Morning report day 2

10:30 am
Glassy conditions
Postponement flag limp on flag pole

North Americans Championships Day 1...or how to avoid the weeds

3 races were run today in light to medium conditions with close to 30 formula racers on the Biscayne Bay in the lee of downtown Miami.
In sunny warm conditions, racers faced a oscillating offshore breeze but more challenging was avoiding the weeds in the water. It was obvious when you got them as your angle would go right out the door.
How long to justify keep going was the question everybody was asking themselves.
There wasn't much chance to change equipment once racing got underway so the decision was to rig for the lulls with the 11.8 North and 72-2xxs kashy fin on the gaastra vapor board. The Maui sails weren't an option as I only had a 11.0 and 10.0 sails.
The first race was run with the RC setting a very short line that was hardly layable on starboard tack. Combine that with a lull just before the start and half the fleet was stuck not planning on the line. I barely escaped the chaos squeezing through the mess of boards but suffered with weeds the whole upwind having to back down several times to clear my fin. By the time I rounded the top mark, I was deep but sailed smart the rest of the race to catch a few boards and finish 6th. Up in front was Gonzolo with a sizable lead but Sherman caught up enough to take the bullet, sailing smart and in the shifts downwind.
For the 2nd race, I decided to start things off right and got off the line at the pin with good speed and angle. Halfway up the first beat, I tacked with Sherman and Gonzo, playing the shifts back to the right side of the course, It looked good as we were getting knocked all the way over and talked, lifted to the mark. I rounded with Diaz hot on my tail but immediately gybed over to stay in the wind. Sherman went down hard hitting something in the water but held on making an equally impressive recovery back onto his board in no time at all!
Jimmi and I crossed tacks again at the bottom of the course but sailed to opposite corners again for the 2nd upwind leg. This time, I had the advantage going to the right side of the course with Sherman and Gonzo again while Diaz tried his chances on the left corner. Sylvester was pushing up there with moments of brilliance but got edged out downwind with only a 11.0 while the rest of us had power in our 12.0's. I held onto 3rd edging out Jimmi by 20 seconds at the finish with Sylvester rounding out the top 5. Gonzo took the gun with Sherman following closely behind.
Finally the 3rd race was run in lighter conditions with more holes around the course and just 1 lap signaled by the RC. I got off the line well again but missed the first shift and was out of phase while the 3 leaders took advantage of the oscillating breeze. In the mix was Kern and Sylvester but I couldn't get past them with just 1 upwind opportunity. It was Diaz taking the bullet on the last race, sailing very smart and taking advantage of every opportunity- redeeming himself with his first win of the day.

Despite some scoring issues at the end of the day, it seems Gonzolo is in first with 1 bullet, Sherman in 2nd with one win under his belt Diaz in 3rd,- winning the final race, Kern in 4th and Bodner in 5th. So it seems after the first day of racing, the South Americans are clearly ahead in the North American Championship
Sundays forecast does not look impressive at all with all reports indicating 5-10k.

North Americans warm up

With the temps in the mid 70's and no ice in sight, it was a relief to be in Miami again, back on the water, tuning up for the Formula Windsurfing North American Championships.
We've had 2 days of decent breeze, training from the causeway, just to the west of downtown Miami. For those of you who haven't read the www.miamiwindsurfing website, there is a great formula scene down here with lots of enthusiast sailors pushing and promoting the sport. Its an awesome spot to train with good competition and breezes in the low to mid teens almost everyday in the winter.
I decided to try some new equipment for this regatta and showed up with a pair of booms, some bases and a couple of fins. That's all I need as a friend hooked me up with some Maui TR4 sails and the Gaastra Vapor formula board. Right of the bat, the TR4 11.0 and Vapor were easy to use- even after having been off the water for the last 2 months. Its a much softer feel than the previous North sails Ive been riding for the past 5 years.
Also out on the water was Gonzolo with the new TR5's and Jimmi Diaz with the new North sails. 2 totally different concepts going on here with the Maui sails having a long boom and soft feeling and the new norths taking a whole new approach with a much shorter boom length (with a cut back clew) and relatively softer feeling than previous years. I tried out the north 12.0 with really good results on the water in the brief training session I had.
It will be interesting to see what works better but obviously a lot still has to do with the operator driving the bus!
Racing starts Saturday morning and continues through Monday. Ill try to up the blog as much as I can with results and regatta reports from the days racing.

the longest dutch winter

Its the dead of winter, the canals have frozen over here In Amsterdam...my gear hasnt been touched in weeks. The dutchies have ditched their bikes in lieu of their skates.

Something had to give... a quick trip to Miami later this week for the North American Championships should solve the midwinter blues...look for a report to follow later this week!

