Oh Yeah! This Is More Like It!
The trade winds have kicked in nicely here on Maui the last couple of days. Yesterday was an absolutely spectacular day of very powered 5.0 sailing for me. I had my 5.0 flattened to the max - could have easily sailed 4.5. A moderate swell hit yesterday too, bringing shoulder- to waist-high waves to Lowers and bigger waves to Uppers. I warmed up playing in the waves at Lowers - scoring a very memorable air after hitting a head high ramp at full speed. STOKE! God, I just love getting massive air like that. Just wish I could get someone to capture it on film. Anyway, after Lowers got crowded, headed upwind to Uppers and made it up in one reach. Pretty powered up! Got some nice adrenaline-charged rides up there before calling it a day. Best day of sailing we've had here in a couple of months.
Today the wind cranked up another notch. I went out on 4.5 to Uppers and was a bit OP'd. Since it's often not quite as windy at Lowers and it looked uncrowded there, I kamikazi'd down to Lowers in one reach. Some nice head-high waves at Lowers, with only marginal crowdage until about 1:00 when everyone seemed to clue in that it was windy AND there were waves. Ok, time to go in and eat. Sailing back out to beat upwind back to the launch, my harness broke. Well that just sucks! Sailing well powered 4.5 without a harness. Ok, screw trying to get upwind any further. Turn around and head back to shore. I think, "Well, at least I'm not a mile offshore." But, sailing back and trying not to lose ground, was getting to be too much effort. The wind had clocked around to side-off. I was trying to get in to the Uppers launch but was having to slog upwind a bit to do it. My arms were starting to feel like jello so I said screw it and bore off, got on a plane and sailed balls-to-the-wall full speed without being hooked in. Oh, yeah, my arms were feeling the burn. Called it a day after that. My arms were toast. But, the wind cranked up even more in the afternoon. Stopping back at the beach later in the afternoon on the way to a meeting, it looked 4.0 for me. Looks like maybe the same tomorrow then dropping off a little on Friday and Saturday.
Today the wind cranked up another notch. I went out on 4.5 to Uppers and was a bit OP'd. Since it's often not quite as windy at Lowers and it looked uncrowded there, I kamikazi'd down to Lowers in one reach. Some nice head-high waves at Lowers, with only marginal crowdage until about 1:00 when everyone seemed to clue in that it was windy AND there were waves. Ok, time to go in and eat. Sailing back out to beat upwind back to the launch, my harness broke. Well that just sucks! Sailing well powered 4.5 without a harness. Ok, screw trying to get upwind any further. Turn around and head back to shore. I think, "Well, at least I'm not a mile offshore." But, sailing back and trying not to lose ground, was getting to be too much effort. The wind had clocked around to side-off. I was trying to get in to the Uppers launch but was having to slog upwind a bit to do it. My arms were starting to feel like jello so I said screw it and bore off, got on a plane and sailed balls-to-the-wall full speed without being hooked in. Oh, yeah, my arms were feeling the burn. Called it a day after that. My arms were toast. But, the wind cranked up even more in the afternoon. Stopping back at the beach later in the afternoon on the way to a meeting, it looked 4.0 for me. Looks like maybe the same tomorrow then dropping off a little on Friday and Saturday.
posted by Jeff at
9:10 PM
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