Wind Reports and Weather

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Hellllooooo Again Peeoppllles......Hope you all enjoyed Valentine’s Day.....and for you Americans....a long Presidents Day weekend. And then today...FAT TUESDAY!!! Geeeesshhh. Are we having fun yet? OK...Let’s get going.....First off...Wind? Oh ya Baby....The streak continues. We’ve had one or two light days since last report...meaning 14 – 18.....but the other days have been OOC (Out of control). Definitely 30 -35 on the outside in the afternoon. For example, Ed ...175 lbs, has been ripping and snorting and nailing some killer Duck Jibes on the inside on a 5.0..then down to 4.5...and then returning ‘hammered’ but saying he could have gone down to 4.0. Major ended the day (3rd sesh) on 66 ltrs and 4.5. Most of the other guys also hanging on to 4.5’s and gals of course 4.0 and down. It’s pretty funny to see the change in energy level of the clients after numerous back to back REALLY windy days. We have a few guests who are here for extended vaca’s.....Bruce 51 days.....Dave and Sarah....2 months....you would think they’d be ‘pacing’ themselves...BUT NOOOOOO. They’re sailing as if they were here for just a week. You get the picture....Frickin WINDY !!!! Appears to be no end in sight. (Hint, Hint...Get your butts down here!!!) .......In other news...We are now on our 4th and last day of Carnival. It’s been busy on the beach and in town but nothing like Semana Santa. Everybody just having a good time. Can you say BEACH PARTY?? And in the evening...some cool and crazy parties and music. Today was slightly less busy on the beach as many are beginning to head home. It’s been fun, but will be nice to have our beach back to ourselves. Speaking of parties...we had a great Vela Happy Hour last Thursday. What a fun and diversified group......a gaggle of kooky Brits (Dave & Sarah, Derek, Douglas, Major and David) ....Parisians Piero & Margot...Croatian Darko, Austrian Klaus, Argentine Luis, Swiss / German Dieter & Martina and Americans Bruce, Ed, Buddinski......Good camaraderie....great ‘war stories’ ...’lubed up’ with a few Rum & Cokes. GOOD FUN and a perfect start to Carnival. ........Lastly, Kathy’s and my niece, Lindsay, has been visiting us now for nearly 4 months. 23...just finished college...seeing the world......the point....she came having never windsurfed. I gave her the first Beg lesson, then the Tack, then Beach Start, then Harness & Footstraps.....then Waterstart......and now working on Jibes. The last few days down to the JP 77 Ltr and 4.0. I was watching her today and she is right on the cusp of completing her first planning carve Jibe. Have rarely seen such an extreme learning curve in my 20 + years teaching. Absolutely incredible!!!! LOVE IT!!! And additionally, she’s been a great help around the center. So when you get here, you’ll know who the new cute chick is at the Vela center. ..........WHEW.....enough rambling for today.......Hope to see you all soon. More Later T-Freak, Kathycita & da boyz...oh ya, and Lindsay

 

Hellooooo again peoples......Hope you all are doing as well as everybody down here in ‘Magical Windy Margi’ !!!! And I do mean windy. In simple terms...the wind just won’t quit. It’s amazing !!! Every day since last report has been howling....with the exception of one day a few weeks ago where we had a few rain showers on and off. These last few days have been ‘NUTZ’ !!! When our instructor, Alex, goes down to 4.0....and still totally ‘wound up’.....you know it’s windy. Just a massive sea of frothing white caps. Saw and spoke with many a humbled ‘wind freak’ over the last weeks....many begging for mercy. But SORRY....there will be NO MERCY ON MY WATCH folks !!!! Sail it...kite it....rip it...and you can cry if you want to.....but cry to someone who cares...and that’s NOT me (any of you who know me can attest to this truth). ......Anyway....forecast looks like more and more of the same...no end in sight.....already blowing 18 – 22 and we haven’t even opened the gates yet (8:30 AM)......SOOOOO....make your plans...pack your bags.....and get on down here to ‘share the stoke’. More Later T-Freak, Kathycita and da Boyz

Heeeeelllllooooo Peoples......from down here in ‘Magical Margi Land‘......Hope all is going well for you all in the New Year!! Going GREAT here...wind wise. The wind just continues to blow. It’s simply amazing. Some of the other ‘locals’ are saying this is the best season in memory....and I’d have to agree. We did have 2 strange days a few weeks ago....a little rainy....light wind...but really cool abnormally large waves rolling in. I have never seen the water so busy with surfers, SUP ers and kayakers. But before and ever since...EVERY DAY....WINDY!!!! And no end in sight. EXCELLENT!! In other news...check out this new link direct from the beach here in ‘da Yaq’....it totally rocks!!! www.elyaquenews.com/. All the news and information you need and crave now at your finger tips. SWEET!! Also in ‘other news’...in case you didn’t hear in the news...we did have a 5.4 earthquake here...just a few days after the disaster in Haiti. So far, no word of any damage or injuries. It was about 1:30 and I was home for lunch...went up on the roof to check out the wind when I felt a little movement. Sat down for a minute thinking I was just imagining it. But NOOOO!! We were also under a Tsunami warning for a few hours, but nothing developed......Well that’s about it for today. Take care and start making your Margi travel plans!!! More Later........T-Freak, Kathycita & ‘da Boyz’

