Sport Today

Anyone else tried different ways to compete or compare your performance in differing conditions?
Due to where I live I mostly sail by myself which didn't  provide much competition or really
anyone or anything else to compare to.
Recently got a Speedwatch Surf from the guys at Speedtech.  I'm having a ball trying, with some
measure of success, to learn new ways to get the most out of my equipment and to sail faster
overall.  At first I thought the Speedwatch was real gimicky and couldn't see much point in having
one. Now that I've got one I wonder why I didn't get it sooner.
My results thus far:
1st day; F2 295 Xanthos; 7.5 M North Katana; 145# sailor; wind (MPH) 12-18 Avg 14-15
Max speed 21.7 MPH on 11" Duffy  fin 23.7 MPH on 14"  CW race fin. chop < 1'
 Perf. Index 1.48  Loc. Pt. Lookout MD
2nd  Day F2 265 WCE; 6.5 M North Spectro; 145# sailor; wind 15-21 MPH Avg 17-18; Max Speed
28.7 mph on 11" Duffy  fin. Chop  <1'
 1.36 Perf. Index   Loc. St. Mary's River, MD
3rd day F2 265 WCE; 5.5 M North Spectro; 145# sailor; wind 15-23   Avg 19-21 Max speed 30.7 mph
on 11'" Duffy;  31.9 on 8 3/4" Duffy; chop 6"- 1'.
 Perf. Index 1.51   Loc.  Canadian Hole, Hatteras.
If we had some Performance index events interested sailors could go out and tune up rigs/fins etc
and the winner would be the sailor who posts the highest speed in the least wind.
While my current method of getting the windspeed immediately before/ after a session leaves a lot
to be desired in terms of real time accuracy, without some sort of telemetry unit, it'll do for now.
Will be getting a waterproof anemometer soon to try to improve the accuracy.
Best part is that I can tell immediately if a tweak to the sail, change of fin; change in harness lines,
sailing stance etc  actually is faster or slower.
Want to try it/see how it works?  Be down in Hatteras this coming weekend.
Tan /Blk Trooper with F2/North/KHS stickers most likely at Can. Hole or Emily's or stop by
Sand's of Time Campground in the eve. Site 37 (on the hill, silver tent, same car.      
                                        Regards sailquik

A couple of comments:

1) If you want to email Roger, delete "SailQuik" and the brackets from his email address. I sent him email, telling him that the NEW
instrument is called SpeedMate Surf, and had a hard time getting through to him. (We had quality control problems with the
Swiss-made Speedwatch Surf and designed the new SpeedMate, with many more features. It's made for us in the USA.)

2) We have sponsored speedtrials, with mixed results. If the wind blows it's great. if not, nobody comes!!! We're thinking about doing
a "performance trial." Whatever the wind, people compete to see what they can do with it. The SpeedMate would be used to
measure speed, elapsed time, distance travelled, etc.

An other idea is to do a "Navigation Trial." Everybody would use the SpeedMate knotmeter/log and a compass to navigate a course
by dead reckoning. I do this with a sailboat and find it quite challenging. (Especially in the fog!!!) Maybe this would be a good thing
for the "back to basics movement."

I'd really welcome any ideas that anybody would like to give us.

David Laylin               Voice:    (703) 759 0511, 1-800 760 000
Speedtech Instruments      Fax:      (703) 759 0509

Great Falls, VA 22066      WEB SITE: http://www.infi.net/~spdtech