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March Roars in Like a Panther (2) in Baja, First Impression – March 1, 2010
Thanks to Tim’s creative shipping and Nancy’s international travel, a new Panther 2 made its way to La Ventana on Sunday. Of course, we wasted no time getting the sail rigged and in the hands of sailors. Rigging the sail drew a “Christmas Morning” crowd on the beach as everyone gathered to check out the new Panther 2.
The Inspectors Gathered
Fortunately for Val, a hardcore sailor from the Central California coast, the 4.7 was her perfect size for the conditions. She didn’t hesitate when I asked if she would like to be first on the water. The new orange color really stands out, and the new Tri-Lite scrim distinctly identifies it as the new Panther 2. Her first impression of the sail was direct and simple as she returned to the beach, “the power, rotation, and balance are perfect, and I love it”. More impressions will follow as sailors have a chance to take it for a test ride.
See ya when you’re tired.
Val is still out on the bay as I’m posting this, no worries, she’ll come in when she gets hungry or the sun goes down. Having fun in Baja, come and join us, Gary & Nancy
“El No-Viento” Arrives in Baja, February 10, 2010
It’s a good day to catch up on indoor chores with rare clouds and rain here in La Ventana. The good winds we had seen for several weeks came to an end the last week of January. The predicted strong El Nino has interrupted the typical winter wind pattern for all of Baja. California is welcoming the rains that have ended their drought, but the low pressure systems passing through southern California are cutting off the northerly flow of winds down the Sea of Cortez. We’re still getting a couple days every week of lighter thermal winds in the late afternoon. Sailors have been cruising on 100+ liter boards with a 6.0 to 7.0.
Ok…at least they make a pretty picture?
The annual Kitefest that was held the last week of January was saved by wind on the final two days of the week long event. Events were held for kiters, windsurfers, and standup paddle boarders. The 12 mile cross channel race, course racing, and freestyle events were all squeezed into a wild and mostly windy Saturday and Sunday. Beach parties, demos, and food booths filled the beach at the lower end of La Ventana Bay. Kiters got their revenge this year in the cross channel race over the windsurfers who have taken line honors in past years. The race was started with 20-25 mph winds on both shores, but what the race committee didn’t know was that there was a 2-3 mile hole in the middle of the channel with nearly no wind. The windsurfers were forced to slog and pump, and were unable to stay with the front runners in the kite division, finishing nearly 4 minutes behind the winner.
The big winners of the event were the local villages of La Ventana and El Sargento. More than $22,000 was raised for the local schools and improvement projects. This event highlights the cooperation and integration of wind enthusiasts from north of the boarder and the local people. Thanks to Tim at Palapas Ventana for helping make it possible. Here is a link to the results: http://www.palapasventana.com/lvclassic.aspx
Mike and Nancy from Hood River score the best wind of the season.
I had the pleasure of sailing with a couple from Hood River in January. While friends Dan and Val were in California getting treatment for Dan’s ankle injury, Mike and Nancy came down to watch after their place on the beach. Of course watching also included sailing…a very sweet arrangement since gear was included, what great friends! This was their first opportunity to sail on Ezzy sails, so I was anxious to get their impression after two weeks on the water. Mike’s impression, “they definitely have more power for their size than the (other brand)…I think the 5.8 Panther is more powerful than their 6.2. I really like the outhaul rigging strings and marks for setting the downhaul. I never had to wonder if the sail was set right…what a great idea.” Nancy thought the Panthers were very easy to sail, “very balanced and smooth…I love them.” I want to thank Mike and Nancy for sharing some great time on the water and on the beach discussing how to solve the world’s problems, hope to see you in the Gorge this summer.
Looks like today’s rain will be replaced by a high pressure system over the SW for a few days and the winds will return, life is good! See you on the water, Gary & Nancy
Update of last post – January 27, 2010
Mark just sent me some pictures from the “kids weekend at the Delta” last summer. Windsurfing is alive and well judging from the enthusiasm on their faces. Thanks Mark, see you in Baja next season, Gary & Nancy
The family at the beach: Tammie, Tilly, Mark, & Maddy.
With this much energy, it had to be a great weekend, I think Mark and Tammie were busy.
The joy of being a windsurfing instructor.
