We have had a lot of enquiries about the Racing part of the Nationals over Easter weekend in Alva.
Few points that we should discuss here:
*should there be different division for TT and Raceboards?
*what sort of course is most appropriate?
*should we have small heats with 5-6 competitors in each heat or 20-50 racers at once?
*how big the course should be
*what sort of start is best
discussion?
1. Starts all ready sorted. All starts in most course racing champ around world are now following yaching starts. It works perfectly.
4min to start - Yellow flag up - horn blast
1min to start - Yellow flag down
Start - Green flag up & horn blast
You can also go from 10 minutes out.
We used the 10 minute at start sequence at Red Bull ocean race in perth with 60 kites and it worked perfectly. Easy to see for all competitors - the horn is generally impossible to hear.
2. We been racing 3.5 to 4km cousres in Peth around 10 to 15 minutes - easy if you are fit, just doable if you are just learning.
3. Any course works - the more upwind the race boards smoke every one.
4. Overseas they race surfboards & twin tips in a seperate race so everyone can have a go.
5. They always have a female 1st, 2nd etc , but the females race in standard races.
6. The course boards race both men & women in same race.
They seem to limit short coarse races to 20 kits or less. WE race over here with 5 or 6 at start and is no problem.
Starts are best if line is really wide and all compleitors can start by crossing line and racing to first mark and not crammed at highest point on coarse. If all starters are forced to cram as high as possible at start you get huge tangle problems.
I think I read recently that in some big races in the US a few weeks ago against some of the best racers, a guy on a twin tip came 4th in champs.
You can run races anyway you like - any distance - any direction
I think for Alva we should have a start with everyone at the same time: this will enable to validate the comp even if we cannot run many races. This will enable people to improve through the comp', rather than just running a single race for the whole event... I really think this is best for people entering the race, they will have many races to train and enjoy, and get hooked into racing ;0)
unless we're >50... then, it might get messy... but, I did many start at 70 riders, it's fine, even if some people would always end up tangled, which I did of course...:0(, but that's part of the game ;0)
once people race altogether, then you can rank people according to their category:
- raceboard/surfboard men
-raceboard/surfboard women
- TT men
- TT women
although I don't know if we'll have enough prizes for everyone ;0)
for the track, I think as said earlier by Johnno, a wide start line will avoid too many knots, at ~90 deg from wind, and then you can make any course really, not too short though, otherwise it will get messy.
We could start away from beach, and have the 1st mark close to shore = great for spectators!
the starting procedure should follow the IKA starts, like sailing
we should try to help ourselves with the IKA course shapes, maybe many laps at 90deg from the wind, like that everybody is almost even = TTs, raceboards, surfboards
we'll see how many people register for racing, and see what people say here?
* it would be good to have a TT division to open it up to people that don't have a race board but is it a come and have a go at kite racing day or is it the Nationals?
*It has to have proper upwind down wind legs. this cross wind racing stuff is just a joke!
*i think all in would be good for the starts but given that not many people will have any experience or know the right of way rules on a start line then maybe limited numbers could be a good idea.
*the course should be set depending on the wind strength so that it can be completed within about 15 mins
*if its all in then a rabit start i think is the best way if it is small heats then just a normal start line with the normal countdown
So thats my 2 cents. As long as there is propper upwind down wind then most of the other stuff i dont really care about. if it is going to be alot of cross wind reaching then let us know soon so i can cancel my ticket
the start should be like a le mans where dudes in race suits and helmets run to their cars,
but for a kite race it should be, everyone on the beach with their kit, the horn blows, everyone scatters for an open piece of beach, sets up, self launches and then they're off
imagine the carnage
mmwahahahaaha
its the nationals no need for separate divisions for TT etc, TT riders can enter and race just don't whinge if you don't get a trophy.
TT race divisons are good for local/social racing but this is the nationals time to step up.
will you have age groups? juniors/open/masters
If there are heaps of people entered you may need to run qualifying heats to cull out the slowest riders. 10 riders race top 6 go through or something similar. then its all the qualifiers on the course for the races that count towards points for the title
Few points that we should discuss here:
*should there be different division for TT and Raceboards?
-You could score them seperatly but the reality is if your rocking up on a TT your there for the experience not to win - so no.
*what sort of course is most appropriate?
-A proper windward leeward put a jybe mark in if required but it needs to have a proper upwind leg
*should we have small heats with 5-6 competitors in each heat or 20-50 racers at once? All at once
- Only reason to split the fleet would be lack of space
*how big the course should be
- I think the SF course by the GG Bridge is around 1.5km start to Windward mark (3km up and back). Probably a good start point, you can always change it between races.
*what sort of start is best
- Standard 5 min yachtie start
In the event that there is a draw - male or female
The winner should be decided by a beer drinking race
the Aussie way - of course 
my experience ,make sure everyone racing can downloop the kite on the mark roundings , that's where the carnage happens.
the 90 deg course was just a proposition to get all racers "even", if we do up-wind & downwind race (which I would personnally prefer of course), the TT will have no chance in the overall ranking, but we could till have a TT ranking.
I really think it is important to try and make the races with everyone at the same time, to try and run as many races as possible:
Let's say you get tangled with a less experienced rider on a qualifier race, you're out, period.
If you get tangled with a less experienced rider on a race with everyone, you'll get the next race to perform better, and after a few races your worse result will be discarded.
+ the more races people do, do more they improve, and the more they enjoy
thanks guys for the discussion! it's good to have as many point of views as possible!
cheers
En
As a yachtie new to kiting these are a few things that I could see helping;
- port bias on an upwind start line, something like 15deg to encourage the fleet to spread out along the line
- Have boats on both ends of the line so it's easier to see flags
- split top and bottom marks to help with congestion and to give options
- split the fleet into group of about 10 and then top so many go into semis etc
- have all the fleet sail one race then a short break, giving time to get in to make quick repairs/adjustments, eg 4 fleets of 10 means an hour of racing then a 15min break
- have sailing instructions set out for the amount of races each person can drop, eg 5 completed races drop 1 etc.
- all races (2 in each) count in the semis and final
This is simialr to how a fleet like the Lasers run a worlds with 150+ boats.
RF
having sailed lasers and cobras at nationals, and skifs at pro, my opinion is, fark it all...
go for it, boss who runs it, and maybe wants the money....
if you 'set the course', they will come....
it don't matter if theres ten heats or one...
in the end, its up to the wind
