2011 by the numbers- a windsurfing junkies recap of useless data

2011 was a good year when I look at the numbers:

I had a total of 131 sessions this year-averaging a session every 3.5 days or 10 sessions a month.

April & May had the most sessions with 38 for 2 months- averaging a session every 1.5 days. In contrast, when looking at the 1st 2 months and last 2 months of the year- I only got 19 days out of a possible 120- averaging 1 session every 6.3 days.
 
I sailed at just 4 locations. 
87% of my sessions were at Crissy Field- 114 sessions,
Berkeley- 8 sessions,
San Juan PR- 8 sessions
and 1 session at Pinole Shores.

 
I sailed 84 formula sessions-64% of all sessions.   
I used my 12.0 6 times,
my 10.7 28 times,
& my 9.5 50 times- 60% of all formula sessions were used on this sail!

 
47 slalom sessions-36% of all sessions.
All of my slalom sessions were sailed in just 1 location- Crissy Field.
I used my 7.0 27 times,
my 6.3 13 times,
my 7.8 6 times,
and my 5.8 just 1 time.

I competed in14 total regattas.
64% of which were sailed at The St. Francis Y.C- 9 total,
4 at Berkeley
& 1 in Puerto Rico!

 

I spent a total of 24 days racing in 3 or more races a day.

Throughout the season, I used a total of 7 sails and 4 boards.
12,0- 6 sessions
10.7 - 28 sessions
9.5 - 50 sessions - 38% of all sessions
7.8 - 6 sessions
7.0 - 27 sessions
6.3 13 sessions
& 5.8- 1 session

While I didn't track what slalom board I was riding each slalom session, I  rode 4 boards this season:
ML10 Formula- 82 out of a possible 84 formula sessions or 97%
JP 101 slalom,
ML slalom,
&; ML freeride
 
And finally, at the time of this writing on Dec 30th, it's been approximately 9 days, 6 hours & 23 minutes since my last session.  Through out this year, there were 4 periods of time where there were 10 or more days between sessions with the longest being between 8/31 to 9/18 with 17 consecutive days off the water. 

*individual data recorded from  @USA 4  twitter feed  and graphs created with DAYTUM.

Another Friday night of racing on the SF city front

With just 2 points separating the top 3 racers after 5 races, last Friday night's twilight was as close as they get. So close, that it came down to the last tack on the last beat.
Eric looked like he had things wrapped up as he rounded the last leeward mark in front with myself and Al in close pursuit but Al's countless years on racing on the city front course paid off as he called the lay line to the pin and jumped from 3rd to 1st in the last seconds of the race edging both Eric and I out to take the final bullet and series.
I made a few sloppy calls- overstanding marks, getting called osc and even getting tossed like a little girl in race 3- which set me back a few points and grasping for anything I could get.
In this fleet, you need to sail consistently and smart to finish on top.

Most everyone started on their 11's as the inside was still not filling in completely and with Jean on the RC calling the course, we knew we would be running some old school multi gybe courses.

In race 1, I scored the first bullet edging C-Rad out on the last leg. He had some amazing acceleration upwind with his F4 D series fins, squirting out from the fleet at the start but I managed to get the tactical advantage, with inside lift on the first beat upwind. On the downwind, we saw some big puffs roll through which sent Al and Chris back to the beach after the race searching for the 10's. Eric stuck with his 11- which would be the right call as the night progressed. I managed to squeeze out everything I had with my 10 but in the light stuff, it just wasn't enough.As they say, rig for the lulls, survive the gust!
Race 2 saw more close action at the front of the fleet with Eric, Al and I finishing 1-2-3.
I over- cautiously overstood the top mark thinking it would be light up there again but in doing so, lost my chance to stay in the top pack. I clawed back through the fleet with some good sailing, staying in the breeze the rest of the race.
Race 3 saw Eric and David got to the top mark in the lead with the 11's. By overstanding, I cam in hot- edging out C-Rad and Al but as I turned the corner, I had nothing to pump with and Eric and David sailed away with their bigger rigs. Nothing to do but wait for the next puff and finish 3rd.
Race 4 was the craziest of them all with the wind up in the high teens and bigger southerly puffs coming down from the Presidio hills. I thought I had the perfect start- fully powered at the gun and the mark but Jean with his eagle eyes on the race deck called me over early and I had to dip back through the line to restart. Clawing my way back through the fleet, I found myself at the top mark in 5th but as luck would have it, Al and I scored a personal southerly puff which drove us straight downwind along the shore as the rest of the fleet gybed to the outside. As we gybed over towards the outside as we were sailing course C, Al went down hard as a classic SF puff took him out.
Thinking to myself, "ok, Ive got this wrapped up" (from last to 1st in a matter of 1-1/2 legs), overconfidence struck and I went down harder than Ive in a long time- getting catapulted over the front- ending up fulling twisted hooked in my rig upside down.
Shaken, I got up fast and managed to squeeze out another 3rd by sailing smart the last leg and tacking immediately after the leeward mark in search of the breeze and catching a few boards in the process.
Determined to finish strong, I put everything I had into the last race, but again again made 1 too many mistakes to get into the lead. By overstanding the top mark, I let Al really catch up. Eric had a nice jump but coming down from the last gybe mark, it was getting lighter and I almost sailed right over the top of him but with the layline quickly approaching and Al riding the next puff from behind, I hesitated on the gybe and let Al sneak in there. I backed off giving the 2 some room and myself an opportunity to pinch up and go for angle the last leg. I was eeking as much as I could out of my kashy 70 and bagged out 10 for plently of climbing angle but Al made the first tack. I held off for another second but he managed to get going just a hair faster and was on his way. Trying to determine the best VMG with Al a few board lengths to leeward, I went for the angle again but just not enough as we finished within a board length of each other.
Another great night racing on the SF city front...no place I'd rather be!

