Kona Worlds, Islamorada, Florida - October 31 to November 5, 2014

This is the second time I participate in a windsurfing world event. I must admit that the location (in the Florida Keys) and the fact that a fellow windsurfer told me YOLO (I had to Google the meaning - you only live once!) helped me to decide to plan the trip. I am not in shape but I am looking forward to it, even if I know I'll be at the back of the fleet looking at all the colourful Kona sails!

October 30th - Departure from Ottawa
Travelling from Ottawa to Miami with Denis Dagenais and his wife Carole. Plane is on time and the trip goes well. We pick up the rental car, a red Chevy Cruze, big enough for all our luggage. It takes about two hours to drive south to Islamorada and we arrive around 5 p.m. We find our rooms and take a quick tour of the resort, Guy Harvey Islander Resort. It is very nice!

October 31st - Free sailing
Today we pick up our equipment that has been prepared and laid out in one area of the resort. Everything is brand new. Wow! I sail for a bit over one hour in light wind before heading to the pool. Tonight is the welcome party.

November 1st - First day of racing
The morning brings very light winds so they send us out around noon. The start line is quite far but I make it. As soon as I get close, the wind starts to pick up and pick up and pick up. I stay there for a while before I realize that I can't race in that kind of wind. So I make a bee line towards the shore even if I end up not in front of the resort. I am happy to see that I am not alone doing that. Once I get to shore, I rest a bit then sail up along the shore towards the resort. That is hard and I end up pulling my left glute. After that I take it easy for the rest of the day.

November 2nd - Second day of racing
In the morning, I don't sail because of my glute but in the afternoon I risk it and go free sailing. My muscle is not too bad.

Equipment lot and lunch tables in the back.

People still leaving shore to go to the race course far away.

November 3rd - Third day of racing
It is still too windy for me to race today. So I rig a 6.6 that nobody was using (after asking Steve permission to use it!!). That sail is easier to handle in all that wind and I have a blast just free sailing in front of the resort. I am not the only one free sailing so that makes me feel better. In the afternoon, a bunch of us go to Key West by mini-bus. Carole comes with me and when we get there, we end up leaving the group and walking all over town. We find Hemingway's house across the street from an old lighthouse, Harry Truman's Little White House, walk along Duval Street which resembles Bourbon Street in New Orleans, catch the end of the sunset in Mallory Square and have dinner back on Duval Street at BugerFI. We are glad to have done that side trip.

The Little White House

Kapok Tree

Lighthouse surrounded by a huge tree

Sunset in Mallory Square

November 4th - Fourth day of racing
It is still windy... oh and still sunny! I rig the 6.6 again but I only go out in the afternoon. I sail for about one hour before calling it quits after I banged my knee on the board. I was trying to uphaul the sail and the swells made me fall in a few times and I think that is when the banging happened. Darn that's the end of my sailing.

Racing a bit closer to shore.

November 5th - Fifth day of racing
Last day of the regatta. I take it easy and spend some time in the hot tub and in and out of the pool.

So I did not get to race but I sailed and had fun... and that is all that counts!

Our abode for the week!

On November 6th, I drove Denis and Carole to a family member's place then I stayed in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for 4 days before flying back home on the 10th. My mother arrived on the 8th so we were able to spend a couple of days together. I was also able to visit some friends from the Britannia Yacht Club who are presently living on their new sailboat around Fort Lauderdale.

National Capital Regatta, BYC, August 9-10, 2014

Right after the masters regatta came the National Capital Regatta in Ottawa. Unfortunately we had only five participants but everyone was happy with their weekend (well I think!). There were four Konas and one raceboard so we all raced together. We told the raceboard that he could not pump on the start line and he did not! On top of that, he did not pump at all and after the first morning he even put his race sail on a Kona board! We did seven races on Saturday in light winds and only one race early Sunday morning before the wind shut down for the day. I don't remember the last time we did seven races in one day... I was pooped! On Sunday, once the wind died, a couple of us went paddleboarding with one swimming alongside. Thanks again BYC and volunteers for a nice weekend!

Start line

CMWA 2014 Championships in Toronto, August 1 to 4

The Toronto Windsurfing Club was hosting us again this year so I make the trip to Toronto by myself to partake in this annual regatta and see my windsurfing friends. Michael Keltz organized it with the help of Stephanie Todd and a bunch of volunteers. They did an excellent job again! We had 16 Konas, 8 Raceboards, 4 RS:X and 3 juniors on Techno.

Friday night was registration and munchies at the club. Irene McNeil was our Race Officer for the weekend. Saturday brought some light wind and we only managed to do 2 shortened races (3 legs each). The rest of the day was spent waiting for wind that did not materialize.

