changing seasons/changing gears

Daylight savings kicked in today meaning that if your going to score a session, start making excuses by 1:30 and be out of the office by 2:30 at the latest...
Its the time of year, that if its blowing you need to go now as it might not be in an hour or 2 like the summer months where the thermals provide a reliable seabreeze every afternoon on the San Francisco Bay

I actually scored some decent formula session the last 2 days with the westerlies kicking in 10-15k and even 10-20k at the bridge and was quite stoked to see another day where I could get out on the water. After a windless October, I had even considered some SUP to hold me over for the winter months O_o

I got the chance to paddle with the crissy crew during game 1 of the World Series.
Enjoy the video from waterhound

It was dying as I arrived at 3 and actually kicked myself for forgetting my 7.0 as everyone was headed out on slalom gear but got the best session fully lit on formula/9.5 at ft point as everyone shlogged in on their 7.0s. The 5k ebb made a huge trough at south tower but with only 12-16k I managed just a few runs tempting fate. The 6-10' swell was stacking up nicely just outside the gate at the south tower with a few rolling sets making their way through the slot. I got flushed out of one gybe and ended up swimming for my gear past the red nun.
Next stop- farallon islands 12 miles out to sea.
Time to play it cautious!

I made the run back downwind against the 5k current which felt like I was dragging a sea anchor. 20 gybes later I made it back to crissy field where it was already getting dark by 4:45.
Hopefully more of the same later this week...

the fog chronicles...

Wednesday's midweek after work session on the SF Bay @ crissy field was about as San Francisco as you can get. A chilling reminder that 4 days of summer heat was more than enough and the curmudgeon - aka the marine layer - was back in town.

Summer in San Francisco from Michael Winokur on Vimeo.

The fog was deeply embedded through the golden gate- leaving only the San Francisco city front and Marin headlands to the north exposed to the brilliant sunshine trying penetrate through thick chilly pacific fog.As I drove into the city from Sausalito, the mid span was a fully engulfed with wind and fog. My van shifted in its lane with the each gust.
The iwindsurf app on the dash was reading 20+.
Peering down to Ft Point before I got the the toll booths, I saw nothing but white.

As I pulled into Crissy field, Tom & Soheil were already rigged their 10.0's.
I followed suite with my 9.5.
3 identical mikes lab formula boards sit aligned ready to take on the Bay.
No chatter. Suit up and hit the water.
Its September- don't forget the winter hat!

A few pumps and we were off blazing downwind at 20k+ in the flat water flood near shore towards the imminent fog bank lurking a few hundred feet away. Once at X- the tide line was amiss with square voodoo chop and random breaking swell.
The sheep were out of the paddock !
I flew over the backsides of the chop and waves with my back foot deeply planted in the double chicken strap for control. A quick scan of the chop in front of me let pick a decent face to carve back on.
Effortless is the only word that comes to mind when gybing a MLab in these conditions. Soheil and Tom are engaged in a gybing duel down the city front as I come fully lit in from the fog bank. Crossing ahead, I gybe in the butter smooth flood and sunshine washing the waters just in front of the GGYC.
The gods are smiling with 15-20k.
We work our way down past the harbor, past marina green and past Fort Mason in the time it takes to down a shot.
Painful but pleasant!
We arrive at the aquatic park which is bathed in a illuminating pink and orange glow as the setting sun peeks in below the fog.
30 seconds later overlapped and grinding upwind on port tack we are back in the fog.
So thick- you cant see the guy next to you 25' away but rather listen to hear if the chatter from his board is getting closer or further away.
I look over my shoulder to see Soheil clearing a set of chop with his 70 cm fin fully out of the water. Tom is pulling to weather with his BB (aka big boy fin) from F4.
I hike harder and rail the board to get an edge and the kashy 70 I am riding finds a 5th gear- matching the angle and pulling ahead with speed.
The fog horns penetrate the marine layer from somewhere to windward.
Time to tack.
We line up again on starboard tack heading back towards the city front and out of the fog.
The voodoo chop is tamer the further we go until we reach the seawall where the flat flood tide is smooth as silk.
It quickly becomes apparent that shifting gears and standing the rig up in the lighter winds becomes advantageous. Soheil and I gain as we switch to our front hands on the uphaul vs the traditional 2 handed boom grip.
10 seconds later it's time to tack.
The last 2 minutes of hard work and extra 2 board lengths of ground that you gained can be wiped clean if you blow your tack.
I'm a bit slow to make the transition and Tom flawlessly flops over to take advantage of the leeward position and is putting the pressure on again.
I dont have the room it takes to wind the fin up so I duck below Tom and begin with clear air.
Its not until we reach the fog bank again that I catch up with speed and angle.
Time to tack!
Our practice continues until we loose one another in the fog.
Tom bails and Soheil and I do another lap down to the aquatic park trading gybes and tacks along the city front while ducking in and out of the fog and tide line.
It doesn't get much better for a wednesday.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Enjoy the hd fog video

