WASKA - Airush State Course Racing Series - Round1
Please see the WAKSA website for the NOR and to enter.
www.waksa.org.au
There is possibly an invitational race on Wednesday 12th December.
If not we will all be out training for L2L and generally training on the boards
Without Prejudice
Johnno Keys and I made a reconnaissance trip to Safety Bay to check the location before racing tomorrow. It's been 2 years since our last sail there and that was for the first Kite boarding race series in 2010.
The main problem with the location is the amount of long strand seaweed not conducive to kite race board fins unless you're using weed fins (awful to use).
We attempted to sail our race board for about 10-15min. It was impossible to sail more than 20m before the board came to a grinding halt or one was catapulted.
The seaweed is not only near the foreshore but over whole bay. There is nowhere to get away from the dreaded sting
It was impossible to sail more than 20m before our fins collected a couple of kilos of seaweed.
As tomorrow's forecast is windy +20Knts, to sail a race board with seaweed infested waters will be dangerous. The strands collect on the fin acting like an emergency brake and with the kite powered up it's equivalent to a catapult whilst one down loops.
If you want to race then use an Airush Sector, twin tip or surfboard.
Sorry to say Team Boss will not be competing tomorrow.
Our recommendation, if possible would be to change location.
Sorry to put a dampener on the event and the efforts of WAKSA.
Team Boss will be training at Leighton or the River if anyone wants to join us
Yes we are out, eel weed every 20 m was horrible and just dangerous on down wind leg in 18 to 23 knots on 13m Edge race kites. This coarse is not possible at all on a 70cm race board with big fins as the blanket of weed everywhere and reduces possible normal race board speeds to 30%. What a nightmare this arvo. ........ ![]()
So it is as I have feared. Two years ago it was very difficult racing there with the weed, and my fins were only about 25cm long
.
Thanks Team Boss for the recon trip.
So... Will it still go ahead?
Hey guys,
No sea weed today. Thanks to Safety Bay yacht club and waksa to put this event together !
See ya next race
Was a good day, thanks to everyone who got it organised. Supplied plenty of wind and must have removed the seaweed for race day
No seaweed at Safety Bay - yeah right you guys must smoking the stuff... ![]()
Must be the first day in 50 years.
Gees there was some wind!!
I Think the wind blew all the weed away as the wind did not affect any of the racing. Some spectacular wipe-outs and some great racing. Results Have been emailed to all competitors and will be on the WAKSA during this week.
yeah sweet day. 3/5 and 4/8's of ##### all weed. I think you blokes rolled all the seaweed and smoked it yesterday.
Cheers![]()
For those of you who asked, the course on saturday was approximately 3km, so 2 laps would be ideal as opposed to a bigger course.
A rough average of what I sailed, followed a very similar course to damo, give or take 500m I'd say depending on fin size, and how many tacks. So crew didn't go straight downwind either.
What a great day racing!
Thanks to all that came down and supported the event it was a great kick off to our racing season and it was great to get a bit of practice in before Sail Melbourne.
I personally think that Safety bay Yacht Club is a great location to run kite racing from and even if it is a bit of a drive i would love to see us race from there again as soon as possible.
Also a huge thanks to the Club guys that came down on the day set the course and ran the starts for us!
See you all at the next race![]()
Looks like if you want to kite race in WA I will have learn to love to race in ****ty weedy waters, even though we have another 50 better places to sail. I'm amazed the lads LOVe **** Safety Bay I'll have to learn to love that eel weed and just learn to LIkE my weed fins and slopping about a race course at 70%.
. Smoke the weed
Melbourne racing in 10 days [}:)] So keep practicing lads the entry list of riders looks uber fastttttttt - no weed smokers here
- the more on the line the better at Melville - the more chaos the better - we are there most arvos from 4.00 pm or there abouts & practice starts and upwind coarse to get many starts under belt. All welcolme every day just bring a racing watch. Wanting to learn racing come along is lots of fun and places in race are not serious, just practice and always 100% fun. All winds 5 to 25 knots. Some arvos work may get in way. Johnnokeys.
Hi All,
Re Photos, Stills didn't do it justice.
BUT... Here's what video was captured from the Day.