Well, the first ever Lake Jackson Blade Bash (remember, this is NOT a regatta but a training event) got off to a great start today. The weather was warm and the wind was 10 gusting to 15-20. Pete, Terry and Robi showed up and I went out to play with them on my barge (the Prindle Escape). We had a good sail around the lake for awhile with them getting used to the gusting, shifting winds only an inland lake can offer. I hope the wind holds for the next several days so we can get some good practice in.


Robi let me sail his Blade solo, I was having a great time going downwind on the wire under spinnaker, not paying attention to the wind behind me, going deep and looking for a good angle to douse and head for the beach when one of those sudden "Gusts From Hell" hit me without any warning. I was launched through the air and landed about 3 feet in front of the bows which I had stuffed.

I loved the Blade's very light helm and Robi has his tweeked nicely so there is no helm upwind and down, it was very stable in the gusts even solo...as long as you are paying attention!

Hopefully we will have a few more show up this weekend and get in some practice races too. Seth? Chuck? You guys coming down? Matt will be here on Saturday. Come on in, the water is fine... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tim,
Sounds like fun.
Any chance of taking some pics over the course of the weekend.

Regards,
Phill

I think Robi brought his camera so I will use that and then he can post them, if he brought it. Terry Back brought his video camera but it's not waterproof so I don't know if we will get it out on the water for any action video. We will try.

Hey Tim check your PM's.

Done. Not much wind right now, hopefully we will get some this afternoon.

I too got one of Tim's lake gusts .... out on the wire and a nice fast pitchpole. TikiPete witnessed it ... suggesting that all he could see, looking into the setting sun, were boards and rudders.

I lost my favorite racing cap in the capsize....maybe we'll come across it this weekend!

It was a great time! Thanks Tim for all your help. Jerry thanks for the committee boat, and I haven't forgotten I owe you a ride on the Blade.

Can we do it again?

Just got back, ill post later.

Glad you had a good time <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
We had too much wind today <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Too much Rain <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Hopefully we will start our Frostbite next weekend.
We have our "Lake Raid" next Saturday - a race all around the Lake. Can take anything from 1.5 hours to infinity <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Dermot, I wish we could send you some hot, dry air (and lack of wind) in exchange for some of that rain and wind you had! It seems like when ever I have a get to gether on the lake here, there is no wind at all! Again we had nice wind on Thursday but little on Friday and even less on Saturday and Sunday. Now that everyone is gone, I expect it will blow about 10-15 for the next few days! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

A big thank you goes out to all who made the trip; Robi, Pete, Terry, Tina, Seth, Matt and Jerry with his son, who brought his dory for a mark boat, and the newest Blade owner, Todd. It was great to meet you all and I'm sorry I could not provide more wind. It did turn out to be a great opportunity to practice light air technique though. Hopefully next time we do this (in the winter) there will be wind. November is usually the best for inland sailing.

BTW, I had to drive to Sarasota on Sunday to drop off a friend of my kid's, it was blowing a nice seabreez of about 10 over there, no wind at all here.

Tim; The "disappearing" mark showed up again, I left it by the lily pond.

At sunrise there was plenty of wind! The lake was completely socked in with fog. Visibility about 100 yards and 10-15 mph of wind. I was gonna dry my spinaker but it flogged too badly.

We shoulda had a start around 7:00. Of course we would have needed horns instead of marks! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I was a good time.

Yes Pete, you were a good time! Thanks for coming and thanks for putting the mark in my driveway. I'll get a new anchor and be ready to go. When the fog burned off about 10 am the wind went to zero...again.

You should see it out there right now, blowing 10-15 out of the north, the cold front has finally made it down here. It's only about 65 degrees right now but supposed to warm up to 85 and look at that wind...This would have been perfect for Saturday! Dammit! Why does this always happen?? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I say blame it on Terry. He dis'd the ancient Polynesians! Said they didn't know how to sail. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Not exactly! .... I called BS on determining an island existed 1000 miles away by reading local wave patterns.