POV

Despite trying to escape the temptaion of the constant wind that the SF Bay delivers on a regular basis from March to October, and taking a non windsurfing vacation for the past 2 weeks, while letting my back recover, I get this video in the mail...

The locals score another epic session @ the north tower while Im away.
Enjoy the POV action from long time waterman Ian Boyd

Maintaining control in 25-30k

Its no secret- you're only as strong as your weakest link.
Despite having the best equipment this season, its been my body that's been holding me back this summer. Our local fleet has really stepped it up since the North Americans last month and if you don't nail that last tack on the last beat, you can be assured someone will be there capitalizing on your own weakness.
That's exactly what happened Friday in the latest twilight series.
I had to listen to my body and slow down a bit making sure not to overdo anything I might not be able to undo. The doctors advice was to significantly cut back but with 2 races this week, I just had to just maintain and not over do it.
Race 1 started with a good start off the line and leading around the course.
There were some big gust to deal with but for the most part if you've got your equipment dialed in, it isn't too overwhelming- even in 25-30k and big seas.
I lowered by boom and had good control upwind, not getting stood up at all.
Most of the chop you can absorb with your legs- making sure to keep the sail over the center line of the board upwind and not letting it open up.
It was just on the last tack on the last beat that Besse snuck in there grabbing the bullet form me.
Race 2 started in 25-30k and Al, Besse and I got out to a good lead on course B. Heading downwind after the gybe mark got a bit hairy as Al just about blew up and collided with another yacht starting their sequence at the leeward mark.
I saw it all happening but with just a few board lengths between us there wasnt much I could do but let it unwind. I made the quick call to bear off and narrowly avoided a big collision. In the meantime 2 or 3 board snuck in there and got a decent rounding as I struggled to get back on course and finished 4th.
Race 3 saw Wells eagerly trying to make the windward mark despite understanding it and getting plastered up against Anita Rock. Somehow he made a comeback and squeezed me out for 3rd, again making a faster tack on the last beat. Besse took the bullet!
Race 4 saw some great pre- race tactics between Seth and I as I lured him into the windward spot just above me and drove him right over the line for an ocs. Meanwhile, Tom and David got out to a nice jump and maintained control around the course with great speed.
Race 5 was payback time as Seth was determined to drive me back in the fleet. I hung out near the shore till the last 20 seconds and did a dip start down the line with Seth in hot pursuit. I managed to out run him until the last seconds of the beat when he came down hard on me to windward. We were deeper than usual rounding in 5th and 6th so time for a comeback. I dug deep but the front of the pack had really extended their lead and not much chance.
Sometimes its a race against yourself while the other sailors prove to be obstacles around the course.
Taking 4th place, I think Ive got the series wrapped up with 2 more races to go over the next month so it looks like time for a break.
The radio silence probably means Im laying low and doing my best for a recovery- despite the torture of being off the water.

2010 Ronstan Bridge to Bridge race

Yesterdays Bridge to Bridge race can be compared to launching yourself full speed down a mountain stacked full moguls- only have the finish line at the bottom of the mountain- 1/2 way across the gravel parking lot!
For 99% of the race, skiffs, kites and formula boards were fully wound in 18-24k and steep ebb chop, screaming downwind across the San Francisco Bay- only to come to a screeching halt 100m from the finish line- set just in front of Treasure Island at the base of the Bay Bridge where the wind becalmed the leaders and a river of ebb tide flowed, making it nearly impossible for nearly half of the fleet to get cross the finish line.
In fact only 33 of this years 57 entrants were able complete the race- but not for lack of skill. It was just that hard of a race.
It all unfolded with the last moves of the game as the skiffs came powered in from the city front and the majority of the kite and board fleet sat in the bubble just west of Treasure Island.

