Tora - A late autumn roady

Recently published Wind & Kite article I wrote about a Tora roady we did last autumn. Aaahhh, good times . .


Everyone knows that Wellington is windy and that we get a lot of sailable days. However, good down the line wave sailing conditions in the capital are a rarity. Lyall Bay and Plimmerton can produce the goods, however true cross-shore conditions are unusual and challenging at the best of time.

So, to get their fix most Wellington wave sailors need to travel. The most common location for Wellingtonians to go is Taranaki. However, a lesser-known alternative is the remote South and South-eastern Wairarapa Coast.

Well known amongst the surfing community, the Wairarapa is littered with good quality surf breaks that can hold large and heavy waves. Many of these spots have been wave sailed off and on by the Wellington hardcore since the late 80s.

Tora is one of the better-known spots, producing a long right-hander peeling off an exposed rocky reef. The swell hits the outside reef first, losing size as it wraps into the inside. On bigger swells the outside break connects, via a fast section, to an inside small but well formed break.

After a very early 6 am start and a two-hour drive from Wellington we were sitting in the car wondering why we got up so early. It was hard to feel optimist about our chances of getting some good down the line sailing. Into our second hour of sitting in the car we were staring through rain bleared windows at a dribbly 2-foot swell ruffled by a 4 knot onshore our hopes were starting to lag.

The wind and swell forecasts had been looking solid all week showing a 3-metre groundswell and a 35 – 40 knot SW. Perfect conditions for a Tora sortie.

Like some minor miracle bought on by our collective wishes at 10am the wind turned cross off and started to pick up. The swell cleaned up and stood up. And, almost as if on cue, a convoy of the late risers rolled into the car park. Bastards!

After another half an hour the situation had improved remarkably. The swell had picked up to head to logo sets and a 25-knot south westerly was fanning it. The sets were still looking a little disorganised, but there were some chunky sections offloading on the reef. A rigging frenzy ensued despite continuing showers and the temperature hovering around 8 degrees. It never ceases to amaze me how much watching peeling waves with the cross-offshore spray pumping off their crests motivates me to get out there.

With 12 wave starved Wellington sailors jostling for position, getting set waves proved challenging, forcing the desperate and adventurous to take on the smaller shoulder to head high waves. These waves rolled and boiled through a complex rock garden. After a while you get tuned to where the rocks are and could even incorporate them into your ride by smacking the section as it surged over the rock. By an amazing stroke of luck no fins or skin was lost despite some badly mistimed hits.

The bigger set waves were the ones to get, providing nice big long walls with fast breaking sections, throwing out chunky lips. They were just the right size for going hard without having to worry too much about the consequences. There were lots of lip smacks going down by everyone; big style carves at the end of the sections and even the odd aerial by the more adventurous.

Like pigs at the trough, most sailed until they physically couldn’t sail any more. For me, it took about three hours until the skin started to slough off my hands.

With bleeding hands, pumped forearms, shaky knees, mild hypothermia, and big smiles we were content that we had drank our share of the conditions. One by one we bid farewell to Tora and embarked on the long journey back to Wellington not knowing exactly when we would return again or when or where our next fix was going to be satisfied.

Tora Notes

What’s it like?
Probably the most consistent wave sailing spot in the Wairarapa. This right hand breaking reef break is pretty much guaranteed to be working in a good southwesterly. The southwesterly is cross to cross-offshore and unlike most cross shore locations you can usually plane off the rocks, which is just as well as the launching area closes out regularly in large swells. Picks up any kind of swell, but an E to SE swell seems to wrap in best.

The break has two parts: the outer reef and the inner reef. The reefs break separately on small swells and connect on large swells. Waves breaking on the outer reef get massive. The sailable wave easily gets over mast high and can handle much bigger. The bigger the swell, the further out the waves break and the better it gets. It is possible when the two reefs connect to get over 500 metre long rides. In small swells waves will break closer to the beach where you will find occasional rocks popping out whilst going down the line.

What should I look out for?
Watch out for the sometimes-heavy shore break and especially the rocks just below the surface on the inside and at the launching spot. Avoid straying into the incredibly heavy bombora on the northern side of the bay. Never sail alone, especially here.

Who does it suit?
Intermediate up to logo high. Expert only when it’s bigger than logo.

What are the best conditions?
Southerlies, best in a South Westerly. Easterly to southe easterly groundswell.

How do I get there?
Follow SH2 Head over the Rimutaka to Featherston, then to Martinborough where you head south towards Lake Ferry. About 1 km after leaving Martinborough, you take a left, and it’s signposted from there right to the beach. Martinborough to beach is about 30 minutes of driving. Once you get to the beach, turn right, and follow road for about 1 km through the scattered beach batches. There is a round toilet hut near the beach. A grassy rigging and launching area is located to the right of this little hut and river mouth.

Online Resources
• www.wind.co.nz - for online subscription service real time wind information from nearby Castlepoint. Text CAS to 9463 (WIND), calls cost 99 cents per message.
• www.metservice.co.nz - Marine forecast for Castlepoint.
• www.windguru.cz - Wind and swell forecasting tool. Type Tora into the spot search tab. Wind forecasts seem to be pretty much spot on.
• www.deepfried.tv - Article and video clips of a trip here in June 2004
• Slogger - Google map and logs of sessions had at Tora, including more photos and links to YouTube videos.

