by Just returned from a week at Hatteras 8/6 - 8/14. This is
generally a low wind time of year but the last 2 years were
pretty good. This year was extraordinary. Saturday - Tuesday
were 5.0 - 6.0 days. Wednesday - Friday weren't too good, but
it began to pick up again on Saturday. We stayed in Avon and
sailed on the sound behind Windsurfing Hatteras. At most there
were no more than 10 sailors on the water at any given time.
Quite a constrast to the spring and fall when there's
gridlock.
I had a couple of breakthroughs and revelations.
1. Thanks to all the recent contributors to the foot strap
discussion I was finally able to routinely get in both straps
and fully powered up. Up to now, I'd only gotten in the front
strap and I guess was afraid to take that next step. Its now
feels very natural and relaxed and finally instead of always
getting passed, I was doing some passing. Geez, at last I
think I got it. Even shortened the harness lines!
2. I spent most of the time sailing my Astro Rock but did
rent an F2 265 World Cup for a day which was a rocket. I'm not
good enough to really take advantage of this board's
capabilities, but it felt good!
3. My wife signed me up for the 9/24 - 25 Cort Larned
clinic as an anniversay present. She's great!
The rest of this relates to the transition board debate. Some
of you may remember that I recently took the position of
defending these boards. I was wrong and admit it. I can't
remember the person's name that used to be on the net who sold
me the board, but if you're out there there's no hard feelings.
4. My wife has been struggling all year to beach
start/water start in chest deep water on our Fanatic Bat. The
board was stopping her progress. Her first attempt to launch
and sail the Astro Rock in chest deep water was incredibly easy
and she's now out of her slump. For me, after getting into the
AR straps and really zipping the Bat now feels like a station
wagon. Its a security blanket that will put a halt to the
learning curve. We'll keep it for central ***ia low wind
lake sailing, but thats it. My wife's success with the AR was
marred only by the tail separating while she was out on the
water. I think I've got a lemon as the nose split earlier this
spring. I'm not anxious to buy another BIC board.
5. At the end of the week I sailed my old O'Brien
Sensation which I'd given to my brother in law last year. In
low winds for cruising, this board was great and much better
than the Bat. The extra volume worked for 8.0 early morning
sailing. Its so floaty that it takes hardly anything to get
going. We were fortunate enough to get a house on the sound
and one of my daydreams the past month or so was to get out of
bed, have a cup of coffee, snap the sail on the board and
launch from my backyard. At one point, we had two people on
the board standing up. No we weren't screaming, but there's
alot to be said for high volume boards. Its heavy and has its
limitations but doesn't try to be a doitall like the
transitions.
6. The Bat was no good for teaching as it was much too
squirley to teach uphauling especially with a small light
weight sail. We had great success with two people on the
Sensation.
7. In conclusion, if you want to improve your skills, say
no to transition boards.
--
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