Great January Winds Continue in Baja – January 15, 2010
The prediction of El Nino disrupting the windy season in Baja have thankfully been wrong since the middle of December. Simply put; its been windy and the sailing’s been great! The last two windy periods have been 12 to 14 days with only a day of no wind between them. Even most of the hardcore South Park sailors took Wednesday off to go see the new movie Avatar in La Paz. It turned out to be a good day to rest since Thursday and today is full on 3.5 to 4.5.
Tammy, Mark, & Maddie represent the heart and soul of windsurfing.
Windsurfing is a great sport that we all love, and for most of us it has become part of our lives. It’s rarely far from our thoughts when we think of vacations, travel, or even retiring some day to a windy place where we can sail so many days in a row we actually go to a movie to rest. But there is one thing that seems to be missing in our sport; and that’s young people. There doesn’t seem to be many sailors under the age of 20. Sure there are the young guns at the Hatchery, Maui, and Bonaire, but this week my faith in the future of Windsurfing was restored by a family I met here in La Ventana.
Maddie & Mark head out.
Mark, Tammy and their daughter Maddie have been coming to Baja for a month every winter for the past 12 years. They live in Central California and they sail the Delta on the Sacremento River. Mark and Tammy are accomplished sailors in their own right, but the stand-out in the family is Maddie, who at 12 demonstrates her own passion for the sport. She’s been sailing for two years and just plain rips.
Of course Mark and Tammy are thrilled that their daughter loves windsurfing, so I asked them what they did as parents to get to this point. As most parents know, it was a delicate balance of encouragement and support, with a good dose of keeping it fun. For years they had windsurfed the Delta in the summer and their Baja trip in the winter. Mady was always part of the outing and had fun playing with other kids. But what really sparked her interest was a “slumber party” they had at the beach for 6 of her friends two summers ago. They had big boards and two Ezzy Kids rigs and just let them have a weekend of fun. Maddy also had a great time at an ABK Windsurfing camp (Tammy is a past instructor for ABK) were she said, “I was the only kid”. She polished her tacking and jibing, plus learned to waterstart. She sails quite well without a harness, and when I asked her if she had thought of trying one, she simply said “not really”. She’s on her own schedule.
It doesn’t get any better than this for a windsurfing dad!
It’s encouraging and brings a smile to your face to see a family like Mark, Tammy and Maddie windsurfing for the pure thrill of the sport we all love. Mark loves his new Panther 5.2 he got from Ev at Delta Windsurf Co. just before coming down in December. “What impresses me the most is the range and smooth power…it really is a nice sail.” Maddie tried the 4.5 Panther and even though she was a little shy, she smiled and said it was a “pretty nice sail”…that’s a great endorsement in my book. Windsurfing is alive and well in La Ventana, however, it looks like the annual Kite Fest next week will kill the wind. See on the beach, Gary
The Drought Ends: Great Winds Return to Baja. Dec. 23, 2009
The early season in La Ventana had only a handful of good sailing days. Typically the North winds begin making their way to southern Baja in October and November, and by the first of December settle into a pattern of at least 5 days of sailable wind per week. With so many windless days, everyone seemed to develop their own theory of why so little wind this year.
The wind has arrived; Dan & Val rig up in their front yard!
Fortunately Mother Nature has intervened and ended the wind drought of Fall 2009, by sending us 12 straight days of great wind. Most days were 4.7 to 5.2, with three epic days of 4.0 with big smooth swells. After a couple of light wind days, a fresh El Norte just hit the beach this afternoon, so here we go again! Happiness has returned to our village on the Sea of Cortez along with sore muscles and blisters. The water is still 72 degrees, so a shorty wetsuit is fine as the air temps are in the high 70’s. The Holiday crowd has been arriving this week and the campground still has room for your tent or RV.
Long time La Ventana sailor Tony from Wisconson enjoys a typical afternoon on the water.
Al from BC, Canada tangles with a Needle Fish.
My friend Al, a fellow Ezzy sailor from eastern BC, was catching the last swells on a great day last week, when a Needle fish struck his lower left leg. After surgery to remove 2 inches of the fish’s beak and a night in the hospital, Al was back on the beach the following afternoon taking pictures of his friends…Canadians are hearty folks.
