Palo Alto Mud Sailing

Some of the Palo Alto "Mud dogs" are working on sailing through the mud to extend their sailing time. The one thing you DO NOT WANT to do is fall into the middle of the mud as it can take an hour to walk out.  Video and screen capture shots below.

Mike at youtube reports:

Small fin, soft slippery mud and enough wind and it's possible to sail right across the mud flats at the Palo Alto CA sailing site.

On Sept. 20, Jack reported on iWindsurf:

Three of use (Royce, David and I) had a great session from 3-5 PM today on 6.0 and 5.7 with 100L freestyle boards. Because of the ebb the water was flat, flatter and flattest.

The mud was even flatter. I installed my 15cm custom cut mud fin and tried some “Mikey Mud Sailing” (where were you Mike?). What a blast! As you enter the mud/water slurry zone it’s like being on ball bearings. You actually accelerate but have much less fin bite in the mud. You stay on a “mud” plane very easily with the board going a bit sideways. It’s a very weird feeling.

I performed a duck jibe on my most brazen run into the mud. David will vouch for it as he was slogging out thru the mud/water slurry as I jibed in front of him. As I hit the mud everything turned to slow motion just like I was in a dream, it was really bizarre. I intended to do a donkey jibe but thought better as I didn’t want to crash in the slurry (negotiating a sail and body 360 seemed a bit beyond my expertise at the time). Luckily I had a lot of slow motion time to think about it. This was the slowest and strangest full planning duck jibe I’ve ever done. I’m sure I’ll be dreaming about it tonight.

Coming in to the dock at 5pm I went thru 40 yards of pure mud accelerating thru it then slowing down to a slog as I entered the channel.

A couple of things to keep in mind.

• You need a really short fin. 15cm is 5.9" inches.
• You want to make sure you can sail in the water with these short fins before you attempt mud sailing with them
• Make sure the hose works at the cleaning station so you can wash yourself off should you fall into the mud.

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Click Stills for larger images:

GPS for Windsurfing

February 23, 2013 Update:  I bought the Garmin 310XT last year and have used it over 100 times and love it.  I highly recommend it.

Here is an example of what the 310XT uploads to the cloud using a wireless dongle in a USB port.

Note, in my excitement to sail the first time in 2013, I forgot to put on my heart rate monitor strap so there is no heart rate data.  Here is a session from last year with HR data.

September 8, 2011 update:  Despite being advertised as "rugged waterproof design" the Forerunner 301 is only moderately water resistant.  If you don't keep it in a dry bag, it will eventually leak and fail.  If you tell Garmin if failed while windsurfing, they won't honor the 1-year warranty!  I told them Amazon.com advertise these for winsurfing and they advertise them for "triathletes" which implies swimmers and they volunteered to repair or replace it for me for $34.   I will probably use a dry bag and eventually upgrade to the Waterproof 310XT that they recommend for swimmers and windsurfers.


 

 

It is really nice to know how fast I am going while sailing by glancing at my wrist and I really liked knowing how many miles I sailed and top speed reached.

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Original Article:

I used my Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS Personal Training Device for the first time yesterday windsurfing and loved it!

It was so easy to set up and use.

It is water proof and you wear it on your wrist like a watch.  I set up the custom view to show my current speed in big type so I can easily see it with a glance while sailing.  I found I was also able to see the smaller text I set for max speed and total distance.

This is the bike handlebar mount I bought so I can use it for biking.

At the end of my first "workout" windsurfing for 1hr and 35 minutes on a 6.5 sail in flood tide at Coyote pt yesterday the heart monitor said I burned 1718 calories in 22.85 miles with pk speed of 24.4MPH.   I was not able to get upwind enough to let loose on a downwind run to try and break 30MPH.

I am not sure how the heart monitor does calories since I have not entered weight yet. Avg HR was 135 BPM - easy training session.  After only a single use where I have not had time to read the instructions yet, I am very pleased and recommend it to all.

Windsurfing Video: US Nationals at Crissy Field

Video clips from the Windsurfing 'Expression-session' freestyle competition. Part of the US Windsurfing National Championships held at Crissy Field, San Francisco, California on July 20-24th 2010. Clips are from July 23rd.



