NOAA: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.





















Looks like south wind in the 5.8 to 4.2 range. 4.7 might be the key. Marina or Corner can work. Wind looks like it might shift from ssw to sse and back again. I'm hoping the Marina works. Sailflow looks like it is trying to forecast rain. that's why the wind maps are funky. If no rain at all it could really rip. Snow in the forecast for Monday. So that's why I want to go for it. Who's with me?

Sounds good. I’ll be there around 11 as usual. Keep me posted for launch choice.

What a difference 150 miles make! Light N wind and 40F here vs good S wind and 60F in Bloomington.

And then look at this forecast update map. You're driving to the right spot.






I'll be at the Marina. I don't see a change.

Didn’t take my 4.2 /nor 7.5/. I might regret it.
I have the feeling that the Bloomington sensor might have been upgraded, seems to be more precise compared to last year.

Started with 5.2 but just one run made me realize that’s too much. Changed to 4.6 and that was good for a while, but now a storm is rolling in so we are waiting it out .

Rollercoaster day. 1.1/2 hrs of SSW 4.6 /94 session untill the storm came and another 1.1/2 hrs of SSE 6.5/110 session after the storm when the wind picked up again. I had stupidly left my 4.2 and 7.5 home, so I consider myself lucky that weather cooperated with the kit I’ve brought.

If it hadn't rained this would have been a huge day - Sailflow warned of wind killing rain. I rigged 4.7 with 95 L to begin with and the 4.7 was hammered. Gusts over 40 mph out there. It must have been during the peak wind of the day. The wind backed off a little and I gave the sail one more click of boom outhaul. That was working until the rain hit. The wind totally backed off. After the rain Ady went out on his 6.5 with 110 L. He schlogged around and was doing non-planning tricks. Then the wind slowly built back up to the point that he could plane ever reach. Pretty cool to see the wind fill back in. The sun even popped out. I rigged my 5.8 with 95 L the wind was now SSE - very offshore. I was still able to get a water start. The wind was very streaky going from 1 1/2 miles of fetch(SSW) to only a football field of fetch on the launch side(SSE wind). I made it up to just below The Narrows on the first reach. I think I could of made it work if the wind was SSW. I headed back in not wanting to get stuck out there in cold water with offshore wind. If I had the day to do over I would have got out there an hour earlier and rigged 4.2. I still had fun on the 4.7 while it lasted. And shot some nice pics of Ady. At the end of the day the water temp at the Marina was 53 F and climbing. Glen came out in the afternoon and didn't want to battle the offshore wind. He did get to take a nice ride on Perry's sail boat. If the lake could have dodged the rain it would probably have been 4.2 all day.


Bloomington


Champaign


Decatur




7 of the day's 13 photos.

See More Of The Day's Photos Here



Ady (4.6 with 94 L)



Ady (4.6 with 94 L)



Ady (4.6 with 94 L)



Ady (6.5 with 110 L)



Ady (6.5 with 110 L)



Ady (6.5 with 110 L)



'till next time.




See More Of The Day's Photos Here

You summed it up nicely Reid and many thanks for the cool pictures. If I remember to bring my camera I might be less sore the day after btw. As usual I’ll cherry pick/steal some of them for my album. Like the one where I’m landing a double, or the one where I’m breaking the world speed record and the one where I’m wooshing through a sick laydown
Wut wut, give me a V! Carly even wrote a song about me

Nah babe, tell me something I don’t know already! I’ll stick with The Prodigy.