Windsurfing With a Rocket Launcher

From: Oren Reinbolt (obolt@ix.netcom.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Sat Jul 26 1997 - 11:59:17 PDT

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Message-Id: <33DA4904.6F46@ix.netcom.com-DeleteThis>
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 11:59:17 -0700
From: Oren Reinbolt <obolt@ix.netcom.com-DeleteThis>
Reply-To: obolt@ix.netcom.com-DeleteThis
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Subject: Windsurfing  With a Rocket Launcher
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I’ve been whining a lot abou moving from SF to LA, and for good reason.
BUT……

The other night, I got my first chance to sail in relatively good
(18mph) winds at Cabrillo Beach off Point San Pedro in LA. It was early
evening, and I was really enjoying myself in the ocean chop and going
pretty fast. I looked to my windward side and noticed a cruise missile
next to me going about the same speed, then it hit the water and
disappeared. WHOA! Mom said I might have days like this if I didn’t
listen to her back in 1971.

Assuming I was just having a flashback of some sort or the other, I kept
sailing. The next thing I knew, I inadvertently launched two of my own
rockets from the bow of my board. Now wait a minute!!! I’ve always
wanted a rocket launcher on the bow of my board, especially when some
clown jibes right in front of me without looking, but I don’t actually
HAVE one. On the other hand, it IS a new board for me… No, I don’t
think so. I did the only sane thing I could, sheeted in and kept
sailing.

The next time it happened, I was ready for it. The rocket took off fast
from under the board, streaked out in front of me about forty yards, and
was gaining altitude. I followed it and as it hit the wind it slowed
down a bit and bore off to leeward which, of course, I did too. I was
gaining speed as it was slowing and I found I could actually catch up!
It landed about 5 feet from my board and disappeared into the water.

I kept this up for awhile, slowly realizing that I was spooking a school
of flying fish by coming up fast on them from behind. They would take
off like a rocket with their tail power, but when the wind caught them
they would gain about 6 feet of elevation and then their wings couldn’t
keep them at that speed any longer and I could catch up to them. What a
sensation! I began to wonder if they had sharp fins or anything that
could hurt me or the sail, but I never actually hit one.

I’ve sailed a long time in many places, including with flying fish in
Florida, but they always seemed to stay really close to the water and
didn’t spook out from the front of the board like a rocket. A surfer
friend of mine called them "Catalina Blues" All in all I think I
"launched" about 40 of them.What a sensation! LA Has some windsurfing
treats after all!

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