Keith,
It sounds like a good location. If you can gather wind data for spring/summer
months that would be great. When headed west on the 27th of Aug, the was
blowing something fierce, swells and angry whitecaps. On the way back (Sept
5th) the wind looked like 10-12 knots, and about a hundred wind surfers in one
spot, and a few with the ski and kite thing.
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: Keith
To: BDally6107@xxxxxxx
Cc: mwhite@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; swiftsolo@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: Regatta schedule
Solo Folks,
One of the issues the CGRA Board struggled with this last year is the common
perception of the CGRA Gorge venue as a "heavy air" venue. This is wrong in the
same way that Jackson Hole is an "expert only" ski mountain. Bram is grossly
mistaken about his perception of the CL site as only a "heavy air" venue.
US Sailing chose CL as a venue for the NW Opti clinic. It wasn't because the
kids were going to be blown off the water. It wasn't because they could teach
eight to ten year-olds "heavy air" sailing. It was because of the steady
constant moderate winds. US Sailing is not in the habit of putting kids in
survival conditions. They want kids to have a good time sailing and to learn.
They chose CL and the CGRA to put on the Opti Clinic in the Gorge because of
the consistent and moderate winds.
As I offered in my original email, to eliminate the misconception of some of
the members of the class, if the class is considering the venue, I will compile
a wind profile to demonstrate that Bram's misconception is way off base.
Having had this discussion with Bram on numerous occasions, when I suggested
the Gorge after Mark's comment, I knew Bram would chime in saying it was an
"inappropriate" venue.
I live in the Gorge. My office looks across the water to the primary sailing
venue. Bram visits once in a rare while. One of the advantages of the site is
the steady winds. We rarely have wild shifts and radical peak gusts. It is a
steady even wind.
For those who want to get live time weather and wind, the city of Stevenson
web site has a real time weather link positioned on the end of the Sternwheeler
dock. Depending on the classes, the races are held wither up river or just
down river from the end of the dock. It is a realistic measure of the
on-the-water winds. www.cityofstevenson.com (currently a steady 17 from the
west)
As to a Solo regatta being a 5 to 6 year proposition to be ready for the
Gorge, that too is off base. If the class grows, there will never be a time we
do not have less experienced sailors. There will always be a full range of
ability levels. This is as it should be. In the Gorge, there are a range of
wind levels in each day and from day to day. The one constant is wind. We
almost always have wind at some level. Skunked days are very rare. (If I
remember, the kids got skunked one day)
Mark, what was the wind like when you drove through the other day?
Unsailable? Only for very experienced sailors? Or did it look OK?
Keith L (007)
On Sep 12, 2006, at 7:56 AM, BDally6107@xxxxxxx wrote:
Mark,
Cascade Locks on the Columbia Gorge is a famous heavy air sailing venue
with great camping. It will be a good location for a Swift regatta in 5 or six
years when a large number of Swift sailors will be ready for 15 to 20 knots of
breeze.
Bram
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