Actually the skiffs had it from the beginning.
All they needed was to avoid disaster and it would be theirs to lose.
And they did exactly that- sweeping the podium with the top 3 positions.
In 4th was local Chip Wasson followed by Steve Sylvester in 5th taking the top board spot- and edging out a pack of boards and kites- all trying to inch their way across the line in the opposing current and light wind.
The chaos even started before the starting gun as sounds of crunching carbon could be heard as 2 skiffs got tangled up in the run to the starting line.
With no protest being heard, per the sailing instructions, everything was going to be settled on the water.
The start was pretty chaotic with kites, skiff and boards all running at different angles and speeds across the line. I made a few quick calls to duck the port tackers (yes- duck the port tackers)in exchange for staying upright and full speed.
There's nothing as slow as being skewed on the front of an Aussie 18's 12' bow sprint.
Port or starboard.
You lose!
I was able to ride some big puffs down the city front before it got too light and gybed back to the outside for pressure. This is where things really heated up and Sylvester and I were still neck and neck. He eventually was able to pull away with better speed on his 60cm kashy, north 9.0 and ML10 as we went past Alcatraz in a a wild array of voodoo chop and swell. I think the difference was just being able to put the hammer down. With a smaller fin in the big chop, you can get more control with less drag.
Even with my back foot fully on the leeward rail in the triple chicken strap, I was barely able to hold on -flying across the backsides of 3-5 swell and chop in 20-25k of breeze. I confess, the 67cm kashy that I was riding was more than enough. Pushing as deep as I could, I plowed right over the top of Soheil- not knowing he was even there until I cleared him. Fortunately just a few seconds of delay but when I gybed to make the layline for the finish line a kiter went down just in front of me - spreading his kite, lines and board in a tangled mess. Another few seconds lost going upwind to clear myself and around the kiter.

Things were looking good with the guys in front not making the line and falling off a plane. I came planing in making my way through a graveyard of downed kites, trying to body drag their way to the finish! A few pumps and the lucky puff and I might have it but then in an all too sudden anti-climatic finish, I fell off a plane and was faced with a river of current pulling me away from the finish line. It took another few minutes of real struggle to make it across the line.
I had to settle for 17th overall in what was a disappointing finish but sometimes it's more about the race than the finishing order.
That's all part of the game.
Win or Lose.
It keeps me coming back every time!
Yhanks to Jean for the head cam video

Thanks to the St Francis Yacht Club and Ronstan for the excellent race.
Photo credit: Eric Simonson @Pressuredrop.
Be sure to check out the video footage of the race @ the i-deenfoodas site
and the additional surfcity photos @ http://surfcityracing.smugmug.com/Boats/International-Skiff/13496364_6EJq7#983054237_nH7yG

Friday Nite Racing @ the St. Francis

Friday Night racing at the St Francis Yacht Club is a summer tradition for me over the past 10 years. The fleet size is sometimes up to 20. Sometimes down to 5 or 6. But all the time you can bet its going to be a race against yourself- seeing how fast you can make your transitions, calling the lay-lines and nailing the start.

Sometimes you get it.
Other times its like shooting in the dark.

This past Friday was the latter.
But somehow most of the fleet made even more mistakes than me and I was consistent enough for 2nd behind Besse who took another string of bullets.

Video by US 13 Tom Purcell on the race deck
The conditions weren't ideal with a gusty 10-22k shifty breeze and a building ebb tide kicking up some big chop along the outside of the course but everyone was stuck doing the same course D for 3 out of the 5 races-Thanks RC!
Course D takes sailors upwind around Anita Rock, inside to gybe at B, outside to A and then rounding X to starboard and back upwind to the finish. Plenty of opportunities to gain or lose.

With slow starts, slow transitions and sloppy rounding, I wasn't doing myself any favors yet the NP 9.5. ML10 and 70 kashy still wanted to go fast. I had good upwind and downwind speed to get me back in the game. I tried out the north formula boom for the first time.
Its amazing how much difference it makes the whole rig feel. The body and outline are much narrower than the HPL or NP booms so I had to extend the boom out another 2cm beyond the recommended settings to avoid the sail draping over the boom. The body was much softer and think it should probably work better for the north sails with a shallower draft.
Nonetheless some very cool features with an adjustable tensioned head and quick rigging feature on the back end. The clips are also very ingenious. Rather than the tail end sliding in the front end. The wide tubes slide over the body of the booms and the clips are moved independently.

Full tour of the SF Bay

It was a full tour of the SF Bay today with Soheil, Aurilien, Xavier and Sylvester outside the gate for flat water formula training then down for some windward/leeward training between stfyc and red nun.

