Race Day!!!

Roland and I participated in the Voyager x Wetfeet Downwind Challenge race today.  Lots of competitors.

I wasn't sure about the finish line and whether there would be coral heads or not - so I opted for the Takuma Kujira 980/178/Stringy Direct Bolt fuselage on the 100cm Project Cedrus Clydesdale mast.  The wind looked pretty gnarly so I also picked the Reedin SW2 5.2 wing.  

This was the short stint out to the start line.  There were some waves breaking in the area near the channel - I had to sampo a couple of them.

This was a "everyone sit on your board, wings and paddles down" start.  After I got up, I pretty much stayed in the regular foot stance for most of the race.  The long mast really helped - I fell 3x, the first being a lull in the wind, the second was a ventilation, and the third was getting caught in really crossed up chop.  I did switch to goofy as I was closing in on Diamondhead - I figured I had a good line on the finish buoy and could lean over more when I rounded the buoy.

I swear I was going faster than this...

This was the wind at the airport - I think it was blowing much hard between HK and Suis.

The finish line was getting swamped with big sets coming through - timing was everything.  I made it through without incident and even got to ride a wave in - but there were wingers that missed the channel and needed to be pulled off with a jetski assist.

Roland finished the race also.  He didn't use his tall mast, but wished he had.  He switched tactics midstream and just started to ride the swell and flag the wing.

Fun day!!!

W:59/F:57/S:28

Wing Foiling Session - 7/24/2022

Today's session was running the Bluewater Hawaiian Classic race in the wing foiling category.  Start was at the tip of Koko head/Portlock and the finish was at the Kaimana windsock.  Marlon and La came with me - and Marlon got to fly his drone to get some cool pictures (and he said a person he was flying with totally lost her drone to the ocean...).

This was just after the start.

I think Marlon took this before the start.

I didn't mention this yesterday, but there are a ton of malolo flying around - really cool to see!

I used the same gear as yesterday (5.1/1210/178/85 mast/No.25)

The winner of the race (Robert of Blue Planet Surf Shop) posted his GPS track

Compared to my route, he took a slightly more outside track and he switched tacks a lot more often.

He also had a 7.0 meter wing up - I think two things would have made a difference for me.  First would have been the 6.1 wing that I had originally planned to inflate.  I was swinging the wing a lot in the middle of the run.  The second thing is a longer mast.  The breaches I experienced would have been avoided if I had the Clydesdale 96.

The wind was slightly better than the run from yesterday. 

And today was a bee's line to the finish.  Honestly I had a great start - just lost it going this fast downwind (when that is my least used point of sail).

I wasn't last, not by a wide margin so I did fine.  I haven't seen the results, but if 13 started, 5 finished behind me so that makes me 8th???

I was able to get most of the way to the wind sock by wing power, and I pumped the rest - UNTIL I HIT A CORAL HEAD as a wave was sucking out.  Needless to say I was boiling pissed. Oh well - I needed to fix yesterday's scrapes anyways.

This downwind stuff is really fun!

W:74/F:61/S:17

Wing Foiling Session - 7/22/2022

Hit Hickam this afternoon - wanted to try out some downwind techniques in preparation for the race on Sunday.  I used the Takuma RS 5.1, the 1210 and the 178 rear stabilizer.

The new board just keeps getting better and better with each use.  Today I was able to get some dry tacks in (heel to toe), and even one toe to heel tack.  I'm going to hold off on putting the footstraps on for a bit - I think being able to move freely over this smaller deck is better for now.

After a few runs on the inside, I headed out to Firsts.  The waves had come down considerably - but I had a couple of fun ones (but not enough to push the thrill meter).

I headed in from Firsts and that's when I started working on my transitions.  These are definitely more sensitive on this board - its narrower than the other two (bigger) boards so I need to use smaller movements and rely more on pressure.  You can see the tacks on the bottom left side of the inside runs - the "V"s in stead of the loops.

The RS 5.1 worked really well in the wind today.  I had contemplated setting up the 6.1 - I'm glad I didn't.  The graph shows stronger winds that what I recall winging through.

Towards the end of the session, the wind stiffened up and I tried doing a downwinder through the harbor.  Wings do not function well going dead downwind - especially the ones that were designed to rip upwind (like the OR Glide and the Reedin SWX).  The Takuma RS does not pinch hard up that well (it can be coaxed into it, but it is not automatic - and if you go too far, it revolts), and because of that, it does go on a broad reach better than the high forward drive wings.  This is what I was working on today.

I think I'll be riding regular foot the whole way, and I'll switch tacks as I need to in order to stay with the wind line.  I'm not sure what will happen after Diamondhead - but I'll deal with that when I confront it (pump like heck???)

I ended the session with some speed runs - I got the 1210 up to 22.6mph - not too shabby.

W:72/F:61/S:17

Noe's Latest Sailing Escapades - 2/29/2020

Noe attended a clinic on a new (to her) boat yesterday.  Yes - the same yesterday that I was noting the exceptional wind.  The Quest was certainly a stoke generator yesterday!

There was also a regatta held - but they had to call it after some gusts blew past 40mph.  Noe's team got 4th out of 8 - not bad for a first run in a new boat.

Noe is rabid crazy on a sailboat!!!

