Sign of the Times

I'm not sure if my paper delivery guy aims for this Agave, or if it reaches out somehow and grabs the paper, but the plant is the closest thing I've ever seen to kite-eating tree. I mean, I walk out to find an LA Times stuck in the Agave at least four mornings a week, sometimes more. Maybe the paper guy doesn't like Tequila? Anyway it's apropos because the Times' editor just quit within the past year after the parent company (Chicago Tribune) cut the newsroom staff to unprecedented levels, so they're dealing with some thorny issues at the moment.

Sailing-wise, apparently Long Beach is one of those fantasy spots where the wind blows reasonably hard, even when it isn't supposed to! With weather like this it's tough to figure out why there isn't a windsurfer strapped on every car: 15-18 and steady from the West, high 70s air temp. I will say that a fair number of kites were out today, and weaving between them does require a bit of care, as most of them are just reaching back and forth on the edge of control trying not to go downwind! The ones trying aerials sensibly venture farther out, presumably so as not to be tied in knots by the newbies. In any event a fine sailing day with Greg out on a new prototype picnic tri he's working on, which proved a very capable R&R vessel and video platform. Horses for courses. Everything held together pretty well on both boats although my vang needs rerigging so the sail looks like hell in the video, and Greg did lose his daggerboard at one point. He gave mothing a lengthy try with mixed results but made quite a lot of progress on what is admittedly a steep, slippery learning slope for a guy used to sailing foilers with THREE foils...he mentioned that yesterday he and his friend A. had the speedo pegged at 38 MPH (33 knots) FOR MOST OF THE AFTERNOON. Something to shoot for I guess...

I am working on the gybes but actually was having enough problems tacking today - probably 17-18 out by the oil platforms and lumpy but I think it was just not enough time in the boat lately. Never really had any problems tacking in that sort of wind before so it was kind of surprising in a very annoying way! Three A-cats out today (presumably training for worlds next month in Islamorada) but I was basically too knackered to do any speed testing against them after breaking my tacking sequence down and building it back up again - fortunately the last tack before heading in was a beauty so I felt like I was back on track.

Still haven't got the Velocitek mounted on any sort of plate so no tracks to share.

Canoes should be at the HPDO at American Yacht Club in Rye and I think Peter and Bora were planning to be there with Moths, so it will be interesting to see what Bora writes about it.

Vids coming soon, so stay tuned...(don't you hate it when they say that?)...


Alive to Foil another day...