Returning from a glorious day on the water…doing demos and writing a blog is hard work!
If you will be in La Ventana over the Holidays, I’ll be doing some demos at the campground after Christmas. We’ll post the days on the Ezzy website and on Iwindsurf. I’ll be watching the forecast and do my best to give a couple days notice. Best wishes for a great Holiday season, see you on the beach, Gary & Nancy
Mother Nature Serves Little Wind In Baja For Thanksgiving-Nov 25
Like last season, wind in October and November has been scarce here in La Ventana. We’ve had only a few days of decent wind for full powered sailing, so people who have come down for an early season sailing vacation, have had only one or two days a week of good wind. Folks with formula sailing gear or big kites have taken advantage of a few more days of light afternoon thermal breezes. Hopefully December will finally bring the consistent El Nortes everyone is waiting for.
La Ventana Campground from the water
More people are arriving everyday and the campground is about 60% full this Thanksgiving week… there is still room for your RV or tent. With the lack of wind most people are getting out and enjoying the variety of things that make southern Baja a beautiful and special place to be. Folks who come here and just sit on the beach waiting for wind miss out big time…like turtle watching and surfing.
Sea Turtles: A Baja Treasure
A couple weeks ago we celebrated Nancy’s birthday with a two day mini vacation to San Jose del Cabo. October is the prime nesting time for sea turtles in southern Baja. We were fortunate to witness a nest as the baby turtles emerged and made their way to the Sea of Cortez. Mexican environmental groups monitor the nests and do their best to make sure the young turtles return safely to the sea. Many beaches now prohibit cars and ATV traffic on the sand which is good for more than turtles. It wasn’t many years ago that turtles were harvested for their meat here, but fortunately the turtles are now protected by Mexican law.
Val’s first ride on a surfboard; what style!
Fellow Ezzy sailors Dan and Val from California joined us for a day surfing safari to Los Cerritos on the Pacific side just south of Todos Santos. Cerritos is beautiful beach popular with the surfers about 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. The surf was head high on the outside reef, but still fun for boogie boards and SUP’s on the inside. The wind is coming, we’ll keep you posted. Good sailing, Gary & Nancy
Hurricane Rick Takes Aim At Southern Baja – Oct. 19
Everyone who has arrived early in La Ventana is watching Hurricane Rick as it approaches the southern tip of Baja Mexico this morning. The hurricane developed off the southern Mexican mainland coast a few days ago, and has been building in strength and tracking in a northwest direction towards La Ventana. Sunday morning the storm reached the maximum category 5 with winds of over 200 mph at the center. At the moment, the storm is predicted to come ashore near Cabo San Luca and cross the peninsula near Cabo Pulmo. The current website of choice for everyone here is: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml?epac.
Clouds over La Ventana Bay – something is brewing
Campers at the RV Park are preparing to move to high ground and shelter from the wind. Several people left yesterday heading north in hopes of completely avoiding the storm. Arriving early in La Ventana for the winter can be a dicey proposition since hurricane season doesn’t officially end until the first week of November.
Several years ago Nancy and I were here the end of September when Hurricane Marty passed over La Paz only 30 miles to our west. At the time we were in our trailer which we had moved off the beach and placed behind an 8′ concrete wall which we thought would block the wind. We found out that when the winds are blowing over 100 mph, an RV is not the place to hide from the storm. It was a frightening way to learn a lesson about the fury of Mother Nature. The experience helped us in our decision to build a house built of steel and concrete with steel storm covers on the windows and doors.
Two days before the storm; blue skies, and great fishing. Nancy with her Dorado
Since the first of October, we’ve had a few light wind days for big sails and kites, however last Friday we did have a taste of good sailing with a day of 4.7 – 5.2 and small swells. One good thing is that the Dorado (Mahi) fishing has been outstanding. We’ll keep you updated on how the storm affects La Ventana. Good sailing, Gary & Nancy
Post Hurricane Update:
Fortunately Rick made a right turn 100 miles south of Cabo and hit mainland Mexico. The strength of the storm had diminished to a Tropical Storm before making landfall; there was no loss of life and just some minor flooding. Everyone in La Ventana is feeling relieved that we avoided the storm. Hopefully everyone who chooses to arrive in La Ventana in September and October has learned a valuable lesson from the near miss of two hurricanes this season.