Helllloooooo Peoples!!! Hope you are all well....keeping warm????..How's the snow shoveling going???? (Kind of makes you want to boogey on down to 'Magi Margi'....eh??...Sunny, warm, windy....MMMMmmm)....Oh ya....and finishing up your Christmas shopping!! Soooo....it still just continues to blow down here. Nobody really gets it. The only explanation is 'El Nino'!! No problem....We'll take that.....It basically indicates that we will probably have one crazy, whacko, nuckin season.....Sounds good to me!! .....today...again...rockin 5.0 for me....LOVE IT!!! Almost every day delivering nice afternoon conditions.....18 - 22 - 24......some days a little gusty...others... only a 2 - 3 hour window of good wind.....Anyway....the center looks great.....the gear ....totally rockin......Oh...and by the way....Our long time Instructor Alex, decided to come back to Vela after a year 'hiatus'. He's happy...we're happy...and all of you good, long term clients will be happy to see him back.
Looking forward to seeing you all....Early Happy Holidays from ....T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'
 

Heeeellloooo Peoples......We are still in the midst of an amazingly and abnormally windy fall.....with the exception of the past week. Up until then most everyday has still been peaking in the low to mid 20's. No complaints other than we sure wish we had more folks to share with. ....This past week has been interesting.....a few days with NO WIND......FLAT......but with unusually large, widely spaced waves rolling in. Needless to say the SUP's are seeing tons of water time. What a riot ....not to mention a brutal, total body work out!!!!! Kath and Nora are now hooked as are a few of our other friends that we had invited down for a few early morning sessions. A few days ago Kath & Nora went for their 6:30 bike ride and then directly to the center.....on the SUP's by 7:40.......and creating quite a scene. They were hootin and a howlin like a couple of giddy school girls. No one else on the water....but very shortly there were a number of people appearing on the beach to see what all the commotion was about....wondering who those 2 kooky chicks were...... PERFECT conditions.....Paddle straight out.....ride a nice 4 ft'ish wave in.....enjoy....laugh your ass off and then repeat.....until hammered. Well the wind has returned and the forecast looks like we are solid for the next week..........In other news.....the Vela Team continues to jam on the center renovations......new lockers being built...... new Vela signs have been made and mounted....lots of painting and tiling......looking really good......I tell ya ....the guys should try out for the 'Everyready Team'......they do just keep on going....and you'll all appreciate their efforts when you come on down........Speaking of which....just got the Reservation Update from Karl......more and more bookings ......keep them coming. Cool to see some of our good ole friends on the list....Swede & Marcy, Werner & Renate, Michelita, Brenda, Arthur, Doug, Scott, Andrew......just to name a few...........So I'll leave it at that for now.....and as a reminder...check out our 'Media' page .....some new photos and hopefully more coming on a regular basis. ........Here's another little travel tip for people coming from the West coast.....Our niece just arrived from LA ....Red Eye LA to San Jose, Costa Rico...then CCS by 3 PM....and here in Margi by 6. Pretty sweet and smooth......AND cheap. Lasca Airlines. Just a thought......That's it for today........More Later........T-Freak, Kathycita & da Boyz

Hellooooooo Peoples......Hope you all enjoyed the extended 'Columbus Day Weekend' !! Can hardly believe it is already October...Crazy, eh?? All is well down here.....we are all still working hard to get the center totally buffed out. The guys are doing a tremendous job.......So with that said...let's get down to it....WIND?? HELL YES !!!!! No one down here can really believe the wind we have been experiencing. It just keeps blowing which is uncommon for this time of year....even though I don't hear too many people complaining. Example: Kath and I were down at the center at 7 AM this past Sat. It was already white capping like crazy...Sand blasting all early beach goers.......checked the 'wind-O-meter'.....frickin 25 - 30 !!!!! What's that about ?? Granted, not everyday has been that windy....but almost everyday it has been in the low to mid 20's......maybe a handful of days only reaching the mid teens. Hopefully a good sign for the upcoming season........came back from town a few hours ago.....rounded the corner coming into 'da Yaq'......beauty Blue sky and tons of white caps. It is now almost 4 and the wind has dropped considerably......but no worries.....already had many hours of good wind today. ..........Other news.....The El Yaq Water Treatment Plant is now up and running!!!! I believe all hotels are now connected as are most of the other businesses, B & B's, Posadas, Restaurants etc. Talk about a huge step in the right direction!!! Wonders never cease.............Anyway, I'll leave it at that for today....but please check back frequently as I will be posting weekly....at least....If not.....feel free to come on down and 'bust my chops'..........Also, I'm noticing some chilly weather starting to move in up north.....doesn't that get you thinking of a nice warm vacation in Margarita ??.......Sunny, Windy, Warm!! You all maybe should start looking at your calenders and make some travel plans.........We are here and waiting....Looking forward to seeing all our friends............ More Later.............T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'
 