Shawn Davis was on the bridge to capture some great shots.

http://www.shawnrdavis.com/2010/08/formula-windsurfing-overhead-view/

After lap 2 we headed downwind for the fully monty- riding the double chicken through some gnarly SF voodoo chop off Alcatraz and finally down to Treasure Island where Xavier and Sylvester kept going back to Berkeley and the rest us sailed back upwind to Crissy via a long port tack under Alcatraz and over Angel Island right into Richardson Bay where we parked and waited for the breeze to fill back over the Marin headland. A quick minute to take in the view as the fog was just starting to fill in through the golden gate and Sausalito was fully engulfed in the summer sunshine.

A few minutes later near Harding Rock, we were fully lit heading back across the Bay in a full flood tide with the waters full of dolphins.

A very grateful Jerry Day indeed!

O_0

Day 5 US Windsurfing Champs

5 days of full on racing finally took its toll on me.
Despite wanting to keep going, the body said no more and I wisely listened.

I sat the final 3 slalom heats out after swimming around the first slalom marks- totally out of energy. Sometimes, when the body talk, you need to listen.
Earlier the day, we got our final 2 course races in.
Determined to get Al and Crad who were just a few points in front of me, I went out early again to get prepared and feel comfortable around the course. I had the 10.7 dialed. The flood tide was ripping and everything felt great. Unfortunately I pulled the trigger 1 second late at the start as CRad got the jump from below me and shot out. I was buried in the 2nd row. With bad air the rest of the race, I never was able to get it going.
For the final race, the wind was up to 16-22k and the chop an ever increasing factor on the course- especially downwind. I got off the very well and was the first to the shore taking advantage of the lift right to the top mark. The guys that started above me all over stood and I was looking in good shape rounding in the top 5
Downwind though was another story. With the marks almost 2.25 miles apart- it was going to be a long ride. The w-end bot traffic was out. The course was crowed with ferries, container ships, fishing boats and pleasure boats. I was already starting to get overpowered with the super soft Z fin and had my foot firmly planted in the double chicken for control until I ran into what seemed like 5 sets of voodoo chop right after another.
On the last one my nose plowed into the final set and I went down hard.
It took me another minute to get it all back together and I fought back on the next 3 legs like I never have before and was just able to overcome Eric a few meters before the finish. I thought I might have gotten S3 as we were overlapped at the finish but he had the advantage being to weather. It came down to the last point and I was able to squeeze S3 out and make the top 10 overall.
Chris and Al both sailed excellent races and got me in the end. I really admire the effort they put into their programs the past years building a brand new fin company from the ground up when they didnt have access to good fins in the limited world of high performance windsurfing parts.
They may not have it all right now but they are certainly doing something right.

A bit further up in the fleet, Seth was battling it out with Aurlien for 4th place overall.
They were practicably match racing up the final beats throwing in tack after tack and totally forgot about Fernando behind them who slipped in front of Seth and Aurlien and eliminated any chance Seth had to pick up 4th place.
Even in the hardest fought battles, you cant forget about the big picture.
And finally at the top, McGain took the final bullet after Paulo sat out the last race knowing he could use throw out and still win. A very impressive regatta by both never out of the top 2 exuding their throw outs!
Final results
Paulo dos Rios crowned the course racing champion.
Phil McGain crowned the overall Formula North American champion and overall champion- placing the best in all 3 disciplines and winning the inaugural Bill Weir memorial trophy.
Finally it was Wilhelm Schurmann taking the slalom after Peter Bilj had an OCS in the 3rd slalom final.
A superb week of sailing hosted by the StFYC.
Thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors and RC that made it happen.

here's some video- about 1/2 through the slalom racing start...enjoy!

