I to I report by Mike Rayl

            This was my fourth I to I, the first two ended up as wind too light and the third finishing. I sailed last year on the Kona with the class sail but with the heavier wind wanted a more stable sail. Also I rode my bike most days for 3 weeks before the race.

            I rigged an Aerotech 9.0 VMG and Select 48cm fin for use with the Kona. The wind was very light when I first went out and offshore. I came back and later the wind shifted to onshore and began to build. We launched for the race, the tide had gone out some and my fin dragged as I went out and stopped the board. I fell off and had to wade farther out to launch. Everything felt OK and I sailed out, jibed and headed for the mark a few seconds late. Dodged a sailor in the water and fell as I rounded the start mark. I managed to water start and headed upwind. The swells were quite large by now and the wind was building. James and I were quite close upwind and on my final tack before the lighthouse I went way outside to make the HI marker, big mistake as the swells at the inlet were running in 2 directions. I rounded the marker with James a little behind me and with the 9.0 was able to catch him but the leg pressure seemed wrong. I failed to notice that my boom had dropped and mast base had slid all the way forward. Also my harness line plastic was split and blocking my hooking in. I managed to hook in and headed out to run straight to the downwind buoy upwind of the freighters. As I got farther out the swells increased to 6-8 feet, quite a ride in the higher wind. I had a leg cramp on the upwind leg and 2 on the downwind run. I tacked on the 1^st cramp and sailed through the other 2. The seas started to take their toll and I fell a few times. At this point I felt it was better to sail to shore than take a chance on going the full distance. I sailed in to shore and jibed to sail along shore to the launch site. Fell close to shore and the current pulled my equipment away from me. Mike Vogt and Peter Ifju were there and grabbed my equipment for me.

            This is a tough race, probably the toughest this time. I didn't sail my equipment enough before, figure my problems out on the water, and not enough training beforehand. When I finished last year I wasn't sure I would return. Next year? Maybe.