Heellloooo Peoples.......August 25th??? What's up with that?? Where does the time go? Hope you all are having a nice summer!! All's well here in Margi.....the weather and wind have been really good for this time of year. Mixed batch for sure...but that's OK. Last few days for example have been gorgeous 'Blue Bird' skies with moderate winds.....Brilliant white caps as far as the eye can see....highs in the 18 - 22 range. Not Nukin, but still damn good fun!! Prior to that we did have a few days of rain, sun, wind from all directions....you name it. All simply some 'back lash' from Hurricane Bill. But he's gone and the sun, fun and wind are back.....Pretty quiet at the Vela center...some 'walk-up' rentals and lessons. Town 'none the less' is very busy with National visitors. Lots of beach parties going on!!! .....The guys are taking turns going on vacation.....Bernie is now away for another week.......in the mean time we are chipping away at some of the normal yearly center chores, up-keep, up-grades so we'll be all set and ready for the upcoming season.....(Kath and I won't be going back to the states this year......so the guys have to put up with us being on site ..monitoring / overseeing the work.....I think they'd prefer we went away...DOH) ........Oh, just heard from Karl at the Vela Hood River HQ.....said that Gerry and Julie Sparks had stopped in the office to say HI. Cool Man!!!! Love those guys !!! Karl also mentioned that the calls and reservations are starting to come in. YYIIIPPPEEEEE!!!! Bring it on!! ......So that's about it for now...........Take care........More Later....... T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'

Heeeelllloooo Peoples......Hope you are all having a fantastic 4th of July weekend......filled with friends, family, BBQ's, Burgers, Brats, Brewski's, Bonfires and fireworks !!! OK, OK.....Wind? Well, it STILL JUST KEEPS BLOWING !!! I don't get it. Since my last report we've had some different weather....actually had our first taste of rain this past Wed & Thurs. Heavy all night and then clearing and drying out by noon. I thought for sure it was the end of our amazing wind streak...BUT NOOOOOOO!! It still kicked in with a vengeance by early afternoon....ultimately resulting in gals hangin on 4.0's...guys 4.5. Had a bit of an extra Northerly angle making it lighter and deceiving on the inside....but raging on the outside. OH YAA....SWEET MOMMA!!!! ........This morning was very light....hazy skies.....thought again that the streak was over.....NO!! I just took a look from the upper deck..(Noon our time)...clearly blowing in the low 20's......probably going to pick up..... And you all wonder why I call it 'Magical Margi Land'.......Well, that's all I have for today. More Later T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'
 

"I bought two tickets to Paradise.....Pack your bags.....La, La, La....." Oops...was I just singing out loud?? Sorry about that.....But HEY.......That's exactly what I did 17 years ago...and never looked back!!!! Anyway....here ya go. First off, hope you all had a nice Fathers Day weekend!! .....So you want to know about the wind? No shortage here. It has been an absolutely amazing stretch of wind. It has simply been blowing every stinkin day. We did have a few days with highs only reaching the mid to upper teens.....but literally every other day has been at least in the mid to upper 20's and quite a few of those days puffing into the low 30's. For weeks now I have been thinking "OK, it's June....the wind can't keep blowing like this....day after day".....but like clock work....the wind keeps blowing. This past Monday and Tuesday, we woke to a calm breeze, but by noon, sure enough, guys hanging on to 5.0's or better. A few evenings ago Kath and I were up on the rooftop watching the sunset....Gorgeous I might add....anyway, I noticed 'white caps' in Kath's glass of wine. HHHmmmm.....a new method for recognizing 5.0 winds ??......Wildwinds update.....Our Vela guys did us right.....Wuichi (Luis) ended up 4th and Alex snuck ahead grabbing 2nd place and a nice trophy to boot. Way to go guys!!!!! For all race results you can check out the WWinds web page. .....Not much else from here from 'Magical Margi land'.....wind keeps blowing.....just need more people to 'share the stoke'. Signing off....heading to the office..... More Later.....T-Freak, Kathycita and 'da Boyz'
 

Hellloooo Peoples!! Hope you all had a Fantastic Memorial Day Weekend !! We sure did !! Let's start with the WIND......Man O Man....It has just been 'Spankin Windy' nearly every day this month. Since last report, we've had only 1 day of 'light wind'....if you call 18 - 22 'light'. All other days have been upper 20's to low / mid 30's. Frickin Howling....All day...all night....non stop !!! Whoa Doggie !! To make it even sweeter....El Yaque is hosting the Good Ole 'Margarita Wild Winds Pro - Am 2009'. Used to be an annual event, but has not been held for the past 3 or 4 years. Great to have the event back here in 'Da Yaq'.....and even better to have such perfect conditions for the competitors. It has been running very smoothly....great organization.....many, many heats being completed everyday. Last Sat and Sun, they held the first portion of the competition.....More of a National event....Windsurfing as well as Kiting surfing races...culminating with the Awards presentation on Sunday evening. Monday was the first day of the actual 'Pro - Am'. Racing will continue through this upcoming weekend......The results from last Sat & Sun......Open Division....1st place....Alexis Carache (local Yaq Sailor)....2nd...Taty Franz (Bonaire)....followed by Gollito, Ricardo and Diony (all 3 also Yaq guys).....So the way I see it .....DA YAQ = 1.....Bonaire = ZERO. Also, our instructor, Alex (Yes, Alex is back with the Vela team again), won 2nd in the 'Sport' division....while Wuichi pulled in 5th. Way to go team Vela !!!! They are both continuing to race throughout the week...wish them luck....and I'll let you know how it all plays out.......Well, it's about 9 AM....the wind is not as strong as it's been most mornings but is looking better and better. Already some nice White Caps brewing up.....maybe a dozen or so Racers out warming up......Bound to be another Great day of intense competition....and the forecast looks good for the remainder of the week...........So I'll leave it at that for now....heading down to the center.........More Later.... T-Freak, Kathycita & da Boyz
 

