The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

When the World Is Running Down...

“When the world is running down you make the best of what’s still around.”

-The Police, from the album Zenyatta Mondatta

The song is from 1980 but it sure seems to fit the times.   My gear is running down, so when my 20 year old boom (a big Fiberspar, reserved for the 7.5) came apart after a Mecox session last week, I had to think creatively about how to keep the 7.5 in active quiver.

Fortunately (in my mind, not in the wife’s) I hang on to my old booms when they’ve aged past safe usage.   I rig them for nonplaning freestyle, or I think “I may need the parts”.   For 18 years I’ve had this junk collection, and I finally got to use it. Swapped out the boom head from a Fiberspar wave boom.   That boom is so small it never gets used above 4.7, but I am no longer willing to jump with that boom so as a high wind tool it’s pretty much worthless.    I’m hanging on to the tail piece and swivel adjusters, but the boomy part is headed for the junkyard.

Now I just need 12-14 to test the rebuilt one.

(Photos:   Top:  The donor boom and the grateful recipient. Bottom:  Boom head detail.   Notice that the dead head is completely missing the red plastic shim stuff.   Also note that I used "grateful" and "dead head".   It's alright.)

Mecoxing

We were all wired for disappointment.   Saturday had been forecasted to be a beautiful southerly shredfest, but the forecast unraveled the day before, and all that appeared to be left was catching a bit of breeze in front of a thunderstorm.

Massimo and I chose Mecox.    It looked like we might plane in the occasional gust on 7.5's so that's what we rigged.

For ten minutes we marginally planed in the gusts.   Then we planed in the gusts.   Then the wind filled in and we were flying.

Thinking to myself that the 7.5 rig felt a little wobbly, I noticed that the boom head connection between the boom and the clamp was loose.  VERY loose.   First I thought "relax, sail easily, enjoy.   Also I have no other boom that will fit the 7.5.    Then I thought "it's going to be a long walk/swim back if this thing explodes on me."   So I gingerly sailed back to the launch.   Session over.

But the wind came up more, I rigged the 6.2, Massimo came in for a smaller board, and it was back to the races.   A fine Mecox day!

Andy Brandt/ABK Clinic Update

Andy Brandt/ABK mini clinic schedule for the NY/NJ area:   Andy is doing a series of one day clinics, limited to six people per clinic.   Some are windsurfing clinics, the others are foiling only clinics.   Here’s the plan:

June 27 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

June 28 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

July 5 foil clinic, Long Island

July 6 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

July 11 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 12 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 25 foil clinic, Long Island

July 26 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

All clinics are limited to six people maximum.   Sign up on ABK’s web site

 

Wearing and Tearing at South Jamesport

It was sweet. 4.7’s on a sou’westerly and Sou’Jamesport. All that was missing was full sun but Hey I’m on my 77 in June!   And low tide meant you could stand most anywhere in the Peconic, so we were happy campers.   Still everyone had their own twist to make it interesting.

Andy Brandt was there! ABK’s finest was sailing recreationally and put on a show, throwing leapard loops, inverted chacho 540’s, and the odd carve 360, plus various shuv its and so forth.  

The Wolf managed a pair of explosions. In the first he jibed without fully checking who was behind him, and nearly annihilated your humble editor.   I shouted and induced my own catapult , the Wolf bailed, and we both ended up laughing about six feet apart (good social distancing).     No harm no foul.   Later in the day Lord vanderWolf caught a rail at full speed…Scott witnessed the explosion.

“You’ll have that” we all agreed.

Christian was enjoying the jibing, and proclaimed SJ as having risen to a high rank in his estimation of launches (he and I agreed about East Landing similarly just a few weeks ago.)

Massimo was working out the kinks on his 5.5 and brand new 102, after he and I had been skunked at Mecox (the forecasted 22 materialized there as 10.)

Jon Ford was sailing upwind and upwinder and upwinder until he was practically in Riverhead, then took a massive broad reach to shore.

Scott?   By the time I arrived he had done half of his sailing, so most of what I saw was him standing around smiling.   

Around 3 the wind picked up, but after several good hours rigging down seemed like work so we left.

4.7 at SJ is a happy pill.   Can we have more please?

Foil Clinics....ONE DAY...from Andy Brandt/ABK!

You can make time for this.  You know you can!   It's not a classic three-day ABK, or an abbreviated two day.  It's a one day clinic.

On Foiling.   We all have lots to learn about flying over the water and Andy is coming to teach it on Long Island.   From his Facebook page:

All levels - one day Andy Brandt ABK Boardsports foiling clinics. Limited to 6 people. Demo gear available to try from Fanatic and Slingshot.

Try foiling for the first time or improve your foils jibes and tricks.9:00-12:30 lunch break 2:30-6:00

June 6. Long Island NY. Hampton Watersports
July 5 Long Island NY. Hampton Watersports

Clinic cost $200. Sign up on the ABK Boardsports website