US Wind and Water Open- Day 3 regatta report

Day 3 of the US Wind and Water Open didn't bring any additional wind and the results stood from Fridays 3- 10 minute races.
Never in the 4 or 5 times Ive races in Corpus have I ever been skunked for that long.
Despite the lack of wind, I did manage to learn a few things from the event about my new sails and better pumping technique. The 70 cm kashy soft fin really has a good grip in the lighter breeze. All you need is some flow to get it going but sometimes the 11.0 just wasn't enough to pump up onto a plane. The top 2 sailors both used 11.8's for more low end grunt to get going and maintain their speed in through the lulls. I managed to hold off Percy and Sylvester but the one time I got lined up with Mike Z he was able to hold a better lane for longer with his new ML 70cm fin.
As we repacked the Hansen Sails van and trailer for the trip home, I began to realize how gear intensive our sport really is. Heres the numbers:
6 west coast racers (Mike Z, Percy, Sylvester, Doug, Steve B and Seth)
7 formula boards
5 slalom boards
18 complete formula rigs
9 complete slalom rigs
25+ fins
+ bases, universals, harnesses, wetsuits, extra rigging, tools, etc...

None of us got the chance to get on anything under our 11.0's and big fins despite being ready for 3 displines and strong winds. Sometimes you can never have enough gear. When in doubt- pack it and take it to the beach!

day 1 2007 us open- corpus christi texas

Light winds plagued the first day of racing at the 20th US Open windsurfing regatta in Corpus Christi Bay. The kiteboarders never left the beach while the formula fleet barely got around 3 races with one other being abandoned 1/2 through.
The day started off the postponement flag right off the bat. In the meantime slalom heats were set. Nobody rigged till around 1pm as the Texas heat has been known to snap carbon mast left to bake on the beach. The event this year is being run off mcgee beach which makes rigging and derigging a snady experience. In true Texas style everyone drives their pick up down on the beach and rigs on tarps.
With the wind barley up to 8 knots the race director took down the postponement flag and within 5 minutes started race 1. Most of the fleet was still trying to get off the beach at the start. I made up to the line and looked like I would be the only one with a planning start. I took off the the left side where there was just a hint of breeze and building chop. Seth followed a bit behind and it looked like we might take the 1 lap race. A few others got off the line late and headed right and caught a puff coming down. I rounded the top mark in 4th but BRA 999 was able to go a bit deeper and get me downwind. 5th place finish with quite a gap behind me as the rest of the fleet barely planed to the finish.
Race 2: A rain squall was approaching just after the start which killed the wind and the RC abandoned the race after the first downwind.
After a long wait the 2nd race was restarted in marginal winds. I got off the line well in the middle of the line pumping over Steve S and Mike Z on the line. Unfortunately I didn't take it far enough left and tacked back too early and caught a right shift coming back which put me a few boards back. Mike Z rounded just in front at the top mark with Seth a few board lengths ahead in 4th. By the bottom mark the wind was getting really light and I thought I might get Mike Z as we were pumping to make the bottom mark. Seth gybed early and came back to round just in front of us but was able to hold onto 4th with Mike Z in 5th and me in 6th. As I looked back up the course most of the fleet wasnt planing coming downwind. It was an ever longer wait till the 3rd attempt at racing and an ever lighter breeze. It was below the wind minimum but the RC started anyway in 3-6knots. Lots of holes up the course. I got off the line near the pin with Mike Z just below me. I was able to hold my line for the first minute but as it got lighter and we got headed I had to dive through his wake to search for air. I came off a plane and a few other sailors who were still planning came over to the left. Meanwhile most of the fleet got stuck on the line. Back and forth we went reaching across the course with no upwind angle. Most of the race was spent non planning and I managed to finish way deep in the fleet. Back ashore most of the fleet agreed it was too light for racing so I filed a protest which was disallowed. RC has final word.
So 3 marginal races today - 2 decent finishes with 1 horrible race. 1 more race to get a throwout. Tommorows forecast doesnt look any better with slalom and a speed event scheduled.