Heeelllloooooo...and a 'Happy Mothers Day' to all !!! ......To the point.......FRICKIN WINDY !!!!! The last 5 days have been simply RIPPIN !! All day and all night. 30's every day. Most guys on 4.0 and 4.5......a few of the bigger guys (or less efficient) hanging on to 5.0's. We did have 2 or 3 days prior to this of light winds......and before that ....4 or 5 days again of mid to upper 20's.....puffing into the low 30's. Simply put....IT'S WINDY MAN !!! Funny to see how the clients react to day after day of really windy conditions.....the first few days they're loving it....gradually they begin to sort of 'hide out'....picking and choosing an hour here or an hour there.....or just chillin.....It's noon now and although we have 22 people.....we've seen maybe a 'hand full'.......I suspect they can't bear to round the 'Vela' corner and see my 'Shut Up & Sail' shirt. LOVE IT !! Well, I'm going to keep it short today........Have a Great day with your family's / Mothers.....and then hop on a flight and join us in the fun, sun and WIND !!!...... More Later... T-Freak, Kathicita & 'da Boyz'
 

HEEEELLLOOOO Peoples........Here is your Current Margi Wind Update ..........Since last report wind has been really good except for Sat & Sunday which were on the light side. It even rained....YES, rained on Monday...but then got pretty good by mid afternoon......Crazy for this time of year....BUT.....Thurs and Friday were absolutely NUKIN as was the case yesterday......as in 4.0 - 4.5 from the get go. Bala was even down to 69 Ltrs. and 4.5.....overpowered......Our friend Nora (from Casa Nora / No Wind No cry) even came by to ask me if we could sell her a 3.5 as she had been blown off the water the last few days on her 4.2. .....Today is a beautiful day....wind is already in the mid to upper 20's....And it's not even noon.........Noel just took out a 5.0.....he'll be back shortly to get the 4.5.......Swede just took out a 5.4 ....he'll also be back in a matter of minutes.......GOOD STUFF!!! ............We are looking forward to a fun 'Vela Happy Hour' this afternoon.......as usual, 'Cubi's & Cervazas'....but as an extra bonus.....some special cheeses will enhance the experience....compliments of Jon & Jane.....These freaks brought down 15 POUNDS !!!!!! They also 'shlepped' down 6 bottles of different wines from their own personal winery. We'll have a small wine tasting party with them and a few friends later in their stay.....FUN, FUN, FUN !!! Thanks you guys!!........Other news? Well, we are having a fairly large competition here in 'da Yaq'.......this week and through the weekend.......Lasers, Dingy's and Hobies racing around during the week and culminating with the Windsurfing and Kitesurfing competition Sat & Sun. Competitors from all over the world.......I don't know for sure, but have heard there are over 150 participants. Should be good fun and great 'spectating'.......and just an FYI.....it will have NO affect on the main windsurfing zone.............That's it for now.......More Later...... T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'
 

Happy Easter People !!!!! Hope you are having a wonderful time with your families and friends !! Here is your current 'Margi Wind Update'. Pretty simple and straight forward.....WIND....WIND....and MORE WIND !!!! Everyday blessing us with frothing whitecaps and winds in the upper 20's....and higher. What more can I say? Every single day since last report has been WINDY!! Was speaking with Mika (165 Lbs +, from Sweden) yesterday and he was saying that he has now been here at Vela Marg for over 3 weeks....has sailed EVERYDAY !!! Never larger than 5.8 and most afternoons down to 5.0 and a few days on his 4.5. Also mentioned he has traveled to numerous Windsurfing destinations all over the world and NOWHERE compares to Vela Margarita....Wind consistency, variety of conditions, unbeatable equipment and service, warm water, shallow on the inside.......not to mention the 'Hot Chicks' on the beach. Yes, he's having a good time and still has over a week to go. RIGHT ON MIKA !!! ........Well, today is the last 'official' day of Semana Santa.......Has not been quite as chaotic as in years past, but still the afternoon beach crowds / parties clearly justified our policy of closing a few hours early.....as did all the other centers......All for the safety of everybody......windsurfers as well as the general beach partyers and swimmers. The good news is that it has been so windy....everyone has been able to get their 'fill' of water time early on. Thurs and Friday folks were out on 5.0's straight out of the gate at 9 AM. Yesterday was a bit slower to start but all were still able to log in at least 2 - 3 hours of good powered up sailing.......Today's beach scene should be a bit quieter as Nationals begin to return home....and tomorrow we hope to have our beach back to normal....EEEEEhhhh HHHaaa !!!........Have had just a few clients this past week as many chose to avoid the 'Sem Santa' scene, but we have some good old friends coming in the next week or so......COOL !! Noel will be with us again....for 26 days....Also Swede & Marci will be here in a few days....SWEET !!.....Jon will be back after missing a year or so.......Oh ya...and then there's Neal.....now there is a special case .....We'll be sure to get out the 'kid gloves' and sprinkle the center with 'egg shells'.....And quit 'whining' about my 'lack of wind reports'. What web page have you been looking at? Just kidding Neal.....maybe?...........That's about it for now.......Kath and I are heading up to Casa Nora for our annual 'Masters' golf tourny / pot - luck......and to see who wins the 'pool'. About 8 good friends ......hanging up on the hill..(Out of ear shot of the BAM BAM BAM from the beach)......watching some killer golf.....chowing some great food......good times !! ...........That's it for today.........More Later .....T-Freak, Kathycita and 'da Boyz'
 

