Sunday 10.15, Island Beach, Deer Creek

[Carl Christensen]

The Deer Creek Dam Chute tells the story: Up by around 2 with a good push from 4-6, (peaks to 26mph), had everyone on the run. Steve was rigging down to 7.2 when I got there around 3:30 and Dimitri was downhauling his 9.9 pretty hard, both good signs. Everyone else was probably 6.5 -8.5. I watched Dimitri go out and then downwind on his first reach and pointed him out to Steve. Just then he threw a 9.9m formula ground level forward right in front of the fishermen on the island. That got my attention.

My 11.7 is still on injured reserve after getting blown off the water during a summer gust but the 12.5 has been treating me well, so I got on with it. And on with it and on with it, until around 6 when enough miles had been logged and enough sailors sailed with to stop tempting fate and call it a day. There were lots of great lines and powered turns with Rob Smith, Sarah, and Steve. I wish I knew who else was out. Was Steve Nyhus out? What does he ride? Who else?

Jason's been hearing about it all week and made a late effort to show despite extenuating circumsances. He watched from the beach until he was convinced that the wind was solid enough and then rigged his Ozone 16 to be the sole kiter on the lake around 5-ish.

The water is not warm but it is not cold. The shortie was still reasonable but it's time to take it to the shower and rinse it for the season.

Jason and I were the last to leave the parking lot and got treated to an arctic lights kind of halo circling Timp's entire ridgeline from north to south. It was a spectacular sunset in a land of not uncommon magnificent displays, but this was more, enough so to have people pulling off the road along the Provo just to stare.

[ErikM]

I'll second that magnificent sunset! Maybe it was that the rest of the sky was so grey. Sounds like the wind at the dam was maybe a bit gustier. I went back and forth between my 9.2 and 7.2 but, I was glad I was using my 7.2 when some of the gusts hit, boy were some of them hard. George Ward seemed to have it all dialed in however, with his flattened 7.5.

[jason morton]

Ya, I was long overdue for a good session. Wish i had gottn there earlier. Ryan, you missed it. Shoulda come. Hey Kenny- How do come in at DC. Tried to put my kite down on it's leading edge and it ended up skipping down wind through all those rocks. Ouch. Very pleasant evening at DC.

[DimitriMilovich]

Oh, that's right, those were forward attempts. I remember now. It's only because I hit so hard and scrambled my brains that I was thinking those trips over the booms were unintentional.

I feel much better.

George must still be laughing.

[layne.peterson]

I was late but still had some great rides on my 7.15 (.15 not a typo!). I also spotted Stuart, and Jim (not Charleston) sailing from Island Park. Best Utah sailing in quite some time!

P.S. Carl, I still have no idea how you can hang onto that Hobie Cat sized sail.

[Kenny]

Jason,

I got three good sessions at DC this week Wed - Fri. Thursday evening I saw the "halo" effect over Timp. It is an awe inspiring sight. I was glad I wore my dry suit on Friday when I had to sit through a 15 minute lull. Other than that the wind was pretty consistent by DC standards.

On Thursday evening I was able to drop my kite on the shore because the wind was lightening up. However, I usually just drop it in the water. I figure that a wet kite is better than a torn kite.

Kenny

[RickHeninger]

Layne...

Let's have a poker faced conversation here...For your Birthday or Christmas or Flag day maybe, I am going to bust out my Singer sewing machine and sew a piece of material that is 0.22360679774997896964091736687313 M x 0.22360679774997896964091736687313 M onto the leech or foot of your sail somewhere so that you can sleep peacefully knowing that you only have to go to 2 significant figures on your current 7.15000000000000000000000000000 M sail... I guess this will add the 8.8 inches squared that will propel your sailing to the next level! (To anybody... If you read all those numbers individually the first time through I indemnify myself from all liability of your wasted time and further, I suggest that you go into the garage and hit one of your fingers with a hammer just enough to inflict pain).

More Layne, I just don't see how you can plane with that thing if it's blowing 7.2!?!? I just think that they really cut that sail short by not having the extra .05 square meters... I know we've talked (milked it for all it's got) before about that sail but there is some more mileage to be had out of it!

[Carl Christensen]

Yeah, Rick, always thinking outside the box. If you add another 5.35 square meters to make it a 12.5 it's easier to get going but sometimes when it's windy, and a 7.15 is enough, it's harder to go where you want to with the big sail. (In that case I kinda go whereever I can; over here for a while, up there for a while, or way down there for a while. You never know, and sometimes you run out of real estate so you have to turn, whoa doggie! Cowboy up.)

[layne.peterson]

Hey, there are plenty of times when that .05 M^2 really makes the difference! Plus, it really helps fill the gap in the sail quiver (....6.95, 7.0, 7.05, 7.1, 7.15, 7.2....), why do you think I need such a big trailer? And not to mention, the extra .05^M is a good excuse for when I get launched! Not sure what Carl's excuse is..

P.S., I think you are missing some digits in your mantissas.... probably due to HDS (hammer digit syndrome).

[RickHeninger]

Aren't Mantissases endangered anyway in Florida Layne... It's a good thing Jimmy Buffet is on top of all that!

Wonderful word that I haven't heard in some time...

And about the HDS (Hammer Digit Syndrome) is that similar to the Split Toe Cowboy Booties Syndrome!? I'll see if can get some ointment for all that!

Finally, maybe we can get some more purchase in there.... I'll drop a line in to LS!!!

That's great!