NOAA: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.












Marina looks like the spot with the WSW-W wind. 6.9 to 5.8. Looks like a fun day to break out my 6.9 sail and explore the main pool. Who's with me?

I don't have a big enough sail for today.

Looks like a 5.7 day, easy! I'm working though

Fun day in the main pool. Launched from Marina Sail Park with 6.9 sail, 108 L FSW and 34 cm fin. I schlogged out tried to tack in no wind and fell in. I up-hauled the 6.9 on the 108 with no problem and continued to schlog toward the main pool. I went behind the most up wind break-wall dock and walked through the gap near the bank. That saved me 2 tacks - 2 reaches. I beach started and schlogged out again. I went out enough so the next tack I could reach for the main pool. As always on this wind direction the trick was to not take the gusts that spill from the main pool into the marina pool. They'll just head you back to the east shore. I held my course and finally made it to the main pool where I could get on plane and start rippin' in the puffs. A sail boat race was finishing up as I got up there. Perry snuck up behind me from down wind on his boat when I was trying to get back to the wind-line. He made me head up wind hard. I fell in and then he squirted me with a water-gun. I heard him say, "got one" as he sailed away. The wind started to shift and come all the way down from the dam pool - WNW wind. It filled in really nice and I could get really long reaches from just up wind of The Narrows to just down wind of Purgatory Cove. It was a fun day. I had blazing speed and was rippin' jibes. Heading back I landed on shore just before the docks and body-dragged behind the break-wall docks to the cove. I got off the water around 6:00.


Bloomington



Champaign



Decatur



5 of the day's 7 photos

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Marina Sail Park. Perry in the cove with his boat.



My skunk buster set-up. 6.9 with 108 L. If I put on the 44 cm fin it's full-on skunk bust-age-ness.






The Ezzy Tiger wave sail is light for a 6.9 with only 5 battens. Boom length at 188 cm is the shortest out there for a 6.9. Easy to flip. I can do boom to boom, strap to strap jibes.



K One MFC 34 cm. It holds the 6.9 great. Has a lot of speed.



I'm tuned in and race ready to take on all comers. Who wants their doors taken off?


See More Of The Day's Photos Here.

For some reason I never felt that a bigger fin is helping me plane earlier. On the contrary, I feel it is slowing me down and for that reason I think that this 34 cm Freeride you were using is fine for the 6.9 on your board and the 44 cm would be just too big adding huge drag. I personally choose the size of my fins solely on spin out criteria. Meaning I prefer the smallest fin for the sail and board combo that will have a reasonable spin out rate. If I had a choice of course!

PS: For some reason MFC stopped making the Freeride fin. I wonder why? Offering only the Lyquid Pro -which I use and it is a very nice fin actually-and couple of freerace fins in addition.

Btw Monday/Memorial Day/ looks like another simmilar one with the usual much stronger wind for Clinton then up here.

Yeah. I sailed it with both. The 34 cm K One made it feel like I was sailing a 5.8. The 44 cm RC2 makes it feel like I'm sailing a 7.5. One of the big differences is up wind ability. Yup, I don't see either of these nice fins made anymore. Sad. There are some for sale out there.

I'll tell ya, if I can't get the 6.9 going, rig a 9.5.

You'll have to come down so I can race ya...and take the doors off that AtomIQ

How about you and Chris come over here for a change?! Like this Monday to MC if the stars align, for example?

...or to Wolf if you are serious about racing -less chop then Clinton
And take that RC fin with you. I may buy it for my 7.5 . I'll give you you a 6 pack of Bud Light for it if you get me in the right mood