HELLOOOOO PEOPLE......Hope you all survived yesterday....you 'April Fools'....since you're NOT here......We've had a nice stretch since last report....again most afternoons peaking in the mid to upper 20's....SWEET !! Last Friday was 'weak'....on the edge of sailable, but the other days have been nice.......When Bala is going out on his 5.0 (175 + Lbs).....that pretty much tells the story.....We have also had the unusual midnight showers on and off....putting a damper on the thermals...but the wind still found a way to come to our rescue.......Beautiful 'Blue Bird' day again today....wind already upper teens - lower 20's.....another good day in the works.....all we need is PEOPLE......Speaking of which.....had a major exodus a few days ago....about 25 friends heading home...Bummer...We already miss you guys.....But on the 'Good news' side...looking forward to seeing Swede (AKA Spiderman) & Marcy in a week or so......Other news....Had an 'Emergency Vela Margi Happy Hour' on Saturday......Twas Mary's (of Mary & Chad) Birthday as well as our very own Kathycita's......About 40 - 50 friends and clients joining us for some 'Cubi's' & Cake......Mona's special carrot cake to be specific.....MMMmmmmmm GOOOOOD!!!! Fun, Food & Friends.......Special thanks to our amazing clients that always remember Kath's B-Day....What's up with that?? You guys ROCK!! (You know who you are) Almost brought Kath to tears.........Also received an e-mail from Lorenzo a few days ago stating that when he arrived home (Canada) he had to walk from the cab to his front door through 'calf deep snow'......IN HIS FLIP FLOPS......EXCELLANTE !!!!!! (You Freak)........Preparing for 'Semana Santa'.....stock pilng food and other necessities in hopes of not having to battle the crazy crowds we are so accustomed to during this holiday........Yup, it's a spectacle....it's a freak show.....but what you going to do......the people watching is off the scale....helps ease the pain......Whatever.........So I'll leave it at that .....No more Blabber today.........But More Later..... T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'
 

Hello Peoples...and Greetings from 'Magical Margi-land'......Wind? ....Yes.....Sun?....Yes.....Fun?.....OH YEAH!!!!! Wed, Thurs & Friday.....Rockin!! Afternoon highs in the upper 20's....Most guys getting out on 5.0's or even 4.5's. Lots of happy, tired sailors. This 'ole dog' even snuck out for an hour of 5.0 fantasy sailing. Felt GREAT !! Chasing around with Frank & Gaby, Mika, Mike, Russ & Jen. Good fun.....Saturday & Sunday brought us slightly lighter winds (Naturally, since the 'Copa de El Yaque was scheduled) Never fails.....plan a competition or large 'Clinic' and the wind will look the other way. The afternoon hours still clocked in the low 20's, but more up and down than the previous days. The competition, non-the-less, went pretty well. There were many categories including a 'Tourist' class. Cool idea to encourage the clients to participate and 'pit' the various clubs against one another. Our very own 'Lorenzo' won First in this category. RIGHT ON Lorenzo!! You did Vela right, 'Mon' !!!!! Chris also did well coming in second in the 'Masters' category. (Not sure how he ended up in the Masters and not the Tourist cat.) But good job Chris. Speaking of Chris...this guys is going for 'all the gusto' during his vaca.....Multiple morning Mt. bike rides with 'Big Al' from Casa Nora / No Wind No Cry, Yoga with Nora, Kath and a few others, snorkel trip over to Cubagua, Island tour....etc.....and still always full of 'piss & vinegar'.....and wearing the 'perpetual' smile. He'll definitely need a vaca from his vaca.......In other news.....some fun group dinners happening.....did 'Thai Night' at Cafe Local on Sunday evening...always a winner, and then 'Mexican Night' at Sharks on Monday.....all you can eat...make your own fajitas....MMmmmmm....making me hungry.....'Michelita' Update....YUP, she's still here.....she WAS able to extend....AGAIN...and will be here till March 30th....as of this posting....who knows what will happen between now and then.......Well, I'll leave it at that for now......Going to go down to the center and Greet the 12 new arrivals this morning............ More Later...... T-Freak, Kathicita and 'da Boyz'
 

