A work trip bought me down to Chile this January, and with careful planning and pre-shipping of the work equipment, I was able to carry S/N 01-001 across international boarders for some extended flight testing in warm steady winds.
Despite the darkest days in Seattle finally behind me, the long summer nights of Chile were very much appreciated. Embalse Puclaro is a reservoir in the northern area of the long country, about 5 hours by car from Santiago or a 45 minute drive from the nearest airport in La Serena. Hotel Puclaro lies along the north shore, and while there’s no famous break here, you are guaranteed wind every day during the summer months. Mornings are perfect for foiling, and you can leave your 7m pumped up for an afternoon nuke fest on your TT.
The cubes are precast steel reinforced concrete used in water infrastructure. I’m pretty sure they were the safest place to be during the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck during my final night.
Between work, and this project, and living in Seattle, I rarely get to foil these days. To have consecutive sessions on Project Cedrus was a real treat, and I couldn’t have been happier with the performance. The first day, I foiled upwind 4 miles to the dam that contains this beautiful reservoir, and glided back downwind just as winds were picking up to the high 20s. The new aluminum fuselage was noticeably stiffer than my handmade carbon iteration, which really became apparent as the water got choppier and more turbulent in the strong wings. However, I was missing the lightweight fuselage as I checked my baggage and walked up the beach each morning to the launch.
I was super grateful for the 4 days of riding; it’s a very rewarding experience to be on your own creation, and I’m sure many of you have experienced the same whether your own wing, board, or even an entire foil. I’m so excited for the next batch of masts, and look forward to delivering them to customers and hearing about their “first flight” as well!
For the full trip report, including details on the travel logistics and hotel, check out the post on BAK: https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14958
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