Monday, July 25, 2016

July 25 - HR Sand bar



Hood River Sandbar, Hood River, OR, US
Sailworks Retro 5.5, Goya Bolt 95, MFC KP-RC 360 wind: 24 18G30
Today Roo mentioned that my sailing technique is OK, I just have to be more aggressive in the jibes (i.e less timid) and as a result I got an 'I told you so' from my wife who has been saying the same thing to me for a couple of months (ever since I returned to the Gorge). On the other hand, this is coming from my wife who thought the standard jibe technique was the catapult launch :) . My response is "I'm working on being aggressive but not the catapult launch".
Not great numbers today like Roo's or Roo Jr's but felt good to start feeling comfortable holding down a 5.5 in 30 knot gusts. Didn't get the big numbers in part because I wasn't comfortable venturing far from the sandbank (and thus a beam reach) partially because I had an ongoing example of what could happen - a guy spent about 1 1/2 hours trying to waterstart to get back to shore as he drifted around in the current downwind of the sand spit. Roo finally had a jet ski go pull him back to shore.

Also, I wouldn't describe my new motor home as 'Hilton on wheels' but it is a nice 2016 24' Class C built on a Mercedes Benz Diesel Sprinter dual rear tire chassis with two slide-outs, and it gets 16-17 MPG. Oh, and all the gear fits either in the rear 'vehicle wide' storage or inside. Nothing dangling outside to tempt people. This is a vehicle that has many uses besides windsurfing
Roo's comment about the conditions: 
I wish it was flat Boro, top speeds are out in open water away from the sandbar! Touch and go whether you crash at the end of the run it gets so choppy and bounces you everywhere as you turn back upwind. You'd love it, come on up...more wind of the strong variety forecast from Saturday onwards and water level should drop back down.






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