Re: Re: Re: Today at San Luis

From: Will Estes (westes@usc.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Wed Jul 06 1994 - 10:54:03 PDT


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From: Will Estes <westes@usc.com-DeleteThis>
Message-Id: <9407061754.AA00647@usc.com-DeleteThis>
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Today at San Luis
To: kirk@hpmsd3.sj.hp.com-DeleteThis (Kirk Lindstrom)
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 10:54:03 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis (Windsurfing Mailing List)
In-Reply-To: <9407061440.AA22158@hpmsd3.sj.hp.com-DeleteThis> from "Kirk Lindstrom" at Jul 6, 94 07:40:55 am
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'Kirk Lindstrom says:'
> > > > Independent of the speed of the Hip Hop relative to other boards, the point
> > > > I am trying to make is that the sail I was on yesterday was a slow sail.
> > >
> > > Now I understand. Sorry.
> > > I thought you were saying you were slower than KenP due to the sail
> > > ONLY.
> >
> > Nope, but I do think that if I had a 4.2 Northwave PRX something a bit
> > racier with two cams, carbon battens, etc., that it would have at least
> > been a race.
> >
> > Ken was kind of crippled by a small weed fin, so I'm sure that there was
> > plenty of less-than-optimal equipment on both sides.
>
> You raise an interesting point. I've found I'm faster on my CFlex
> with a wave fin and wave sail at places like the Gorge where I don't
> have to point and I can REALLY get cranking on monstor gusts. Lately,
> I've been sailing my CFlex with a wave fin and race sails and it is
> ALOT slower and I can tell it is the board/fin as the sail, 5.6 and
> 6.2, are working fine spilling wind, but the board seems to be
> dragging.

To be honest, I did have the same feeling while pointing upwind as well.
I'm sure the sail and wave fin both had something to do with that. You do
get spoiled to having a pointer and race sail that let you scream upwind on
the Bay.

As for going faster with a wave fin in big wind and swell at the Gorge, I
have to plead ignorance. I've had far too few 4.0 days in my life (maybe
six so far), and only one of those (last Monday) was at a point in my
sailing life where I had any real control. The other days I was simply not
in control of my rig and was really struggling. I had one day at Maryhill
in the Gorge last year where a 3.7 was getting yanked out of my hands. I
gained a lot of humility on that day.

It will be really interesting to try the TLX again under more radical conditions
on the Bay with big swell and see if I like it more than a race sails in those
conditions. At San Luis, though, with flat water, you want the speed.

> > - was well made and wouldn't break easily (my Prydes ripped open any time I
> > took them out into sub-4.5 conditions). Plus, Northwave, being a custom
> > loft, tends to take good care of its customers when something does break.
> >
> A true "yuppie" feel in their loft. It is a really well done store
> and shows that they really understand their market and take care of
> their customers.

Yeah, their loft, and the large numbers of locals who frequent it show, that
they run their business as a local business. Most of their business is
repeat business from the same group of customers. It's too bad that they don't
have more marketing talent on board to try to take them national. If you
subscribe to Performance Windsurfing Report then you know that the
Northwaves always seem to demolish most of the competition in the sail
tests. I think that there would be a market for a durable sail that had a
great high end and decent low end.

-- 
Thanks,
Will Estes              Internet: westes@usc.com-DeleteThis
U.S. Computer           Saratoga, CA  95070



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