Competitors included: Tyson Poor, Andy Brandt, Wyatt Miller, Whit Poor, Rob Warwick, Jason Voss and many more.

Jacqueline "Jacqui" Kuni - RIP

Jacqueline "Jacqui" Kuni collapsed while doing the sport she loved with the people she loved at the spot she loved. A beautiful life ended far too soon, but her spirit and love of our sport and friends will live on in our memories.

Our Bay Area windsurfing community learned of Jackie's passing when SUba-rude posted a note about the sad event on the iwindsurf message board titled Tragedy at The Stick today:

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 20:20
I am so sorry to say. We lost one of the best sailing comrades ever. Jackie, the nice lady that drove the van and organized the BBQs was brought ashore unconscious. I cannot say her condition, only that the EMT were unable to revive her. It happened suddenly. One minute she was out having the time of her life, the next I see someone swimming to the beach with her. Even if you don't know who she was find it in yourself to say a pray for Jackie. Asked the Ambulance Driver and he said she is going to SF General. They would tell me nothing on the phone. Not even if she was there. She was a real gem. First rate person.

Hats off to the young man that rescued her. He swam easily 1/4 through strong winds and ebb currents and got her ashore. He kept her head above water the whole way. I never met him but its nice knowing we have sailors like that around.

The news was later reported by the SF Examiner in Windsurfer fights for life after rescue off Candlestick Point

May 1, 2010:  A windsurfer was in critical condition Saturday after being dragged to shore by a doctor who was also windsurfing in the chilly waters off Candlestick Point on Friday evening.

The woman, only identified as Jacqui, was face down in the water for about two minutes, according to Dr. Juan Vargas, who pulled her to shore at about 6:30 p.m. Friday. Her injuries are not believed to be windsurfing-related.

It took about five minutes to swim to shore and another five minutes for paramedics to arrive, Vargas said. From the beach, she was taken to nearby San Francisco General Hospital where Vargas is the chief of obstetrics and gynecology.

Another windsurfer on shore was a physician as well — an emergency room director — and helped resuscitate the woman.

According to the SF Examiner: SF windsurfer, 66, dies after water rescue

May 3, 2010:  A woman popular among Bay Area windsurfers died at the hospital Sunday morning following a striking rescue from the waters near Candlestick Park on Friday evening. The woman, identified as San Francisco resident Jacqueline Kuni, 66, likely had an aneurysm, according to doctors.
Dr. Juan Vargas, who was also windsurfing that evening, swam Kuni to shore around 6:30 p.m. after she had been face down in the water for about two minutes.

“I knew it was Jacqui because I recognized her sail, and she was not breathing,’’ said Vargas.
He jumped in the water, kept Kuni's head afloat and screamed for a fellow surfer to call 911 while he swam her to shore for “what felt like an eternity,’’ he said, but guessed was about six minutes.

Two physicians tried to resuscitate Kuni while they waited for the ambulance to arrive and take her to San Francisco General Hospital.

Jacqui's Memorial Posted: 03 May 2010 11:32 by chand2

Jacqui's memorial will be this Saturday morning at Candlestick Park. We will meet at 9:30 am. Location in the park TBA.

There will be a paddle-out to place lei's in the water and scatter a few ashes. If you want to participate in the paddle-out, bring a board with you.

We are creating a book of pictures and stories for the family. If you have any pictures of Jacqui, or any stories to share, please contact Ellen at chand2@earthlink.net.
Thanks.

KevinKan posted this note and photo of Jacqui

Posted: 03 May 2010 13:30
This is one of the only pics I have of Jacqui. She was still in a good mood and smiling even after the wind died and she got stuck downwind and had to come in on the rocks.


She was one of the regulars at Da Stick, and it was strange not seeing her yesterday. Such a nice lady, and it's nice to read all the nice stories about her here.

I remember I dropped a board off to her late last year around Christmas time, and she had a bottle of wine and some caramel corn all wrapped up w/ a bow for me.

It is people like Jacquie that greet everyone with a smile, stay late to make sure everyone is in safe or are there to give a helping hand to beginning sailors or experienced sailors unfamiliar with the local conditions that make this such a special sport.

