The moment we hit the water in Bonaire, Sally began her jibe program. Okay she sailed 50 yards, got off the board to adjust the boom height, and then began it, but really there was no warm-up at all. Sally was there to jibe, I was there to give her loving uncritical unjudgemental loving warm considerate loving supportive jibing tips (while smiling).
We actually pulled it off! Sally has been hitting the occasional jibe for a few years now, but she got about 20 last week in Lac Bay, including one stretch with four in a row. Some were prettier than others, but the key was there were lots of jibes. Last year Sally didn't sail away from one until the last day.
I'm going too fast here.
We arrived in Bonaire on Sunday, meeting Puffindom's Napeague Axis (Dana, Andy, Lili and Wilson) who had arrived a few days before and had warmed up the bay for us. Dana, Lili and now Sally all wore their Xcel shorties (years earlier Sally proclaimed "if I had the sleeveless shorty that Lily and Dana have, I would sail faster and with more control, and my jibes would improve." This has proven to be true.) The first couple days I needed 6.5-7.0 sails (one day a 7.5 I confess) but things settled in at 6.0 for me just about when Team Napeague departed (sorry guys...we got all your wind...perfect wind for Sally's jibefest.)
While the official mission was to improve Sally's jibes, I too came with a purpose: Learn the carved Upwind 360 in the footstraps. I'd been doing them as part of nonplaning freestyle for a decade, but any time I went for one planing it was complete humiliation. I didn't understand...how hard could it be to carve upwind past "12" and then be in position to spin? I always made it to 11:30 (and then got stuffed.)
Enter ABK's Andy Brandt, who
A: Taught me the nonplaning upwind 360.
B: Is a windsurfing instruction genius.
C: I have done enough ABK clinics with him that he can speak in shorthand to me.
He gave me three key points...sheet out when initiating the carve (counterintuitive to me, but okay), luff the sail while bringing it forward, and get my head over the middle of the board. That will get me through "12", at which point the nonplaning 360 technique comes into play. It worked! My first day I was going 360...and getting slammed at the end. The second day I was waterstarting out of 360's. My first attempt on day three I sailed away dry from my first upwind 360, in front of several people including one of Windsurf Place's instructors, who gave me a big thumbs up. Yes! I hit six dry over the rest of the week, and as many with waterstart exits. Also more slams but whateva...
What else did we learn? Sally declared "I don't like gloves" and didn't wear them on day one. You know how that goes. Gotta love a wife who says "next year bring more duct tape for my hands!" Also she will wear her gloves on the first few days.
I learned to translate Jibe City's windmeter. This was bittersweet, because for years my favorite way to find out what the wind was doing was to ask Brendon Quinn (ABK instructor who is always around.) Brendon doesn't like to be asked about the wind by someone who should be able to figure it out himself, but that's half the fun of asking him. In 2014 Brendon took a stand, refusing to tell me what the sail call was. I asked him once anyway for old times' sake, before ascertaining that the meter works just fine. It reads in knots, but IMHO it's best considered as miles per hour.
There was of course a contingency of Long Island windsurfers there...Jimmy Rivera, Thandi, Jill, George etc. Special shout-out to Thandi, who I had to work like hell to pass on a speed run...just a few years ago I had the privilege of being at an ABK clinic where she showed up as a "never tried windsurfing before" student. Now she burns! Here was a first: I was going through comments submitted to the Puffin when I got one from people I'd never met, who were staying in the bungalow immediately next to us (hello Claudia and David!).
Lots more happened, but this is enough for now. Also I'm hoping to lay my hands on some of Jimmy Rivera's photos and video!
(Top: Lili, Dana and Sally practice one-handed jibe carve initiation. Bottom: My bride's hands at the end of the week.)
Sounds like a fun and productive week with good friends. Your planing upwind 360 description was helpful. I didn't realize about the sheeting out part so I'll have to try it. The Excel Shorties look great...now my wife wants one.
Posted by: Rich Simons | February 25, 2014 at 08:15 PM
Well, hello there! :) Finally making a little time to read up on blogs and stuff - o.k. so, more like drooling over Bonaire and wanting to go back... It was nice to meet you, still have to hook up on facebook, but here's my website/blog (well, in 'your information') just search it for Bonaire and you'll get lots of hits ;)
Posted by: Claudia | March 12, 2014 at 10:20 PM