Thursday, March 26, 2009

Duck Jibe Video, + i.s.o. 5.8 Wavesail

For the last three evenings there have been good windsurfing conditions on the ocean, but I've sailed flatwater in the Indian River Lagoon behind the Smithsonian Marine Lab in Fort Pierce. That's ok, because it's given me a chance to sail with my friend Scott and with my dad Johnny, who both prefer flatwater at this stage. Also, I've gotten to work on my duck jibes. I still rarely make them on port tack, but I'm getting fairly comfortable doing them on starboard tack. My dad's video proves it.



I like how the sail (6.6 Aerotech Charge) looks when the light is shining through it. On a related note, I'm looking for a new wavesail in the 5.5 - 5.9 range, since Scott inadvertently claimed my old 2001 5.8 Ezzy when he catapulted spectacularly yesterday. I would like one that rigs on a 430 NoLimitz Sumo skinny mast and has distinctive, bold colors, if anyone has any ideas.

Scott going out on the Kona, sail intact.
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Scott going pretty fast on the Kona, me in the background.
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Me duck jibing, Scott in the background.
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Scott coming back, sad about ripping the sail (look above his head).
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8 comments:

Andy said...

Do you like powerful or slippery sails?

Outdrsmn said...

That sail looked like it was getting ready for retirement anyway. That is if I'm thinking of the right one.
I think J. Contos has or had a sail in that range for sale. Post on letsrig maybe someone will have something.

James Douglass said...

Andy- Both, I guess. I want a sail with range that can cover the space between 4.7 and 6.6.

Outdrsmn- Yeah, you're thinking of the right one. That sail might have had over 100 sessions. My 5.2 ezzy is getting a little worse for the wear, too, so I'm thinking a 5.5ish sail might replace them both.

Andy said...

If you're thinking new, check out the Naish All Terrain 5.5

http://www.naishsails.com/en/products/sails/s_allterrain.html

That sail can pretty much go anywhere and do anything from lightwind on the longboard to litsky on your 80 something wave board, flatwater or full on waves...

World sails surge has a 5.5 also, I use that sail anywhere anytime and the new color schemes are pretty rad, due in early May. We were able to lower prices for this year, too, so you can get a new one for about $400 (give or take 30, I can't remember at the moment).

If you like your aerotechs, by all means stick with the same. Nothing quite like having a full quiver of the same line.

Good luck with your choices!

Frank said...

James you are looking good in the video love duck jibe but never perfected mine. What camcorder are you using? I have a Canon zr50mc but some thing has gone wrong with the pick up sensors and I am looking for a new one. After reading online about the poor service at Canon I am having second thoughts about another Canon. The Canon worked great as long as it worked.

James Douglass said...

Andy- The Naish ATV sounds like a good bet. I used a 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 6.0 when I rented in the Gorge last summer and they had a nice feel. Not sure where I would buy one, though, or if it would work with a NoLimitz mast.

Frank- My dad took the video with his still-camera. It's a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. The IS stands for image-stabilization. It has 12x optical zoom and 8.0 megapixels. My dad says that the macro mode is kinda crummy, but otherwise he likes it pretty well. He hasn't had to deal with durability or maintenance issues with Canons, because he always loses them before they get old.

Unknown said...

5.5 Charge from Aerotech would give you a matching feel to the 6.6 Charge on your video.

www.progressivesports.com for details

James Douglass said...

John I- That's probably what I'll do. I'll stop at Progressive Sports in Daytona on my way up to South Carolina for Easter.