Day 4 US Windsurfing Nationals

I finally got things going my way on the 4th day of competition after struggling to find my groove earlier in the week. A few mistakes always put me back in the fleet around 10th place but Friday's 6th place in course racing was due to some good preparation. I got out the the water 30 minutes before the 1st start and sailed the course, tested the line and fingured out a strategy for the day.I knew I wanted a mid to pin end start and to get to the shore first to take advantage of the inside life.
With the wind still light, I choose my NP 10.7, and Z fin for maximum power.
Sure enough I popped off the line well with a good lane and speed squeezing off my competition to weather by holding onto the uphaul, standing the rig upright and getting better angle.
From there, it was just making sure I didnt make any big mistakes and stayed with the top pack. Paulo and Phil were well ahead but the rest of the pack of Wilhelm, Seth, Xavier, Aurlien and Fernando all showed the speed and consistency that's gotten them to the top of the score board.
I really wanted this one and worked so hard to get it, passing Xavier on the first downwind then having to line up behind Aurlien and Fernado at the leeward mark. There was no way I was getting my nose in to find a lane to windward so I just footed off and went for speed, gaining a few board lengthes the 2nd upwind. Finally as the 2 tacked inside me , I held out a few more board lengths to account for the building flood tide. I made it around while the other 2 had to double tack and then downwind concentrated on the next 2. Seth and Wilhelm were in a tight battle but it seemed I had better speed and was catching up. Wilhelm immediatly tacked after the leeward mark so I followed Seth up to the starboard tack layline at the finish and just as we approached the last 30 seconds of the race, Wilhelm came in to plant a good cover on me to get 5th. Migual managed a small comeback after sitting out the last few races die to injury and placed a very respectable 3rd.
With that I gained the points I lost in yesterdays long distance race and now its even closer between Al, CRad, Sylvester and myself. It looks like Saturday's last 2 races will determine the top 10.

Around 3 we switched to our 2nd day of slalom racing and got several more rounds off but not before the freestyles had their expression session. This years freestyle exhibition had bothan old school and new school division.

I honestly had no idea of half the moves they were attempting with names like poncho villas, willey skippesr air gratchos. I think everyone was stoked we included the new discipline this year as it increases participation + got loads of people interested on the beach.
Slalom racing was the most fun Ive had in a long time. A 2 minute heat brings as much adrenaline as racing a 20 min course race. Every mark, I was overlapped and rounded full lit.
Having the 130l board with the 7.0 allowed me to squeeze out of a few light spots and almost qualify for the finals but on the last gybe- having 2nd all but locked up, I let Jean and David slip by and beat me across the line for the final spots.




Thanks to Shawn Davis for the great photos.
Be sure to check out the rest of his photos here

Day 3 US Windsurfing National Championships

Day 3 of the US Windsurfing National Championship in San Francisco saw racers spread out across the San Francisco Bay in a long distance race to Treasure Island and back to Crissy Field before 6 heats of slalom were run in gusty but reasonable conditions.

Consistency was the name of the game for Phil McGain who took the long distance race after Paulo des Rios mistook the mid course gate for the leeward mark and started back upwind.
It wasn't long ago that McGain gave up one of San Francisco most famous long distance races- the SF Classic by sailing right passed R4 and let the local fleet slip by. This time, he had his notebook for reference with course diagrams, tides and weather info.
The long distance race started and restarted and finally restarted again under the black flag with the outgoing ebb tide pulling sailors across the line and over early. Finally in the last start, I decided enough - and I would start on port ducking the fleet- making sure to get out the the right side but the inside lift finally paid off at the beach with the majority of the starboard tackers getting upwind first.
From there it was a slow but steady downwind run in 16-22k through multiple lanes of ferry traffic and fishing trawlers and over some short steep chop along the city front that had racers gybing multiple times through some rough waters and then through 2 gates: one stationed in front of the StFYC and the other off Blossom Rock on the north east side of the city and finally down to a leeward mark stationed north of Treasure Island before heading back upwind- in reverse order through the Blossom Rock gate and to the finish in front of the StFYC.
The pecking order was pretty much established with the top 10 staying pretty much in that order.
Finally with an hour rest break, the slalom fleets were established and 6 full rounds of slalom were run in 12-18k before the wind diminished too much on the inside of the course- set just off Crissy Field. I had a 6.0 and 7.0 north warp ready to run with 3 boards to choose from: ml 95l slalom, 105l JP slalom and 125l F2 slalom. After a few practice runs it quickly became apparent I would need the biggest board and most powerful sail to keep the drive in the light patches near shore. I quickly rigged up to the 42cm fin and 125l board and had enough power to keep it lit the entire course just behind Phil McGain take to take 2nd in the blue fleet.

Other winners included Peter Bilj, Wilhelm Schurman. After 5 rounds, the top 2 sailors from each of the 5 - 8 man heats will advance to the final round. Hopefully by tomorrow, we'll have a better opportunity to get through the qualifying rounds and into the finals.
Friday is also the start of the freestyle discipline with old school and new school heats starting as soon as the wind is up.

Racers can expect at least another 3-4 course races and several rounds of slalom over the next 2 days of the event.
Slalom photos
Long Distance photos
Results
Waterhound report