I agree completely with John. I too was on the beach at Jensen, and particularly remember that the ocean had no rythem to it that morning. (We had a couple of very experienced surfers with us there that week deciding when to go out to catch the breaking waves right.) There it was pretty much go at the horn and hope you made the right decisions; pre-start strategy and execution through the surf(50%)and just got lucky (50%).

I do think that the best info came at the KL Steeplechase the following December when the Feldman's previewed the video for some of the sailors from that years Worrell there. The video showed these guys views that made them see what had happened to them.....Views that they didn't get from the boat. ie, they saw the wave right there, but not the one RIGHT behind it!!!

And on boat weight.....

After pushing the Nacra-20 and the F18HT through the surf, the heavier boat seems better at holding initial speed. The lighter boat just gets hammered and stops in the surf. The heavier ones loose some speed, but not all of it!!!

Just my observations from behind the boats....

Rich