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.