Slacking on the Blogging, Busy with the Sailing (video)

Man, if y'all were paying me for this whole blogging thing, I'd be fired right now! It's been one full week since my last post... and I assure you, the lack of posting has not been due to a lack of post-ables. In fact, quite the opposite! So, let's make up for it:

This morning was rad. Sailed at the Lighthouse, with one fisherman casting off the Jetty as an audience/Coast Guard Caller if need be. 5.0, mostly schlogging on the inside and juiced on the outside. Got a few great waves, a few great jumps, and was (mostly) able to stay upwind in all the current. Stoked!

Valentine's day was rad. No conditions for windsurf or surf, so Anne and I spent the day on Ocracoke, chillin' and picnicking. Hatteras always seems like a pretty removed place, until you hop on the ferry and go to Ocracoke.... Man, that place is in the middle of nowhere! We saw one other person, the whole day, which actually made it kinda romantic : )

We saw a harbor seal from the ferry

And a very rare sight, a seagull!

Anne and I, overlooking Hatteras Inlet

Tailgating

Ahhh

Oooh

Woof


Other than that, I've been sailing my butt off! I received a few prototype World Sails in the mail last week, so I've been testing and providing as much feedback as I can before they go to production. I'll tell ya, I've been on the World Sails for 8 years now, and they just keep getting better and better. This new batch has the potential to blow the doors off all of the previous ones, I'm really impressed!

I've given the 5.2 Surge prototype a solid work out- I sailed it all afternoon at Ego Beach the other day in some ridiculously up and down wind. We're talking 8-30 mph. Yow, but this sail handled great, schlogging like a champ, and powering up smoothly and staying in control during the big gusts. Waves were waist to occasional shoulder or head high peaks, and breaking in about knee deep water. I got absolutely demolished a few times, fully expecting to have exploded a mast, or some sail panels, or a boom, or some thing... but everytime, my rig came up unscathed! Solid!

Stuart showed up the next day, all amped up to hit the Hatteras waters again. He's been out of town, supposedly up in Edenton... but I think he's secretly been flying down to Bonaire to train with Tonky and Kiri... He was on fire out there! Check out the video for some evidence. You'll also see Lane, smoothly schralping; Brian going big; and me on that new prototype World Sail Surge... What do y'all think of the new color scheme?


Windsurf and Kiteboard Freestylin' from Andy McKinney on Vimeo.


I also had a chance to sail the new Blast 7.5. What a powerhouse! It was blowing 10-14 mph, and I had very little trouble planing on a 135 liter board. It pulls you into the jibes with ease, and the cams rotate like they're not even there. It's not quite as stable as a full on race sail, but it has low end grunt comparable to a 9.5 meter Formula rig. Again, very impressed, especially considering that the price is going DOWN this year! Check the ad for yourself, World Sails is keeping you HOOKED UP!!

The approaching week looks solidly windy, which is good because I need all the practice I can get...

before...

my March 1st...

first ever...

trip to....










MAUI!!!! Wooooohoooooo!!