In regards to the messages below: It's quite sure that the proposed buildings would have a big effect on the launch at Coyote. The anecdotes about sailing downwind of the Mariott in Aruba are one data point, and the rules of thumb are another. My job involves thinking about airflow over circuit boards, including the effect of heatsinks on downstream parts. Air behaves in the same way at the scale of a circuit board or a building, and the rule of thumb of 3 to 10 times the width of the obstuction is one I've used. At three times the width, the flow is certainly disturbed and at 10 times it's certainly okay again. Looking at the photo at http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Ken_Poulton/weather/coyote_buildings.jpeg will show that the buildings are not more than three times their width upwind from the slog zone. The effect will probably be to make it impossible to slog past the wind shadow on equipment small enough to sail comfortably once past the windline. This is already the problem with launching at Coyote (vs 3rd) and will get much worse if the proposed development is built. Another point worth repeating is that we must speak up quickly, saying that the EIR is not complete because a potential significant impact was ignored. It is the function of the EIR to study all this. We don't need to prove the point now, only demand that it be considered. Right now the issue of impact to windsurfing is not even on the table. Hope this helps- -df At 01:19 PM 10/23/98 -0700, you wrote: >Martin Frankel wrote: >[snip] >> This is all speculation, I don't really know the first thing about the >> physics involved. If anyone has better knowledge of this or perhaps >> references, I think it would be very interesting. Still, the first >> priority is to get the issue on the table... send those letters! > >I'm confused. We cannot decide whether these buildings would REALLY >affect our launch, but we should fax those letters, which say they >would "severely impact, and possibly destroy" our launch. I agree >this could be a significant problem, but I'd hate to cry wolf. > >(I'm trying to picture standing in the parking lot, and mentally >place the proposed buildings. They don't seem to be directly upwind. >Does anyone have a map, where they could plot the proposed buildings, >and draw a line at 260 degrees --- the point where it starts to become >too southwest-- to see where that hits Coyote point?) > >--rickw >-- >+-------------------------------------------------+ > Rick Weiss N*ABLE Technologies > rickw@nabletech.com-DeleteThis Cupertino, CA USA > rickw@slip.net-DeleteThis 408- 873-2270 x118 >+-------------------------------------------------+ > > out,out,out,out,out ______________________________________________________________________________ Dan Farmer danf@juniper.net-DeleteThis Mechanical Design Engineer voice: 650-526-8007 outJuniper Networks fax: 650-526-8001 out,out,out,out,out385 Ravendale Drive Mtn. View, CA 94043