Hi Wind Wingers

Would anyone be interested in formal racing in NSW? Say 6 events per year. You would need to join a club and pay to race (to cover the cost of the safety boat, insurance etc).

Option1: Slalom style races. Fast paced across or slightly down wind racing. Typically Figure 8 or downwind M course
Option2: Upwind/downwind box/course racing
Option3: GPS timed event... max 2s speed, average for 30min, fastest gybe... etc

Let me know via the survey if you didn't fill it in already!
www.allcounted.com/s?did=3oamxunvtmoah&lang=en_US

thanks
Berowne

Early results show 2:1 in favour of Slalom racing over Course racing... of the half that want to race while the other half are not interested in racing. Also wihin racing responses, local club races are the most popular.

Found one!



www.kiteboardingaus.com.au/events/146155/&cat=4509&f=list

We just finished a summer weekly series in Rhode Island, USA through the Bristol Yacht Club. It was really fun.

theclubspot.com/regatta/przRgYcJgK

www.bristolyc.com

I'm from Qld but this is my input. Yes I would like to race but the whole formal regatta format just not appealing spending a day on technical courses with rules on rigs and foils against seasoned gybe & tack mark rounding artist. The big attraction for me is down winding inshore or offshore racing which brings in not just sailing skills but surfing skills and evens up the felid of technical racers & punters . Pretty well anyone can enter and regardless of ability everyone gets blown across the finish line , this way IMHO you'll get the other half of those who don't want to race..to Race... I know the logistics of setting up a downwind run is way more work but this was the most successful style of Sup racing in it's hey day and a lot of those riders are now wingers.

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berowne said..
Found one!



www.kiteboardingaus.com.au/events/146155/&cat=4509&f=list

See now it's getting harder.

That link specifically says must be a member of Kiteboarding Australia to enter. Fair enough, their regatta, their rules.

But I'd wager a bunch of wingers are already members of Windsurfing Australia and all Windfoil/ IQ racers have to be members of Australian Sailing through an affiliated club to race, this would also includes kiters racing in their Olympic discipline.

It may not be such a big burden to join a third association for most but it's getting to be a pain in the arse keeping up with requirements for multiple associations. This is coming from a sailing background where it's getting harder every year to comply with regulations just for dinghies and sportsboats.

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood and no one really cares...

We had an upwind/downwind/reach course in the spring in SF that went well and another mid season. The course was very hard for the bottom half of the fleet. I find it more interesting from a sailing perspective.
Our slalom series is much easier for everyone. Just pay at the outset and get a jersey and you're in the series. It's run through the best sailing club in the country so that helps. A bunch of the racers are club members but most aren't. Lots of YouTube videos of the races, just search "Friday Wingfoil race golden gate".
www.stfyc.com/default.aspx?p=ViewEventFlyer&ssid=334939&eventid=3870844

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Piros said..
I'm from Qld but this is my input. Yes I would like to race but the whole formal regatta format just not appealing spending a day on technical courses with rules on rigs and foils against seasoned gybe & tack mark rounding artist. The big attraction for me is down winding inshore or offshore racing which brings in not just sailing skills but surfing skills and evens up the felid of technical racers & punters . Pretty well anyone can enter and regardless of ability everyone gets blown across the finish line , this way IMHO you'll get the other half of those who don't want to race..to Race... I know the logistics of setting up a downwind run is way more work but this was the most successful style of Sup racing in it's hey day and a lot of those riders are now wingers.

Rob if you want to come try slalom racing Bayside Sailboard Club at Manly welcomes wing dings every second Sunday throughout summer. We have a couple turn up but would be great to get some more out on the course. Very friendly and relaxed racing with a BBQ afterwards. Need KA membership / insurance to race. Two payment options 1. $45 membership fee (since you have your own KA insurance) and $25 to race. 2. $35 to race without becoming a member.

www.facebook.com/baysidesc

baysidesailboards.com.au/wp/race-schedule/

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Mitch Pearson said..

