Speed Sailing at Kite Point!

Crrrrrrankin'! There's a big ol' coastal low sitting just a bit south of us. It sent us intensely gusty East-ish winds and tropical like rain squalls all day long. Both the Frisco Pier and Oregon Inlet iWindsurf meters registered gusts up to 60 mph, but the majority of the day saw 30 to 45ish mph winds. When I pulled in to the Hole this morning, the wind literally whipped 2 of my masts right out of the back of my truck and sent them careening down the beach. Luckily, no one was standing out there! Crankin'!

All day long, we've been about 100 yards away from clear skies

The recconaissance mission this morning left me empty handed. All of the South facing beaches looked sailable, but kind of pointless. There was a visible 2 foot windchop rolling across all the wave faces (which were probably a bit overhead in the sets). The fun factor just wasn't there... I did hear a report from Rick, who sailed near the Billy Mitchell Airstrip. I think he said he was on a 3.2 (?), and was getting bounced all over the place, but it sounds like every now and then a nice shoulder high wave lined up for a down the line ride.

**Update** A visiting sailor said he watched about 5 guys sail the Cove in the afternoon, powered up on 3.5 and down, in about logo high sets, and peeling down the line rides! Suhweet!!

So instead of chasing it all day, most of us just sailed at the Hole (the only soundside launch with any water left). It was blowing straight offshore, just howling across the highway and over the super flat water. Keith cruised down to Kite Point and came back with reports of a perfect slick, angled about 15 degrees off the wind and deep water 8 inches from shore! Time to go speed sailing!! Unfortunately, I don't have access to any (small enough) speed gear at the moment, so I rigged up my trusty 4.2 world sail surge and 85 liter RRD FSW, with an 8.25" wave fin. According to my GPS, I got up to a max 35.4 mph. Not too bad for a wave kit! And I wasn't afraid to chuck a few loops off the chop at the end of the run, either. Try that on a speed needle! Ha!

It looks like the next few days are going to be unbelievable!! Probably a sharp veer to the NW sometime tonight or tomorrow morning, so keep an eye out for soundside flooding, and don't leave those rigged sails lying around!! The swell is going to be out of hand, too, so we'll have to see what we get....

See ya out there!