Unfortunately our time in Holland is coming to an end. With the job market dismal at best, its back to the west coast in search of a better life (or at least some more wind!)
So for all you European lurkers who read this blog, there is still a bunch of windsurfing gear for sale here, in addition to a great surf wagon- Heres the details:
Maybe youve seen me at your local Dutch beach this summer loaded with formula and slalom gear and even with my feet sticking out from the back while camping.
Its the perfect urban surfmobile with pleny of interior space, tinted windows, and interior shades. Remove all the seats in the rear and even more room! 20 cm bonus length compared to the regular espace! Low road tax with weight of 1650 kg!
Renault Grand Espace 3.0 7 seater 1998
Silver Grey Metalic
Engine:V6 24V, Automatic transmission, Cruise Control,
124,000 km , APK May 2009, Seats 7, Air Conditioning, ABS airbag, CD stereo- 5 disk changer, super towing capacity
6500 euros
Contact me if your interested at bodnersp@gmail.com

End of the season blow out

It's that time of year again- out with the old and in with the new.
Ive got a bunch of formula and slalom equipment for sale.

Boards
F2 FX Z 2009 Formula Board- SOLD PENDING
F2 FX 6 2008 Formula Board
F2 2007 SX Large slalom board (with 42 cm g10 fin)
F2 2007 SX medium slalom board (with 36 cm g10 fin)

Fins
IFJU 70cm light wind formula fin
Debocheit R13 64cm
C3 J 63 cm

Sails
2008 North Formula Warp 11.8 SOLD- PENDING
2008 North Formula Warp 11.0 SOLD
2008 North Formula Warp 10.0 SOLD
2007 North Formula Warp 9.0
2008 North Formula Warp 7.3
2006 North Formula Warp 5.8

Mast
2007 North Viper 550 100% carbon SOLD
2006 North Viper 430 100% carbon
2007 North Viper 520 100% carbon

Booms:
Fiberspar 180-230 cm 100% carbon boom with reinforced front end (complete with adjustable outhaul, uphaul and harness lines)
HPL 220-305cm 100% carbon boom with reinforced front end (complete with adjustable outhaul, uphaul and harness lines)

Contact me at bodnersp@gmail.com for additional info, photos and prices.

A day of thanks...

Thanksgiving came and passed like any other day here in Holland this fall with the temperature being a bit too low to tempt me on the water but nonetheless we enjoyed a terrific homemade feast in our tiny Amsterdam apartment. For the non- American readers out there, Thanksgiving is a day of thanks in the US where we gather with our families, stuff ourselves with turkey (or tofurkey); dressing; mashed potatoes, cranberries, yams, sweet potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin pie and ice cream and finally settle down to some good old American football on TV.
This year I have plenty to be thankful for including health, family and friends,
but since this is a windsurfing blog- ill keep it on topic:
The wind- although not always cooperative, I cant live with out it. My life is scheduled around it: vacations, jobs, and even the afternoon trip shopping with my wife. This year the dutch winds have been less than stellar but I'm thankful for the light air technique I am finally beginning to master. (...and even when its blowing the dogs off the chains and I dont have my small gear, I am thankful someone will be able to enjoy it!)
The water- with so many new places to sail this year, I am tremendously thankful for the all the time on the water I have spent training and racing this past year in and around Europe, the US and Brazil. From the small dutch inland lakes to the Baltic Sea, North Sea and both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans , it has been a great year to explore new lakes, bays and ocean swells on my windsurfing board. Thank you so much!
The other boardheads like me -without them, windsurfing would be pretty boring. To all the new friends I have made this year and the old friends I have grown closer with- thank you. You pushed me harder, made me sail faster and made me realized how great it is to have you around and how great this sport is that all all enjoy!
For all the small impromptu sailing sessions where you led me get ahead to leeward but still destroyed me with angle and speed- thank you!
For the sportsmanship you demonstrated at major Championships- thank you!
For the post session beers on the beach offering friendly advice and the promise to meet up again next week- thank you!
To the sail-makers, the board-shapers and the fin makers- thank for making this year better and faster than last year!
To the race organizers, mark set boats and volunteers that made every regatta a real treat!
Thank you!
And finally to the readers of this blog. Thank you for reading and leaving your valuable comments. I hope its been as good for you as its been for me.
Enjoy the photo compilation from the last years' windsurfing adventures:

Sunday Update: Meanwhile the finals of the Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix are happening in Fortaleza, Brazil: enjoy the vid:

And back in SF the early NW swell is already kicking in Ft Point:

Glad to see everyone is having a great autumn!

last race of the year

Its been a painful month for windsurfing here in Holland but finally after nearly 3 weekends of trying, we got off a decent slalom series last weekend in Tjeukermeer. In typical Dutch style, the weather was cold, rainy and just plain awful. Well it could have been worse as the previous w-end we got of 1 race and sat in our cars for the rest of the afternoon waiting for the rain to stop and the breeze to fill. It never did!
At attempts at staying warm were futile despite a 5/4 steamer, booties and a wool cap!

