Cabrinha Kiteboard Racing San Francisco gets Big than Not So Big Wind

by David Wells on 30 Apr 2010 The Cabrinha Kiteboarding Course Racing Series Race #2 kicked off this Thursday April 29th with many competitors just back from the World Championships in Texas. San Francisco's Crissy Field greeted them with a solid 25 mph of wind.

Unlike the last two days of the World Championships, where there was no wind, San Francisco did not disappoint.
While the winds did die off for each successive race most competitors left the beach in big winds and holding their smallest kites. With an Ebb tide also in play it was sure to be a bumpy ride for the racers.

Chip Wasson however was ready. Race one saw Chip nail the start mid line and fully powered. Most of the fleet was above him and closer to the committee boat. (see start photo where third kite from the right black/brown front and white back is Wasson). Wasson was able to quickly dig above the fleet and easily outpointed the rest of the racers by at least 500 feet to windward by the time he hit the beach for his first tack.

The entire fleet started on starboard tack making for a safer trip off the line unless you were burried in the bad air. Eric Due and Frank Wittke both had great board speed and could seemingly keep up speed-wise with Wasson but they could not hold the same upwind angle. Sailing to within feet of the beach to escape the ebb tide helped Wasson extend his lead as most of the fleet was still fighting the current in the deeper water. Muffing his first tack was no problem for Chip on this day as his lead was already big enough to put him in cruise control for an easy victory in race one while Due and Wittke came in second and third.

Race 2 was a different story at the start but it had the same middle and ending. With the wind off having dropped about 5mph Wasson this time had allowed a few competitors Joey Pasquali, Eric Due, Chris Brown, and I think Marcello Seguro to get the better of him at the start and he was 4 sailors deep off the at the gun. Joey Pasquali had what appeared to be a great start but unfortunately for Pasquali his start was too good and he was scored over early.

Again with clearly better angle and board speed Wasson dug himself out within the first 1500 feet of racing and was again first to the beach and higher upwind than the other sailors. Making a much better tack this time he hit the perfect lay line to the windward mark and proceeded to do a horizon job on the fleet. He was almost half way to the leeward mark before anyone else had even rounded the weather mark. Eric Due again in second and this time Chris Brown took third.

Race 3 saw much lighter conditions and it looked like most racers were hurting for power on their smaller kites. As the gun went off the proverbial cluster you know what ensued. 4 maybe 5 kites were down and wrapped up pretty bad with each other. This time however Joey Pasquali was on it and able to stay clear of the mess of tangled spectra. In the dying wind the racers were not nearly able to make the angle of the first two races and this was going to send them back out in to the current for a second tack.

With the wind dropping rapidly it was apparent most kiters were not going to make it on their 8 and 9 meter kites. Being in front and with clear air was huge and Pasquali rode his good start and smart tactics to the win while Wasson salvaged a second and Wittke came in third.

Top 3
1. Chip Wasson
2. Eric Due
3. Frank Wittke