Sunday was a day spent on shore waiting for wind. A few of us went paddleboarding for a while for something to do!

On Monday, we managed to do 2 full races and that was the end of it. I finished 13th out of 16th. I used to do better but oh well...

Kona corner at TWC

Summer 2014 on Suzie Q

This year, we did not have to do as much to get Suzie Q ready for launch. A bit of cleaning, waxing and sanding and re-painting the bottom with VC17. This being our second full summer, we knew a bit more what to do to get her ready. 

Before and after pictures.

While Dave was painting, I was chasing a family of Canada Geese from land to water!

Launch happened on Friday, June 6 this year. The next day, we put up the mast and by the end of the weekend, she was ready to sail.

Our first time out was during sailpast and Alison and Nick joined us. It was our first out of the harbour sailpast. Last year, it happened in the harbour as the harbour gates were still in. I may have a picture of Suzie Q doing sailpast to post later.

We went out one day that was pretty windy. Even Dave wore his life jacket!

One day we even managed to get a good picture of ourselves!

One day we sailed with someone who also has a Mirage 24 and we followed each other all the way up to Pinhey's Point and back. Our friend took pictures of us sailing. This is the first time we actually have pictures in action! Thanks André!

Suzie Q came out of the water on October 10th after another great season! Now it is time to empty her and prepare her for the winter.

Here's a little souvenir video of the summer! Click here.

Calema Midwinters February 28-March 2, 2014

This was my second time participating in this event. It would be my 3rd time if it had not been for a snow storm in Ottawa the day Denis Dagenais and I were to fly to Orlando, Florida in 2013. Flights were not landing nor departing from Ottawa so we never left on time. Denis ended up cancelling his trip and I was able to leave on Saturday morning to spend the week in Ormond Beach, as per the original plan (after the racing).

So we are giving it another try in 2014!

The sun was shining the day we left for Florida! We had a good flight to Orlando and made it to our hotel later than anticipated because we took a wrong turn… but we did not get lost!

Thursday, February 27

This was a day to get our charter equipment, rig and go sailing to practise a bit. In the morning, we did some shopping then went to Calema (event site) around lunchtime. We prepared everything then went on the water for about one hour. This time, I did not bother to install an outhaul system. I just brought my Easy Uphaul so that made my preparations much easier. It was cloudy and cold enough to wear my shorty with a long sleeve lycra underneath. 

Our equipment and a view of the site after our practice.

Friday, February 28 – First day of the regatta

First races started at 10 a.m. It was a bit chilly but manageable. We did two races before lunch and two more after lunch. I did three out of four as the wind had picked up too much for me. However, I was happy to have done the third one in the higher wind but had nothing left in my hands to do another one. A manatee swam right by me on my way back to the beach... boy that was scary. It is a big animal! The Kona fleet had 27 participants, the biggest fleet this year. Today I finished,  20^th, 22^nd and 19^th. It seems I did better in the higher wind!

Saturday, March 1^st – Second day

First races tentative start at 9 a.m. so we got up real early, too early for being on vacation! But it was worth it. It had warmed up and the sun was shining. No need for neoprene today! We had a surprise visit of a dolphin going back and forth in front of the beach! The wind did not come up until later and we had our first race around 11:45 a.m. The race committee also had to rearrange the course a few times because the wind kept shifting. Again, we did two races before lunch and two after lunch. I did the first two but stayed on the beach with my grand master companions (John Darling and Chris Hope), as the wind was too strong. I finished 21^st and 22^nd for the two races I did. At night, we had a nice dinner at the Radisson hotel followed by the viewing of the movie Children of the Wind featuring freestyle stars from Bonaire, and Nevin Sayre, Charles Dasher and Tinho Dornellas who were present for the viewing. 

The dolphin!

Sunday, March 2^nd – Third day

The sun was shining and it was warm early in the morning… but the wind was not strong enough to run even a good Kona race before lunch. After lunch, we did two light wind races. Three dolphins were also sailing with us! I finish 16^th and 19^th. There were only two women registered in the Kona fleet, Andrée Gauthier and myself. So that means I got a second place and a lovely wooden plaque! Overall I finished 22^nd and Denis 14^th. Oh and Denis also won the impromptu freestyle contest!

1313 was my closest opponent all weekend.

Andrée and I on the podium!

Denis sailing with back to the sail.

Denis doing the rail ride!

All the Canadians that participated in the regatta!

Six Canadians: Olivia, Robert, Denis, Andrée, Bob & Suzanne.
Last six pictures taken by Dominique Vallée.