8/28 DCIB 5.0

[Steven Nyhus]

DC was gave up a rare 5.0 day for me. It was gusty (it always is) but it was oh so fun. Arrived at 1:15 and I was expecting to see lots of people out, but there was no one there when I arrived. I rigged for the high gusts, and it was a good decision. Sailed till about 5 and was well powered most of the time. It was a workout with the gusts, but the 5.0 made it manageable. I left just when George was going out on a 5.8 and 100ltr board and it was still blowing pretty good. Fun day!!

[JimSouthwick]

Arrived at Chucktown launch just as Leo was leaving; didn't get on the water until 3. It didn't matter; it's now 11:30 PM, and it's still blowing! Insane gusts, dense weeds. Still, a real treat to get screaming rides with a fairly small (4.5m) sail.

http://picasaweb.google.com/JP.Southwic ... indCharts#

[Leo Chan]

I got in the water way too early! I was hit with the 30+ gust when I was started out at 12 p.m. Got stuck in the weeds couple of times and then got too tired. I should have stayed at DCBB. Anyway, don't ever go to Charleston without a weed fin.

[June Akrs]

Went with my husband, John, to Island Beach where he was taking a great group lesson with Josh. Josh took advantage of the wind to give a lesson geared toward the rudiments of flying and handling the sail in wind such as in preparation for a water start -- so the students looked like they were flailing around in the water, but getting lots of good experience for that next time they find themselves with real wind.

I hung around the shore watching the lesson and trying to get comfortable with the timing and range of the crazy wicked gustiness, then finally rigged a 5.3 on the 100L Screamer for a wildly varied session with some of the gusts seeming like they would blow a hole in the sail. Early part of the session around 2:00 pm seemed to have more holes, later around 3:30 pm tended more toward insane blasts. There were some smoke-on-the-water blasts while derigging around 5-6 pm.

The swell was building, and a bit close together to do much with, but I could get something out of it once in awhile.

Good fun!