Well, as the saying goes in the Midwest,....if you aren't sure what the weather is going to do,...wait 5 minutes and it will change.
After some evening storms passed from the night before, we awoke to a cloudy, but nice morning with winds from the NE at 12-15 knots. Once all the Hobies hit the water, conditions changed. With storms approaching from the Southwest, the winds picked up significantly. Midway through the first race winds increased to over 25knots which resulted in a very hectic conditions. Several boats capsized, 2 de-masted. The people from Hawaii were loving the wind as they typically sail in strong winds.
At 11:30 the local park officials informed us that strong winds and hail were rapidly approaching and the race was abandoned. Unfortunately the conditions became too severe for some sailors to make it back to Hobie Beach. With the help of beach captain Melinda Bommersbach and several volunteers the approaching Hobies were quickly grabbed and strapped down. A tense hour for the committee ensued as they worked very hard to locate all sailors who did not make it back to Hobie Beach to ensure they were safe. Thankfully the winds never exceeded 40knots and no hail was received.
By 3:00pm the days races were officially canceled. Roughly a half dozen sailors were assessing the damage to determine if they would be able to continue racing. Mike and Dawn Brindisi of Select Sail and Sports (The Hobie Dealer on site) were doing what they could to help people patch up and prepare for two more days of racing.
Winds are forecasted to be 20-30 on Thursday,...so it could be another very busy day.
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