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Skunked Category 2

It’s never fun to leave a sailing site dry, but better than wet from swimming and not sailing (Cat. 3)

Here are some action shots on this Memorable day!

  waiting

   

                                debating          

   streching

 disgusting                            

Narrow channel

 

 

Not only the channel is narrow at Palo Alto but to come back at low tide you have to know were it is.  After visiting the deeper channel in the middle of the bay and having unexpected fun, jumping and riding puny swells, I came back blasting trying to be back before low tide.  Not so much luck   It felt like a formula car going to pit lane and having automatic braking as the mud softly slow me down.  I was plowing for quite a long time, and when I came to a stop there was no water!   Seriously I was planning on mud for the last few yards.  Good thing there was no rocks.  I misjudge the little water way leading to the dock and had to crawl for 20 yards in the mud.  That water hose was on for a long time cleaning me and the gear:

Satisfied……

 
……after all.  Promising, rigging, schlogging, pinching, storing, unrolling, pumping, walking, setting up, securing, observing, not launching, wrapping up, walking back, deflating, loading, borrowing, testing, switching.

After all those efforts, satisfying would be a nice adverb to use.

Well it took a while in the well established South West pattern to find some decent sailing.  This starved sailor did not want to wait when he saw a filled inside with lots of whitecaps.  I gladly went on a 5.0 as the first and only wind dummy.  By the time I had rigged, although very quickly, the wind had dropped and the kite jumping stage area became flat.  I was hopping to find the wind line which was moving away faster than I could schlogg.  When I had gained enough upwind, I pumped to get on a plane in order to a planning jibe.  It was really marginal and I had to pinch and carbon body it to make it back to the ramp with a deceiving speed.  People were surprised that I was coming out of the water.  They found out for themselves later.  Plan B, kiting: not quite!  Once again, almost ready to launch, I saw Robin being lifted as well as Ray a much experienced and heavier kiter.  Amazingly common sense, (survival), took over, and I walked back to windsurfing as wind had really picked up.  I saw Diane and Pat with their “Biggie” and that was a sure bet in this frustrating flooding mess. They were nice to let me ride it and it jibbed quite smoothly between the heavy chop.  Feeling in control, I pushed it hard as in back side surfing, and “Plopp”, it stopped on a dime, refusing to turn like a horse in front of an unwanted jump. You can imagine the rest.  That fin on rail never saw the switch!  Anyhow done with the test, I was confident now that my gear would work.  But for how long?

I went back ‘n forth inside between holes and gusts until I felt well powered and upwind enough to venture to the channel in the dying flood.  The further I went the nicest it got. I actually made the 5.0 to its reasonable shape and then I got my reward.  I saw some sets of small but long swells and I surf them looking back over my right shoulder.  And that ….is satisfaction my friend.

 

taking off

 

 

 

My first photographed kite jump taken by Dimitri

I dedicated it to my coach on his birthday.   Of course he had to out perform me!

IMHO, I thought the judges were partial.  See his  puny jump at FredStem  and judge for yourself....

Channel troopers

from Tim:  

Wow, that was a pretty great day.  Very powered up on my 5.0 and seeing lots of looks of intense concentration on the water..... at least that's what I think I saw on Claude's face as he blasted (on opposite tack) between myself and another sailor a bit down wind.... sort of a little  "Blue Angels" type sailing :).  

 ...................................................................... 

You must be right Tim, as I usually try to recognize sailors I go by, and I did not notice you, sorry .   But I thought yesterday (4.5) was easy compare to the 4.0 Friday.  IMHO, it was a messy channel with good wind and some unusual tacks, a good 30 degrees CCW.  I was following Jerry, already on his second tour of duty, and I can tell you, there were only scraps on his wake!   I was making sure there was no swells left ‘unturned’ and boy was he hungry going down all the way passed the marker on each tack before catching up the TI lift with a passion.  Taking my inspector role to extreme, I jibed right above and after Jerry observing a well controlled turn.  Three quarter of mine performed, in the shadow of my sail, gliding on the swell, what do I see?  Jerry in the water!!!  I had to put down the brakes (crash) and we had a board meeting. 

 

It seems like most boomholders are satisfied with our progress (see picture)

We concluded that we will extend the mandates to all channel troopers and invite Diane and Kiyong to join us more often.  We did also notice a major absentee and suggest you vote per directors recommendations.