I meet the group of Roman friends, known in Oman in July 2019, with whom in the following days I will share many sessions.

In the end, we decide to ride at Big Bay, an always very pleasant spot, and with perfect ground logistics. And in fact, it is highly appreciated by the British, French and Germans. We should have a nice, relaxing session.

From the beach, the wind seems strong (but not as much as I will find in the water). The waves are beautiful, regular, around 1-1.5 meters. I see Paolo Prete, a Roman friend who lives in Zurich, just landed from the plane, who is in the water with the 3.7. He is planing at full speed, and this removes all my doubts about the size of sail to use. I also rig the Ezzy Elite 3.7 2016, and enter into the water with the Da Curve, with the same set of fins as in the morning.

Here too, when I entered into the water, the sensations are immediately positive. It's nice to be back in the water at Big Bay too! Moreover, when you know the spots, you fear them less, you let yourself go and you have more fun.

However, the exit is not absolutely relaxing! 3.7 is full and there is a lot of work to do. On the shore the waves are beautiful, not high, but easily to be seen, easier to guess than Sunset, because they are more evident already offshore. They are very different, however, from those I rode in Oman, and this confirms how complex waveriding is, and how much experience it requires. They are quick waves, which become steep and break faster. To surf them, with side / side-off wind, as soon as you are above the wave, you must quickly launch yourself down the line, and then perform the Bottom Turn not too much ahead of the wave, otherwise you will arrive at the Cut Back inexorably late ....

The waves are also beautiful for jumping when going out. At this speed the jumps are really high. In one of these jumps, the strong wind (and perhaps a strap a bit wide) pulls my front foot out of the strap. The foot remains above the board (a nice.... one foot jump would have been better), but the wind lowers the bow of the board in the landing, and I can't do anything to avoid it. I land from the jump with the bow, and the front foot slides forward on the board. I do a kind of split, with the knee that is pushed outwards. Another small trauma that I will take with me for the rest of the holiday ..... Anyway, in the water I sail well, and jibe decently especially offshore on port tack.

At some point, the board slows down while I'm in full glide .... I must have taken something soft .... Better not think too much about what it could have been .... I met Paolo and Max several times both in water and on shore. Big bay allows you to return to the beach to rest as much as you want.

In one of the returns to the shore, I decide to change the fins to mount the K4 (central Scorcher 16, and lateral Shark 10). With the k4, the board, in these conditions, is much better! It is freer and lighter underfoot, and turns better. Promoted with flying colors (although initially I was a little biased - I confess).

The end of the day is very pleasant, an adorable ones that Big Bay can give you. We enjoy the wonderful sunset on Robben Island, unrig, and go to dinner, with Max and Margherita, at the Moyo restaurant, right on the seafront, which I always like very much. Cod, French fries, and Castle Lager, and life flies away lighter ....

For the next day, the program is to go and explore Witsand with my friend Alessio from Modena. It's nice to go to sleep with these programs in your head .....

Aloha. Fabio

Click here, for the slidegallery of Sunset Beach session, in the morning.

Click here, for the slidegallery of Big Bay session, in the afternoon.