CMWA Championships at Rondeau Yacht Club & Road Trip

Another road trip, very close to the last one! This time the destination is Rondeau Yacht Club located inside the Rondeau Provincial Park, close to Chatham on Lake Erie. A friend of mine, Jocelyne, accompanies me on this trip. Jocelyne also windsurfs so she hopes to get her board wet for the first time in two years. We drive to Cambridge on Wednesday, June 27 and do the rest of the trip the next day.

The windsurfing area is in a bay as opposed to the open waters on the big lake. However, there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of weeds. But the organizer had warned us and we came prepared with weed fins. I had bought a Makani weed fin and it worked very well.

On Thursday, June 28, we arrived early afternoon, checked out the site and rigged to go sailing. We had a pleasant afternoon getting used to the waters. Jocelyne went out too and enjoyed herself.

Friday was day one of our masters championships. We did two races in the morning then one long distance race in the afternoon. I managed to finish all three! The wind was not too strong, just my speed. Jocelyne also spent time on the water.

Saturday brought a lot more wind. We held our AGM from 9 am to 10 am then got out on the water for three races. I managed to finish the first one, with one fall only and a scary downwind leg. I finished last but was happy that I was able to hold on. I did not do the other two races as I was sure I would not be able to hold on. So I made a bee line towards the beach and that was long enough.

After lunch on Saturday, everyone wanted to take out their shortboards so there were no more racing. I decided to take a break and went to see the beach on the other side with Jocelyne and Carole, Denis's wife. Nice sandy beach but water was colder than in the bay.

That night we had our last dinner and awards ceremony at the local golf club.  I ended up finishing 2nd in my age category (only 2 of us)! And overall last out of 8 kona racers!

Sunset on the bay, from restaurant.

Launch area.

Me trying to avoid a collision!

On the way back we stopped for the night in Port Hope and saw some of the Canada Day celebrations downtown. One of the band playing happened to be my step-daughter's uncle. They were pretty good. The next day, Monday, July 2, we went to visit Presqu'ile Provincial Park, located just west of Belleville. We walked around trying to find camping sites with water access for future windsurfing/camping trips. We found a few. What a nice park. We also walked a trail in the woods and checked out the beach where there were about 5 kite sailors. There is also a nice Bed & Breakfast on the side of the bay and we visited for possible future trips.

One of Ontario's oldest lighthouses at Presqu'ile.

Beach at Presqu'ile.

Managed to catch a butterfly!

All in all, a very nice short vacation (6 days on the road) with great company.

Kona racing in Trois-Rivières, Québec

Friday, June 22, I hit the road towards Club Multivoile in Trois-Rivières for the East Coast Championship. Going by myself but my friend Denis will be there and Andrée Gauthier from Toronto and a few others that I met along the way windsurfing.

What a great weekend we had! Fourteen Kona racers! We did 4 races each day, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, the wind was gusty and irregular but it changed direction for Sunday and was pretty steady. Just my strength of wind too! Saturday I had two 7th and two 8th but Sunday brought one 8th then two 5th and another 8th. I could not believe those 5th. I was right behind the best in our group! I ended up with a bronze medal in the women's division. I finished 7th overall. My fellow Ontarians and I did pretty well overall.

Club Multivoile is also the site of the 2013 World Kona Championship so that was a good practice race for us. We will be back next year! Thank you Dominique Vallée and her army of volunteers for organizing a great weekend on the water. 

Photo of the site (Denis sailing).

Summer 2012 Kona Racing

Last week (May 23) was our first Wednesday night racing at the Britannia Yacht Club. I use my Kona equipment even if I have trouble keeping up with the guys on bigger sails. At least I'm out there! Saturday, May 26, we hosted the first Ontario Sailing race of the 2012 season. We had 6 racers in the open class and 7 in the Kona class. The day was sunny, temperature comfortable and light winds. We managed to do 5 races. The results are compiled on the Kona Website on this page.

This is me pursuing Tom Mae!

The three eternal opponents - Suzanne, Stephanie Todd and Andrée Gauthier now all on Konas.

