Asam wrote:Hi All,
I've been kiting for few years now, consider myself intermediate rider. I want to get into racing but I don't know where to start.
Do I need to buy a racing board or practice with my twintip?
Any special exercising that I need to do?
How can I register for my first race and whether there are any requirements?
Thanks
Hi! I just got into racing last year, I started by buying a foilboard and learning how to ride it. Depending where you live, you may find a different route to getting on the race course, but on the east coast of the US there's basically zero racing going on for anyone except foilers. Course racing boards with fins are totally dead and I've never heard of a twintip race besides maybe a rare informal "fun run" type race. You don't need to buy a high-end foil, lots of guys ride entry-level foils like the Liquid Force, just something that will get you on the water in light winds because we usually run races as light as 8-9kts.
I also have 3 kites, I bought a brand new 9m inflatable race kite (Velocity VMG) and a brand new 11m foil kite (Sonic FR) and a beat to hell old 15m foil kite (Elf Joker 5) and that's all the kites I'll probably ever need to participate in races from 25kts down to 8kts.
Here's a link to the next race on the east coast
There will be a foiling regatta on Martha's Vineyard Sept 28-Oct 2, possibly a race this summer in NJ hosted by Greenhat Kiteboarding but it's not confirmed yet.
October/November there will likely be another regatta in St. Pete just like the one coming up in 2 weeks hosted by the same people.
I was really worried when I first got into racing that I wouldn't be good enough, but so long as you can safely navigate upwind/downwind on both tacks, everyone on the racing scene right now wants you out there! Once I learned how to foil all 4 directions (port tack upwind, port tack downwind, starboard tack upwind, starboard tack downwind) I was able to get out on the course and slowly make my way around. It wasn't pretty, but the next race I went to I was a lot better, and then the next one I was even better. I still have to learn the foiling tack and foiling gybe, but I have plenty of fun getting out on the course and splashing around as best I can, every regatta is a huge learning experience.