Rest in Peace Jacqui

Robby Naish at Hookipa on a 4.7

What a day. I got to Kanaha early to sail around Noon and got in a short "survival session" on a 4.5 sail at "Uppers." There was SO MUCH WIND that staying upwind was not an issue. Since I had most of my day left, I decided to check out Hookipa and see if anyone good was sailing. As great fortune would have it, I got to see one of the best in the world, Robby Naish, sail.

click images to see full size

Here are a few more of the photos I took.



Good to see I am not the only fan of tri fin boards

Camera: Nikon D60
Lens: Nikkor 55-200 VR
Photographer: Kirk Lindstrom
Date: April 1, 2010
Time: 2:04PM to 3:30PM Maui time

Today's wind:

Team Red Bull Photo Shoot Maui

Kai Lenny, Sergio Cremisini and friends tear it up just below "Baby Beach"on Maui's North Shore

After sailing 5.0 three days in a row and 4 of the last 5 days, my old body needed a "take pictures" rest day.

Click any of the images to see it full sized.

I took a stroll down to Sugar Cove to see how big the waves were and if anyone good was sailing. While taking a few photos of windsurfers doing better than I could have done in those tough condition, a couple on the seawall invited me to join a photo shoot of some good sailors who would be in close to shore. They said it was a photo shoot for a video they were doing. They said it was "a short drive upwind" just below "Baby Beach." They took off in a cart. Not wanting to drive and in need of a walk, I took a short hike to "Baby Beach" to find them.

I took over 250 photos and these are a few of my favorites. These were taken between 12:45 and 2:05PM Maui time.

Sailors:

US-1112 Kai Lenny

US 7777 Sergio Cremisini

I wonder how big the waves were outside on the reef...



How windy was it? 20s and 30s.

Kanaha Beach Park Wind, just downwind of where the pictures were taken.


The Kahului Airport Wind Graph says it was gusting over 40


Indeed it was a good day to rest!

Camera: Nikon D60
Lens: Nikkor 55-200 VR
Photographer: Kirk Lindstrom
Date: March 30, 2010

Note: I had the VR off (not on purpose, but I sat on the ground and used my knees to steady my arms.)

After taking pictures, I thanked Martin Lenny for inviting me. He lives a few homes from the beach and his 17 yr old son Kai (US 1112) was one of the young gun professionals. No wonder Kai looked like he was playing in his backyard in difficult conditions, he really was! If you are interested in real estate, see

• The Maui Real Estate Team Welcomes Martin Lenny

Weird Wave at Kanaha Hawaii

Between the waves named "Uppers" and "Lowers" at Kanaha Beach in Maui, Hawaii is a place appropriately named "Weird Wave." Locals advised me to avoid Weird Wave because if you fall in that area, you "may never get out."

The weird wave breaks at odd angles and comes up from nowhere. When I sailed towards the gap below Uppers where the normal waves there came straight at me or from the windward (starboard/right) this weird wave would seem to move upwind from my port (left) side. It is truly weird.


More Pictures of someone sailing Weird Wave

Maverick's Big Wave Contest Video - Feb 13, 2010

Some boat side footage "JohnAndRadChris" got from the Maverick's contest - Feb. 13, 2010.




Don't miss Grant Baker's 40 foot closeout barrel at the end.

Crissy Field & Third Ave Video

Windsurfing Wave Sailing Fort Point Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco Chronicles Bill Weir



Dedicated to local San Francisco Bay and Crissy Field windsurfer, Bill Weir, who passed away Summer 2009. This is a clip from the San Francisco Chronicles 2003

Mavericks Wave HD Video - January 2010

Mavericks 2010-01-10 as experienced by Bart Willems

For HD, click the arrow on the video that defaults to 360p and slide it to 720p HD

From Bart:
Bart Willems went surfing in +- 15ft waves at Mavericks on 2010 - 01 -10 and documented a session on GoPro HD camera. The 3 hour surf session was condensed into 5 minutes of highlights.

Music by Jamie Shelly - Cherrybubblegumcity (thanks for making good music Skulpie)

World's Longest Windsurfing Board

Video of World's Longest Windsurfing Board with nine sails. The video shows the team pulling a skier on short, wide skis.



Longest board made by Joop Nederpelt from the Netherlands.