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Steve or any of the experienced racers out there -

I've heard from others that last year's race series was really fun and I'm interested in seeing what it's all about. I have a bunch of questions -

Is this a drop-in series - can I just show up and race?

I'm assuming there is a skippers meeting to go over the ground rules and course setup for the day. When and where is the meeting?

What are the best tips for a rookie racer? I don't want to cross anyone up, especially the real race contenders.

I'm a pretty solid kiter with almost 8 years experience. I'm almost exclusively a wave rider, though. I only hit the Bay 3 or 4 times a year, and have only a couple of sessions at Crissy. No sail racing experience at all.

Thanks - see you all out at the beach later today!

Great questions! Mine are the same..

Here's the (old scoop), drop-ins were allowed if space was available (which it always was). This year will probably be a bigger year then last...

I'm planing on going myself to tonights race (the first in the series). I'm going to sign up, if possable, for the series.. I'm going early.. Skippers meeting is 5:00, kites are flying by 5:20, something like that..

Have fun!!!
L.M.G.

You should definitely come down. As with all sailcraft racing, the more the merrier.

As long as you don't push it at the start, the real contenders will be "over the horizon" rapidly, so you won't have to worry about fouling them. I'm not a real contender, so you may foul me at will. It's cool. It's a beer can race, forchristsakes. Just smile while you are doing it!

JP

I wouldn't consider it a beercan race anymore. Maybe when it started 3 years ago, because it was brand new and nobody really knew what they were doing. Now, a lot of the competitors take it really seriously. Just stick around and see the gear used and all the talk of boards/kites/fins and what works best. It's turned into quite a science. Of course, there are a select few who really have a realistic shot at winning, then there are a group of pretty solid racers behind them, then the rest of the fleet. Also, anybody can have a good race, and a really bad race very easily.

I'm sure there will be a pretty extended skippers' meeting tonight to cover the rules since there will be a lot of first timers. They'll cover the course (usually the same), re-iterate that starboard has right of way, and cover the start rules. For instance, you can't just stall at the start line, you have to be on a plane constantly. Otherwise, automatic DQ.

In any case, tonight might be light, which makes it just that much tougher, and with a ton of people, it'll be interesting.

Oh yeah, you can do drop ins, but you still have to register beforehand. Go to the race office at the yacht club and just say you're dropping in for tonight. You can't just show up and race.

Dont really see it happening tonight. We were completely aware that it was going to be light tonight and dont see it happening in 10 knots.
Beers on the beach though.
startline should be interesting since we have over 40 people registered for tonight.
yeah "beercan race" Don't Blink!

Yeah, i noticed the aggressive attitude out of a few kiters last night. Kinda disappointed me- I don't think it was like that last year, but maybe i just forgot about it.

I don't mean to belittle the whole thing by calling it a beercan race- I've spent my whole life racing sailboats, so any regular evening race is a beercan to me. The big events (i/e nationals, worlds, what have you) are the times when it makes sense that people get worked up, and yell at each other (not that i approve, but i see why people get worked up).

But honestly- the attitude seems (as always) to flow from the back half of the fleet- the guys up front are friendly and supportive. Its the insecure people that glare and get pissed when somebody hunts them on starboard.

I do appreciate all you guys did to get this thing rolling, and i'm in it for life now, so i'm not trying to step on any toes, but as far as i see it, we are just a bunch of wind kooks. We should try not to take our selves so f-ing seriously, ya know? ;)

jp

The races were FUN!!!
Lots of competition too, hell just finishing the 3ed race was a major challange unto its self...
Yes, this years series will be plunty exciting. THe competitiors are serous.. I think the beer-can races are OVER...
The top riders were Ant- #1, Kafka #2, I think Shawn Richman was #3, Headington, Chip and a few others closely following.
Have fun, Greg

Are the results available on-line anywhere?

moblvet wrote:https://app1.regatta-manager.com/Regatt ... 9830E1F127

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