Slappy wrote:I have windsurfers sail upwind of me within a masts length of me quite often, and an errant mast has a far greater ability to kill you on the water than a kite via knocking you unconscious.
Kitesurfing is without question more dangerous for the participant and those in their vicinity. People have lost fingers, broken ribs and been rushed to the ER kiting at 3rd/locally in recent times. I don't know of a single serious windsurfing injury there, ever..
Without someone riding the kit, windsurfing gear has almost no power/weight/momentum. If someone bails, the gear will usually land and sit in the water until retrieved. That's far from the case with a kite, that creates hazard zones downwind (kite starts death spiraling) and upwind, with the lines. It would take some serious skill and precision to joust another kiter or windsurfer with your mast whilst sailing. The only way that might be possible is with a perfectly timed Shaka, where the mast goes horizontal and points in the direction of travel temporarily during the rotation:
The good news is, that move used to be called the "Impossible" cause it's f'ing hard, and there's only one guy on the mainland who can do that move, Massimo "Shaka Man" Planevolezza. So your odds of getting jousted by a windsurfer are about as good as me ever finding a windsurfing girlfriend in her 20s.
Back to the matter at hand, though, in a spot like Centennial 3rd, there's really no reason for close quarter sailing, especially on the wind bomb days. There are waves everywhere. Kites overhead will always make me nervous. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
The guy who threw a half successful forward in front of you should have left more space. The guys who cut C36 off should have given more space. No one's gonna be perfect in 50 knots, we've all gotta make an effort.
... she is doubtful you'll land that double forward.
let's cut steel with water ...