Ormond Beach, March 5 to 12, 2012

I did not think I would write anything about this portion of my vacation but today something happened not far that I thought I'd share. A 12-15 foot whale was found beached this morning. So after I had done my work (yes I had to work today) I took a walk to go see it. Took me 20 minutes to get there so it was a good walk there and back on the beach! Here are a few pictures of what I could see.

Tail end of the whale.

Nose end.

View of the action.

The view from where I am staying. The whale was a the top of the picture.

The whale had to be euthanized. See article in the local paper.

Calema Midwinters March 1-4, 2012

Traveling to Florida with Denis Dagenais to participate in the Calema Midwinters. This is my first race outside of Canada and I will be racing in the Kona One Design Class.

We flew in to Orlando on February 29th, took our rental car and drove to Cocoa Beach where we are staying. The trip went smoothly. 

March 1st was a day to set up our rental equipment to our liking and take it out for a test run. I decided to install an outhaul system on my boom so that took a while. Once I went out, I realized that I had not put any lubricant on the daggerboard so came back to find some. Then out again, one of my cleats on the boom slid so I had to come back in to fix it. Finally I was able to go out and test everything and it seemed to work fine. The big test will be tomorrow.

The beach and some of the area where we are sailing.

March 2 - First day of the regatta
This morning the sun is shining and the winds are light. Konas are sent out at 10 a.m. to start the racing. We do one race in light wind then go to the beach for a few minutes before we are told to go back out for another race. But now the wind has picked up to around 15 knots. I start the second race, do the upwind leg and manage to start the downwind leg and then I drop my sail. It took me about 10 minutes if not more to manage to lift it up again and get going. By then, I am tired and I know I won't be able to finish that race so I head back to the beach. Lunch is served! We are called out for one more race but I decided not to do it but to just go out and play and practice. Denis is having a better day and in the third race, he finishes 5th overall, his best international race finish ever.

March 3 - Second day
It is blowing and the sun is shining! Oops but a bit much for me to race so I am beached (with John Darling). Last night I bought a cheap beach chair so I can at least be comfortable while I watch the others race. There are 4 women in the Kona race: Andrée Gauthier from Toronto who I can never beat, Joachim Larsson's daughter who is 18 and raised on a Kona, a woman named Joanna Merritt from Colorado who is older than me and moi. Joanna did all the races. So I feel a bit bad that I was not able to hold on in heavier winds with 7.4 sail. I may have been able to just play but I did not risk it. I know I can do it with a smaller sail on the Kona in higher winds but I did not have such a sail in Florida. This pushes me to hit the gym even more upon my return home. Gotta be in better shape for the summer!

Denis reflecting before a race.

The spread of equipment.

March 4 - Third and final day
It is blowing and raining but the rain stops early and eventually the sun comes out. However, it is a tad cold. The sweater and the jacket and the long pants come out of hiding. Everybody hangs out while the organizers decide if they are going to run races in high winds and in a direction that would take the racers farther out. We have lunch then we are told that racing is finished for the weekend. The awards are handed out and then everybody gets ready to go home. Denis is staying an extra day and I get a ride with Andrée and John who are heading back to Toronto and they drop me at a Walmart close to the 95 where my mother picks me up and I will stay the week with her in Ormond Beach. Even if I did not get to race much, I am happy that I came to the Calema Midwinters to live the experience of a big regatta with more than 2 fleets. (And I got to meet some of windsurfing's big names!!) There were 27 people registered in the Kona fleet and the whole event was very well organized.

A blue heron standing just there.

My old and new idols: Nevin Sayre, Joachim Larsson, Steve Gottlieb.

Me battling with John Darling at the upwind mark! (He won as he pushed me up and I could not turn!)

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Not much going on at the moment sportswise as we wait for snow to start the ski season. But plans are underway for a March 2012 trip to attend the Calema Midwinters in Florida. There is a Kona One Design component to that windsurfing event so I have decided to make that my first ever competition "abroad". So check back in March for updates on that trip.

