We started chatting about this in email - I apologize.
Ideas on where to foil tomorrow ...
https://windsportatlanta.com/wiki/West_Bank_Park
- thought, no dome effect, and there is a little beach there between the normal rip-rap shore
- a loooong time ago I windsurfed there - 23 years ago - haha. It was good sesh, with fam, longboard, powered, not planing.
Vann's Tavern
- no East, but no West, may get domed
Thoughts above from peeps including William and Langdon and Neil is itching to be back on the water!
I'm hoping to go midday.
—
I'll be at the sailing club after noon. I got a ride on a boat for the Wednesday night race so hoping to get some board time beforehand.
South works ok there imho, and maybe the shorter fetch is an anti-dome advantage?
Let's see where people go, I'm not sure if I have a window or not yet.
Will you potentially (host) the riff-raff?
Riff-raff always welcome
I am thinking of trying the West Bank launch today. I guess worst case scenario is I could pack up and check another spot if it’s not working. The local news just mentioned 10-20mph winds after lunch, so that’s a good sign. I was thinking of a noon time arrival.
Guessing you launch next to the fishing jetty?
This warm air over our STILL very cold Lanier will probably create dome issues over any large section of Lanier in my opinion.
Neil and I discussed launchs yesterday. Either Holly park or West Bank. Not sure if I will try to go today, if I do probably WBP. South winds in general have not provided me much enjoyment on the water with the exceptions of Tropical Depression/Gulf Hurricane events.
In case anyone didn't know it, Taxes aren't due until Monday April 18th not Friday the 15th. So if you need an extra excuse to go today perhaps this helps.....
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
moredownhaul
Guess I’ll go to Juliette and play with my dingy.
Alan
South winds at West Point of have been some of the best foiling days I can remember. Have had some good ones on Lanier, too.
Off to WB in a bit. If it's not working, I'll do some yard work in Gainesville and then swing by the LLSC later.
moredownhaul
I am at West Bank. Plenty of wind for me to get on foil. Heady out. Rich is meeting me.
moredownhaul
Good and bad - I was "stuck" at work. Thanks for the invite!
I missed joining Neil and William! Great that they've found a South wind spot.
I even got an on the water call from Neil's apple wrist phone - so cool!
No dome on Juliette, The water temp is 70.
South is real good there, Wind was 10-20 range.
Alan
Langdon
rgenet
webguy
I got a short session in between 4-5. Mucho gusty but interesting that it was clearly windier in the bay than out in the main body of the lake. 7p start for boats was still 10-ish but glassy by 8.
Report from the south end. I got to West Bank Park around 1:30 and Neil was already out. He launched from the south beach in his pic above. I wasn't really feeling it because it was a bit gusty and it's a pretty big hill from the car park down to the water. I could only imagine myself slipping on pine needles carrying board and foil.
Decided to head north and while I was driving around the car park noticed a small beach that faced east towards LL Islands and it was right by the drive. Easy launch and it looked like maybe 150 yds drift out to the wind. Decided to rig the 6.7 since I started seeing some caps out.
Out in the channel, it was a bit gusty while Neil and I traded jibes. The gusts were pretty sharp. After a while, the gusts got bigger and longer and then it just switched on. Pretty much felt like I was 2-2.5m2 over rigged. All I could do is feather my very flat sail and slowly go across hoping for a lull. Doing this a couple of times and looking at solid whitecaps upwind made me realize this wasn't fun and I sailed in. Looked at Gilmer which was showing gusts in the upper 20s. Waited about half an hour and it started to let up so I went back out. This time much more manageable. Did figure 8s for a while working on jibes. As the wind continued to abate, I went in and just then Langdon drove up to check out the scene.
So, two decent sessions with an insane one in the middle.
The little beach I sailed from looks good from anything S to NE. You have to float out a bit so probably better for windfoil than wingfoil. I think Neil had the better wingfoil launch. There was still a bit of dome effect but not quite as pronounced as up the lake.
HamdiD
Langdon
moredownhaul
Here’s a couple pics:
I launched where you can see my spaghetti lines, William
Launched at the red circle. There’s a few boulders in the water where I launched so good to squeeze a little to the right to avoid. I was able to foil right in on my return.
Other pics is the launch William used.
Neil
moredownhaul
Pic of Williams beach
Gives an idea of the sailing zone in a Southerly direction
If you squeeze to close to the island or the land the gets blocked or backed up on itself. Once I figured a few holes I gybed a little early and stayed on foil. William and I had about 15 min of blasting wind. More survival than fun, although I tried a jump in it and got lofted pretty high.
Wednesday the 13th will go down in Windsurfing history as the Day the Dome's No Fly Zone was Cancelled. Chris attacking from the East, William and Neil from the South, Alan from Juliette and me from the West side of Lanier showed the Dome is optional from many different launches. My foil time was a bit short because I was getting of getting launched being overpowered on my 4.7. Decided to Wingsup my Bic which worked out well.
BTW - I recall that launch William found probably 20 years ago. At the time was looking for a closer, easier launch for N and NW winds, but never tried it. Always wondered if it would work. I didn't like the usual launch spot next to the beach since it was so narrow and a pain to get out on a North wind.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
moredownhaul
webguy