Cabrinha Race Series Results - Race 1
It Blows for the 2007 Cabrinha Race Series
After having the first two race evenings canceled due to poor conditions, the third time was the charm. Crissy Field greeted the racers with 20-35 miles per
hour wind and with up to 5ft swell rolling through the Gate. Standing on the beach and deciding what kite to rig turned out to be a difficult but critical call . Racers were rigging from 6 meters to 13 meters, with most finally deciding on 7-10m kites.
The conditions were extreme even for Crissy. The swell and the strong wind made for a very tough racing. The starts were just as difficult as the conditions, as half the fleet started on starboard while the other half on port.
There were four races with 32 riders, and for the first time a triangle course was introduced (windward, reaching, leeward). Last years champion, Anthony Chavez (Naish) and Cabrinha’s Jeff Kafka resumed their 2006 battle by leading the pack in the first 2 races but were DSQ’d as they rounded the wrong reaching mark which put them out of contention for the evening. Incidentally, Kafka finished with a first in races 3 and 4 with Chavez a 2 and 3, putting them in 10th place and 12th place at the end of the day. With them out of the way, the battle was for the first three places was between Cabrinha’s Richman brothers and local Stefaans Viljoen (SS). In the end, Viljoen came out on top with 13 pts (3,2,3,5). Jesse Richman finished 2nd with 14 pts (1,1,10, 2) and Shawn Richman 3rd with 20 pts (2,9,5,4).
Another highlight of the evening, Chip Wasson introduced a foil board to closed course kite racing. Chip finished a respectable 5th. In talking with Chip he indicated that he is using a smaller foil and shorter shaft than normal, and kite size is critical. He used an 11m which was too much power for the board and kept driving the board into the water loosing the advantage of the foil. Chip indicated he should have gone with the 7m which he had also rigged.
The Cabrinha Race Series is sponsored by Ozone Travel, Adventure Sports Miami, and Adventure Sports, Inc., and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.
Labels: Cabrinha, Competition
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