Despite the lack of feeling in most sailors' fingers, we did manage to race nearly 9 heats of full on dutch slalom. The course was a bit of a drag race but once I got things tuned up I was near the front again. I didnt quite have the top speed as the leaders but alot has to do with what gear you have. I was switching back and forth between the large and medium F2 slalom boards- always seeming to make the wrong choice as the wind went opposite accordingly to what I chose. But for the most part, the 7.3 north warp was the ticket. Local Frisian sailor- Klaas Sybrand Jissin was tearing it up around the course with unstoppable speed off the line pulling away from Adriaan van Rijsselberg and Teade de Jong.
Unlike Formula racing where the race may last 20-30 minutes, the slalom race is almost over before it begins. Getting a good start is the only option for success. There are no alternative options to bail out and bang the right corner if you get stuffed off the line. With that said, its sometimes easier to forget about the count down and rather keep close to your opponents in the pre start- never letting them get more than a few meters away!
Mark rounding are another big way to gain or loose positions if you are rounding in a tight pack. Coming out with speed is the key- so that means being aggressive in your carve so you exit with plenty of power in the sail. I find it helpful to get my center of effort low and when I pop the sail around I can really give it a good pump to get going again. Of course, any mark rounding is usually a lesson in obstacle avoidance as there is usually 1 or 2 sailors struggling to find their way around the mark.
At the end f the day, it was all good fun- despite never having had picked the right equipment but thats all part of the game.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you loose but always gybe like it was your gybe last ever!

2008 Dutch Formula and slalom windsurfing championships

This weekends final of the Dutch Championship was run in Monnickendam, just north of Amsterdam on the IJ. With typical dutch lake conditions, sailors were greeted to a SW gusty and shifty breeze in the low to mid teens- not to mention an October chill to the air!
We ran a double windward leeward course with a gate at the bottom that gave you some options back upwind. It was important to see what was happening around the course because if the right was good on the first leg, it might not be again for the 2nd. Keeping in the pressure is always key in light air sailing. Usually the shore line will increase the wind as it is forces it to bend and accelerate around any natural geographical occurrences but it this case, you didn't want to get to close to the shore as it would leave you wishing you wound have gone the other way. For the most part then it was staring and hitting the port layline and coming across. If you could keep a lane upwind, it was all good.

You would think with all the right equipment Id be able to dial something in....eventually!!
But that still wasn't the case as I spent most of the past week swapping, sails, mast, fins and boards only to come to the conclusion that I havnt been able to change my technique enough for the new board.
That didn't stop the top 3 guys from dominating the regatta with the F2 Z and kashy fins.
The 40+ competitors had sufficient conditions to run 9 formula races over the weekend and almost, just almost a downwind slalom race on Sunday with the wind in the low to mid teens.


Still struggling for upwind angle on the Z, I began the week by swapping out my sails with Marc de Jong- thinking maybe it was the North Sails that was slowing me down. I jumped on the Maui Sails and wow what a different feeling. Much softer and less rigid and bouncy than the north but once I had both sails rigged correctly there wasn't all that much difference in my angle. On both Saturday and Sunday I started off on the Maui Sails TR3 12.0 and later switched to the North 11.8 for the later races. I found myself doing better with the Norths but still with both sails- I was getting spit out the back 3/4 way up the first beat. Once there it was just damage control to maintain a position and not lose anything more.
Ok, I thought, maybe its the fin- I swapped out the kashy 72-2 xxs for the new lightwind xxs IFJU fin with some better success but with all the weeds on the course, I honestly couldn't tell much except there want much of a difference in the fins. Both xxs fins seemed to get the board planing up soon but that wasn't the problem.
Like most of the previous F2 formula boards, the ride is quite technical. This years' Z is no exception. If you can get the board into the right groove upwind, its golden but getting it there is the problem. If you are not in the groove, your upwind angle really suffers. When I did find success it was when I was railing the board and really applying a fair amount of back foot pressure. Too much though and the fin would spin out. The rig had to be locked down on the deck of the board and me- hiking out hard to windward. Ive gotten a fair bit more comfortable sailing with the uphaul upwind. This keeps the rig upright, more power in the sail and better angle.
Finally on Sunday with another 4 races and the wind in the mid teens, the organizer decided to switch to a downwind slalom format as there hadn't been any official slalom results this season.
The problem, however is the dutch rules say you need 15 knots at the start. With so many holes and gusty conditions, it was leaving only 1 choice- the 130l F2 slalom board and 9.0. If you cant plane with that, its almost not with doing slalom. We had 2 false starts with general recalls in the all for one fleet before the organizer finally decided to make it a fun race as the 5 pm deadline was quickly approaching. I got off well just above the fleet picking off a few boards at every mark roundings with the big sail. Adrian was the only guy to pass me as he snuck in at the 2nd mark with a sailor down and me leaving the space. But not so fast, I managed to pass him on the last leg as we both sailed over Peter who was stuck on smaller gear to finish just outside the top 5.

