Where'd you sail 10/9?

[Windydoug]

Looks to be shaping up as a season saving day. I'm stuck in Fairport till 3 p.m..
Long Pond will be my location of choice if everything holds.

If you still have the glow going from a great session, post your thoughts in this thread.

Happy Sailing/Kiting.

Doug

[waterauthorityrick]

So Doug,

Did you get to the pond after your day at middle school?
I and a number of others went to the GREAT LAKE ERIE, the problem was that I showed up and the 5.0 winds dropped off. Mike Phelps saved the day and let me use his 101L Futura since I rigged a 5.8m sail. Phelps unfortunately crashed thru his 5.4m sail earlier. It took all year for him to allow me to try it and for what it's worth when the conditions dropped off the higher volume allowed me to enjoy the water a little more. The board was pretty turney for a large volume board and I had fun once I got used to the shape. There could be a Futura in my future. Good thing the wind did pick back up to it's earlier 5.0 conditions

Some older Club members showed their faces at he beach but struggled with the shore break but NOT Phelps he just headed right back into the fire even after trashing his 5.4 He can go fast and is NOT afraid to yell out as he swims in the water "I CAN'T JIBE" Keep up the good work Phelps. Thanks for the use of the board.

H20 Rick

[Windydoug]

Long Pond was Long Pond.

Allen looked good out on his 6 something Ezzy Freeride, but the wind felt better than that. I rigged a 5.8 and headed out for some nice sailing. Then a short circuit in the fan caused the wind to drop and I was done. Long time windsurfer Jason Berry happened by with his gear and rigged a 5.4 on the 95L version of Joe's new Goya. Jason was in town from D.C. because his grandmother had passed away. Jason and I are a strange match. He dated my wife before I was lucky enough to meet her....so we shouldn't really care for each other (and at first we tried hard not to), but our personal interests are unbelievably similar, and he is my friend Dave Jewett's best bud. Wish the wind would have held for us.

A couple of longboarding new guys showed up to finish off The Pond, but I didn't get much of a chance to talk with them. I headed home to salvage what was left of the evening with my family. Z's fellow RIT guy Kenny was rigging up a colorful old 7.5 to enjoy the sunset.

WD

[windkid]

Hamburg Head Count....

Joe, Art, Rick, Ken, Hipster Greg (sorry that's in bad taste),MikeyZ, Bill, Buffalo Mark, Andy ,Jim Bell, Hugh Reigler(Dr. Dry), Steve (I only brought my 5.0 but hell I'm heading to Hatteras tomorrow anyway), Buffalo Greg the upwind king, One Unknown, Myriad Kite Kids including Lynn and Bill Meyer....I think that's about it.

As for the sailing I managed with my 5.5 by swapping it between my 93 JP and 115 Mistral as the wind did it's fickle dance. Stayed off shore to practice jibing and crashed more than the Dow Jones. H2O Authority was kind enough to point out that I was too upright and far back on the board. I tried again with that in mind and the board was smoother and faster but at that point my arms were rubber and my brain was oatmeal. Managed to spend a fair amount of time just off shore of Hoaks redoing my outhaul line which just fell apart for some evil reason....nice view of the Buffalo Skyline from there.

MikeyZ learned the meaning of getting Maytaged. Andy was attacked by his own boom on the beach and split his lip. As previousily alluded too Ken tried to slip and slide on his 5.5 but with a little too much knee. I told him to always keep your arms and chest out when you land on your sail! Knees tucked! Joe stopped at Bedrock with Art and Lynn to have (shock and awe!) yet another Hamburg (in Hamburg no less) breaking the existing world record for Hamburgers consumed in one lifetime by 25 which was previousily held by Popeye's buddy Whimpy for having consumed 1,870,122 burgers during his illustrious career.

Best line of the afternoon was Art's comment to Jim and Hugh when they pulled in....."Are you Lost?"

I could go on but it's only 12:23 and I'm 4 hours away from my helpful writing coach, Dr. Hops.

wk

[mikeyz]

I'll pick up where you left off Bill with a few stories from my day out on the water.

Both Gary and Joe called me in the morning to tell me to go to Hamburg and get some practice before I move to Maui . I wasn't really planning on it but I decided to eat some eggs and put my boards on the roof of my car. I got to school, my computer was happily buzzing away doing its thing, so after a little while I jumped back in the car and made it to Hamburg around 2pm. I arrived as it was dropping off but, Joe was on a 83?L board and 5.2 and he instructed me to rig up my smallest gear 103L and 5.0. While I was getting my suit on he found several inexcusable mistakes with my rigging and kindly fixed them for me. Thanks Joe!

