Where We're Sailing Today / where we sailed today

bert · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 104

Finally was able to do it after several tries over the years. The conditions were good with strong W to SW winds at the airport, Sierra Pt., and the Stick. 4.7 and 110ltr (to be safe). Flew out of Oyster Pt. at 1 pm to Tigers where 4.2 could have worked. Played around at Tigers for an hour, then blew past the fishing pier to Sierra Pt. and on to the Stick with no lulls. Rested a bit at the Stick to watch the freestylers in action. Decided to head back while the wind was strong and stopped planing by the marina entrance before I was able to pick up wind again. Played some more at Tigers before ending the 2 hr session. Felt great not only at doing it and I'm sure its been done by others, but because I did it on a 4.7 and I was planing 95% of the time. It will truly be a perfect day if the Giants win tonight Smile

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1017 Location: San Francisco

wow that's awesome! was that you on the Naish sail and yellow RRD?

bert · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 104

Kevin,
Yeah, that was me. The ride, despite the size of the board, was pleasurable. Can't say enough about the new school of really short, really wide and thin, bigger boards (volume wise) that are coming out. They plane quickly, turn well and feel small so you don't feel like you're getting beat up in stronger wind and chop. Also, they are easier to uphaul and tack should the conditions require it. Been real happy to add this board to my quiver this past year.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 953

Cool stuff...
In Sept. 1983, JohnChilds discovered FlyingTigers from the Oyster launch, with us (ColinGift, GlenShot) staying upwind at Oyster. John had trouble staying in the little cove, so needed the long reach to get back upwind a bit. He sailed just N of SierraPt., then back S well past the old CoastGuard station at the N end of the airport.
Those guys just needed somewhere longer than Oyster, so we started sailing Tigers.
Yesterday at Berkeley, 6.5 and 120 slalom board, but anyone who really knew how to sail would have used a 5 meter sail and 85 liter board, winds from 18-27 most of 1.5 hours.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 953

Oh. Those old 9' poly glass boards were really smooth, us thinking FlyingTigers as dead flat waters, Oyster as smoother.
Yesterday again, in winds of 17 to 28, me 150 lbs., a little bumpy with a 276 x 60 cm light wind slalom board at high tide Berkeley, but would have been dry after 1.5 hours, had I not slipped on the slick deck 3 times.

glenherman · Joined: 05 Jan 1998 Posts: 39

The Florida wind season has finally started!
Last week we had three days of wind 20 then 25 then gusts to 30!
The Boynton Inlet went from 3 foot to 6 then 8 foot waves!
Today we have 21 to 25 northeast winds, wind forecast to increase all week!
I am out of commission due to sciatica. I hope I will be better in another three months and can sail before the season is over.

Glen Herman
(docduracoat)

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 953

Yeah, sciatica is a tough one, going from heel to shoulder blades, almost debilitating you. I"ve had it one on either side, back in the early '90's, when I was young and strong.
Only accelerant for healing times is regular light stretching, some ice, and some ice baths. Here in NorCal, we can replace ice baths with surfing, since the ocean water's are 55 in the summer, and 51 most winters. We just use a worn out 4/3 wetsuit, and freeze our butts off for an hour. Most go outs requiring at least 60 duck dives here at OBSF.

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1017 Location: San Francisco

I saw you sail up, and I was thinking, "Where'd that guy come from?"

That was a really fun day yesterday. I sailed 4.8/99 the whole time although, it was quite a bit windier at first. Most went out on 4.7s, and some rigged down to 4.2/4.0... pretty good size crowd, too. Glad to see everybody still sailing this late into the year.

gerritt · Joined: 06 May 1998 Posts: 363 Location: Redwood City, CA

What a weekend.

Third turned on early Saturday, lulled, and then turned on even more. Depending on your timing, it was either epic or total crap. For me, 4.7 with 85 liters and then same sail down to 75 liters (on a flood no less) was plenty. Good shoulder high ramps in the channel didn't hurt.

Sunday was deceptive. It looked real sketch and cloudy. 94 liters and 5.2 turned out to be just enough to work. Wind was kind of WSW, which had us pointing straight up at the Bay Bridge. Getting back was fun bobbing past all the downed kites that couldn't re-launch in the SW conditions and near zero wind inside. Again depending on timing and gear choice, it was fun or total crap.

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 531

Sailed Natural Bridges today with my new SUP/Sailing board, an Angulo 10'10".

I had sailed it in light wind and found it handled that well. I SUPped yesterday cruising the coast and riding waves at Bombora. Handled great. Good glide and tracking. Takes a bit to get 'er to turn, however.

Today I took snorkel gear out on it back to Bombora to see if I could find the sunglasses I lost yesterday. No such luck. However, the leash ties nicely to kelp and the gear road out and in well on the back with a line tying it to the leash attachment loop.

So today it was blowing about 16 to 20 knots at Natural Bridges so I thought I would see how it handles real wind. It did great. I used a 7.0 Ezzy Cheetah and the Angulo planes instantly. Try to get it not to plane. That would be difficult. A few times, especially at twenty knots, it would have been nice to have had footstraps, but it handles pretty well without them.

So in all three aspects, SUPping, Light Wind & Strong Wind, the Angulo was fun and I am glad to have it.

Windward1