Received: from hplms26.hpl.hp.com by opus.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA21562; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 23:22:25 -0700 Return-Path: <bo3b@rahul.net-DeleteThis> Received: from tango.rahul.net by hplms26.hpl.hp.com with SMTP ($Revision: 1.36.108.11 $/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1S) id AA164977351; Wed, 14 Jun 1995 23:22:32 -0700 Received: from bolero.rahul.net by tango.rahul.net with SMTP id AA04084 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for <wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis>); Wed, 14 Jun 1995 23:18:30 -0700 Received: by bolero.rahul.net id AA01079 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis); Wed, 14 Jun 1995 23:18:30 -0700 Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 23:18:30 -0700 From: "Bryan \"Bo3b\" Johnson" <bo3b@rahul.net-DeleteThis> Message-Id: <199506150618.AA01079@bolero.rahul.net-DeleteThis> To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis Subject: How DO you do it? (Bay chop vs. board size.)
Last Sunday (11th) I went to Coyote point to check out the pro-clinic
tour. It seemed very worthwhile to me, and the wind cooperated
by blowing 25-30 mph from about 2 on. Tons of demo equipment
to try out for the $10 demo fee. Probably a few more tons would
have been OK, since there was still a wait for equipment.
Free clinics on everything from 1st lessons to carving jibes, from
some well known teachers. The race was already reported on
here, and in any case was hard to follow. There was supposed
to be a speed run meter, but I didn't find it. My only real quibble is
that they started to breakdown around 4:30. Naturally, the wind
was available for much longer, but I can understand them wanting
to leave. Overall, I thought it was great.
However, after demoing a Vivace 282 (9' 3", 107 L.) on the bay,
I'm totally confused. I was hoping someone here can enlighten
me. I had a ton of trouble crashing, every time I'd get up to speed.
It was no trouble to keep upwind, easy to waterstart, but once I
got into the footstraps and closed the gap, I'd get the familiar
afterburners effect; and fairly shortly eat it after catching some
unexpected air. (This was a 5.3 sail for a 150 lb me, which didn't
feel overpowered; but like I said, I'm confused) Some really
annoyingly scary crashes too, like having the board turn
sideways in the air so that the downwind rail would catch
full in the water, as I fall backwards with my bending ankle
still caught in the straps. Dang I hated that.
The question: Is a 105 L board too big for the bay? Corollary,
do you more experienced honchos crush through the chop or
do you steer around it?
Based on the discussion about boards here, I've gathered that
it's possible to surf this size board in the bay, but that it's much
harder than using something smaller.
I've seen sailors going full speed in what appears to be a straight
line. Is this possible because the board is smaller? I've been
led to believe that smaller boards cut through the chop instead
of jumping out, but if you're planing, aren't you by definition
following the surface? Or is surfing the bay more like mogul
skiing, where you go for a path of least resistance with steering?
I've never been as far out as the channel, perhaps it gets smoother
out there?
Sorry to ask what feels like a doofus question, but I haven't seen
anything in the magazines that explains this aspect to me, and I
keep getting conflicting answers.
Thanks for any enlightenment you can provide,
bo3b johnson.
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