CMWA Championship in Toronto, August 2 to 5, 2013

For the first time in 25 years of existence, the Canadian Masters Windsurfing Association held its annual regatta at the Toronto Windsurfing Club (TWC). Stephanie Todd was our organizer extraordinaire with the help of a bunch of volunteers. We had 17 Konas racing, 2 youths on Bic Technos, 8 on open raceboards and 4 youth on RS:X and raceboard. A great group of people of all ages!

I convinced my friend Dave Luck, who used to race, to come to Toronto for the weekend and partake in some of the activities. He was beach master on Saturday and joined us for dinner on Saturday.

On Friday evening, we had registration and great munchies at the TWC. Saturday brought us sun and wind but very unstable wind that kept shifting too much to set a course. Our race officer, Anne Sanderson, was very patient and after lunch managed to set a course and sent us on 2 one lap races. I did those 2 races!

Sunday was also sunny with more stable winds. We did 3 races before lunch. We were set up close to the eastern gap and the wind was gusty so I had to hold on with all my might and also watch for slight wind shifts. After lunch, there were 2 races that I opted not to do because my arms and upper body were tired from the morning. I lent out my board to Jean-Robert Wilhelmy, from Makani Fins, for him to try as he had never been on one but had help design the new weed fin for the Kona.

Monday was our long distance race. Nice steady light wind, just for moi!! I had a good start and shortly after, I spotted Andrée and Bob going up along the far shore so I decided to follow them. It paid off because as I was approaching the finish, I could count only 4 Konas ahead of me. But a race is never over until you cross that finish line... and low and behold, Marco and Tom came from behind and finished just in front of me but by not much. After the race, the wind was nice in front of the club so I continued to sail for a while. Then in to pack up and have the awards ceremony.

I came home with a 2nd place in the Grand Master's women Kona class and a 3rd place in the Kona ladies class, behind my usual opponents, Andrée and Stephanie. All in all, a good weekend was had on the water and off the water.

The venue, Toronto Windsurfing Club.

A Porter Airline plane flying to Toronto Island and a bug!

Me racing with the Toronto skyline in the background.

Another of moi with the Toronto skyline. Photo by Artem Sr.

When the cat is away...

... the mouse play! While I was away a the Kona World championship, Dave was able to go sailing twice. On June 30th, he took his daughter Alison and her boyfriend Nick for a ride.

Then on July 1st, Canada Day, he took his friend Bob and his wife Pat. And it was really windy!

At least she is smiling, poor her she got quite the ride!

And Bob does not seem bothered!

You'll have to rotate your head to see the best picture of Dave ever!

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.

End of First Summer with our Mirage 24

From launch on August 3rd to haul out on October 12, we sailed our new boat 9 times (8 for me) and enjoyed it very much. Contrary to our Mutineer, we can sail this one in 20 knots without fear. Each time we went out, we spent 3-4 hours sailing up to Aylmer Island and back and up again until it was time to come home. We took more people for rides on this boat in two months than on the other boat in four years! We are learning all that is involved with boat ownership: raise and lower the mast, clean the hull when it comes out, bring everything home from the cabin, cover it for the winter, etc. Our basement is now full of boat stuff that I don't know where to put.

Dave at the helm on our last sail, Sept. 29.

There she is after we put the mast down.

Dangling in the air, Oct. 12.

Since she is been on land, we have power-washed the hull, built some ribs that will hopefully hold the tarp over the winter, winterized the engine then covered her. Our tarp is way too big so she looks like a big Christmas gift! I am sure we will go every other week to the club to check on the snow on her during the winter. Can't wait till next season, our full one with River Kat II. Oh and her name may change as this one does not mean anything to us. Any suggestions?

Homemade ribs with electrical pvc pipes.

Ready for winter!

Road Trip to Sandbanks, September 10-12, 2012

We love to go to Prince Edward County to camp and windsurf. This summer came and went without us going but we had a window of opportunity in September. Since it was going to be a short trip, I found a Bed and Breakfast on the shores of West Lake with easy access to the water to windsurf and nice grassy rigging area. We were not disappointed.

B&B and beach with our own chairs!

On Monday, we traveled via the scenic routes. From the 401 we took the Loyalist Parkway along the St. Lawrence, then a bit more on the 401 to after Kingston, where we took highway 33 (still Loyalist Parkway) along the river towards the ferry that will take us across to Picton. Once across, we went up to the Lake on the Mountain. From there, I discovered that we were close to some wineries so we drove around the point and found the Waupoos Estate Winery. What a nice place! We walked around then I tasted one wine and bought two bottles.

Lake on the Mountain

Waupoos Estate Winery

View of the winery

We continued our trek towards the B&B with a stop at the Black River Cheese Factory. By the time we arrived at the B&B, it was check-in time, i.e. after 4 p.m. After settling in, we head back to Bloomfield for dinner at Dave's Roadhouse. The place is deserted but dinner is good.

Tuesday starts with calm waters on West Lake. Armed with a Provincial Park pass provided by the B&B, we head out to visit parts of the park we never saw before. We found another beach, Sandbanks Beach, as opposed to Outlet Beach which is the most popular in the summer I think. Around noon, the wind starts to pick-up so we head back to the B&B for lunch and a windsurfing afternoon. It looks pretty windy but once on the water, not so much but we sail for a couple of hours. Dave can hug the shore as his fin is not very long but I have to go further out. The water is still warm! For dinner, we found a great pub at the Waring House, called the Barley Room Pub. They have their own beer called Barley Days (the next day we stopped at the brewery and bought a 6 pack). Always noticed that nice house but never dared go in. Now I think it will become part of our trip each time we go to the area.

Dave in action!

On Wednesday, it's time to go back home. First stop is at a farmer's market along the road for some fresh corn and vegetables. Then it's off to Picton to visit the cemetery where Dave's aunt and uncle are buried. On to the ferry again and a pick-nick in a park along highway 33.

All in all, it was a nice short vacation away from home!

Launch and Maiden Voyage of our Mirage 24

She floats! The rudder was fixed and put back on August 2nd and we launched on August 3rd. At that point we did not even know if the motor would start. It's a 1979 Evinrude 9.9 that came with the boat and is as old as the boat. So Dave connects everything and it started! So now we are off to the crane to raise the mast. As we don't know what we are doing, my skipper Kirk (I race on his Tanzer 26 every week) has come to help us. He runs the crane while Dave and I are on the boat doing the work. It's a good way to learn! Once the mast is up and secured, it's time to go find our mooring and put our tie on ropes. It's a pretty tight fit between the 2 boats but we manage. After that, we are hot and exhausted so the three of us head to the club for a cold beer.

On her way to the water.

She floats!

Suzanne and Kirk after raising the mast.

August 4th is the maiden voyage event! Dave has invited his sister Wendy and her husband Mike to be part of the voyage. But first we have to finish rigging the boat. I have to figure out where the halyards go and what all the lines are. Once I think I have the main figured out, and perhaps even the genoa, we head out. It is blowing about 10 knots with gusts of about 15. We raise the main and sail with just that for a while. Then Dave wants to try the genoa. So I do my foredeck job and hoist that but at the back end, it does not look right. Still have to figure some things out I guess. And the gust are too strong so I take the sail down and we continue with main only for a few hours. Back in the harbour sometime after 5 p.m. We put everything away then go to the bar again. I look like a lobster! It was so hot out there, about 40 degrees with the humidex. All in all, a pretty good first day on the water!

Mike, Dave and Wendy.

Me with my body armor and still managed to get a huge bruise on the knee.