I arrived today at the Squid Lips launch around 1030. This is a really cool race site with a small private beach that the restaurant let us use for the race. The Area has multiple markers within a mile, which makes it a very good venue to make races without logistical support. Add to that a rabbit start like the 505 fleet does and basically Mike has a way to run an event absolutely turnkey with only participants. What a cool concept.
But back to today.... By 1100 the racers all bundled in a truck basically sent the let's get in done signal. With 34f and rain there is no smart way to stay warm. Only the brutal "pile on the layers" trick works. I opted for 7mm of wetsuit, an impact vest and finally a sailing jacket complete with hood and neck warmer.
We all rigged up and gathered under the propane warmer at Squid Lips Tiki bar.
We setup for an up-and-downwind course on the river. I set out to check the course to find the wind lighter than expected and very lopsided to the East of the river. The few minutes used to wait for everyone allowed me to realize that I was very warm and not suffering at all except the hands that were really taking a beating.
Mike was the rabbit which was the best position, putting him ahead toward the favored side. I chose to let him go quite a ways before crossing his line to get a start fairly upwind in the pressure zone.
I saw Brad downwind from me getting buried so I tacked to stay east.
I then proceeded to several short tacks at the edge of the pressure zone. I had no idea where the buoy was but I could find a series of landmarks going upwind that Mike described to me. Being in the lead I had to compromise making too many tacks and missing or over standing the mark. I did ok tacking 4 times to finish 60 feet from the upwind mark about a mile upwind. I got lucky to catch a gust to plane to and back out of the dead zone where the buoy was.
The downwind was easy: track east as fast as possible and feel the pressure increase.... I jibed ok to be within 30 feet of the downwind mark, being a bit careful of the short crisscross reflected chop from the seawall.
I did not see people close behind so I chose to make a small tack right after the mark to approach the
finish line (in the light air zone) a broad reach position.
When I came back to shore I was still warm, which was nice. But my hands were really under
hypothermia. When the blood came back it did not feel good for a few minutes.
All the racers made it back safely.
By the time everyone was back I had packed enough heat to go out again. This time free sailing and in a much stronger wind I really enjoyed the feeling of gliding at full speed in the brisk wind. There is a feeling of peace, poetry and solitude that marries itself oddly to the rush of adrenaline of blasting just over the water. I always wondered how to describe this to a non windsurfer. I think that it could be like reading poetry while listening to a music that combines Mozart and
Heavy Metal coming at you at the same time.... Anyways I like it and I like it enough that I was smiling while being a wet speck in 34f on the
Indian River!!!!
We then all gathered for a very enjoyable lunch. We parted ways under a few snowflakes that reminded us that our day was a bit special!!
