Kona One World Championship in Trois-Rivières, Québec - June 28 to July 3, 2013

The world is coming to Trois-Rivières! With 66 participants registered this will be the biggest regatta I ever attended. Not sure what I'll do with all these people fighting for a space on the start line!!

The weather in Ottawa has not been the greatest this spring so I have not been on the water a lot to practice. In fact, I have SUP twice and windsurfed in light winds only ONCE. Needless to say that I am not expecting big results at the regatta!

Visit this page during the regatta as I will try to report every day!

Friday, June 28
Today is a day to register, get the charter gear for those who rented some and practice. It is cold, rainy and windy. I have my own equipment but I do not rig because I don't intend to sail in those conditions. In fact, not too many people went out. Perhaps more would have gone if the charter boards had arrived earlier but they arrived in the evening. At 11:30 we had a meeting led by two of the three judges who explained the no pumping rule. After that, I had lunch and hung around. We were supposed to parade downtown with our country flags but given the weather, we paraded around the event site and had a cocktail and finger foods there. We were also treated to a traditional québécois folk dances and the Kona song!!

Here's moi in my classy rain attire!

When the boards arrived, everybody pitched in to unload the truck and unpack the new equipment!

Saturday, June 29
Today started with a skippers' meeting around 10 am. Then on the water to try to have one race before lunch. Unfortunately, the little wind we had did not stay so we came back to shore for lunch. It was around 3 pm I think when we went back out. We managed to do one race and try to start three more but they were called off with general recalls. Back on shore around 6 pm to pack up and get ready for going out for dinner!

Sunday, June 30
Well, today we tried twice to race but were not successful. We went out before and after lunch when there was a breeze but as soon as we did, it died slowly. Dinner was provided at the site of the event tonight. Did not stay late after dinner as the bugs were eating us alive!

Monday, July 1st - Happy Canada Day
We were called to race at 9:30 and did 2 races before lunch. Today is also the long distance day. However, since we need 4 races to make it legal, the organizers decide to run one more race after lunch, before the long distance. I managed to finish all 3 races and not last!! I decided not to do the long distance race because it was really long - 20 km in a straight line and it did not count for the overall results. 

Tuesday, July 2
Today was windy! A bit too windy for me and the start line was very, very far. You get tired just getting there! So I decided to stay on shore, all day. The others did 2 races before lunch and 2 after lunch, with one being shortened at the end. I don't regret my decision as some others came back to shore saying the wind was too strong for them or they were tired. I believe the average wind was around 12 knots. So I have to practice a bit more for those kinds of conditions. 

Taken from shore, probably half the fleet is shown here.

Wednesday, July 3
We wait for wind again! We went out late morning when it looked like the wind picked up and would stay but as soon as we hit the water, it started to die. We made it to the start line in barely any wind and wait. They fed us Subway sandwiches on the water to save time in case the wind decided to come back. Unfortunately it did not and after a few hours, we all went back to shore. Time to pack, buy new gear, have the awards ceremony and say goodbye. I had a buyer for my equipment at home so I bought myself a new board and rig from the charter lot. I was lucky to get my hands on a board that had never been used. 

All the participants!

And all the women participants, 18 in total! Never seen so many at a windsurfing regatta. 




I am glad I attended this regatta even if I did not do all the races as it was a great event, well organized and well attended. Thank you Dominique and team of volunteers and sponsors.

Getting the Boat Ready - Spring 2013

Our Mirage 24 had a good winter. Not too much mildew inside and the tarp held up ok but it was much too big. We have now cut it in two for next fall. Dave has been busy doing some work to get her ready. He powerwashed her a couple of times, before and after sanding the bottom. The keel had a good ding on it (not made by us!) so he grinded it and then applied some type of epoxy to fill it in, then sanded. Next came painting the bottom, keel and rudder with VC17. We also bought a new motor mount that we hope will be easier to handle. The old one was hard even for Dave who is a big guy. That may be the last time he changes that part as he had to crawl into the small locker quite a few times!!

The boat came with some instruments but as it turns out, we don't think they work. The knotmeter is original, so from 1979. I may have found someone who has the same one that works and willing to sell it as he replaced it with something else (still waiting for a reply after I said that we were interested!). There is also a Humminbird dept sounder but we think it is missing the transducer. So it's a good thing I know the lake and the river after all the years sailing on it!!

Here are some before and after pictures!

New motor mount, old motor!

And she was renamed - Suzie Q!

Dave also did some wood work for the inside. Good thing he's handy!! He built a frame with a screen for the forward hatch and some kind of box with a sliding door where we can put a cooler. In that hole used to be the original cooler that had no door anymore.

This is the screen in the open position.

Cooler compartment with door.

Finally Suzie Q was launched on May 31 and mast was raised about a week later. She is ready to go and we hope to have our first sail during the weekend of June 22-23.