perfect speed run

Steve has found a great run, unfortunately its in Holland
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that's awesome!!!!

i reckon i get my landsailor flying along that straight road.

looks like he has found 2!

put your falsies back in!

California has a huge network of irrigation canals:

So those 70 knot gusts at the Ponds that flip over shipping containers and searing Santa Ana winds that bring fiery devastation to the state are a figment of Hollywood's imagination then? California has heaps of wind, ever heard of San Francisco Bay and the epic windsurfing there in Summer, San Luis Resevoir and the Pacheco Pass winds that blast the windsurfers into submission? All those wind turbines that make power for the state must run off sunshine, it's a bit like saying Sandy Point is not sandy![}:)]

there is no room for overtaking here and not much in the way of a window for wind direction either.. the search continues...

Wind direction isn't a problem because the canals zig zag around the country side so you would be able to find the right run whatever direction the wind is blowing they are 50m wide so you could overtake if you're fast enough

Those Californian aqueducts look pretty smooth and the desert winds can be quite strong.

Roo, what the legality of sailing there?

Argh,

Playground of the Western States!

Re. Picture of canal in NZ:

In 1989 I was in a Toyota Hi Ace minibus on that road in a 40+ knots side wind (Skiing Trip) My speed sailing mate and I were hanging out the window in amazement
looking for the bits that had just the right angle.
Didn't have a windsurfer with us though!

Three things I remember:
-The wind was extremely gusty!
-The driver was struggling to keep the van on the road using both lanes
and full cross arm technique and the girls (OK, us too ) were terrified!
- The following chop build up on the bits that were the right angle was horrendous!!!

Irrigation canal in NSW Finley 155km long 40m wide

The event they are talking about was held in one of the storage ponds for the irrigation canals at a place called San Luis Resevoir that feeds into the California Aquaduct. The wind howls there in summer (it's blowing 25-30 there as I write this) and in the late 1980's early 1990's they used to get 300 windsurfers turning up for the annual Speed Checks. Fred Haywood and Jimmy Lewis were regular attendants.

You can read about it here:
http://www.gps-speedsailing.com/Beta/AMS1.pdf
www.gps-speedsailing.com/Beta/AMS2.pdf
www.gps-speedsailing.com/Beta/AMS3.pdf
www.gps-speedsailing.com/Beta/AMS4.pdf

Biggest problems with sailing the canals, and believe me we tried, is the fast moving current and difficulty getting in and out of them...they are quite slippery and steep banks. It's only when the current is the fastest that the water is high enough so there is no wind shadow.

Nowadays there are only one or two speedsailors in California, the Ponds have long since dried up and been closed, and most windsurfers moved up to the Gorge or gave up. Back in its heyday speedsailors combed the state looking for the perfect location.

Other than liability concerns at the the Ponds caused by outlaw jetskiers the biggest problem has been the drought in California and lack of water. The water district hasn't been able to buy enough water to fill them up; the diversion from the Colorado river is in dispute and everyone wants a share of the water, even Mexico.

Believe me we have searched the West coast up and down, ARooBar is the closest we have come. Finding consistant strong winds is the problem, The Ponds, The Gorge and San Luis Resevoir have that in the Summer but no real full size speed run. Coastal site winds are storm driven and they have been pretty mellow for the last few years. The fastest sites are the Klickitat River Sandbar in the Gorge and ARooBar at the mouth of the Gorge so far, neither of those have been sailed to their full potential but I'm working on it!

The right side photo I posted yesterday is indeed the San Luis reservoir.

I believe this vid is of the same area.

www.stableroad.com/videos/bsy3speed.htm

here is a little bit about the place

www.iwindsurf.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=128&siteID=207&Isection=Local+Info

But I still think SP is the place despite the encroaching dunes. They don't look nearly as high from this perspective as they did from the waters edge.

Hey Roo howabout getting your cowboys onto the GTC we need an american team!!!!