...there I am at South Jamesport, chasing the ever speedy Scott in the distance. In a shorty. Not a DRYSUIT!!! I am ready for summer shortboarding.
I used to be the guy pushing the limits of cold weather sailing...I remember a day Peconic Jeff and I set out to not leave until our sails were iced up during a Mecox session. But I haven't managed a winter session yet this season, and we're 1/3 through! Leave it to Artie to hit it last Sunday at Meschutt, where he reports his 5.4 was fine for about six minutes before it iced up. That's the way you do it!
(Photo by The Art of Windsurfing)
For the entire winter a session had evaded me. Scott too...between life schedules, cold temperatures and lack of wind, while many of us had gotten little, the Earl of Kielt and I had got none.
Then Sunday Sebonac Inlet beckoned. Cold (36-40) but sunny and windy. I had obligations, but Scott made it on the Last Day of Winter! T'was Scott, Frank, George and Artie with 4.7 the sail call (Artie says Frank was on a 4.5 but this sounds unlikely. Frank is mas macho.) The Peconic Puffin salutes them all.
For myself it's been twenty years since I missed getting at least one winter day in. I whiffed! Oh well...bring on Spring!
It's March. I haven't sailed since November. The last time I went this long between sessions was 2006! Bad luck, bad scheduling, bad winter for me!
Me I was on a plane flying from Europe to JFK. We flew in straight east, so I knew it was still blowing straight west. But catching it in the first frigid sesh of the year were George Pav, Artie, Chris, Rob and Steve...maybe others in 38 degrees (my cutoff is 40 unless there's blazing sun!) We honor their bravery, and envy the sesh (it was still well within the Long Island Rule of 100).
(Photo courtesy Ken the Kiter. Reporting by Artie.)
There is something known as Classic Meschutt Conditions. CDC. With NW winds and outgoing tide, lines of perfect two-foot ramps set up on the inside to jump, and on the outside well-spaced rollers to jibe off of. Friday we had CDC. And the wind?
"Perfect 4.2" Scott pronounced.
Indeed. Scott and Frank were on it first, with me about fifteen minutes behind. I have not had much good jumping conditions of late, so between my wanting style and getting a few feet more altitude than I'm used to, it was exciting! Scott and Frank threw some big ones, and I had one big one..a big explosion on landing LOL that had me swimming after the gear for a moment. Good times. I had to leave about the time the Wolf hit the water, but he got some too.
(Photo: That's Scott outbound. Look at the lines of rampage!)
It was just Scotto and me at Sebonac Inlet Sunday. 4.7, midsized boards, sunny rampy and windfull. Where was everybody?
The Art of Windsurfing was sailing solo at West Meadow. George caught some at Iron Pier. And I suspect a lot of people were exhausted from a fine Saturday session that I missed (I foresook SJ...my loss.) So it was Scott (with burnt out arms) and me (working to remember how to jibe) in full sun. And what is sweeter than 4.7 I ask you? (Some say 4.2...I like the extra fraction of a second for reaction time.) Sure am looking forward to the end of glove season. And no hood? June I'm thinking.
(Selfie of doofus editor in heavy neoprene.)
The rave reviews would not stop.
"Excellent 4.2!"
"I can't believe it's February!"
"Looks like the Gorge!
"It's like Hatteras!"
"A perfect day!"
The last session of the shortest month was a great one according to all who partook!
Those duly shredding included Joe Nat, Frank, Artie, Pav, Bruce, Robert. Send more names and add them I shall!
(Photo of Joe inbound by Artie.)
I missed it, but few others did. 4.2-4.7 at Webbies, with two snow squalls to heighten the interest. No repeats from Friday's Sebonac event...Frank was at Nappy, I took a day off from the cold, and Christian was in Hatteras with his Opti-sailing daughter.
The Webbies crew included the Wolf, Chimply Lord Scotworth the Earl of Kielt, the Art of Windsurfing, Joe Nat, Rob, Frank Strobel, "new guy Cyrus", Bruce Feldman and possibly others.
(Top: Scott says it's picking up! Bottom: If the Wolf is sailing, why aren't you? Why wasn't I? Photos by Artie.)
On arrival the guestimate was 4.7 and a midsized board. By the time Frank and I had rigged the sand blowing down the beach suggested 4.2. I grabbed my smallest board (77) and launched.
One run later I was back on the beach to add downhaul. That worked, until Frank launched and the holes arrived. 4.7? 5.3? 4.2? Quit complaining...it's a sunny day in February and we're sailing! Christian joined on a 5.3.
