Kiteboard North American Champs - Winds pick up speed and competition

by SDYC on 9 Oct 2014 2014 Kiteboard North American Championships - Consistent breezes allowed for the completion of seven races on the second day of the 2014 Kiteboard North American Championships. With winds averaging about eight to nine kts, the Kiteboard class was finally able to get out on the water and onto the race course. During the day, the Kiteboard class finished a total of four races, while the Kitefoil class completed three more races for a total of five overall.

Though the winds may have improved, competitors found that most of the challenge was coming from underwater. A contestant in both fleets, Nico Landauer explains that although the kelp and weeds in the water were tough for Kitefoilers, it was far more brutal for Kiteboarders. 'You are lower down so it just gets tangled up in your legs,' Landauer said of the board fleet. In fact, navigating around the kelp turned out to not only be a challenge, but became a prominent factor in who ended up as the scoreboard leaders. 'The key is to stay in pressure, but clear of kelp. Whoever did that won the race,' Landauer said.

It would appear that ambition pays off, with the three pack leaders that have emerged after the second day of racing each competing in both fleets. Currently sitting in first place for the Kitefoil class and second place for the Kiteboard class is French kiter Julien Kerneur. Only one point separates Kerneur from Oliver Bridge, the current leader of the Kiteboard class and forth place position in the Kitefoil class. The third scoreboard leader is Nico Landauer, currently sitting in third place for Kiteboards and second place for Kitefoils. Rounding out the top three positions for the Kitefoil class is Bryan Lake.

With four races completed in each fleet, the competition is officially considered a regatta according to the racing rules. The Kitefoil class became eligible for a throw out score at the completion of the fifth race, and the Kiteboard class needs one more completed race to toss their worst score.

Interested spectators will be able to watch the competition from Coronado Beach. The racing will take place in the ocean, right in front of Avenida de las Arenas.