Noli is not our favorite spot, but yesterday it gave us a really pleasant and unexpected day, with quite a nice wind, and above all with a real taste of summer.

 

Windsurfing, session report: Noli (Liguria, Italy)

This Sunday, I decided to please my wife and take her to the sea to spend a nice sunny day. The choice, so, fell on Noli, a very beautiful place, obviously with windsurfing equipment in my car, because in any case a ride, never does you harm.

 

 

Noli this time gave us a good session. I had forewarned my friend Marco from Turin of my trip to Liguria. Emerged from the clouds of the Turchino pass, along the highway, Noli welcomed us with a bright and warm day, and bright colors, practically a taste of summer.

At about 12.00, when I arrived at the spot, after temporarily leaving my wife and daughter at the beach in Noli, more sheltered, the wind was already blowing well, but not so badly strong as usual here, with gusts at about 25 knots (in the water, they proved to be at 30, actually). The average wind at Noli does not exist .... and therefore I will not tell you how much it was...

 

I have therefore prepared the Ezzy tiger 4.7 2018, to be matched with the Tabou 3S 106 LTD 2013. I set it with an MFC 25 cm freewave fin, at the beginning. I entered into the water around 12.30, with 6 or 7 riders. The forecast gave the best wind between 12.00 and 15.00.

After entering the water, all in all, I had a well-being feeling. Above all, in the first part of my session, the wind was oriented a bit from the North East (and then side), and this has meant that it was better spreaded and uniform over the spot, so that you could glide even in the poors without too much effort. At this time, the fearsome gusts of Noli (sometimes they reach 40-50 kts...), were not too bad. It was advisable not to go out too far, both for safety reasons (in Noli, you must always leave Capo Noli downwind, to be intercepted in case of problems), and also to avoid facing a too much strong wind for your sail size (which at Noli can never be too small), and, above all, for the water surface that became annoying offshore. On the offshore ride, in fact, you faced a short but steep and messy chop, good only to get your teeth out of your mouth ....

 

Much better the first two hundred meters near the shore, with the small wave that pushed you from the stern, or with an almost flat water level, even if with some more wind lulls (but at the beginning, not too many). Moreover, riding near the shore, you could enjoy the emerald sea of ​​Noli, which yesterday was crazyly beautiful, for the magnificent sunny day. Also in this session, I confirmed the progresses of my last sessions. In particular, yesterday, at Noli, it was easy to close the fast tack, due to the considerable headway, when entering into the wind, due high speed, and to the absence of a significant wave to stop the baord. A bit more complicated was jibing, because it was not easy to choose the right time. Jibing in the strongest gusts meant, easily, get the sail ripped. So, I tried to jibe at the end of a burst, so as to begin carving with good speed. Unfortunately, in thew final part of the maneuver, sometimes, it happened to have not enough wind, to keep or reacquire immediately the palning. Anyway, I could do a good exercise. After half an hour I went out, to change fin, have a chat on the beach and mount the GoPro. Moreover, half an hour in Noli is worth, in terms of fatigue, twice the time on a spot with uniform wind ....

 

In the second part of the session, I entered into the water with a shorter, 21 cm, fin, with which I thought I could handle the strongest gusts at 30 knots better, drifting a bit. Actually, the surface of the fin was however generous, and it did not produce the expected results. In addition, its smaller length made the board quicker, and a little more nervous on the chop taken with the bow.

In the second part of the session, the wind turned out to be a little more offshore oriented, and more gusty (more from the North). Before it started to make me feel a little tired, I continued to maneuver decently, and above all I had the opportunity to do some shots and photos in the water to other riders, and also to Marco.

 

At 15,00, after greeting friends and other riders, I deservedly ate my beloved focaccia di Recco (a ligurian kind of pizza with no tomato, and with cheese), and I returned to my wife and daughter at 15.30, with whom I enjoyed Noli, always really beautiful, making a walk through the village, and on the path that leads to the castle. Back in Milan, about at 19.30, still in bathsuit, and baked by the sun, I was greeted by hail on the ground, and the usual traffic jam ....

Aloha. Fabio.

Click here, to enjoy the slidegallery of the day.

 

 

Video of the day