Hello...and Greetings from Margi!!! All is good down here....Seems as though our wind has returned after many days of light and even NO wind on 2 days. OUCH!! Last Friday for example was rainy and crappy all day. We were even forced to close down in the afternoon by the Coast Guard. All centers were closed as NO small crafts were allowed on the water. Have only seen that once or twice in my many years here. The other days since my last report were very a-typical for this time of year. Sure you could plane if you were willing to take out the 'Big Guns'....as many did. For those unwilling to take the 'Grande Gear'.....well, sitting on the beach whining. Fortunately, most of our clients had been here many times before and knew that it was just a fluky period.....and if they 'ran the numbers' and evaluated the percentages of windy days vs. non windy days over their years of coming to Margi.....they were still WAY ahead of the game. Also lucky for us...MOST clients know that we actually can NOT control the wind....others seem to think it's 'our' fault. WHATEVER!! ....Kevin came to me a few days ago as he was leaving saying that he had had a FANTASTIC time!! Of course he would have preferred to be ripping around on 5.0's, but he seized the opportunity.....listened in on Balazs's Tacking clinic....worked on his Tacks and Heli-Tacks...and now has them wired. Said he never would have learned them had it not been for the lighter winds. RIGHT ON Kevin. .......Jaclyn (of J & Andy) also made great progress with her harness usage and overall sailing. COOL!! and ALWAYS smiling. LOVE it!!....Doug and Mea (with their 2 little cuties) just left and also said they had a great time. Wayne as well. Robert & Susanna, tambien.....Anyway....thanks to all of you for your positive attitudes. Again, luckily the happy, positive folks by far out numbered the 'Whiners'.......Now to the present....the wind has been quite good for the past 3 days. Saw gusts this morning already in the low 20's. .....Afternoon high's the last few days in the mid to upper 20's. Still not what we are used to for this time of year, but certainly better than the previous week or so........As I rounded the corner this morning, Karl (of Karl & Amy) informed me that he was responsible for bringing the wind. Thanks Karlito!! For those of you who don't know....Karl & Amy have been blamed numerous years (over their 15 visits) for shutting down the wind. Some clients got to the point where the would schedule their trips before or after K & A's. I think their 'Karma' has changed. I thought that Gerry, Mike and Jim would surly be claiming it was them who brought the wind...But NO....all credit to K & A. (Maybe we won't let them leave, Ha)......Karl also asked me about 'Reggie Girl'.....I told him that I had been in contact with her...trying to coerce her to get on down here.....still waiting Reggie!!! I know the economy is bad...but HEY...can you say PRIORITIZE !!!!!.....Michele (Michelita) update...news flash (remember she's the gal who keeps on keeping on...Extendo chick....can't get herself to leave.) Well, I just heard she's trying to change her flight AGAIN....to stay a bit longer. TOTALLY COOL MICHELE !!!....Well I'm writing this from the comfort of my 'Beach Office' and I can hear the commotion as everybody seems to be coming in for smaller gear...and it's only noon. Nick (about 165 Lbs) just went down to 5.4....Gaby just brought in her 5.0 (BIG SMILE)....
OK...enough of this...I best go help out 'da Boyz'............More Later........T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz
 

Hello Again Peoples........Here is your current weekly Margi wind update......Well, apparently I 'Ticked Off' the Wind Gods with my last report. The wind backed off considerably over the past week. We've had winds from the South, North and everything in between. Light but sailable. It was still rockin on Wednesday though.....case in point...Trulls (6 ft. 8 .....280 Lbs.....YES...a BIG guy) was rippin on a 6.2......even got launched by a gust.....and blew through his sail. (I think we need to limit out insurance options only for 180 pounders and less......just kidding Trulls....no worries)......and this guy is a very experienced, advanced sailor from California..... Then the wind lightened up ....and is still light....especially for this time of year.......This morning as I looked out.....the water was like a mirror....OUCH!! But by noon I was seeing white caps and lots of ripping and planing....Big stuff....but still fun on the water....... We had our Monday Vela Margi Happy Hour yesterday......Great fun......close to 40 clients sipping Cuby's and cevaza's.....and chatting up a storm. I had a hand full of people telling me that even though they are used to sailing on 5.0's this time of year....they still had sailed everyday...granted on 6.2's - 7.7's...but planing and having fun....RIGHT ON!!! As we often say..."A bad day in Margi is typically better than a good day elsewhere".......We also had 15 folks join us for our second 'Vela Margi Vinturi Wine Tasting' on Saturday evening. Again, great fun....people....conversation. We all tasted 4 Chilean wines....2 whites and 2 reds...accompanied with Kath's specially prepared 'pairings'. Seems as though all had a really good time!!!!..........Side note.....we have so many returnees this week......It was so cool as I was checking in new arrivals, they would say "Ya, we remember you and Kath from the Baja Surf Club"....That was our first 'Gig'....over 20 years ago.....Way Cool !!!! Also a number of guests who have been sailing with us for up to 16 years here in da Yaq......YA BABY....LOVE IT!!! Leaving it at that for now......More Later.... T-Freak, Kathycita & da Boyz

