6th June - Kitesurfing for real

The photo shows the kiting area at low tide, either side of low tide the water fills the whole area and is completely flat protected by the sand bar to the left. In thw background is the bridge to Ile de Noirmoutier. Beyond the bridge is the Baie de Bourgneuf, more about that later.

So it is low tide, the wind is good and the kitesurfers are out in force. As normal I make my way up wind and away from the crouded beach, get set up and ready to launch. Nobody within hailing distance so I wait. A woman (kitesurfer) passes and I give the pat on the head, the internation sign for I want to launch/land. She picks up the kite, I walk to the edge of the wind and give the thumbs up. the kite takes off, but I'm not hooked into the harness - madness! I try to grab the safety but in doing so the kite is ripped out of my grip and heads up the beach. With great agility a passing kite surfer launches himself to catch the kite and turn it over. I've only just arrived and I'm already getting a reputation on the beach. The wind was fresh so I went back to camp for a smaller kite, a waste of time, the tide was coming in and the lake had been swallowed up by my return. Completely disheartened and very sore I went back to camp, tomorrow is another day.