Despite the lack of performance on my part, I did learn some good lessons from the weekends' racing. Even if you do have all the best equioment, youve got to know how to use it. Nothing makes up for time on the water and knowing the limits of your gear.
Thanks to Jan de Jong and Robert Hardholt for the photos

The Real Trip- Dutch edition

With Saturday's forecast looking promising, and the allure of several heats of downwind slalom in the north of Holland, I made the trip up from Amsterdam to Makkum for the REAL TRIP.
Ill give you this, the dutch know how to throw a windsurfing event.
Nearly 150 competitors for a massive weekend billed for its party and great windsurfing.
The fleet was dived up into 5 randomly generated heats so that you always had juniors, hybrids, race boards and slalom boards in each start. The vintage gear was in full effect with several vanderberg long boards and other centerboard hulls on the course. The juniors were mostly on the BIC one design and the rest of the fleet on medium and larger slalom gear.
Only 2 rules: your board must be under 85 cm wide and 9.9 is the max sail area.


Thanks to Jan deJong for the photos.

As the first heat started, the wind was in full effect in the mid teens.
I had my F2 sx 105 l board on the beach with a 7.3 north warp ready to go.
But with reports of the forecast diminishing later in the day, it was time for a quick change of plan.
Time to rig the 9.0 warp and large 125 l slalom board.
With just a minute or 2 to spare, I made it upwind to the start for the start of heat 4.
It was shallow enough that you could water start with under a minute before the start.
I was the most windward board on the line and got off to a nice pumping start while most of the fleet sat parked on the line. Adrien got off well below me on the middle of the line and led around the course but he ended up sailing in the wrong heat so I took the bullet.
As we waited for the next round to be run- the wind really lightened up with a few puffs in the low teens.
I headed out early before my start to make sure I had enough time to shlog upwind with a 42 cm fin! For the most part- nobody got planning off the start. The hybrid boards and long boards all had superiour speed in the shlogging conditions but some resourceful pumping technique allowed me to pass 2 boards to finish 5th in the heat.
After that we were on postponement for another hour before a pitiful attempt at a long distance race.
So with only 1 planing race complete, I called it quits and headed home with no more racing for the day. Sundays forecast didn't even merit the the trip back.

Up next is the finals of the Dutch Championship in Monnikendam this w-end.
Hopefully a good chance to see how the Z performs in light air again.
Another IFJU fin arrived just in time to test this week before formula racing finishes for the season here in Europe. Still hoping to make it to the final Formula Grand Prix event in Brazil this November to get my ranking up into the top 20.
So far sitting in 25th for the season- a good showing from last years' 50th.

Off tpoic but too funny to pass up!

From this weeks' Onion

Sorry but I couldn't resist!

Hope you all enjoy the tongue in cheek reporting from one of America's great newspapers.

BOSTON—Four years after being blasted as an elitist for his Ivy League education, wealthy background, and hobby of windsurfing, sources say that John Kerry has in fact become quite proficient at the water-based leisure sport.

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"After losing the election in such a humiliating and disgraceful manner, John really threw himself into windsurfing, and I'm happy to say it paid off," said Kerry's longtime adviser and windsurfing coach, Steve Sylvester. "Everyone claimed he was too wishy-washy and didn't have a thick skin, so he said he'd show them all, and he did. His T-bones and slamjibes speak for themselves."

Sylvester, like many of Kerry's friends, said the defeat at the polls may have actually been a blessing in disguise, since it allowed the junior senator from Massachusetts to spend more time on his true passion. As evidence of the incredible progress Kerry has made in the last four years, Sylvester pointed out that the former presidential candidate is now able to perform a number of freestyle moves and some light carving without hurting himself. Kerry also reportedly knows all about tacks now, and can stay on the board a full minute longer than he could during the last presidential campaign.

In addition, his water starts have matured significantly.

Besides upgrading his windsurfing board class from Freeride to Formula Windsurfing, aides said Kerry has made strides in other areas to escape his image as an out-of-touch patrician. According to a press release from his office, Kerry can now name the stadium where the Green Bay Packers play with ease, as well as meet large groups of factory workers without wincing, and remember that his favorite Bob Dylan song is "Lay Lady Lay" without first checking with a handler.

It is not known whether Kerry intends to use his new skills in a future presidential run. When reporters reached him for comment, he was being swept into the Atlantic Ocean by a 35 mph gust of wind.