Re: sailing palo alto

From: Bo3b Johnson (bo3b@apple.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Thu Aug 07 1997 - 17:11:15 PDT

Next message: Ken Poulton: "Re: Pressure Gradient's?"
Previous message: David Veach: "RE: heel injury"
Maybe in reply to: Sasha Mitelman: "sailing palo alto"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]
Mail actions: [ respond to this message ] [ mail a new topic ]

Message-Id: <199708080009.RAA29196@apple.com-DeleteThis>
Subject: Re: sailing palo alto
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 97 17:11:15 -0700
From: Bo3b Johnson <bo3b@apple.com-DeleteThis>
To: <wind_talk@jr.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

> does anyone sail palo alto regularly? i know it's a high-tide-only
> sailing spot, but i've heard mixed reviews as to ease of launch,
> flatness (i'm working on planing and speed, not jumping (yet)),
> wind, etc. comments?

I've been sailing Palo Alto every day when the tide allows it, and I
manage to sail about 3 times a week. High tide only, but Ken's tide
reports are dead on, so it's not much of a mystery. If you want to push
it, you can go upwind in the channel, to get to more open bay water. I
don't recommend that, because unless you can really crank upwind, you are
going to do a mud walk, which is insanely tiring.

Tuesday, I sailed there from 4:30 until 7:15, on a 5.5 (150#). Perfect
size sail, the wind went from being just enough power to get me on a
plane, to blasting at full speed slightly overpowered. Amazingly fun.
Totally over the top. I just could not stop.

The water tends to be choppy, with a 1-2 foot swell. It's not a super
flat water spot like Shoreline, or San Luis. Even still, I don't have to
bend my knees like I do at Coyote, so I can keep the stiffness in my
stance, and thus keep the speed up. The chop and swell is just enough to
make jibes challenging, but not impossible.

For planing and speed, I think it's by far one of the best spots in the
area, primarily because the wind is steady, and the water isn't too
wicked. Very occasionally I get a good ramp and clear the fin on a
(sometimes intentional) baby jump. Wind has been averaging somewhere
around 15-18 knots. The Palo Alto site on the wind reports seems to read
low by at least 2-3 knots. Typically I can sail with a 6.4 anytime (even
when it reads 12 knots), and a 5.5 on stronger days.

The launch is off a pier, and is easy. 50 yards worth of slog zone
before you get to the windline. Returning to the dock requires finesse,
and a board you don't mind giving a ding or two. Rigging area is dead
straw, not great, but not asphalt either. Fresh water hose to rinse off
the salt.

I try to sail there every Tuesday afternoon, tide permitting. Look me up
if you go. Black Typhoon. I sail a Tiga 263, or a Rumba, depending upon
how peppy I feel. I'll be there this Saturday, too.

--Bo3b Johnson

Next message: Ken Poulton: "Re: Pressure Gradient's?"
Previous message: David Veach: "RE: heel injury"
Maybe in reply to: Sasha Mitelman: "sailing palo alto"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]
Mail actions: [ respond to this message ] [ mail a new topic ]

This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Dec 10 2001 - 02:32:26 PST