Saturday Oct. 15th looked to be a BIG day for wind on the Cape. Our first ripping SW in quite a while. Launching in front of the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis, MA. gave me a near perfect speed slick for GPS runs. The use of handheld, Doppler GPS units has given birth to an international competition among speed sailors from all over the world. Our team lacks a true speed strip and the Kennedy Slick is the best I can find on Google Earth. On an individual basis, my goal is to break 40 knts., on open water. it's been much tougher then I anticipated, but what a thrill trying!
In order to achieve this, several things have to fall into place:
- Perfectly flat water (Low jetty and High tide)
- 35 to 45 knts of wind
- A Broad Reach, 120*-130* downwind
- The Right Equipment (designed for speed)
- A Fit and Fearless sailor :)
I had the flat water, plenty of wind, couldn't go downwind, my quiver was "not up to speed" (but getting close) and finally... "Fearless" I am, Fit? well not so much, given our summer of no wind.
Sailing along the jetty with breaking waves sending spray over my head was a thrill. The sun was shining, the water warm and everything came home in one piece, including me. Those who walked by were curious and friendly. I met people from Ireland, China, France and a few locals. Over all a great day on the water. Check out the video below or on my YouTube channel in HD with a better resolution:
http://youtu.be/oEzUqSWKYsQ?hd=1
