Barton (5511km):
2313 days ago
NP EVO5 7.8, iSonic 107, Drake Carbon Slalom 40, Wind: 14 knots. Launched about 3:00, of course...
More time on the water... Checked off one more skill for a situation that was causing me some anxiety. As Roo knows, the huge luff sleeves in the race sails have me pretty intimidated if I'm out in blue water (in the water) and the luff sleeve fills with water, making clearing the sail difficult. A while ago I proved to myself that I could clear the sail but I did it in essentially flat water. Today I dumped it in the middle of the channel with reasonably sized chop (don't know what caused it, just cruising along). I used what I assume is the standard technique which is to swim the mast tip to point directly into the wind. SLOWLY lift the mast tip to start draining the luff sleeve. As it drains, wind gets under the sail and provides additional lift. Once the luff is empty and the sail is clear of the water, standard waterstart procedures apply. Turns out this is actually easier with more wind as it helps with lifting/draining the sail. So, a success for today.
Looks like more wind tomorrow so time to try to regain some jibing skills.
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