Hello...Yup, It's me again. Karl gave me a few more tips regarding posting info into our new web page. Thanks Bud!!.......So here we go.......First and foremost.....wind has been really good....Everyday since last weeks report!!! Most afternoons in the mid to upper 20's. A few days into the low 30's!! Theresa & David (Returning Gorge sailors) have been on 5.0's & 4.5's most afternoons.....Balazs, our 180+ Lbs. new instructor, has been sailing on 5.4 and a few days....5.0....That's pretty darned windy!!! We did have a few days that started off a little slower....guys taking bigger gear.... but kicking in for the afternoon sesh. Beautiful, Sunny days....no more rain!!!! I was coming home from town the other day and as I rounded the corner.....what a sight...Just a mass of Gnarly Whitecaps dancing about the dark blue sea........PERFECT!!!! As if the rockin winds weren't enough.....add to the mix some great people......always makes our jobs easier and soooo much fun......Such as the 4 Irish 'Blokes', Michael, Barry, David & Naill.....David went out the other day as 'Batman' ....complete with cape. (Remember a few years back we had 'Spiderman' sailing with us....Yup that would be YOU Swede...we'll see you and Marci next month), Nicola & Paolo (a couple of Kooky Italians), Stefan & Pavel (whacked out Poles), Caroline (Canadien ER Doc....traveling solo...Sorry I had to put you to work a few times...but Thanks Dear)...made some of her best jibes ever, Alex (another 'nut case' from Milano), Vlad and Evguenia (returning Russians), Big Roger (9th season returnee), Astrid & Peter, Jeff and family (first timers) Pierre & son Victor (first timers...but will for SURE be back....Victor finally nailed his 'air jibe' as well as a few other cool moves), Scott, Paul, Ted & Truls, Isabelle, Alois, Christian.......and the list goes on...(Sorry if I missed you....we still love ya all).......Side notes....we have 4 or 5 gals sailing with us....all traveled solo.....RIGHT ON ....More power to you. All said their travels went great...never felt uncomfortable....flights, airports, transfers.....here in the Yaq...etc. LOVE IT!!!..........I've had many clients asking when Tim & Connie Walker are coming.....well, as far as I know, Tim cancelled his planned 10 week trip due to work issues etc.......Connie was 'maybe' going to come for just a few weeks....but also had work conflicts, etc. WHAT A BUMMER!!! We all miss you guys. What a shame to be breaking your record of 14 consecutive years here at Vela Margi!! OUCH!!.....Michele update.....remember she's the gal who has been working on the record for 'Vela Margi Vaca Extensions' (Also traveling solo by the way)....well she has raised the bar yet again.....she has extended for 3 more weeks......Good luck to anyone wanting to compete with her........Weekly 'Vela Happy Hour'.....every Monday @ 5.....at the center. Everyone's been having a blast.....Cuba Libres, cevazas.....meeting new people....sharing stories (most of which are bogus).....just letting their hair down...Great fun!!!.......We also had the pleasure of having Kath's sister Kim visit us for 9 days.....coming from Madison, WI.....(also travelling solo) She seemed to have a fantastic time.....met all kinds of interesting and fun people from all over the world. Everyone that met her fell in love with her....How could you not??? She's such a 'Sweet Heart'. Even got her out on the water....I.....Yup, me....... gave her her first Beg lesson......and despite that fact, she did really well.....getting up on numerous Beachstarts, etc. Also special 'Thanks' to our mutual friend, Brian. He owns a 'Specialty Wine Boutique / Shop' in Madison. He sent a GREAT bottle of red wine as well as a cool new opener with Kimbo. I think it was from his 'private stash'. Thanks Bri.....and yes we did experience the 'Explosion in your mouth'. Next time send a case!!.........More currently.....had over 20 arrivals in the last day or so....Greg & Julie (Love that girls laugh), Barry & Brenda (Thanks for the gifts to 'da Boyz'), Andy & Jaclyn...who also brought some 'newbies', John & Janet, Shirin & Wes, Doug & Mea (with their 2 young kids)...., Doug III, Andrew, Doug, Larry, Chad, Kevin, Robert & Susanna.....Again, the list goes on......Needless to say....Gonna have a 'Classical Gas' with everyone this week .....AGAIN!!! .........OK then, I'm going brain dead and you all are getting bored........Check back in this weekend for more. More Later T-Freak, Kathycita and 'da Boyz'.

Happy Monday.....Sorry for the '1 liner', but I was shut down due to a power outage...Tried again over the weekend, but experienced 'technical' difficulties...Believe me....I've got lots of news for you all......Bottom line...Wind is rippin....Sunny.....Great people.....What more could you ask for.....So check back in the next day or so for all the 'dirty details'........Mananananana       T-Freak, Kathycita & 'da Boyz'

Oh...the 'Ides of March' are here again....along with the wind.

Hello again!!! (I'll bet you're all shocked to see another wind report so soon) That's OK....Really going to try to get you all fresh and up to date reports weekly....so keep checking!!....We've had a really nice week .....wind everyday since last report!! Of course some windier that others. Today for example was windy right 'out of the gate'......and just kept getting windier. At 2:00 guys were already coming back in to get 5.0's and smaller....YIKES!! A few clouds did move in later...but no big deal. Windguru makes it look like the wind will continue....RIGHT ON MON!! Speaking of the 'Wind Guru'.....A new weather station was being installed on top of the 'El Yaque Club'......which is directly accross the street from the beach....maybe 50 meters from the water.....and 5 stories tall....meaning totally unobstructed wind. Once it is up and running, your new wind stats will be incredibly accurate and you will beable to see all the data through "Windguru.com". SWEET MOMMA!!!!! The current info comes from the Airport which is close....maybe 2 or 3 miles 'as the crow flies', but for sure not very reliable of accurate. Good stuff, eh? .....So the season is really starting to take shape...wind wise as well as PEOPLE wise. We have about 35 sailors now and many more coming over the next weeks / months. COOL McCool!! The new gear is rockin....the wind is crankin.....so come on down and rip it up with us!!!! Maybe you can try to compete with one of our gal sailors, Michele, who now has the record for 'number of extensions'.....as in extending her vacation....What started out as a week or so....has now been extended 3 times....She just can't get herself to leave....go figure.Love ya Michele!!......Alrighty friends....gonna go check out the action on the water.....More Later....OOoops, I mean sooner....     T-Freak, Kath and 'da Boyz'

