Commodore's Notes:   I’ll Be Back!
Well this is the final newsletter for this year, but since there were no other nominations for next year’s Commodore (I am assuming at this point that I will vote for myself), this isn’t my last article.
I would like to take a few lines to thank the people who really did the work this year. Nick certainly kept the books in excellent order, and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Roy reminding me at the end of every month that the newsletter article is due.  John really came through with our website.  Randy Yates (that guy who moved) was much appreciated for his efforts towards the Whataburger series.  Thanks to Jonathan Bright we now have a Fall series.  We can’t forget the rest of you guys and gals who helped at CCWA events. Thanks to all of you for the effort that you put in to keep the CCWA going.
Included in this newsletter is the calendar for year 2000 [see the events schedule].  Most of the events are annual items well known to all of us, but 2 new items have been added.  The first on the calendar is a planned trip to Tampico, Mexico.  If you are interested let me know early so I can work out the logistics.  We’ve been invited down so let’s make it happen.  Item 2 is WorldWinds Women’s clinic.  The club will be holding the shrimp boil as a fund-raiser for the US Open women’s purse.  We’ll need some volunteer boilers for that.  The Screaming Reach has been moved to the 1st local event of the year.  We plan on using it and the accompanying shrimp boil as the season “KICKOFF”.
Regrettably, the calendar is extremely full during April and May, but as Guy Racette told me “You cannot make more weekends”.  With this many events scheduled, ( not all are ours but we tried to schedule around other club events) it may be easy to let one pass, but remember its your participation that makes any event a success.  Please participate in all CCWA events by either sailing or volunteering or both.
Remember, beginning in January, we will return to monthly meetings.  We will need  members to host the meetings.  I’ve got a volunteer host  for March, but that leaves 11 months.  Reserve your month early.    Hosting does not necessarily mean “at your house”.  If you have a place in mind( restaurant, etc.) reserve a month and make the arrangements.
One last note:  Cowboy is still around.  Saw him on the water today.  Think it's time to smoke a brisket?
See you on the water.     --   Chester
 

Racing Primer,  Chapter III          by Guy R.
So let's say you've decided that racing will be good for you, and you've prepared Your mind, your body, your spirit, and your equipment.  You show up early, snag the primo parking spot in the shade, and have your gear rigged and tuned to perfection.  You've scored a nice, easy 15 minutes on the water with each rig to warm up, and you're sipping your favorite electrolyte-balanced sports beverage watching the wind fill in nicely, and doing mental imagery for the BIG RACE.  What should you be thinking about?
Allow me to take you on a tour of the hypothetical Course Slalom course; This consists of a start line, with a Committee boat at anchor and a small buoy directly across the wind from it.  Well, most of the time.  Sometimes the Committee deliberately sets the buoy a bit upwind from straight across, just so everybody isn't killing themselves to run into the motor.  Remember Randy?  Sometimes that good thinking is undone by a windshift before the start.  Sometimes the Committee simply doesn't know what they're doing...
Anyhow, it's a good idea to sail over to the Start area early to see what the situation is.  Scope out any anchor lines.  Feel the wind.   Is it straight perpendicular across the line, or is either end of the line a bit further upwind?  That could be useful information.  Keep it to yourself.  While you're there, sail to the boat end of the line.  Look over top of the pin buoy and see if there's a landmark on the horizon you can use to judge where the line is without looking over your shoulder on a crowded start.
The first part of a Course Race after the start is usually an upwind leg. You're free to proceed on either tack for as long as you feel it's best.  That's where experience matters most, and where many races are won or lost.  The final tack to the Layline is particularly important.  Go too soon and you've cost yourself  TWO more tacks.  Go too late and watch several slower competitors slip underneath you to the weathermark as you travel all those extra yards you bought.  'S fun, innit?  Don't worry, you'll see it'll come together soon enough.
Finally, SAIL THE COURSE before the first start.  You'll have the best info on the wind over each section, and whether the reaches have any very tight or very broad legs. This kind of info can save you time or help you make up for any earlier mistakes on the course.  As you go around, measure the time it takes.  This information will also be of value to determine whether the wind is dying or increasing.  This is also a good time to practice visualizing your tactics.
So this seems like a lot to remember.   Like anything else, it's practice.  After a few regattas, all this will become routine.  Now get ready for the first white flag...

-Guy Race it.
 

