naples kiteboarding race

[bigpimp'n]

Isn't that Jupiter race more like a death march? 60 freakin miles?? I dont know if I can handle that.

[ricki]

Tons of folks have done the race from Jupiter to Ft. Lauderdale, its fun. Need to work up to it a bit but it isn't that bad. Helps to be used to waves. Start doing longer downwinders now and look for waves this season. Riding at Jupiter in typical conditions once in a while could help too. Need to get past that fishing pier even if it is near onshore with a good shore break. Of course, I've never raced in it, just cruised. Still, done it three times, it was a blast each time. After coming in near the front of the pack last time, Kent jumped on his board and did another 30 miles riding back home in Miami!? Only a 90 mile run for fun in a day. Hope Neil pulls it off again.

[kent]

it gets much easier if you use a directional board with straps. This allows you to use a smaller kite and to stand more upright on the board which keeps some pressure off the legs. rather than having to edge a twin tip the full time, you are riding the board more flat and using the fins to stay upwind.

60 miles is a challenge given that most of the time it will be on a single tack, but it can be tons of fun. you get tons of energy ripping down the coast dodging wave and trying to catch the guy on front of you. some race, some crusie for a personal challenge. I just like seeing that much coast and finding unique spots to ride.

the most important thing is to learn how to ride very broad (off the wind) as this is not a normal direction for most. to start many riders drop their kites quite a bit because they over ride their kites. at any rate, i actually found the tampa race to be more difficult when it was run in the gulf due to the fact that it is not run on my favored tack and the water was quite choppy during the first quarter of the race.

give it a go, it's a blast.

[ricki]

In the typical stronger NE winds Neil ran this in it was interesting to see how conditions changed as you moved south. From the start to South Lake Worth Inlet, there could be some large intense seas. I remember riding through flocks of feeding seagulls and bait kicking up, i.e. shark territory north of that first inlet once. The coast is curved there too effecting your point of sailing. Sometimes the wind would shift more easterly from north helping things out a bit. As you head further south with each passing inlet, the seas would drop somewhat and the ease of running would improve. I think this is related to widening shelf and reef development particularly south of Hillsboro Inlet. Sometimes the seas would really spike up though just north of inlets. Once you pass Hillsboro Inlet, it really does feel like you are running downhill. One time I recall the seas didn't ease all that much even off Broward County. It was fun to run through the swells breaking over the second reef on down to Ft. Lauderdale. It really is a great race. Worth training to ride in it. Kent has done enough of this sort of thing, directionals must be the way to go, particularly off the wind somewhat.

[kent]

although i'm sure directional boards are the way to go, twins have won most of the east coast events. hopefully that will change! in truth, i'm sure directional is the way to go, it just happens that they guys that have won were very good in any case and probably won on strength and skill. I'd bet however that their margin of victory might have increased on a directional. just a guess.