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Old 06-23-2008, 11:48 AM
kent kent is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 430
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That's a great idea. We have been participating in a small Wednesday night series here in Miami. This one is run by Shake a Leg Miami and is very low key. There are several sail boats, windsurfers, and now some kites.

We started a very large series in California at the STFYC about 4 years ago. It has grown into something more than it was, but they still race every other Thursday night and everyone is learning about racing now.

In our Miami series, we actually start with the windsurfers and it makes it quite interesting. Generally since it is a Wednesday night there are not too many racers, but we usually see 4-5 formula windsurfers and 3-6 kites (all from my office, but we hope to change that soon).

I think that the most important part of making your series work is making sure that people have the right boards to race on. I'm sure you can find previous posts on this. It is important to know that with the right equipment, racing is great in winds as little as 9-10 mph. In the interests of time and simplicity, windward / leeward courses two times around with a down wind finish seem to work well. Shoot for a target race time of about 10-12 minutes for the first finisher to start. This will allow you to get in hopefully 3 races. I'll attach detailed and illustrated rules for those interested to review.

Racing is growing nicely and offers a fun, competitive environment for everyone regardless of how bad their knees are. After doing a few, you will no doubt find that Florida's wind conditions are even better for kiting that you previously thought. Have fun.

PS. regarding the entry fees... how you going to pay for gas, buoys, etc., if everyone doesn't help out? Our series is $5 per night and usually includes a few beers and burgers.

Kent
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