Whoohoo, it’s America’s Cup time again!

[Zimmerframe]

I think the only thing scarier is wearing @steve_sordy 's wetsuit on a sponsored wet suit wear ..

 

[steve_sordy]

I think the only thing scarier is wearing @steve_sordy 's wetsuit on a sponsored wet suit wear ..

It was made to measure in 4mm neoprene with a blue Terry lining. I was 10st 12lbs (152lbs) and now I'm 13st 7lbs (189lbs). Oh wow, that's 37lbs, where the hell is it all!?
Ah yes, muscle is more dense than fat, that's the answer!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

I think the only thing scarier is wearing @steve_sordy 's wetsuit on a sponsored wet suit wear ..

Just be thankful it’s a wetsuit and not a ‘budgie smuggler!’

 

[steve_sordy]

I think the only thing scarier is wearing @steve_sordy 's wetsuit on a sponsored wet suit wear ..

It'll be fine, I never pissed down the leg. (Honest!)

 

[Mikerb]

I know the fastest I've been on water is just a shade under 90mph (GPS) when I was younger and even more stupid on a Phantom 21 with a Mercury XR2 hanging off the back. It was a b1tch to setup with props for top end depending on water conditions but one freezing new years morning, it was perfect. Terrifying might be more correct than perfect , I think I once read that water speed feels like 3 times land speed, I have no idea how I didn't lose my eye brows that day.

I still think from my time on sail boats, that 50 knots on one of the AC75's would feel like a whole different league of nuts ... I know it's slower, but it's even more at the mercy of the earth. Somehow that just makes it scarier ?!

But then I can't even imagine 53 kts on a windsurfer, so I guess it's all relative.

I'm going to fall out of bed tonight aren't I.

Speed is relative to control. 70mph on a motorway feels slow....70mph on a "B" road is exciting.........70mph on a narrow forest gravel road with trees either side is hair raising! The same applies on water. The foil largely removes the one thing that reduces control and that is intimate contact with the water. To a large extent waves and swell and tide lines have no impact on the craft. It is all of that variation that also affects the amount and direction of the forces on the sail. On a windsurfer the failure to constantly adjust body position to compensate invariably leads to a wipe out........and hitting water at anything over 20kts is much the same as hitting a brick wall!