It was gusty and challenging sailing today. Winds were
above 10 knots minimum with gusts well over 25 knots.

Gusty conditions like this make for exciting sailing. The
water was pretty flat, and looked like a gridiron with foam
trails showing the wind direction, bisecting the very slight
wavetrain coming downwind.

The hard part about sailing today was the shifty nature of
the wind varying by location. I saw westerlies on one side
of an island and expecting the same after clearing the lee
of the island, looking for a place to anchor, was surprised
to find nor-northwesterlies on the other side, making my
planned anchoring location less than ideal.

We put a single reef in and that was too much. Very rarely
to I partially furl a jib, today, I left out about 2 sq ft, which
made sheeting it in much easier, and nothing broke.

I've seen strong gusty conditions here in SW Connecticut
in the spring and fall, but these surprised me. Winds would
double in intensity as fast as you could snap your fingers, and
die off almost as quickly. It was like being slapped hard.

Heading back in at 2pm, the current was really running and
with the wind. That little scrap of jib made a huge difference
in manueverability and pointing. It worked far better than I
expected. I'd say it doubled the effectiveness of these two
attributes over a reefed main alone.

Winds were calmer than yesterdays 55 mph peak. Today,
probably sustained 10-15 knots with gusts mostly around
25 and as much as 30 in more exposed areas. Tomorrow
things should finally lighten up to more comfortable sailing.

Anyone who claimed winds were light today is certainly
a liar.

Bart

I do. I didn't put the stick in or rent storage space because
I was gone much of the year. I really missed it. I've been
thinking about getting another one for match racing.

So you guys don't race in that? I've never seen an Etchells
race stopped for too much wind in SF Bay--although they did
cut back the schedule for August racing when 9 boats lost their
rigs in the Pacific Coast Championship one year. August is
the hottest month inland and hence the windiest on the Bay.

I've sailed Echells in 35 knots many times. It gets a little hairy
downwind but it is managable most of the time with three guys
who have trained intensely together. I don't have any crew here
in Connecticut, that are good enough for that sort of thing.

The last time I came close to that in an Etchells I had a Star
boat racing along who never used a spinnaker. I gave him the
helm as I tried to carry the spinnaker up the river. With the
wind shifts, I had a rather dicey looking take down actually go
quite well--one mistake and we'd have been aground and over
though. It would have been nice to have one more guy on the
boat.

Once they start oscillating, that is when it gets exciting. What
techniques do you do to control that? I've since read Stuart
Walker say to trim the main in halfway--I'd like to see how
effective that is--that is way more than I've ever trimmed it in. It
seems to me that would just make you round right up.

How is your season going? Still racing?

OzOne wrote:
"Bart"
scribbled thusly:

It was gusty and challenging sailing today. Winds were
above 10 knots minimum with gusts well over 25 knots.

Etchells went out yesterday, starter pulled the pin when wind was over
25kts and gusting 35.

Do you still own one?

Speaking of wind, here's what they're calling for next week.
Chesapeake Bay ;

....SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

..MON...W WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. .MON NIGHT...W WINDS 15 KT
WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT.

..TUE...W WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. .TUE NIGHT...NW WINDS 15
KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT.

.WED...NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. . .


With temps in the mid 50s. Better go find my red long
johns.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_




"Bart" wrote in message
oups.com..
..
It was gusty and challenging sailing today. Winds were
above 10 knots minimum with gusts well over 25 knots.

Gusty conditions like this make for exciting sailing. The
water was pretty flat, and looked like a gridiron with
foam
trails showing the wind direction, bisecting the very
slight
wavetrain coming downwind.

The hard part about sailing today was the shifty nature of
the wind varying by location. I saw westerlies on one
side
of an island and expecting the same after clearing the lee
of the island, looking for a place to anchor, was
surprised
to find nor-northwesterlies on the other side, making my
planned anchoring location less than ideal.

We put a single reef in and that was too much. Very
rarely
to I partially furl a jib, today, I left out about 2 sq
ft, which
made sheeting it in much easier, and nothing broke.

I've seen strong gusty conditions here in SW Connecticut
in the spring and fall, but these surprised me. Winds
would
double in intensity as fast as you could snap your
fingers, and
die off almost as quickly. It was like being slapped
hard.

Heading back in at 2pm, the current was really running and
with the wind. That little scrap of jib made a huge
difference
in manueverability and pointing. It worked far better
than I
expected. I'd say it doubled the effectiveness of these
two
attributes over a reefed main alone.

Winds were calmer than yesterdays 55 mph peak. Today,
probably sustained 10-15 knots with gusts mostly around
25 and as much as 30 in more exposed areas. Tomorrow
things should finally lighten up to more comfortable
sailing.

Anyone who claimed winds were light today is certainly
a liar.

Bart