Columbus Jeff's Clinton Lake report

Unlike the Max crew, the Clinton crew was able to sail yesterday - sort of. Sara and I got to the lake a bit after 9:00. Chris had just got blown off the water on his 5.0 and Reed was measuring gusts at 39. He and Chris were rigging 4.0's. I put Sara on a 3.5 and instructed her to say inside the cove until she felt confident she could handle the wind and chop. I didn't want her ending up at the swim beach while the rest of us were sailing the marina.

The wind backed down a tad and Chris couldn't make it up to the main pool on the 4.0 with a 72L and so came back for his 5.0. Ken, Glen, and I rigged 5.2, 4.5, and 4.2. Getting up to the main pool went something like this - schlog, hulu a sinker in the lulls and then catapult in the gust - schlog, this time survive the gust and plane like hell to the next hulu and catapult. After reaching open water the wind was steadier, but still up and down with voodoo chop. I hung on a while then went in to flatten out the 4.2. That made the gusts more manageable, but wasn't enough in the lulls. I could jump - conditions were perfect for big (to me anyway) air - but jibing was something else entirely. By the time I started getting my confidence back and was beginning to make a few jibes, the wind backed off forcing Ken and I to sink/schlogg back to the launch. We should have paid more attention to Glen and Reed who seem to have a sixth sense and made it in while they could still plane.

Nanos arrived about then, sans booms and wet suit. Glen was able to scrape together a suit and boom for him so he could get out, but he just couldn't make the main pool on 4.8 & 72L and gave it up. After a leisurely lunch the wind came back and we made it up to the pool again for a better session.

Sara never did make it out of the cove, but she made 100% of her beach starts - which is quite an accomplishment for a beginner in the swirly 0-40 gusty cove. When Ken asked, she said it was fun for about 3 seconds and then she'd hit the far shore. She wisely elected not to attempt leaving the cove and is now determined to focus on waterstarts so she'll be able to venture into deeper water. I think she's been hanging around wind snobs too much and doesn't realize it's possible to uphaul in lower wind conditions.

Some other locals made it out too. I met Tony from Decature, but he felt his board gear was too big and didn't go out. Hugh was also there and consuled Sara that she should go to U of I in Champain for grad school - it has a good Microbiology dept and is close to good sailing. She's considering, but feels it's too far from skiing. Hmm, sounds a bit like her dad.