Adam Koch Wins Cabrinha Kiteboard Race #4

[waterhound]

Never believe the forecast. With predictions of winds from 25-30 mph this past Thursday June 10th most competitors in the STFYC Cabrinha Kiteboard Course Racing Series had two kites rigged. They needed only one.(photo BANG - start of race 1)

With May 28th’s racing having been cancelled due to a lack of wind the forecasted conditions would have been welcomed. However under constantly darkening skies and a shifty breeze of between 10-22mph they were lucky to get off two races. From the moment the riders left the beach for the first start the wind slowly started degrading while the flood tide intensified. By race two there was over 4 knots of flood pushing against the riders on the upwind leg. A knowledgeable race committee had set a shortened weather mark to compensate and with that the first gun went off.

With 28 racers on the line about 8 of the racers bravely chose to start on port tack knowing they would have some 20 starboard tackers bearing down on them. With a 4 knot flood hitting the starboard tackers almost perpendicularly they had no chance. The port end of the line was also favored due to wind angle which resulted in a shellacking of most everyone who started starboard. The photo above shows the port tackers easily clearing the starboard tack fleet. Chip Wasson took the win while Adam Koch was hot on his heels. The top 4 racers rounded the leeward mark all within about 10 seconds of each other and it was Stefaans Viljoen who claimed third and Geoff Headington in fourth. Very tight racing.(Pictured below the end of race 1 - Wasson First, Koch Second, Viljoen Third.)

Race 2 saw the fleet catch on and this time most started on port tack. By this time the flood tide was ripping and although the water was flat the wind had backed off a bit more. Koch got the better of Wasson in this race and was able to put Stefaans Viljoen between himself and Wasson which would be good enough for him to claim the day. Koch First, Viljoen Second, Wasson Third.

Wasson has a seemingly tight grip on the overall series standings after 4 races with a point total of only 6 points. While it’s still early in the series his nearest competitor, Geoff Headington, has 15 points. Joey Pasquali who scored 4th place on the day is in 3rd place for the overall season series. Viljoen however will make a big leap from his current 9th place in the series when throw outs come in to play. The next race is June 24th however there is a big race this weekend June 12-13; The Ronstan Bay Challenge.

Note the different rider stances in this photo. You can almost feel the different fin set ups under foot.

The Ronstan Bay Challenge, which also features Formula Windsurfers, is two days of racing action. One day of long distance racing and one day of course racing. The Long Distance race, usually held on Saturday, sees the racers starting near Crissy Field and heading to a mark at the Golden Gate Bridge. From there it’s down to Berkeley for the leeward mark and then back to Crissy Field. GPS readings (windsurfer sailed) in the past have put the race at about 28 miles, if sailed well, and will take the top racers about an hour and 45 minutes to complete the course. In addition it’s Windsurfing Magazines SF Bay Day. A mass windsurfing event/helicopter supported photo shoot that is set for Crissy field on Saturday so come on down and check out all the action.

Complete Results and a Huge Photo Gallery (although I am no Steve Gunn behind the lens!)
http://www.waterhound.com/koch-claims-c ... ent-4.html