Gorge Rigging Tips – Part Two: Outhaul
A properly rigged Panther will reward you with a balanced feel along with the power and range to handle the gusts and lulls. Sure, it’s fun to introduce sailors to the new Ezzy sails, but I’m also on the beach to help Ezzy sailors get the best performance possible from their sails. Setting the outhaul is important with all Ezzy sails, and setting it correctly on the Panther is a must.
David has been focusing on a draft forward design for several seasons. This results in a sail that locks the draft in place, giving it an extremely light and balanced feel. The reason behind this is simple; the draft stays where it’s designed to be. If the draft moves in a sail it causes instability that you’ll immediately feel. It’s especially noticeable in strong gusty conditions. In a non-draft forward sail, when a gust hits the sail the draft typically moves back and results in uncomfortable pull on your back hand.
Draft Forward Design
The Ezzy draft forward design begins before the panels are sewn together. Instead of sewing the straight edges together; each panel edge is carefully cut to a designed curve that when sewn together creates the desired draft shape along that panel. It’s a challenging and labor intensive way to make a sail, but David Ezzy wouldn’t do it any other way. It’s easy to see the draft forward design after setting the downhaul. But setting the outhaul correctly is critical in keeping the draft where it’s designed to be.
Rig The Boom 
Attach the boom at the desired height and lift the clew end of the boom and use the three strings at the clew to set the correct boom length for light, medium and high winds. The picture is a 5.0 Panther. Please notice that the minimum outhaul required, even for light winds, is 6 cm. I’ve heard sailors say, “I just bag the sail out for more power”…please don’t do it. The draft forward design requires at least the minimum outhaul. As shown in the picture, the difference between the minimum and maximum outhaul is 3 cm. Even at max outhaul the sail will still have noticeable draft, however from the leach forward along the battens it will be more flat than when set for full power. Always pull the clew to the inside of the boom. I’ve found that for the Gorge I set the downhaul once and then adjust the outhaul as needed as conditions change.
Another great season winds down here in the Gorge, and we’ll be heading to Baja soon. If you’ll be in La Ventana this winter stop by the campground on a windy day and take a Panther for a test ride. We’ll keep you updated on the Baja lifestyle. See ya on the beach, Gary & Nancy
La Ventana Sunset
Gorge Rigging Tips – Part One: Downhaul
Since 2001 I’ve rigged hundreds of Ezzy sails for demos, rentals, and other sailors here in the Gorge. I would like to share some personal rigging tips that I feel apply specifically to the Gorge. Most sailing sites around the world will have unique conditions that sailors will either learn by experience or by talking to local sailors. The Gorge presents sailors with conditions that will test and challenge everyone who comes here. High winds, big swells, current, and during the summer months, crowds at the popular sites (The Hatchery, Swell, and Doug’s), will stretch everyone’s skills and attitude on the water. Let me share what I’ve learned on the water, gathering feedback from sailors on the beach, and hanging with David Ezzy.
Helen from Denver decided she needed to add a Panther 3.7 for Gorge trips.
Sail Selection: Although these tips center on the Wave Panther, they also apply to other models and years of Ezzy Sails. First, before selecting a sail, know yourself (height, weight, strength, and skill level are all factors to consider before heading out). Each of us has developed a personal style of sailing that helps us enjoy and sail comfortably…sailing relaxed is much more fun than fighting the conditions or your rig. I’ve found that long time Gorge sailors have learned what sail to use and how to rig it for certain conditions. Using myself for an example, I’ve found on a full-on Gorge day, I’ll rig a smaller sail with near maximum downhaul and use the outhaul for tuning the power I want. The Gorge seldom has steady winds, and the difference between the lull and gusts is usually: lull X 2 or even greater. So when iwindsurf shows an average wind speed of 25, lulls 15 and gusts to 35, that’s not unusual. Being a lighter sailor (158 lbs) I’ve learned that sailing a little smaller sail is much more comfortable and fun. It’s also taught me to be more efficient since a smaller sail is better for me in the high winds, but not in the lulls. But other sailors rig big and pray for the lulls. Consider your personal preferences and rig accordingly.