Piros said..
I'm from Qld but this is my input. Yes I would like to race but the whole formal regatta format just not appealing spending a day on technical courses with rules on rigs and foils against seasoned gybe & tack mark rounding artist. The big attraction for me is down winding inshore or offshore racing which brings in not just sailing skills but surfing skills and evens up the felid of technical racers & punters . Pretty well anyone can enter and regardless of ability everyone gets blown across the finish line , this way IMHO you'll get the other half of those who don't want to race..to Race... I know the logistics of setting up a downwind run is way more work but this was the most successful style of Sup racing in it's hey day and a lot of those riders are now wingers.

Rob if you want to come try slalom racing Bayside Sailboard Club at Manly welcomes wing dings every second Sunday throughout summer. We have a couple turn up but would be great to get some more out on the course. Very friendly and relaxed racing with a BBQ afterwards. Need KA membership / insurance to race. Two payment options 1. $45 membership fee (since you have your own KA insurance) and $25 to race. 2. $35 to race without becoming a member.

www.facebook.com/baysidesc

baysidesailboards.com.au/wp/race-schedule/

you can also be a australian windsurfing association member instead of KA

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Mitch Pearson said..

Piros said..
I'm from Qld but this is my input. Yes I would like to race but the whole formal regatta format just not appealing spending a day on technical courses with rules on rigs and foils against seasoned gybe & tack mark rounding artist. The big attraction for me is down winding inshore or offshore racing which brings in not just sailing skills but surfing skills and evens up the felid of technical racers & punters . Pretty well anyone can enter and regardless of ability everyone gets blown across the finish line , this way IMHO you'll get the other half of those who don't want to race..to Race... I know the logistics of setting up a downwind run is way more work but this was the most successful style of Sup racing in it's hey day and a lot of those riders are now wingers.

Rob if you want to come try slalom racing Bayside Sailboard Club at Manly welcomes wing dings every second Sunday throughout summer. We have a couple turn up but would be great to get some more out on the course. Very friendly and relaxed racing with a BBQ afterwards. Need KA membership / insurance to race. Two payment options 1. $45 membership fee (since you have your own KA insurance) and $25 to race. 2. $35 to race without becoming a member.

www.facebook.com/baysidesc

baysidesailboards.com.au/wp/race-schedule/

For sure would love to

Me and a buddy just raced in a friendly race event with the local windsurf club here in coastal Virginia (USA). Over 30 participants and there were only two of us wingers that could run the advanced course, with one upwind mark and two down wind, setting up a beam reach towards a heelside tack around the 3rd mark (in thigh deep water ).
It was a 2 hour friendly race, with each lap counting towards a lottery ticket for the numerous prize giveaways.
Being my first race experience, it was super fun. The slower windsurfers made for a continuous 'pedal to the metal' feeling - flying by them and taking the best lines into the marks. Criss crossing heading upwind was also fun (especially not knowing right of way )

My other buddy, who's rrecently taken up winging, had damaged his wing board just prior so he took out his old 96' windsurf race gear and took the W for the windsurfers. He was almost keeping up with me!

Wind was around 12-14 knots and I ran a 5m and 925, but upsized mid race to a 7M to try and stay on foil through the dreaded heelside tack In the light wind corner (which was often times overrun with windsurfers failing as well haha).
20 laps of fun though, with beers and prizes afterwards. Windsurf group said it was their best turn out in memory. Saw more new wingers there then all season. Probably 8 that didn't compete.
I ended up loosing to my friend on his 6.5 Dlab unit and 1099. If I would have rigged again, probably would have gone 1125 and 5M.
There's at least three of us wingers that are going to set out buoys on a regular basis and run friendly races. It's fun to mixup the wave riding with course running. The more you can dial in transitions required in racing, the more fun wave riding can be - ie heelside tacking onto a wave etc.