Sailing the South Easterly on 5/22

[Windydoug]

This was a timetable sailing session for me, I had to leave home pretty much at a certain time and be home by a certain time. Good thing that the wind and many of the wind faithful showed up.

Arriving around 3 to white caps, Jim Bell, and a Porsche driving, roof racking 'daigua local, I was psyched. Gus and Doug K. from Fairport were stirring the interest of the chubby and curious onlookers with some kite launching and riding. Doug K. was out on a 19m kite and looked fully powered up.

I rigged my 7.5 and the wind pooped out. Joe arrived, then Bill, Hugh, and eventually Ken, and Gary. On the way home I passed a Red Matrix loaded with a board heading to the water..... hopefully somebody directed him to this website.

Anyhow, I wind dummied for the rest of the crew and the wind was deceivingly strong. Joe followed as did Porsche Guy and Hugh while the wind strengthened and evened out. Bill got on the water and was scorching on his 7.5 freeride and 109L JP Slalom board. I could barely keep pace on my 7.5 Infinity and 116 Mistral Screamer. He was getting to weather better than I.
Bill had to be the sailor of the day while I was there. I came in a finned down and flattened the heck out of my 7.5 and he just kept on kicking ass way the hell out in the 'daigua chop.

Joe went to a 5.8 (yes his magic 5.8 and blue board combo) and Ken looked to be blazing on his 8.0 Freeride3. Jim Bell switched to riding a nice new Wave Panther, and Hugh alternated between a 6.6 and something bigger. Gary made a 6.2 work for a while until the steadily increasing wind became too much. I had to bow out after a good 90 min of fun and buzzing a boat that I realized had a girl I teach with on it. What happened post 5 p.m.? Anyone want to add on?

BTW is the chop on Canandaigua as tough to ride for a kite boarder as it is for a windsurfer?

How was Seneca for the kite crew?

Sorry to be so long winded with the recap, but it was a surprisingly good day from a mediocre forecast. Canandaigua delivered.

[windkid]

Just a few things.
That was kind of WD to say nice things about me but he failed to mention how he smoked yours truly in a drag race leaving me in his wake where I sooned learned that once you spin out it is in fact possible to sail directly down wind and perpendicular to the wind at the same time. Uber uncool.
Going into the wind is easier if it is the only way to keep your board on the water.
I would like to give a tip of the cap to Kotata Ken who I witnessed Jibe all afternoon in both directions. Or maybe he was just rehearsing for "So You Think you Can Dance?"
That chop wore me out, and I left before the second session began so maybe one of the tribe that stayed after 6 could chime in here and fill out the blanks.
Also I would like to know where the Red Stripe Beer Cooler was, I looked everwhere and couldn't find it (Hugh).

[kitenerd]

Hi all. Yup, that was me out on my 19M kite, which was WAY too much kite for that wind. I had rigged the 19 earlier when the wind was light, and then helped Gus get his 12M going. By the time I got back to the beach, the wind had come up and whitecaps had started. My brain said to rig down, but I ignored it and launched the 19 anyway. At least I provided some entertainment with a total garage sale at the buoy line (and a 20 min swim back to shore) ! I haven't flown this kite much, but now I know that 19M and whitecaps don't mix ! (Klasner warned me).

After I rigged down to my 13M, I did much better, but did anyone else think the wind was SUPER GUSTY that day? I oscillated between pumping the kite to stay on plane, and sheeting out to hold on for dear life. The gusts and the chop made for a less than perfect session, but any session is better than no session !

Cya!
Doug Couwenhoven (The Other Doug)