Dec 4 - Lac Bay

3965km

Lac Bay, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

NP EVO5 7.8, iSonic 107, Drake Carbon 40, Wind: 18 - 20

Interesting day today, for multiple reasons.

First, the NP 7.8 now has a foot long rip in the second from the top mylar panel which happened while I was rigging. Tape is holding it together.  I should get my new-to-me 2017 Gaastra Vapor 7.9 at the end of the week so the timing is working out well for the demise of the NP. Fortunately, It looks to be windy this week and if necessary I can fall back to the Retro 7.5. 

I should have rigged the 7.0 but figured the wind would die, not today. It actually picked up a few knots as I was rigging. I knew I was in a little bit of dicey situation on the run to the mangroves as I was bouncing around a lot and not at all comfortable. I made the jibe and then... first time I have ever been launched where a booty got ripped off my foot during the launch. Took off the front foot booty. Got to swim for it and then attempt to recover from being in the water. Today was a little different than my last blue water waterstart with a race sail. The chop was more like small swells and I had a heck of a time keeping the mast tip up long enough for the water to drain. You can see my progress on the Google Earth map. Took me about 25 minutes to get going again. The good news is that, at least in Lac Bay I appear to be past the 'freak out if in the water' mentality that I have had ever since I started sailing in the Gorge, years ago. I had a nice drift, messed with different approaches of orienting the sail and clearing the tip. Eventually I was successful in clearing the sail, waterstarting and sailing to the mangrove area then took a timid run back to the launch area.

Now you might be wondering about the other tracks? Well, Taty went out on his Vaor 7.9/iSonic 107 (I think that is the soon to be my 7.9) and made some runs just as I got back. When he came in I suggested that if he was going to make some more runs he should wear my GW-60. He jumped at the chance . Below are his numbers as calculated by KA72. That pretty well answers the question of whether the right person can get decent speeds on Bonaire - the key of course is it has to be the right person . His Alpha would have been better but after the jibes on the southerly runs (where he was fastest) he would mess around looking at the GW-60 to see the speed before locking in and going for it again. This boy has some learning to do .

Picked up the 400 and 430 100% carbon masts I purchased from Taty. Will get the 460 mast, boom and 7.9 sail later this week. Taty said he will leave the 30 inch harness lines on the boom - to give me no excuses for using longer ones. Will get the 6.4 Vapor sail when Taty returns from Holland on December 16.

Amado is back from New Caledonia event. Had a nice chat with him foiling and the differences of he feels in the sail/rig between foiling and slalom gear.

Below are a couple of pictures that Kuma took of Taty where I happened to be in the background...