Hello People...where ever you may be. T-Bone here with the latest news from Margi. We continue to have a mixed bag of weather conditions.....More rain than normal, but typically clearing for a nice afternoon sesh. Just spoke with a friend who has been here since Jan 21st....sailed EVERY day. Granted some days were a bit light...but heh. We have a few guys (180 Lbs) who have been on 5.4's and 5.8's......Sounds good to me. Regula, one of our Swiss clients was rippin on a 4.5 and 77 Ltr JP. Right on!! Today we again woke to cloudy skies and rain....but by 1 it had cleared up and the wind returned. The people in 'the know' say we should be back to our normal Margi wind pattern SOON.....hopefully this week......In other news....we put together a new event up at Casa Nora this past Saturday. Kath and I organized a 'Wine Tasting' followed by a BBQ.....ala Al & Nora. We had about 20 participants who all congregated up at Casa Nora around 5:30. Started off tasting 2 different Whites....followed by 2 Reds....All Chilean. Kath had also prepared 4 unique 'pairings' (snacks) for each wine. MMMmmm GOOD!! Afterwards, Al & Nora blessed us all with some of their 'Special' burgers, double baked taters, Greek salad, mixed veggies.....culminating with a spectacular Ice Cream Sundae. YIKES!! Oh so good. Needless to say...all had a fantastic time. No doubt we will be revisiting this deal. Special thanks to Big Al & Nora (Casa Nora & No Wind No Cry) for hosting the event......Not much more news here other than.....How do you all like the new Vela web page? ROCKIN I'd say!! Special thanks to the Team Vela Hood River.....ESPECIALLY KARL!!! He be da man!! .....Seeing many new reservations coming in. (Thank God) Many old familiar names mixed in with a few newbies...PERFECT....Bring it on. I'm going to leave it at that for now....make your vaca plans and come on down to share 'da stoke'.....you deserve it......Over N Out for now....More Later....T-Freak, Kath & da Boyz

Hey everyone! Margarita has been an interesting place so far in 2009. The last week as seen mornigs have been light with big sails on the water, with afternoon winds filling in a bit more to lose about sq meter of sail size. Cloudy skies in the the AM have cleared to sunny/hazy afternoons. Plenty of room on the water for everybody on the barely-used 2009 fleet. The town is looking great and we welcome you to come on down and share a week or two with us!

Hello People...and Happy New Year to all!!! It's been awhile, but yes we are still here. (This will be a short 'Wind Report' as I am testing our new system for the first time).....To bring you all up to date, we received our container the second week of December. It was a little delayed out of Miami but went amazingly smoothly from there. Passed through customs with out any problems. Probably the easiest and smoothest transition in all my years here in Margarita. Anyway....bottom line...the center is fully stocked with some fantasic gear for you all. The 2009 JP's and Starboards are ROCKIN ....and the 2009 NP sails and rigs seem better than ever. We have also rigged almost all sails from 5.8 and smaller on RDM's this year. First time ever that we have had RDM's and everyone seems to love them. BEAUTY, eh?? The wind pattern has not really established it self yet....still having some evening showers and even a few daytime sprinkles which always affects our wind in a negative way, but seems to be getting better daily. Had a few nice sailing days this past week with afternoon winds in the low 20's with the rest of the days in the mid to upper teens. Today looked good in the morning, but a few scatterd clouds moved in and somewhat slowed things down....but everybody seems to be happy. Also new this year, we ordered a few SUP's....WAY COOL.....so on the light wind days or in the morning, you all have yet another way to get out on the water and get some good exercise......Changing the subject.....had a fun New Years Eve last night. Lots of folks partying into the wee hours of the morning. Haven't seen many of the clients yet and it is now nearly 2 O'clock...but we've heard numerous stories. Glad to say Kath and I were NOT there to see it. We had a quiet evening....in bed by 10:30...but woke up before midnight just in time to go up to our rooftop and watch all the fireworks. Pretty cool as we had quite the display going off on our beach...but we could also see all the 'works' going off in Coche to the South as well as in Porlomar to the East. A great show!! Well, again we wish you all the best for the new year and look forward to seeing you all down here in 'Magical Margi Land' soon...........Over N Out for now.....More Later......T-Freak, Kath and Da Guys

2009 Equipment Is Here! But Where Are You?

The ship arrived on Saturday, December 13, 2008. We thought MAYBE we'll see the container 'this week', which usually means next week.

Then we get the call: the truck was pulling out of customs and it would be on our door step in 30 minutes. 25 minutes later the truck pulled up... and 1 hour later the container was totally unloaded (thanks to our team and a few local friends) Absolutely unbelievable!!!!!

All we need now is wind and people. Come on down and play with us in El Yaque now that all of the new 2009 equipment is here and being rigged as we speak!

Hope to see you all soon ... Tom and Kathy plus the Vela Margarita Team