Commodore's Notes:  We all sail with someone who hasn't joined  our club or who previously was a member.  If everyone convinced one person to join or rejoin then perhaps we could start the club on a path of growth and clout.
I believe the clout may be needed in the future.  As  a windsurfing club, our primary focus should be the promotion of windsurfing in the area.  This broad statement must include insuring that we maintain access to sailing sites in the area.  Time will tell what changes are to come, but a club of  several hundred would definitely have a larger voice if it were necessary.  So everyone drag a new windsurfing buddy to the next meeting.
Our first monthly Fun Sail /meeting in January went off perfectly thanks to our hosts, John and Rose William's.  As always their hospitality could not be exceeded.  Thanks!
I have invited the National Seashore superintendent Jock Whitworth,  to speak at the Fun sail/meeting in March.  The fun event will be held at Bird Island Basin.  I expect to hold a short meeting at noon with Mr. Whitworth the speaker.  I hope everyone can make this fun sail to show our commitment to promote windsurfing.  I also plan to extend invitations to other windsurfing clubs to be in attendance.  Bird Island is one of the prime sites in the area and we need to let the Park management know what, if any, improvements we would like to see as well as offer our help as volunteers to make improvements.  Don't forget its a pot luck so bring me something to eat.
One last thought.  We need some ideas and volunteers to plan and run the planned May Bird Island Bash.  At this point I would like to see a fun event director AND a race director.  What would you like to see at this event?  It can be as large or small as you wish.  Please give me a call.  Time is short.

'The Team' Leaves Neil Pryde.... for Gaastra:    In a late January AIWA news release it was announced that race sail designer Barry Spannier along with Phil McGain, Scot Fenton, and both Matt and Kevin Pritchard have left Pryde and signed a two year deal with Gaastra Sails.  Spanier sited 'pressures' that had built up over the past two years as the four sailors involved began closing in on Dunkerbeck.  Gaastra couldn't be happier as they, and their partners Fiberspar, are now in a position to regain their place atop the World Cup that Gaastra lost when Dunkerbeck defeated Robbie Naish (and Gaastra) in 1988.
Pryde's response to the buyout is that " they will take a position of 'participation' in the future, instead of 'domination'."  This turn of events should make the '99 World Cup a bit more exciting.  'The Team' , as the news release reported, is the tag placed on the former Neil Pryde R&D crew.   Perhaps we will  see a larger US Open presence from Gaastra this year since all of the sailors on The Team have competed in the US Open for more years than I've been here.   They are the reigning '98 World Cup four of the top five.  Spanier is the first sail designer I know of who tried to do something mechanical to the sail to allow it to twist off in the upper leach (the short lived cutaway).  Its been The Team, sailing Spanier's prototype designs, that is now really poised to end Dunkerbeck's eleven year reign.  The release is posted on the web;  for further information contact "The Team" at 105355.2774@compuserve.com

Bird's Eye View:  By the time you read this the reconstruction of the road back to Bird Island Basin will probably be complete.  The initial half of the roadbed has been totally replaced and
the smaller craters in the lower half of the road have also been repaired.  The improvements allow drivers to again scan the area for wildlife rather than worry about where the next front end alignment wreaking crater lies in the road.  We will learn more about the Park Service's plans for BIB at the March fun sail/meeting (March 20) which will be held at Bird and will have the new Park Superintendent (Mr. Jock Whitworth) on hand to talk with us.  The improved road is a start but we all know there remain many other 'improvements' just to get BIB back to the conditions we enjoyed there just a few years ago.  C'mon out to Bird March 20 and let the Park Service know your feelings.   Vicki Duncan, the boss out at Worldwinds, has been in Costa Rica since mid December but will be back in town by February 23.  The familiar containers, loaded with new gear, will be back out there at Bird on the first of March.  WorldWinds will be adding Fanatic boards to their stock this year and will continue to offer Bic boards and Gaastra sails.

Editor's Puffs:  The initial bimonthly fun sail held at John and Rose Williams was fantastic.  I brought a visiting sailing friend from Baltimore with me and he still can't believe he sailed comfortably in January without a dry suit.  The weather was warm, the water hovered around 60 degrees, and there was just enough wind to make it fun.  In addition to the sailing the day was topped off by a pot luck centered around John and Rose's fantastic gumbo.  Those of you who were there know how good it is and for those of you who didn't make it- the recipe is in the newsletter.
Late last year Corpus Christi lost the services of Eric and elder son Jody Barnett which meant no more local sail repair.  Bob Thompson has stepped into that void and is putting his new heavy duty sewing machine to good use on damaged sails.  If you have a sail that needs repair just drop it off at Cline Street Sailboards and Bob will work his magic on it.
 

