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Great day, maybe my best jibing day ever. I learned a ton about jibing. I just paid more attention to what I was doing. I pulled off some barely planing jibes, some high-speed lookout! jibes, full-planing jibes, snap jibes a couple of decent shortboard tacks.
I think part of my problem jibing is leaning enough. I have good bent legs, I don't get tossed around in chop, I can flip the sail appropriately, but there was just always something wrong with the carve. Today, I was screaming along in the flat inside and went into a really fast jibe. Often, I screw these up and come off a plane, just because I feel I'm going too fast. Not today. Today I cranked it around, put a lot of steady pressure on the inside rail, leaned out a bit (instead of trying to balance awkwardly over the board, I just leaned out and let the G's hold me upright). Boom, I carved around fast, flipped the sail, flicked the booms, hopped into the straps and was off the other way! Yessssss!!!! I've had precious few of those perfect ones.
Later on I tried a couple of those in the steeper chop in the channel and was less successful, but more successful than previous attempts. I really hope this is a step in the learning process, and not just an accident. Feels good. I also had a couple of nice just-barely-planing jibes where I cranked it around nicely. I guess before I underestimated the need to have steady, consistent rail pressure and committment. Even though I didn't have much power, I came around nicely and exited nearly as fast as I went in.
Mike Murphy and I were the last ones off the water. Most of the crew camping had had enough by 2:30, but Mike and I stayed out until 4:30. I was on my 5.4, and not powered usually. When the gusts came through, I had a lot, though. I worked on pumping a bit in the lulls, but that didn't work well. Pumping did help in the puffs, though, if I wasn't planing but was about to get there, I would pump a few times and be up and planing a lot sooner. Pumping efficiently is something else I need to work on.
So many things. Forecast calling for 15-25 SE on Sunday!
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