Santa in North Pole, NY where we went to visit him last December!

Cape Hatteras, NC - October 15 to 28, 2011

The last time we went to Cape Hatteras was in 2003, just after Hurricane Isabel that had taken out part of the road between Frisco and Hatteras Village. This time we follow Hurricane Irene which took out part of the road around Rodanthe and Pea Island. I also realized that I've been going to that part of the world since 1990, which was just after a barge took out a span on the Bonner Bridge and messed up our travel plans a bit. Irene is also making us have a plan A and a plan B regarding which way we will get to our destination. Plan A is we go the regular way and the road has been reopened. Plan B takes us by ferry from Swan Quarter, NC to Ocracoke, then another ferry from Ocracoke to Hatteras. That will add a few hours to our trip but at least we won't be driving. The only ferry reservation we could get at this time is for October 17th so we will miss a few days of our cottage rental. But we are there for two weeks!

Hurray! The road has reopened on October 10 so Plan A is in motion! Leaving Saturday, October 15 to arrive in Avon in the afternoon of October 16. We are traveling with Anne-Claude and Julie in another car.

All went well and we arrived in Avon, North Carolina on Sunday afternoon. The weather is nice with light winds. So we empty cars and trailer and settle in our house for the next two weeks. Keep visiting the blog as I'll probably update it once in a while and also put some pictures.

Monday, October 17

After a good night rest, we are ready to conquer the wind. I start rigging the Kona sail and go out before lunch by myself. The girls are rigging 6.5's for their midsize boards. I am able to handle the 7.4 Kona sail in about 18 knots of wind and get both feet in the footstraps for the first time. After lunch, I put a 6.0 on the Kona and rip the rest of the afternoon. All is well for our first day of sailing!

Tuesday, October 18

Nice and sunny day but the wind did not materialize. Dave and I went to pay our respect to the majestic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and to the ABC Liquor Store in Buxton this morning. The afternoon was spent playing with our equipment (adjusting footstraps on the Kona, changing harness lines on the Kona boom) and for me, a little SUP exercise. The next two day forecast promises a lot of wind so we are hoping...

Wednesday, October 19

This morning we woke up to a lot of rain and not much wind. It rains so much that the streets are flooded. I get to wear my long raincoat and my wellies to go out shopping. In some places I have water over my ankles. The wind picks up mid afternoon but it's too much for me for my first time in a couple of years on a shortboard. Anne-Claude is overpowered on her 4.2 and 75 litre board so I don't even have the equipment for that kind of wind. The forecast for tomorrow sounds perfect so let's hope...

Thursday, October 20

Today the wind is blowing on average 30 knots. In the morning I decide to rig my 4.5 that has not seen the light of day in years and for which I have a new small mast for. It takes me forever to rig it. So after lunch I take the 4.5 and my 103 L board out but I am way overpowered. I don't last very long before I quit and take pictures instead. Dave goes to the beach instead of trying to windsurf.

 This is our cottage view from the canal and below view from the street after the rain yesterday.

 The ocean today.

  The proof that I did try to windsurf in 30 knots of wind!

Friday, October 21

Today the sun is shining and the wind is light. Dave and I sail our longboards in the morning for a bit over an hour. After lunch, we head north to Nags Head to do some shopping. I go crazy for shoe stores! Tonight the four of us eat out at the Diamond Shoal in Buxton. Great dinner!

Saturday, October 22

Woke up to a cloudy day with average winds of 15 knots. I went out on my Kona for about one hour in the morning and another hour after lunch. I  quit when the wind picked up a bit and to give my body a break. Went to the beach with Dave to find some shells then did a bit of shopping around here. Julie sailed her 6.5 and Anne-Claude was on a 5.5 on her 120 liter board. I don't have a mid-size board so glad the Kona works in high winds. Anne-Claude is cooking some pork for the meat eaters and we had some bloody ceasars as appetizers! All is good in the land of windsurfing! 