Editor's Puffs:      by  Roy Tansill
December already,  time to rinse and dry the full wetsuit and maybe string up some Christmas lights if the wind pulls a no show.  Of course,  if its too cold to sail then its way too cold to put up lights.   While trying to get out of  digging all the Christmas trimmings out of their niche up in the attic I decided to spend some time pondering what was needed to improve windsurfing in Corpus Christi.  After a few minutes of hard thinking, and a good nap, the answer came to me.  What we need is an influx of new blood in the sport.  From there it was a short step to ‘The Island University.’
Right in our backyard sits a few thousand college age folks and there is almost nothing at their Texas A&M Corpus Christi campus to get all those young folks into windsurfing.  There is an Adventure Club that once a year spends an afternoon with Frank Floyd out on the causeway for a very brief introduction to the sport but beyond that its zippo.  The Adventure Club also samples many other sports: scuba diving, kayaking, jet skiing and sky diving to name a few and there is a faculty advisor to the club.  I called the advisor and, after a brief conversation, I was invited to attend the next club meeting to talk with the students about windsurfing.  They listened to my ramblings and when asked how many would be interested in a one credit Physical Education Department course called Windsurfing 101; the response was encouraging- the entire class responded positively to the idea.  So far so good, now there were 40 students sharing my idea so I went looking for  the head of the PhysEd Department.  It took several phone calls to get through to him and he was not as enthused with the idea as the students were.  He informed me that there had  been a sailing program at the University but that it was discontinued because there were injuries and law suits as a result.  He went on to tell me that in order to teach a course at the University one had to have a Masters Degree and preferably an MA in Kinesiology for his department.    He threw the ball back into my court next by saying I should get him a copy of my resume and a brief course outline.  He also informed me that it would take a minimum of two semesters to get a new course approved.
Well, now I have yet another excuse to put off digging out those Christmas trimmings--I have to write a resume.  The course plan was ready--I pirated one off the web from a very unlikely source.  It seems the Maricopa Community College System has a windsurfing 101 course at their Phoenix campus and conveniently they put the course outline on one of their web pages.  (Ed’s Note: US Open competitor Alan Bernau told me about this handy source).  Within a week I’ll get all the required documentation submitted to the department head and toss the ball back in his court.  Meanwhile I’ll keep thinking what it could be like with the Oso full of bright dacron beginner sails flitting about as a bunch of young, rapidly improving sailors learn the skills.  How many students just need the opportunity to get into windsurfing... and pick up a fun credit?
 

Islamorada Pro-AM         by   Craig Greenslit
November 11 - 14, 1999, a crew of CCWA members including Guy Miller, Nick & Barbara Antrobus, Zing, and  I traveled to the Florida Keys for the 17th Annual Islamorada Pro-Am.
Thursday 11/11/99 - The Mill-Man (aka Guy Miller) and I flew to Miami, crammed his gear into a rent-a-van, picked up my rental car, and drove to Islamorada. Thankfully, I avoided hauling my equipment via plane as Nick and Barbara took it with them on their drive from Corpus to South Florida. Two hours and a few wrong turns later Guy and I arrived at lets just call it "The Roach Motel." As we opened the door to our room we were delighted to find a single king sized bed. For the record, I offered to sleep on the floor, but the Mill-Man would not have it. We were sleeping in the same bed.
Friday 11/12/99 - steady 25 - 30 knots - Guy and I awoke early and headed to The Moorings Resort to begin the so called "Celebration of Windsurfing". We celebrated the day with 1 course race, some speed trials (San Fran's Randy Nelson won going 36 knots), and  by just hanging out in tropical paradise talking about our sport.
Saturday 11/13/99- steady 25 - 30 knots - Racing action picked up as Race Director Calvert ran 3 course races plus a just-for-fun downwind slalom. The Morada Bay Restaurant hosted a banquet Saturday night and served outstanding pasta with you pickem toppings. Windsurfing Celeb Dasher entertained the 250+ crowd by showing his video of the days racing action. You can imagine several hundred sailboard fanatics watching one of their own getting catapulted in slow motion, repeatedly. Big Cheers! We need to get Dasher and his camera at the US Open. The evening ended with a raffle for several items provided by event sponsors: Bic, Tiga, AHD, Neil Pryde, Coca-cola, Key West Ale, Cruzan Rum, Australian Gold, Calvert Sails, and Vela Windsurf resorts.
Sunday 11/14/99 - Ify 8 - 12 knots - The call for the day was the traditional long distance race around Alligator Light house in memory of Pierre Baudoin.  It was a long day at the office for those who picked the wrong equipment.  Trust me, A weed fin is not a good idea in the long distance race.
                                                         FYI - Guy doesn't snore.
 

Results:   Open Unlimited  1) Fissu Barizizza  2) Jamie Douglass  3) Craig Greenslit   Limited Masters  (7.5 max. sail size) 1) Jack Selver 2) Nick Antrobus

Open Masters 1) Bob Camp 2) Guy Miller 3) Danny Steyn  4 - 9) a bunch      of fast guys  10) Zing

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
91 HyperTech 9'8" (180 liters/20 lbs) $250 '96 Doyle 9'6" (160 liters/18 lbs) $250'95 Doyle 9'2" (125 liters/16 lbs) $250Call  Marc at (361) 994-9330
For more web classifieds, check out the Windsurfing Classifieds at "the other CCWA".