Kiteboarding News

Kafka Captures Top Spot

WOW! Race night #4 was spectacular. Twenty one racers waited to the very last minute to determine the appropriate size kite to rig; most chose 9s and 10s. The enthusiasm was high as this was the conclusion of the Cabrinha Mini Series #1 and the top three winners would be determined tonight. The “mini series #1” is based on the first four race nights with one throw out. The first race was held in winds ranging from 23-32, averaging 27 on an eb tide. By the third race the winds had subsided a bit to 18-29 averaging 22 and a flood.

Once again, Cabrinha’s Jeff Kafka took the top honors for the evening with a total of 4 points (1,2,1). Jeff rode his 9M XB2 and his 5’6” Prisoner of Wind Race Quad. Chip Wasson (Ozone) rode his 10.5M Sport and his Carafino foil board to a second for the evening with 5 points (2,1,2), while Anthony Chavez (Naish) rode his 10M Torch and his 2006 Chavez custom to a strong third with 9 points (3,3,3)

In the first race, Kafka took a quick lead, was first to the windward mark, and built a commanding lead to the finish. He remains the fastest of the racers downwind, while Chip is emerging as being able to point the highest upwind. Chip and Anthony battled it out around the course with Wasson getting the better of Chavez on the last upwind leg.

In the second race, both Chip and Anthony bettered Kafka to the windward mark and by a substantial distance. Kafka then proceeded to blow by Chip and Anthony on the downwind leg, with Chip being able to recaptured the lead on the last upwind leg.

In the third race, it was Kafka and Anthony that battled from the start and were neck and neck on both the upwind and downwind legs with Anthony having about a 10 yard lead at the leeward mark. Anthony fell rounding the mark and knowing he wasn’t going to catch Kafka by following him on the port tack towards the middle of the Bay, decided to try a starboard tack back towards the Yacht Club. Well, the tactic didn’t pay off. Not only didn’t he catch Kafka, but Chip managed to sneak by him as well.

The evening the racing was fierce. Kafka, Chip, and Anthony battled all evening for the top three spots, while a second group of racers; Chris Brown (17 pts), Gabe Brown (21 pts), Geoff Headington (23 pts), Eric Due (24 pts), Ovi Banuto (24 pts), Kris Youngblood 25 pts, and Stefaans Viljoens (26 pts), battled it out for spots 4,through10. Like I said earlier….the racing was spectacular!!!!!! And in case you were wondering, Shawn Richman who entered the evening in second overall was ill and couldn’t make it down from Oregon, while Mark Bosta entered the night 6th overall was completing his race committee responsibilities.

With tonights racing “on the books,” Jeff Kafka (Cabrinha) emerged and the winner of the Cabrinha Mini Series #1 with 3 points (1,1,1), Chip Wasson (Ozone) with his best performance of the season moved from 4th to 2nd with 11 points (5,4,2), and Chris Brown (SS) finished 3rd with 12 points (4,4,4). These three are also the leaders for the overall Cabrinha Race Series (in the same order), followed closely by Viljoens, Headington, Bosta, and Chavez.

After racing we conducted the free raffle of Ts and hats from our sponsors and presented the awards from Cabrinha for the Cabrinha Mini Series #1.

The Cabrinha Race Series is sponsored by Ozone Travel, Adventure Sports Miami, Adventure Sports Inc. and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.

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.