Sunday, October 23

A bit cloudy today but winds perfect for my Kona and for Dave to sail his gear. We go out after lunch and stay out for a few hours. I think I finally have the footstraps in the right place on the Kona. So glad I bought the Kona as I can sail it in winds when the others are on medium size boards (which I don't own).

 Enough wind for Dave to be hooked on and planning.

There is nobody in the cottage next door so we are using the amazing storage space for our sails!

Monday, October 24 

This morning the wind is up so I go out with my 4.5 that is already rigged. I am underpowered a bit but stick it out until lunch. After lunch, I want to rig my 5.5 but both my booms are seized up in one position. Anne-Claude, Julie and I tried everything to unstuck them before I decided to go to the store and buy a new one. Glad I did as I had a nice session after that and I did not fight with the boom. My old one is about 20 years old so it does not owe me anything. I was a bit overpowered on the 5.5 but I was having fun. I stopped when my arms could not hold on anymore. Dave went to the beach for a few hours to listen to the wind and the ocean.

Anne-Claude and I in a funny pose after our session this afternoon!

Tuesday, October 25

The wind is way up this morning (20-25 knots) but I would need to rig a 4.5 to go out so I wait till after lunch to go out on my 5.5. Big mistake as the wind shut down. I stay out for about 45 minutes before coming in for my Kona and the 7.4. Even that is not moving very fast. Oh well can't have it all. Julie and Anne-Claude did go out in the morning and seem to be having fun. Dave went for a drive and ended up at the lighthouse again. We had margaritas and nachos a few houses down from us where some people that Julie and Anne-Claude know are staying. Dave is making hamburgers tonight on our camping barbecue that we brought from home.

Smiling even after a crummy session!

Wednesday, October 26

Today the wind is light in the morning so I go out on my Kona with Dave on his equipment. After half an hour, he heads for the cottage so I follow. He is pooped. The girls have gone to Ocracoke so we follow suit and head there after lunch. We take the 2 p.m. ferry to arrive on the island 40 minutes later. It is very windy during the ferry ride. First order of business is to go to the lighthouse. Dave has never seen that one but I have. Picture below. Then we drive around the village and stop at an ice cream place on the water. We see the girls walk by there so we yell at them so they see us. Dave wants some shells and some sand so on the way back to the ferry, we stop at a parking lot and go to the beach. We take the 6 p.m. ferry and this time it takes just over 30 minutes to cross. We eat in Buxton at the Diamond Shoal restaurant, then make a stop at the Food Lion before heading home. The girls came back earlier than us to go to a windsurf clinic at one of the stores. 

 A boat surrounded by sea gulls during our ferry ride.

 The Ocracoke Lighthouse (sorry about having to twist your head to view!).

Dave picking some shells at the beach on Ocracoke.

Thursday, October 27

Another sunny day and somewhat warm for us! The wind is up but not enough for my shortboard. After lunch, I decide to go out with the Kona and I do not regret it. I stayed out about three hours when the others were on shore waiting for wind. After that I hose everything down because we have to pack as we are leaving tomorrow. The girls are staying till Saturday. Dave went to the lighthouse again and saw some deers. The girls went out for a late session and were happy with it. Now it's time to empty the fridge and eat leftovers and throw out some old food!

 This is me on the Kona today. Not a good picture but the proof of the proof!

Dave's deer sighting!

Friday, October 28

Today, we hit the road to home. Left Avon at 6:55 a.m. and it was howling out there. We left a day early in order to have Sunday at home to unpack and recuperate from the road trip. When we got to Pennsylvania, road signs were announcing a winter storm for Saturday morning. So, since we were doing good time, we decided to keep going and make it home Friday night. What a long drive! We arrived home at 11:55 p.m., unpacked a few things and went to bed.

All in all, I am pretty happy with my vacation. Got to sail 9 days out of 11 and out of those 9, 7 days were on my new Kona with a 7.4 sail, except one afternoon where I used it with a 6.0. Did not use my shortboard as much as I would have hoped but the Kona made up for it. I can use it in about 18 knots and have both feet in the straps so it feels like a shortboard or a mid-size board.