Board Games

With 200+ windsurfers coming from South America, Israel, France, England, Canada and the US, the 2006 Calema Midwinters Regatta sailed at Merritt Island, FL. championship was a showcase of the new formula and hybrid classes. The biggest fleet was the Formula fleet with 51 professional and amateur men competing in 5 races over 3 days. In the hybrid class, 23 men and women competed in the new RS-X Olympic class against 11 Prodigy and 3 Open hybrid boards for 7 races over 3 days. The rest of the competition was made up of sport fleet and long board racing.

Most interesting was the new gear for 2006. Both North and Neilpryde showed an improved wind range with their 3rd generation wide sleeve luff race sails. Also noteworthy was the innovation in the formula boards. Last year F2 introduced booster pipes to their formula board (holes from the deck to the back cuts outs).

This year 2 manufacturers had adjustable plates in their cutouts to give an even greater amount of possibilities for changing your set up. Now sailors are coming in between racing and making changes in their cut outs (3 choices), their fins (stiffness, rake and size), as well as their rigs. Typically sailors used 11.0 and 12.5 m2 sails in the light wind races and switched down to 10.0-11.0 m2 rigs when it got windier. The hybrid class was limited to a 9.5 m2 rig.

Typical Florida conditions greeted sailors on Friday and Sunday with light to medium breeze on the Indian River, part of the Intercoastal waterway just west of Cape Canaveral, FL. On Saturday, the breeze was up to the high teens for more exciting racing for all fleets. The event was won by Antoine Albeau of France. Click here for results and photos.

Regatta Report by Steve Bodner

03/07/06