|
LOTTERY!
I had a blast today, a very fun day with just about perfect conditions. I met John B. & Mike M. at the University Beach about 2:30. Mike was sailing and John was worried because he hadn't seen him in a half-hour and the wind was really light. I got out my 20x60 Bushnells and scanned the horizon, picking Mike's orange Ezzy out pretty easily. When I dropped the binoculars, I couldn't see him at all. Powerful buggers!
Mike made it back okay, the guy can plane in about nothing. I might have been blowing 15 -- at the MOST, no exaggeration -- and Mike was on a 5.4. He's a lightweight, but not tiny at all. He's just a good sailor.
It was offshore and fluky, so I headed to Grassy Point to sail, knowing that the forecast was good and that would be the best chance for some fun, given that I haven't had a really awesome windsurfing day for about six weeks. There were already a few people there when I arrived just before 4:00, and I rigged my 6.6 and the Carve 111 and put Dick's 12" prototype fin on, to see how it would do on the Carve.
It was great. First, I blasted around Grassy proper for a couple of runs, to make sure everything felt good, then I headed south to the Playground to get a little chop. Alan, Bob, Steve and John joined me out there. I had a good time, but was a little overpowered and didn't feel comfortable enough to really try to air out any jumps. I had a few small ones, but I want to get some bigger jumps going. I hit a few jibes, but missed a few, too. I had a great save when I thought I was dead in the water and I also had my best medium-chop jibe. As I finished, I came down the front side of a small wave and rocketed back onto a plane. The fin didn't have jibing problems like with the 7.8. I think it's just a bit too small to sail with the 7.8, unfortunately. The top end is bad, but I like the fact that it planes up quickly and is so short.
After I came back for some water (THIRST!), I went back out but didn't head to the Playground. It's about a 3 or 4 mile sail, somewhat upwind, and takes about 15 minutes of work. Coming back isn't much fun either, with all the downwind sailing and such between Pita island and the shoreline. It's hard on the legs and the brain, worrying about what you are going to hit because you are yards away from where everyone says never to sail. I was following Alan, a very experienced Grassy Point sailor (he's in his 70's) back to the launch through the hazards and he stopped and turned and put up the "stop" sign to me. Glad I was following him, as he walked another 10 feet and was in ankle deep water. Oops! Dick would have gotten his fin back in a body bag.
On my second "session" I hung around and flat-watered it a bit with Crab, John and John-Paul. JP is a new guy, about 20, who has been sailing for about four months. He's already pulling off jibes and small chop hops and is a good sailor. We had a fun time drag racing and playing "top this". I hit a bunch of nice jibes and tried some circles at the end. I either lay the sail down too far and end up flopping on it, or leave it up too far and fairly unattended and get plastered with it. My last one was pretty good, but I didn't pull it off. I was pretty close.
I'm going to start trying duck jibes soon. Today was going to be the day, but I was overpowered much of the time on the 6.6 in an average of about 23, gusting to the high 20's. Tomorrow is shaping up to be the same, so maybe I'll try the 5.4 and a few duckers. My regular jibes are coming together, my jumping is progressing, my fast tacks are doing nicely... I need to start doing the duckers.
|