Windsurfing Coyote Point's High Winds

Today, I finally got to windsurf my Goya 84-liter quad custom waveboard in really windy conditions.

When I arrived at Coyote Point, I saw a few sailors on 5.7m+ sails, so I decided to sail my tried and true Mistral Flow 276. However, when a few sailors returned, they reported crazy winds in the channel - of up to 30+ knots. They were all rigging down to 4.5m and 4.0m sails.

I ignored their advice and rigged a 5.0m Ezzy Elite with the Goya 84-liter board. I went out sailing, and I was immediately overpowered. I survived the ordeal, but it was too difficult to maintain control. I returned to shore and rigged a 4.5m Ezzy Elite.

My sailing was much smoother this time, and my sails efficiently handled the crazy gusts. The chop was large, with 2-3 foot bumps rolling around. The quad fin setup immediately showed advantages as I recovered quickly after jumps.

The Goya was more controllable than my Mistral Ecstacy during jumps and landings and did not spin out.

Here is the GoPro Hero6 Black video of my session:



I had a fantastic (and quite tiring) time!

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Fun at Emerald Hills Golfland

We decided to have a fun family day at the Emerald Hills Golfland in South San Jose. In the past, Inna used to beat everyone, with Alex and I trailing by a few shots.

On this particular occasion, I played unusually well (at least consistently) and made a few errors.

Inna and Alex played equally well, eventually tying for second place.

We had a close match, but this time, I somehow won.

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Jazz in the Spring at Bellarmine

Today, I listened to the "Jazz in the Spring Concert" at Bellarmine College Prep's Sobrato Mainstage Theater, where my son plays the trumpet as a freshman. The music program was extensive, but it was sad since Frank and Diane Wyant left Bellarmine.

Ryan Stohs was substituting for Frank and Diane Wyant.

Alex played trumpet in the first three compositions (as part of Jazz Ensemble 2), while the rest of the performances included Jazz Ensemble 1 (more advanced) players.

Music Program

1. "Alright, Okay, You Win"
2. "Groove Bug"
3. "Watch What Happens"
4. "Cold Duck Time"
5. "Squirm Worm"
6. "The Cape Verdean Blues"
7. "Hay Burner"
8. "St. James Infirmary"
9. "Hullabaloo"
10. "Riley's Thang"
11. "Boogie Down"

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Windsurfing Coyote Point

Since I recently purchased a Goya 84L Custom waveboard and an Ezzy Elite 4.0 wave sail, I have been eager to try them out.

Checking the wind forecast on iWindsurf.com, I noticed that high winds were expected at Coyote Point (and many other sailing sites in the San Francisco Bay area). I headed to Coyote Point (closest to me) and rigged my Ezzy Elite 4.0 - since other sailors told me to rig the smallest sail I owned. The wWind was gusting at 20 - 40 knots with a heavy chop, and I saw everyone returning exhausted!

Here is a short GoPro Hero4 video I recorded of my session. I first sailed on the Goya 84L Custom and then switched to a Mistral Flow 276 with an Ezzy Elite 5.7m sail.



I did not do well on the Goya, as my Ezzy Elite 4.0 sail was too small, but things improved drastically when I switched to the Mistral Flow 276 board.

I also forgot the correct rigging instructions for the Ezzy sail. I will be sure to re-watch them again!

Here is another GoPro video I recorded the next day. I sailed the Mistral Flow 276 with Ezzy Elite 5.0 sail this time.



I had an even better day of sailing (although the Wind was significantly weaker). A giant board and a large enough sail worked well, and I had great jumps on some rolling swells.

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Windsurfing Lessons at Alameda

Since my son wanted to learn windsurfing, I signed him up for 2-day windsurfing lessons at Boardsports in Alameda.

Due to lighter morning winds, sandy beaches, and relatively shallow waters, I was told it was the most desirable location for beginners.

On Saturday, May 5, the windsurfing lesson started at 10:00 am and ended at 1:00 pm.

The first hour of the lesson was spent on land instruction, while the last two hours were spent on the water.

The wind was relatively light (initially from SW and then NW), so all beginners spent their time uphauling and trying to sail back and forth.

I recorded a short video with the Nikon P700 camera, showing Alex board sailing.



Alex has another lesson tomorrow, and I hope he continues to learn, with his eventual goal of being able to beach-start, water-start, and use the harness and foot straps.


Sunday, May 6, 2018

Alex and four other sailors went out on the water after a one-hour land session, where the instructor explained how to steer the board in lighter winds.

The wind was more substantial, from 8-12 knots, and Alex got to practice his sailing technique again. He must still work on the sailing stance before moving on to water starts.

Overall, this was a good beginner lesson - perhaps a bit humbling to Alex - who thought watching a few YouTube videos would make him an expert sailor.

Developing an intuitive feeling for the board and sail takes significant on-the-water time. He should continue to build his windsurfing skills until he can comfortably sail back and forth in lighter winds.

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Review: Babolat Pure Drive Play tennis racquet

The "Play" version of the Babolat Pure Drive tennis racket contains sensors to track tennis swings and record forehand, backhand, and serve statistics. I was always interested in the racquet, but it was prohibitively expensive - at $349. However, I saw a seller on eBay for $200 (for a new 2015 version) and decided to take the plunge.

To get the Babolat Pure Drive Play racket prepared, I had to follow a particular process:

1. Install the Babolat App on my iPhone 7
2. Register the Babolat App on my PC and create a login
3. Charge the Babolat tennis racket through the USB port
4. Pair the racket with my iPhone (turn on Bluetooth on the phone and look for Babolat to connect)
5. When trying to connect to the Babolat app, I got an error message about a failed "Firmware Update." I found a workaround on one of the Babolat bulletin boards. I had to download the firmware and install it in the root directory of the racket. Once I did that, the racket updated.
6. Play with the racket (turn it on by pushing the power button) and review my results.
7. I need to turn on the Bluetooth button to synchronize and hold it until the blinking light turns pink. 

I am already getting some valuable feedback from the Babolat application. I was not consistently hitting my forehand in the center. I need to focus more on hitting the ball in the racket's center. 

This was a significant revelation for me, as I mainly focused my practice on ball placement, but I did not realize that I was mishitting the ball. I need to hit the racquet's sweet spot with greater precision.

I will start using the Babolat Pure Drive Play more often and see what other aspects of my game can help to improve. I also need to develop a more powerful serve and a more reliable backhand.

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