The weather models had been predicting for a week that Tuesday Nov. 30 would see winds of 30 knots and seas to 9 feet; so the anticipation and stoke had been building for days. Monday afternoon the wind came up and gave us a beautiful 4.7 day. The wind usually starts to fall off by 4 pm, but we knew something big was coming when a few sailors were treated with a rare session until sunset.
Throughout the evening and night the waves kept building and pounding the shore of the bay, making it difficult to sleep…probably more from anticipation than the noise. Sunrise brought the sight of solid white caps and big swells covering the bay, and the waves bashing the south shore were some of the biggest we’ve ever seen here. A few sailors were on the water by 8 am, but most folks waited a few hours since the first day of a strong Norte can be gusty and slightly off-shore near the beach. The solid wind and waves are usually several hundred yards off shore on days like this, so if a 3.7 is the call on the outside you may be slogging to get to the good wind. Here’s a chart from our friends at iwindsurf; you can add at least 5-7 knots to these numbers for the outside (the sensor is on the roof of Baja Joe’s down the beach from the Park).
Dan and Al head to the outside for the big swells.
Sailors where on 3.2 to 4.2, and I found a 3.7 to be the call for the some what gusty conditions. Gorge sailors where feeling pretty much at home with strong and gusty conditions…and the swells? I wasn’t alone in thinking that the waves were some of the biggest I’ve sailed in my 10 years in La Ventana. While sailing with my friend Dan who was just one set up wind from me…he would completely disappear from my site as a wave rolled through; and completely means the top of his mast! We get excited when the swells are 5 or 6 feet, but this was exceptional!
Alan finally talked Rosemary into letting him take out their new 4.7 Panther.
The first day of the typical Norte here in Baja can have the strongest wind and biggest swell, but as with this Norte, the following 3 days were also exceptional as the swell gradually diminishes and the wind steadies out and you can increase sail size 1/2 per day. By Thursday it was trademark 4.7-5.2 with blue skies and steady wind. It may be time to re-think building that 401k for the future and get down here. Hope to see you on the water soon for a demo of the new Panther 3, Gary
Ezzy clinic on the beach introducing the new Panther 3.
