After the windstorm of last Friday, Lake Garda, this Sunday, has given us another day of intense wind. Peler at almost thirty knots, that we have enjoyed at Pra de la Fam.

 

Windsurf session: Prà de la Fam (Garda Lake)

Spot crowded to capacity, with parked cars jammed side to side: anyone who I knew, today was here. Still thick the presence of Germans, Austrians and some Swiss, who slept in their van in the parking lot, the night before, like I did.

After the low pressure past last week, the forecasts were quite favorable for the Peler on Sunday, promptly reported in Waterwind forum. Uncertain wind intensity. Thus, some friends prone to wind pessimism...., when at 8:15 the wind had not yet reached the Prà, but only the most northern part of the Lake (Pier, Malcesine, Campione), already began to speak of a possible low wind day. And, instead, you just have to wait .... because in autumn the Peler, at Prà, Peler does not enter at 8-8:30 as in the summer!

Ignoring those fellows, I started trying to search for the first signs of wind arrival. At 8:40, it was clear that very good wind was coming (at Torbole anemometer had already reached 16 knots). So, I began to think that the 4.7 sail could result great; probably, the 4,2, for me (70kg), could be more proper.....

But the pessimists die hard, and while I was handling my 4.7, they started with words like this  "you are optimistic", "I will rig the 5.3 or 5.4", and so on ....

At the end, I got my 4.7 ready, sheeting hard the downhaul and the outhaul, to search for a possible compromise.

As a matter of facts, we all resulted overpowered....., 'cause Peler rose at little less than 30 kts from 9:00, and up to 11:00, especially from 150 meters from the shore towards the lake center (today, it was mainly oriented to the North-West), and, at 12.00, it was still good to be sailed with 5.5 to 6 square meters sails.

I went out with the Fanatic freewave 105 TE 2012 with standard fin (28 cm). The Ezzy Panther 4.7, however, behaved reasonably well, allowing me to manage the gusts, although at the lake center I often had to open the sail. The board would have gone better with a 20 cm fin, which I dreamed several times in the middle of the lake, during my session; but, for my usual laziness, I didn't come back to mount a shorter fin. For me, today the ideal set would have been: my Tabou 3s 86 (temporarily out of order), and Ezzy Tiger 4.2. Success in maneuvers was difficult, because of overpowering. Anyway, I enjoyed my session, taking the chance to perform some good jump (especially on the way back to the shore), and to surf the waves, especially  when going offshore. Waves were beautiful, but not neat as in other sessions.

 

I wore a 4/3 mm wetsuit, and boots, but you could do without it, if not for the sharp beach pebbles. Bare hands and head. In short, still a comfortable water temperature. Pleasant air temperature, especially when the sun arose (and at 12.00, thermometer at 20-22 Celsius degrees).

As mentioned, spot full, and also crowded in the water, in particular near the shore (but the lake is big, and offshore there was place for everyone), with many notable freestylers (besides the always present Simone Grezzi - see him performing a great Flaka 720 in the 2nd video at the end of the article, also a couple of talented German boys), and lots of friends.

Hang loose. Fabio

Click here to enjoy thewhole slidegallery of the session.

 

The video of the session

The video in which Simone Grezzi performs a Flaka 720