Buoy Roundings...the racing scene:

Wind Peaks Nov, Dec & Jan 98-9

Please tell me it ain't so!  Is this really the 13th consecutive year for of the Whataburger Slalom series ??  Do we really have the longest running windsurfing race series in the United States ?  And didn't we decide that the guy that won the overall prize from the previous year would be the race director?  Call Craig Greenslit (preferably at 2 AM ) for the answers!! Seriously now, it's almost race time again.  The theme from the recent organizational meeting at the home of our commodore and his lovely wife was back to basics.   Down wind slalom (5 buoys) will be the preference when conditions allow. That is when the wind is 20 knots or greater we will do down wind slalom if we can.  The remainder of the time coarse slalom and coarse racing will prevail, except for the Scream'in Reach which will be just exactly that a scream'in reach.  There will be entry level racing for anyone who shows up and wants to race, this will usually be out and back slalom.  Classes will probably  be Open, B-fleet and novice ( or slalom) ,but any group of sailors who would like to can declare a fleet based on age , gender, type of equipment, national origin (except Canada of coarse) .  Minimum number of sailors to declare a fleet is 3, this can be done at or before registration. Racing will be conducted according to The Racing Rules of Sailing as published by US Sailing.  This will serve as the Announcement of Race for the series.  The first race is March 27th at Oleander point, Corpus Christi ,TX.  Registration will commence on that date at noon at Oleander point .  Skippers meeting at 1 PM.  See ya there fellow board heads!!!

Nov         Dec       Jan  1     30mph    18mph   39mph  2     18mph    24mph   46mph  3     20mph    34mph   28mph  4     28mph    24mph   26mph  5     37mph    29mph   23mph  6     24mph    39mph   25mph  7     18mph    33mph   31mph  8     13mph    37mph   29mph  9     37mph    26mph   38mph  10    39mph    31mph   20mph  11    26mph    25mph   26mph  12    26mph    28mph   45mph  13    17mph    17mph   25mph  14    22mph    16mph   24mph  15    22mph    11mph   16mph  16    10mph    13mph   30mph  17    15mph    16mph   22mph  18    20mph    40mph   20mph  19    26mph    15mph   21mph  20    28mph    28mph   28mph  21    23mph    33mph   34mph  22    11mph    45mph   51mph  23    11mph    23mph   24mph  24    13mph    25mph   23mph  25    14mph    17mph   26mph  26    16mph    14mph   40mph  27    16mph    11mph   33mph  28    28mph    18mph   32mph  29    32mph    16mph   33mph  30    17mph    25mph   36mph  31          -        16mph   21mph

Volunteers Wanted:  The club sponsored events, both races and fun events, need people to help out on and before the events.  This is particularly true for the U.S. Open.  Last year, the CCWA was a sponsor and had a booth at the Open; but we didn't have sufficient help to man the booth throughout the event.  We don't want that to happen again! Similarly other events suffered because of a lack of help- how about volunteering your help this year, just phone an event coordinator and offer some help.

Corpus Christi Windsurfing Association Membership Application Name:________________________________________Phone: (       )______________ Family membership, list names of family members:______________________________________ _____________________________________E-mail Add:_________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:_________________________________State:_________________Zip__________ Please enclose $20 for individual; $30 for family (1 year membership) Mail To: CCWA,  PO Box 81453, Corpus Christi, TX  78468

 

Used Gear:

Classified ads are free to  members, non-members:  $5.00. Please submit the ads by the 25th of the month.  Mail ads to: LooseClu@prodigy.net

Berky LeMehaute custom course-slalom board. 1998 shape.  This board works with  6.5 up to 9.3 Smoke the fleet! $600. AEROTECH Course Race 9.5 1995 Multiple race winner.  Great big course race sail in very good condition  $135. NORTHWAVE RX 7.7 1997 Competitive, easy-rigging multi-cam racing sail, US Open winner $150. 1999 NORTH SAILS (this is not a typo) 7.4  New fangled square-headed multi-cambered current-generation racing sail.  You too can be as fast as Craig! used maybe 8 times  $375. Masts! We got Fiberspar & Dynafiber 460-500cm sizes from $100.  Will accessorize with other cool stuff, Whaddaya need?   Contact:racetteguyjen@msn.com