Received: from hpoclrf.sj.hp.com by opus.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA07138; Thu, 15 Jun 1995 07:33:45 -0700 Return-Path: <kirk@hpmsd3.sj.hp.com-DeleteThis> Received: by hpmsd3.sj.hp.com (1.38.193.4/15.5+IOS 3.22) id AA23999; Thu, 15 Jun 1995 07:33:42 -0700 Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 07:33:42 -0700 From: Kirk Lindstrom <kirk@hpmsd3.sj.hp.com-DeleteThis> Message-Id: <9506151433.AA23999@hpmsd3.sj.hp.com-DeleteThis> To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis Subject: Re: How DO you do it? (Bay chop vs. board size.)
> However, after demoing a Vivace 282 (9' 3", 107 L.) on the bay,
> I'm totally confused. I was hoping someone here can enlighten
> me. I had a ton of trouble crashing, every time I'd get up to speed.
> It was no trouble to keep upwind, easy to waterstart, but once I
> got into the footstraps and closed the gap, I'd get the familiar
> afterburners effect; and fairly shortly eat it after catching some
> unexpected air. (This was a 5.3 sail for a 150 lb me, which didn't
> feel overpowered; but like I said, I'm confused) Some really
> annoyingly scary crashes too, like having the board turn
> sideways in the air so that the downwind rail would catch
> full in the water, as I fall backwards with my bending ankle
> still caught in the straps. Dang I hated that.
>
> The question: Is a 105 L board too big for the bay? Corollary,
> do you more experienced honchos crush through the chop or
> do you steer around it?
>
I sailed the V282 in Maui and it was great for light wind and a big
sail. I found it fine with a 6.6 but 5.9 conditions made the board too
hard to handle. It is a course slalom shape (big tail, flat bottom,
hard rails) and is WAY too much board for even my 220 lbs with a 5.3.
These boards really work well when you "ride the fin" which takes alot
of getting used to. SInce they are fast, you have to learn to adjust
quicker to chop by either taking just a bit of weight off the back foot
and/or steering just a bit off the wind when you hit some chop. I sail
my 9'6" ASD CS with a 6.9 and can get airborn easily in very light wind.
It took alot of getting used to to sail it well.
To sail fast in chop you need a soft railed board or balls of
steel....8-)
> Based on the discussion about boards here, I've gathered that
> it's possible to surf this size board in the bay, but that it's much
> harder than using something smaller.
>
> I've seen sailors going full speed in what appears to be a straight
> line. Is this possible because the board is smaller? I've been
> led to believe that smaller boards cut through the chop instead
> of jumping out, but if you're planing, aren't you by definition
> following the surface? Or is surfing the bay more like mogul
> skiing, where you go for a path of least resistance with steering?
> I've never been as far out as the channel, perhaps it gets smoother
> out there?
What looks like a straight line is usually LOTS of minor adjustments to
keep the board in the water....
>
> Sorry to ask what feels like a doofus question, but I haven't seen
> anything in the magazines that explains this aspect to me, and I
> keep getting conflicting answers.
...dah, no such thing as a dumb question except asking me when I'm
rigging 3 or 4 times if you will be all right on sail_size_x when I am
still dry (so I'm guesing a bit myself) and have no idea of how well you
sail, etc.....8-)
>
Kirk out
ASD epoxy: 8'8" RKT, 8'11" CS & 9'6" no-nose CS; Mistral CFlex & Malibu
Wt 213#, Ht. 6'0", Usually sail on SF Bay, Cailf.
(kirk_lindstrom@sj.hp.com-DeleteThis)
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