Wellington Freewave Champion 2008

The third and final round of the Wellington Freewave series 2008 was held on the 29 November. The forecast was looking pretty dodgy, although there was a slight hint that the northerly would kick in on the Saturday.

In keeping with the hint, just enough of a northerly picked up to run the last round. The venue was Shark Bay and the format was freestyle. Now, I like freestyle and probably had as better chance of wining the round in these conditions than in the waves, but the condition were flukey bordering (13 - 20 knots) on being just sailable. Despite some grumblings in the ranks (mainly from the wave orientated sailors) and a vote to quell any disquiet, we pushed on.

I had a good heat managing to go through most of my limited freestyle routine in the ten minute heat without any hitchs and I was through to the final. The second heat was a little closer, with Clayton Dougan and Chris Norris (both title contenders) vying for the last finals slot. Instead of making a very hard call the judges decided a draw, putting seven into the final.

The final was held in a diminishing wind so most sailors had to frantically pump t get on the plane. Despite the conditions all manner of planing moves were thrown down flaka's, grubbys, spocks, vulcans, willy skippers and believe it or not forward loops in just planing conditions. There were some pretty motivated sailors out there. I had a frustrating final not quite getting enough board speed to land a spock or a forward.

In the end the judges had to make some hard calls, but I managed to snag third place. It wasn't pretty, but third place was all I needed to win the overall series.

Super stoked to finally win this event after seven long years of getting in the minor placings. Stoked also for young Tim Haxell who took out his first round win and great to see Tom Taylor back in the saddle after a long absence.

Check out Wildwinds gallery for more event photos taken by Dave McPhee.

The "How to series" - The Boomerang

The following article was published in the spring 08 edition of Wind&Kite. It is one of the series of "how to" articles I have been writing for the mag.

The Boomerang

Introduction
In 2002 a visiting Austrian windsurfer named Michael Rossmeier (who later became a PWA sailor and authored the Tricktionary) competed in the Wellington freestyle champs. Michael won the contest throwing down spocks, flaka’s, and lollypops at a time when most of us hadn’t even heard of, let alone seen, these moves.

At the time, I asked Michael how he got so good sailing on local lakes in Austria. He replied that he would go out everyday regardless of whether there was enough wind or not. Since then I have come to realise that one of the most attractive things about freestyle windsurfing is that you can have a lot of fun and make a lot of progress in sub planning conditions. Light wind tacking, boomerangs, heli-tacks, monkey gybes, auto-rotators, geckos, and a vast number of other moves can all be performed without ever getting on the plane. These moves also provide the fundamentals for the more complex planning and aerial moves.

The boomerang is one of my favourites. As its name suggests, it involves throwing the sail down and waiting for it to boomerang, or bounce back, into your hands. The movement seems to defy gravity and is guaranteed to impress. An added bonus with this move is that most sailors should, with a minimum amount of trial and error, be able to do it.

Skill level
This move is for anyone that has learnt the basics of windsurfing.

Risks
This move has very low risk. However, make sure you have a clear area so you don’t drop the sail on anyone or in someone’s path. May cause embarrassment if sail fails to boomerang.

Equipment
A board that will float and wave or freestyle sails. Big boards will provide extra stability and float in light winds. However, any equipment will do, although it may be difficult on fully cambered sails or if you are up to your knees on a small board.

Conditions
This is a great move for mucking around on light wind days. However, the boomerang can be successfully pulled off in almost any conditions.
More information on light wind freestyle
To get inspired on light wind freestyle check out Caesar Finies from Bonaire on YouTube

Step One
As you are approaching your transition bear off, then turn back into the wind. In sub planning conditions you will need to bear into the wind more than for planning conditions.

As you are turning into the wind throw the sail down. Rather than just throwing the sail straight down try and throw the sail slightly forward so that it slices through the air as it falls toward the nose of the board. Drop your front hand first but then throw the sail with your backhand.

Step Two
As you let go of your rig you will need to be prepared for the sudden loss of the rig compensating your weight. In first attempts it is common that as you drop the rig you lose your counter weight and fall off the other side. In good boomerangs the sail will hover at the waterline for what seems like a long time. Watchers (and sometimes yourself) may think that you have just dropped the sail in the water.

You can add emphasis at this point by striking a super casual move. Think laidback long boarder, John Travolta in staying alive. Maybe even grab your crotch, Michael Jackson style.

Step Three
As the sail drops and slices into the wind, the back winding effect should take over causing the sail to hover over the water then slowly float back into your hands. All you need to do is maintain you balance on the board until the sail comes back. This can be harder than it seems.

Next Steps
Once you have the boomerang mastered you might like to try the boomerang tack. The boomerang tack involves throwing the sail more forward so that it slices further into the wind. At the same time continue to bear the board into the wind. The combined action of the sail slicing into the wind and the board bearing up into the wind should allow you to recover the sail on the opposite tack.

The boomerang also provides some of the fundamental principles for the shove-it. Instead of throwing the sail down you need to throw yourself with it, while in the air. Simple!