Techno Matt's Eagle Ocean Report

Several folks were sailing at EO Sunday. I finally got free and
arrived at ca. 2:30 pm ... Bob and Gail, Bob and Sandy and a newbie were
there. Several were packing up and indicating they'd had a good time.
Over the next several hours three more came and went.

WWW was on the water when I arrived. I rigged 7.0 and launched. Wayne
relaunched. Occasional gust was it for 30 min. or so ... then it picked
up and we had a good time ... undoubtedly not as good as Clinton, but 10
min. from home! Planed most of the time ... occasionally underpowered
... occasionally overpowered ... out of the south, maybe a little east
so good except near shore launch where the shadow appears. All good,
then the west got very dark ... I headed back underpowered ... Wayne
headed back on plane and seemed to have caught the final gust. We were
on shore derigging when Toni showed up to warn us of the coming storm
and lightning ... both got out without drinking, drowning or sparks from
fingers (I might volunteer if the Rev was there with his prodigal camera
... what a way to go!!). I believe Toni was happy we were on shore.
The wind was picking up so Wayne couldn't resist suggesting we go back
out :) We didn't. The storm followed .. but not too closely.

Not Clinton or Maui, but better than sitting at home!

TMatt

Columbus Jeff's Clinton Lake report

We had a good turn out at Clinton yesterday, probably 8 sailors in all.
Glen and I gave a new kid some tips on how to rig and water start his first
short board. He'd sailed 4 summers in Greece on what sounded like ancient
long boards. He had a Mistral Explosion 273, 105 liters of skinny,
nervousness. He mentioned that he'd have to learn beach starts in a hurry
because his boom couldn't handle an uphaul. Whoa. We talked him into
staying in the cove where he could more or less touch bottom and fixed him
up with a mast protector (that fixed the boom) and a psuedo uphaul. He was
anxious to see if the prototype 2000 Neil Pryde Jet 6.7 would work on the
board so Glen took it out for a run or two. When it picked up to 6.2 wind,
we left him in the cove to fend for himself.

We sailed 6.2-6.3 for a bit. I had the sail very full with a very long fin
suited for marginal planing. When gusts started to hit, the fin lifted the
board about a foot out of the water and I began that slow spin that gives
you plenty of warning that a catupult is immenent, but there is nothing you
can do about it. After clearing the water out of my sinuses, I went in to
flatten the sail and get a smaller fin. That worked for about an hour
until the wind built to solid 5.2 conditions with gusts to 4.2. We sailed
till around 6 pm then called it a day. Reed managed to get in a string of
bottom turns on the bow wave of a big boat - he said it was like being in
Maui.

LLCJ

ps No storms, just lots of sun and wind.