Re: Ed's Response on Jibing and Sailing Sites (long confessional)

From: Martin Frankel (mdf@sgi.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Tue Jul 14 1998 - 22:43:52 PDT


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To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
From: Martin Frankel <mdf@sgi.com-DeleteThis>
Subject: Re: Ed's Response on Jibing and Sailing Sites (long confessional) 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 13 Jul 98 23:54:05 PDT." <199807140637.XAA06841@proxy3.ba.best.com-DeleteThis> 
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 98 22:43:52 -0700
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Ed writes:
> I guess when I hear someone say they can't do even 0% of their
> jibes, I just have to wonder how much of the fun is genuine rather
> than bravado.

Well, to be absolutely accurate, more like 1%. ;)

> In summary, based on my own personal experience (maybe others have
> had similar ones), and *IMHO*, a 0% jibe completion sailor won't
> have much fun at Third or Coyote. Also, *IMHO*, he is a hazard to
> himself and others.

I can waterstart in a sneeze of wind, plane through chop in harness &
footstraps, and even land the occasional chop-hop without spinning
out. I sail for as long as there's wind & light. I had a GREAT time
in the channel at 3rd, probably the best time I've ever had
windsurfing. I just can't jibe -- yet. I don't think I'm alone. So,
my experience is indeed different from yours.

I'm not trying to boast... I understand that these skills are as
ordinary and unremarkable as breathing for most of the people on this
list. I'm just trying to illustrate that not being able to jibe in
the channel does not equate to reckless twink who's in over his head!

Speaking of being in over one's head, I think that is the absolute
best way to learn. (Figuratively of course.) I sail a lot at
Shoreline, and it's usually fun, but it doesn't make a lot of
difference in my skills anymore. When I went to Coyote for the first
time a few months ago, barely able to waterstart, I learned more in a
few extremely challenging hours than in weeks of sailing at Shoreline.
A casual observer might say that I wasn't having fun, but they'd be
wrong: the challenge is part of the fun. If that's reckless, I guess
I'm proud to be reckless. But I was never in danger, because I never
left the cove.

> Parents soon discover that there's only so much real world
> experience you can impart to another human being. The rest a person
> has to learn himself in the school of hard knocks. If sailing Third
> without the ability to jibe AT ALL is your idea of fun, go for it.
> I guess you just fall and turn around and hope you have enough
> strength to return to shore.

Ed, can you read that again? Do you realize how incredibly
patronizing it is? I'm trying to be reasonable about this but you're
not making it easy.

This isn't rec.windsurfing, we're all locals and we're all gonna meet
on the beach one of these days. With that in mind, let's turn down
the flames.

--
Martin Frankel     ||||     mdf@sgi.com-DeleteThis     ||||     (650)933-6191



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