Let's add a dedicated post for this unusual 63-degree day in mid-December!

I'll rely on David to tell which launch is best on that day: Lee St, or Evanston Beach, or something else.
Can't wait!

With mostly South predicted and just a touch of west, they will be pretty equal, but I prefer Lee St, and I will go where anybody else goes, and they are 2 minutes apart.

Circumstances beyond the pale mean I can't be out tomorrow, but I'm going to go up to Silver today just to get in a little late sailing. Looks lightish and SE but I have a new sail and a camera mount to try out so am going to give it a whirl. Hope you all have a great time tomorrow, looks magical.

Turns out it's winter, at least until tomorrow. Both Andrea and silver are iced. Then birds are walking

David, What time are you thinking for tomorrow?

David, I just PM my cell number to you.

Good time had by all, 4 ws (Alex John Greg(sheb) me) 1 wing and ws (Chris) and 1 wing (Jason) on gusty S balmy 60's day 5.5-6.0 wind.

Great times with all the folks in Evanston. Glad I did the trip. Never sailed on a Dec. 15 in the midwest. This was awesome! Can I say this was the last session this year?

The crew in the picture: (L to R) Greg, Alex, John, Chris, and David. Happy to be alive!


John and Alex taking a break


Nice rigging grass strip at Lee Street Beach


David ripping in the background


My top speed this year.


False alert! The top speed was obtained during my very best "Sent-It" body-launching high-speed catapult. The slap was a bit painful in 40-degree water.


Obligatory Jibe-shot

That's awesome, glad you all got in the late late ride! Even my very optimistic eye on the forecast says this was probably the last good day this year.

Had two questions for newbies:

-what happens if you hit thin floating chunks of ice at speed?

-when in bigger groups of windsurfers, what's the etiquette for give-way? Is it port/starboard and windward leeward like boats? So far I've just generally been trying to obviously aim away from oncoming sailors while making sure I look like I don't know what I'm doing (easy!)

#1) Not going to experience that
#2) referring to front hand on boom, "right is right," right hand on front of boom, you have right of way. Same as boats I think.
But never assume the oncoming sailor knows #2, make a definitive move upwind or downwind very early. Steer wide of beginners, cross upwind in case they fall.

One additional note regarding windsurfing safely, this time in presence of kiteboarders: I try to sail on the windward side of any kiters as much as possible. I avoid following them too close if I'm traveling on the leeward side from them as they can suddenly launch in the air and be pushed downwind to where my travel direction might be, or they can turn around, and in the process, drop their kite low making kite lines deadly obstacles. On a twintip, kiters are usually quicker and take less space maneuvering than we do on a windsurf, so I don't assume you can react quick enough to avoid a collision with a kite if I follow too close and the kiter didn't see me and crosses my path.

If I can't avoid being downwind from a kiter traveling on the opposite tack, I try to stay a good 50-70 yards away from them when crossing (Unless I know well who's the rider and his/her skill level).

Also, 2 windsurfers riding in the same direction, the one that tacks the most upwind has the right of way. Sailing upwind always has priority but not many windsurfers know that and I tend to give room as much as I can when I sail with people I don't really know well.

Thank you for the info.

I was up in WI and the lakes were partially iced over and my bad-idea-factory brain was considering how partial it could be and still make it through. We've sailed through ice chunks in dinghies before, but they're more toughly built and usually borrowed!

The right of way rules are much like sailing then, think I'll still just make sure to be obvious and aiming away from people. Kites are frankly a little freaky to be around, I know someone who got really hurt by an errant kite way up from the beach while they were rigging their own kite, the leading edge bonked them and in trying to make it better the other surfer almost took their ear off with the lines.