Setting The Downhaul: If you check the downhaul numbers printed on the bottom of the sail you will notice that the difference between minimum and maximum downhaul length is only 1 cm. Always adjust the top strap or the length of your extension so that maximum downhaul brings the pulley as close to the extension pulleys as possible. David has designed the sail to be rigged in this position for best performance. Set the downhaul before attaching the boom (the exception to this rule is the Infinity) and watch the leach between the 2nd and 3rd batten from the top of the sail. The looseness will travel from the leach towards the mast as you increase the downhaul. It’s important to understand the wrinkle doesn’t travel in a perfect arc centered between the battens. Focus on the three downhaul marks in the center of the panel and watch as the wrinkle moves from and through the light, medium, and high wind marks. The correct setting is when the wrinkle touches the mark, not above or below it. The #1 question I get on the beach is, “what does correct setting look like?” It’s a fair question, and here’s the best way I have found to see it. Place the sail on a flat area with the tip of the mast and the two top battens touching the ground. Then gently lift the mast base up and down while watching the downhaul marks. Lifting up and down will let you see how far the looseness extends in as the short leach batten moves up or down through the marks. Most sailors find that setting the downhaul near the high wind mark works best for the Gorge. If you like riding a more powered sail, set it toward the middle mark.
I’ve found that setting the downhaul is a once a session proposition, I then tune the power I need with the outhaul. The outhaul setting is crucial to enjoying the balanced smooth power the Wave Panther is known for. I’ll cover that in Part 2, but here’s a tip for setting the outhaul. If the Panther ever feels heavy or unbalanced…increase the outhaul. This also applies to the ‘07 and ‘08 Special Edition Wave. See ya on the beach, Gary & Nancy
This Week At Doug’s – August 9, 2009
We welcomed the wind back to the Gorge the first week of August after suffering one of the longest windless heat spells in memory. The week started with reasonable Gorge winds in the mid 20’s, I use the word reasonable, because by Friday sailors were using words like crazy, insane, and stupid before the word “wind” to describe the conditions at Doug’s. Check the iwindsurf graph to see what all the talk was about. For over 12 hours the average wind speed was over 30 with gusts averaging over 40 to 54 mph. I consider myself a decent windsurfer, but when survival is the goal, I think it’s time to de-rig and watch the few sailors who live for days like these…I call it wisdom.
iwindsurf wind graph for August 7
I was at Doug’s for 3 of the reasonable days this past week and connected with several sailors who had heard about the new Panthers and Freewaves, or had already added them to their quivers and just wanted me to check how they had rigged their sails (I’m more than happy to do it). Monday I met Laszlo who sails the Gorge in summers and southern California the rest of the year. His go to sail for the Gorge is a 4.7 Wave Panther, which he says, “felt completely comfortable as soon as I left the beach and feels very light and balanced”. When not sailing in the Gorge he sails Topanga, Leo Carrillo, and County Line in southern California. It’s down the line wave sailing and he’s planning to get a 5.2 and 6.3 Panther Wave for the lighter conditions created by winter and spring clearing winds. Laszlo loves sailing and is serious about his time on the water.
Laszlo sails the Gorge and Southern California
I meet a lot of sailors who make the trip from Florida each summer. The Gorge is definitely the gathering place for summer windsurfers. Monday I met Hot Rod from Key Largo who sails Ezzy SE Waves and was anxious to try the Panther and compare the two sails. “It definitely has the Ezzy wave sail feel.” After making a few reaches the wind kicked up a notch, but Hot Rod stayed out and was having a blast in the building swells. Later he said, “Normally I would have changed to a smaller sail, but with the Panther they have a lot more range than the old SE.”
Hot Rod from Key Largo loves Doug’s Beach
I always enjoy talking with sailors who sail other brands and share what they like about their sails….then take out an Ezzy. Bob from San Francisco is a great sailor and has been on his current brand for 12 years. He took out a 4.2 Panther for a long test ride in the building swells and ramps. Back on the beach he shared his impressions of the Panther. “The conditions were really up and down, but the sail handled it very well. It depowers well on a wave, but still has the power for going big off the ramps…fun, fun, fun!”
Bob sails an Ezzy for the first time.
Ezzy Airtime at Doug’s Beach
See ya on the beach, Gary & Nancy
