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Sailing Sherman on a flood?
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mustard



Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:16 pm    Post subject: Sailing Sherman on a flood? Reply with quote

So I tried sailing on a flood at Sherman for the first time....Walk of Shame. The funny thing is, I don't feel ashamed. The group seemed overtly supportive about it all. "We have all done it" being the common response.

Pride aside...I am now committed to figuring out the tricks...

How to pinch farther up wind...how much of each is it?
Power in the sail...rig big
Fin
I suck
or something else I have yet to discover
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Be powered, tilt rig back, lean forwards, tip heel rail away from you.
Use a slalom board, bigger blade fin.
Use a Formula board with a 68cm fin and a 10 meter sail in 20mph winds flooding.
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nicolas72



Joined: 02 Sep 2006
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forget about it (I try to Smile), it's just no fun. (funny you ask because I was looking at the forecast and the tides figuring out how to fit a delta session in my schedule in the next couple of days)
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noshuzbluz



Joined: 18 May 2000
Posts: 791

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not that bad. Just rig a sail size bigger with a little more fin and/or board and you'll be fine if you can point efficiently. It can be brutal if you're under powered or in the water a lot. There were a few "walks" today.
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wndsrfrmn



Joined: 30 Jun 2001
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fighting the Flood at Sherman.

It is about a 1/2 mile across the river from the launch at the access to where you jibe. If the current is flooding at 1.36 mph it would be washing you upriver at 2 ft/sec (1.36mph X 5280 ft/mile X hour/ 3600 sec ). If you are on a plane going straight across the river at 20mph (not unreasonable) you would make it across the river in 90 seconds. During that 90 seconds the current will push you 180 feet up the river.

For a math exercise let’s just assume the wind is blowing straight up the river. For simplicity let us also assume that you can maintain a 45 degree angle while constantly on a plane (even during turns) at the speed of 20mph. Your new distance traveled across the river would be 7/10 mile during which time you would gain 2640 feet down river while losing 252 feet upriver to the current for a net gain of 2388 feet for each reach across the river.

If your speed drops by half but everything else remains the same, you will still net over 2000 feet downriver against the flood on each trip across the river.

Can anyone verify my math?

However, you probably can't sail 45 degrees into the wind. You probably won’t be on a plane at 20mph the whole time. If you fall in you get swept up the river at 2 ft/sec. While water starting you are getting pushed upriver by the current and the wind. Ramps to jump, kites to avoid, swell to surf down, and kooks to watch out for will further impede your upwind, against the current, progress.

To stay upwind during a flood at Sherman you must constantly pinch upwind, stay on a plane, don’t fall in, and avoid the kites.

Sometimes it is too much work. That is why a lot of people avoid the flood.

I had another great session from 3 to 5pm at Sherman today. The wind was blowing at such an angle that you could kind of pinch straight into the flood on a starboard tack.

Ron, thanks again for the "time spent windsurfing..." sign.
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wndsrfrmn



Joined: 30 Jun 2001
Posts: 36

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My session at Sherman today was from 3 to 6 pm. not 5 pm.

Peak flood current was at 6:30. By 6 the flood was taking the fun out of it, not to mention that 3 hours is probably enough windsurfing for one day.
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jse



Joined: 17 Apr 1995
Posts: 1460
Location: Maui

PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some tips that help me:

1. You should be able to waterstart in under 30 seconds.
2. Learn how to tack, and tack (or at least try to) instead of gybing. When I fall on a tack I usually end up in the waterstart position anyway so it's a net gain.
3. There is a persistent lift on the far side of the river when you are on a starboard tack. (Lift means a favorable wind shift for a sailor going upwind.) So you can slog along the far side of the river almost parallel to the bank until you have gained enough ground to compensate what the river is doing to you.
4. You can short-tack the near side (easier said than done) instead of the walk of shame. I've seen good sailors do that and they can make their way right up the river even in a strong flood. If you can't tack well, learn how to sail backwinded and short tack the near side from the same side of the board.
5. Sail overpowered and over-finned. Learn how to point. If you use a long fin, ride your back foot, lean way forward, hang on the booms and make like you're looking around the mast. Your torso should be almost horizontal. If you ride a short fin (freestyle), ride your front foot, long harness lines, weight the boom and keep the sail open.

Hope this helps.

Steve
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 3:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steve brings up an important point. I find that the wind forms on the river in the shape of an arc. Regardless of what side of the river you're on, you need to bear off a bit to get going, but you need to quickly transition to upwind oriented reach all the way across until your jibe on the opposite side. On a flood, it gets a bit punishing driving high back to the launch on a starboard tack, but driving high upwind will reward your effort and tend to keep you high above the launch site. Also, rigging a big sail and fin will reap the best rewards. Better to be over powered rather than under powered on the flood.
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U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I get washed so bad that I hardly consider it a consequence, its part of the experience.

don't jibe on the far side, tack or just fall in instead of losing ground if to tend to fall in while jibing.

all the tips above will help somewhat

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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In addition to what Steve said the current is actually flowing in the opposite direction near shore-eddy-on a flood. That is the reason the swells get so big near the point of the Play Pen on a flood as it forms a mini ebb tide right there. If you stay near shore and tack or better yet, backwind, you can overcome the flood or stave off the walk of shame.

Coachg
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