Since 2017 I have kept a detailed log of all days when a windsport session has been scored in WNY for the purposes of comparing year-to-year action. Sessions are recorded when air temps are 40 degrees or more (and also categories for 50 and 60 degrees or more), and when wind is at least 15-20mph for at least one solid hour. Data is harvested by several means including my own observations at the beach, reports from other trusted riders, and reports from WeatherFlow and NOAA stations. The following chart shows the 40 degree plus results as the wind relates to windsurfing gear:
If the 2023 windsurfing sail size is translated into wind speed the result of a 4.9m sail equals average wind speed of 21.5mph and gusts of 26.3mph. The average sessions per week from 2017 to 2023 is 4.24, so as you can see from the results the 2023 season was about average in this 40 degree plus category. However, my inspection of the data for 50 and 60 degree plus days reveals that the number of wind sessions was less than average for these categories. In fact, the 50 degree plus category had the least number of days recorded, and the 60 degree plus category had the second least number of days recorded. Please note that I do not have data for years prior to 2019 for the 50 and 60 degree plus categories below:
So, overall it was a solid season with wind favoring the colder days, but still delivering sessions on warmer days. A further analysis of the data shows that windsurfers scored 71 sessions on a 3.7m average sail size, which translates into 71 sessions in average wind of 28.6mph and average gusts of 32.1mph. Thankfully it was well over 4 sessions per week of riding in the 40 degree plus category, and over 3 session per week in the 50 and 60 degree plus categories. A solid year, but I'm thankful to have had the foil for the warmer days when the wind was lighter.
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