I headed out and found some rather large waves. I couldn't make it on plane and I had to carry my gear up from around the boat launch once. Joe instructed to me to, "point the board right down the wave until your eyes are this big [he makes three inch circles with his hands and holds them up to his eyes.]" I laugh, but also listen. Then I headed out shlogging but on the way back the waves were just right and I tried it and it worked! I screamed down the face of a wave, got in the straps, hooked in, and then started the beam reach. Unfortunately, I was kind of far down wind and I had to walk my gear up from the boat launch again. I tried it again and had more luck as I ended somewhat close to the pier and then walked my gear up wind.

Then the wind picked up a little more. I put on a little more downhaul and outhaul. I didn't have to rely so much on the waves (but they were helpful) to get on plane and I was soon tuned up just right for some real sailing. It wasn't like the last time I went to Hamburg - where I was too overpowered. I was finding a smooth path between the waves. Still I couldn't quite keep up with most of the sailors but I think that I just need some more practice. The waves were AMAZING! They were real big heavy guys just rolling along.

The wind really picked up a bit but I still decided to go out just cause I had to try it and didn't really see too many potential hazards. I headed out and the waves were really getting big. I was sailing parallel to somebody who was about 100 ft or so up wind. We both landed in the trough on either side of a big wave at the same time and all I could see was the top part of his sail. I was really impressed by that. I had some trouble with the water start but I got going and started heading in. I was getting kind of close to the pier but I figured I would just catch a wave and surf it up wind like I had done earlier in the day. I picked out a nice wave and started heading for it, then the wind died ... I missed the wave and I kept trying to stay on plane. The next wave hit me right as it was breaking and took the board out from underneath me. I still had some good distance from the pier but the current was pretty strong and was sending me right for it. I tried to straighten out the board but then another breaking wave (about 5ft I would say) came and I remember what I had read in my windsurfing book about sinking the rig and letting the wave pass over you. I also remembered what Joe told me about keeping the mast pointed away from the beach. So I tried to do this the best I could as 5 or 6 more waves washed over me as ducked under water. I started getting very tired and decided that I couldn't keep doing this. Everything was far enough from the pier that the waves wouldn't send them there so I let go and chased after as best as I could. I made to shore after everything had been trashed twice by the smaller waves crashing on shore about 40 ft from the pier. I pulled everything up onto the beach, inspected it, and was very relieved to find no damage. It was really funny that this was all happening in waist deep water. I was completely unable to get any footing on the slippery bedrock. What happens if you get closer to the pier? Is it possible to sink your rig and let the current take you around it or will the waves just send you right into it? That could be ugly.

This post is getting longer than I intended so I am going to wrap it up (I could go on). Basically, it was a sweet day of learning. I got to ride down some very large waves and I got enjoy the speed the bottom of those giants. I wiped out a few times getting pulled out of the foot straps while still hooked into the harness and quickly learned that you should unhook whenever you are about to hit a breaking wave even if it is one of the gentle giants further out. I learned a bit about negotiating the surf. hmm I think most importantly, I realized that Hamburg should be respected and that you shouldn't make many mistakes down by the pier. ... I think all of you guys have experienced this and it is probably pretty boring reading this but ehh I am still digesting the whole experience and I wanted to write about it ... Hey thanks to all the guys who had their eye on me and gave me advice.

Cheers,
- mike

[kenny4]

I had a great day/ night at long pond on Thursday. I got there just as Doug was just headed home. I threw on my 7.5 as it was dying. My friend and I putted around for an hour or so before the sun went down. As soon was the sun went down it died completely. After 10 minutes or so it picked back up so I decided to stay out in the moonlit sky. It was a blast I was planing quite easily clipped into my harness. It was a blast. If only I would have ad a glow stick taped to the top of my mast I could have stayed out all night.

[Windydoug]

Oh Baby!!!!!!!!!

Mike roasted about the glow sticks by a new guy!
Kenny's calling you out Z.
Lets settle this with an old fasion long board joust. Z at one end of a Fanatic Cat, and Kenny at the other. Each sailor with half a section of mast in hand...last man standing has RIT bragging rights. Loser has to buy hte other a 12 pack......of glow sticks!

[mikeyz]

I am a proponent of glow stick sailing! Its you seasoned sailors that are stuck in your ways against the new glow stick movement. Kenny and I are the future and you all are watching the glow stick-windsurfing revolution here in Rochester NY! Who knows where imaging scientists like Kenny and I will take windsurfing?? Dare I say, "water proof night vision goggles"??

[David]

Mike and Gary, we are heading out today. lets get together down there for some dinner, we are in Avon so give a call when you get down there. Supposed to have good wind the next few... later gator

[David]

BTW Mike, if you like GLOWSTICKS for sailing try TAMPONS in your ears. TAMPONS keep water out and are very entertaining as ad banners... TAMPONS rule!