It was up and down (stop complaining!) but I for one was grateful to be in the straps, to jump, to jibe (the water was COLD). I managed to duck jibe onto some swell, finding myself surfing down a mini wave switchstance...total luck but I'll take it! Gratitude for fun on the water in winter.
During a break in the action Christian showed me his latest technique for stashing emergency line. A decade ago we both used to tape line behind our harness bars...after Christian had to rerig a sail floating outside the Bowl. Over the ensuing decade we both stopped, but after Christian's boom failure last month he is now carrying line again. I must join him stat. Back to the sesh...
In the end a shlog on the 77, with a number of slow waterstarts in the icewater convinced me that I'd had enough fun. Also my lips couldn't form words any more so I went home, grateful.
When I think about winter and water time (when I don't have tickets to fly to Bonaire) I worry. What if there are no good days? Silly me. Just because it's freezing cold and miserable doesn't mean there's no fun to be had! A review of Peconic Puffin articles from past Februarys offers up a catalog of sessions at Sebonac, Meschutt, the Bowl etc, and a fair amount of wave SUPping (by paddle and by sail). This Friday already shows some promise...otherwise I will simply bide my time and mind the Long Island Rule of 100:
Air temperature + Water temperature + Wind Speed = 100 or higher.
Or be like Arctic Artie* and get a bit more technical, and windsurf when:
Air temperature + Water temperature + Wind Speed + Weeks since last session + 5 (if it's sunny) = 100 or higher.
* I don't know that The Art actually applies this formula, fine geek though he may be. But he sure as sugar sails like he does!
¿Quien es mas macho? Arctic Artie is. The Art of Windsurfing showing us how it's done Saturday morning in 20-something degrees and a blizzard at Mt. Sinai Harbor. My excuse for not being there is a tweaked back, but I dunno know, man...
Rock it Artie!
The windchimpage was extraordinary. 9 of us! “Most I’ve seen at Webby’s at one time” Scott said. As it was only my second Webby’s session ever I didn’t have much to compare it with, but we had a crowd: Joe and Shelley, Chris, Artie, Rob, Slalom Frank, Scott, the Wolf and your editor. When I arrived Joe was launching on a 5.0…seemed moderately powered so I put up my 4.7 and a 93 liter board, hoping to plane in the gusts. This setup worked for two runs before the wind jumped and I switched to a smaller board (77 liters).
Not enough adjustment. Add downhaul and outhaul. Now I was ass-hauling!
Scott rigged 4.2. The Wolf rigged 3.7! And it was good. But whilst they were on the small stuff, Artie went with his 5.4 (“all I brought” he said…and he made it work) while Frank was blasting on 6 meters and a slalom board, passing everyone. “Too fast” I complained!
The water was cold (“don’t fall” Scott advised) but the wind and swell were just right…a fine January session.
(Top: There was proper traffic on Sunday! Bottom: A portion of the gang leaves the beach to huddle in the lee and discuss the next runs. Photos by Artie.)
(dropping some alliteration on yo' ass is P. Puffin)
Scott wouldn't do it, and I couldn't make it, but Arctic Artie caught some at West Neck, along with Chris from Connecticut braving air temps in the low 30's. The Art of Windsurfing described it thus in a text thread:
"Killer session! Nuked on a 4.7 crazy powered at times beautiful rolling swell...Gorge-like...sick!!!
With apologies to the Clash, and a throw back to a Peconic Puffin post from 2011:
"We rig in ice, we rig in snow,
We windsurf when it’s really cold,
Icy sails can give you trouble,
Wind chill makes the cold seem double,
Don’t matter, ‘cause when it blows,
We rig in ice, we rig in snow."
(Photos by Artie)
...or a gift from Santa. Artie couldn't decide how this late year session should be attributed, but sail it (or wing it) we did. The northwest wind had set up a classic Meschutt session complete with color by number ramps, though the wind was up and down. Scott was on a 4.7, Joe Nat a 5.0, me a 5.4, and Christian a 5.7 we were all good at some point. Jonathan was on a wing...I don't know what size wing or how they translate, but he was up and foiling. Christian had a boom tailpiece failure...the good news is that he was fairly close to shore, the bad news was the water is Cold. He managed to tie his sail's clew to the boom and shlog in without too much drama.
A far from perfect session, though there were jumps and jibes to be had. Windsurf we must!
(Scott inbound. Photo by Artie.)
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