I like sailing, but only when I get to go fast - that was an understatement for the conditions Noe was in yesterday - POWERFUL SAILOR THAT ONE IS - and skipper too

Surprise - Surprise!!!

I was helping the kid's sailing club by towing the hulls down to Hawaii Yacht Club in Waikiki.  After disconnecting the trailer, we went around back and guess what we saw....

Two of the three catamarans that raced in this year's TransPac!!!!

Very impressive - and even more so that they shattered the record!!!  Here are a few more conventional pictures of Mighty Merlowe and Maserati 

Racing Day 2

Same crew, winds for the SE this time. Ran the course in reverse. Only 2 boats (us and a 36' Catalina) running today. DIscussion was that after the events of last week, lots of people were gun shy of the forecasted winds.

Roger told me his strategy for winning the overall trophy - but I'll keep that secret.

Dolphins starting to come back - warm waters returning!!!

No pictures today...

Racing Day 1

Yesterday was a bust - lots of wind but Marlon wasn't feeling well - twist my arm... I so rarely get to take a nap. No Dauphin Island kiting and shell hunting. However, after a nice long snooze session, we still took a drive down the beach to take in the beautiful weather.

Today, wind was nuking!!!

Met up with Roger (owner/skipper of the F28 I'm crewing on) just before 1200. We were out sailing by 1250 and racing by 1345. We were doing nicely until around 1445 - between us and Gulfport (off the port bow) there was what looked like an overturned sailboat. It was a capsized boat that the owner, crew and several racers (all the boats dropped their sails to lend a hand) could not right. By the end of it all, the mast had floated off and the hull was just poking out of the water (all 13' of it - not that deep between mainland and the barrier islands). Hopefully the owners can get the boat salvaged (which they should).

That ended the race and we (Roger, Camille, Missy and I) headed back in. My GPS read 16.6 kts max speed - Roger's hull mounted speedometer read 14.7 kts max. Not bad. I think we would have easily taken first if circumstances didn't sink a boat today.

Next race next Saturday!

GO LA GO!!!!

La had a race this past weekend also!!!

She did awesome from having had to recover from a hip injury after a half marathon (don't we all go through that???.... seems as if it is a rite of passage that all runners go through to get in touch with your joints in the lower half of your body - I digress).

The AFLAC Irongirl!!!

Race last weekend

I've been out of town for this past week - I'm drained from the travel, but I'll post today from some of the happenings over the past week:

Bay 2 Bay (Mission to San Diego) Race last weekend. After this race I know I need to get a weed fin (Father's Day present???). I also need to paddle more. This one was 20 miles (ouch). 4:30+ to finish.

I used the C4 paddle thinking the bigger surface area would make me go faster - didn't work. I need to paddle more.

Fun race and I have it in my mind I can do at least 20 miles.

Hennessey/Hobie Paddleboard Race

Yesterday (Saturday) - went down to Dana Point (Doheny Beach State Park) to paddle in the Hobie Race.

I paddled the 6 miler - not sure where I came in (probably better than half - I never said I was fast) - and had tons of fun!

I had a lot of time to think while paddling and got to put the conditions up against the boards and builds of the paddlers and figured some things out.

1. I've always heard that for downwinders, you want a light board. Well I believe it now. My board is not light - 2 pound EPS with a really great epoxy glass job (very durable). Lighter people were flying downwind on the leg out (downwind). If the race you are paddling in is a downwinder, use a hollow board or a full carbon, lightly (just enough) glassed board.

2. For pushing a board upwind or crosswind, a board with heft will cut through the chop/swell much better than a hollow/lightly glassed board. I passed everyone that got ahead of me during the outbound leg - smarter paddling (not veering too far off the mark lines, paddling in cadence with the swell (not fighting it) and keeping a slimmer profile into the wind) helps too, but a board not chattering with every piece of swell/chop that hits it saves your momentum and keeps you from getting beat up (anymore than you already are).

3. When paddling anywhere near shore in Southern California, use a weed friendly fin. If you do not, you will not go fast (dragging seaweed does not make you fast).

4. Unlimited boards go fast.

5. I'd like to go fast.

Fun race!

New Racing Paddleboard

We were at Mugu's Family Beach last week and La took some pictures of me paddling the new board.

The right tool for the right conditions - standup paddling has filled a tremendous void in my surfing life - the flat, no wind days (of which there are more than not).

In days past, if confronted with glass conditions I would cry "skunk" and find landlocked activities to pursue (while being grumpy). NOW - flat days are for developing technique and getting mileage under the belt!!!

January 17th is the first SUP race I'll take this board to - looking forward to "spanking" everyone (a figure of speech from the action of the paddle - not to be taken literally)!!!!

Oh, and Marlon digs onageri (rice balls in nori)!!!

Oh Cr@p!!!

Just as you think you have settled into something and will remain focused (like just having gotten a new SUP Racing board and getting some miles on it) - something else comes into the picture and makes you drool...

Apparently some people have taken kitesurfing and started racing. With the boards looking like something out of fighter plane design 101 (oh by the way did I mention I like the way fighter planes look?), I now have to start thinking about how I can build one of these things.

Darn it!!!

Bamboo skins over EPS core, thickness for light wind float, of course a quad fin setup, old school three footstrap rig, stealthy paint job.... This is going to take up some time...

www.njsdesigns.org for credit on the customs; www.northkites.com for the computer generated twin fin.