The Kona Gods Smiled on 2016 Worlds

konajoe · Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 517

For those who haven't heard, the 2016 Kona Worlds in the Florida Keys were epic!!! The organizers did a fantastic job, the location was amazing, and the Kona gods sent planing conditions for the entire regatta.

The "event" actually started a few days earlier, with a warm-up race in Clearwater. The Clearwater Community Community Sailing Center is a fantastic venue. There was their regularly scheduled weekly Friday night race, plus the warm-up race on Saturday and Sunday. Somewhere between 30 and 40 Konas raced there.

After the race, there were a few days to take in what South Florida has to offer.

The regatta officially started with a charter pick-up/practice day. I'm guessing that they had 70 or 80 charter boards set out on the lawn for the 110 participants.

It was great to see old friends from all over the world. What was also very cool was meeting people from this forum. We all had to laugh about how hard it is to communicate on a forum vs. talking in person.

The setting is very social. They block out a bunch of rooms for us, and almost everyone stayed at the host hotel. The launch site is right at the hotel. Each room has a screened in porch, and all rooms are at the ground level. If you were walking through the grounds at night with a 6 pack, it wouldn't be long until someone invited you over. 'Hey...I've seen you around...I'm so and so, who are you?....where are you from?...where do you sail?....what are the gun laws like where you live? Epic.

The organizers did an outstanding job with the lunches. The whole roasted pig on the last night was awesome. Several bars and restaurants were within walking distance.

konajoe · Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 517

I forgot. The racing. Racing in 20-ish knots every day was really fun. Courses were no-nonsense windward/leewards. I've never seen so many different approaches to rigging and sailing. Some used flat rigs with fairly tight leeches, others rigged full in the booms with the top dumped. Both ways really seemed to work.

I believe that the very top guys only used their centerboards at the start in most races. But you really had to keep on your toes, and put the centerboard down upwind, and run downwind, if the wind dropped.

Just day after day of great, blasting, tactical one-design racing.

Results: http://class.konaone.com/Event/1446/kona-world-championships-2016

I was just amazed at how many people had raw hands. I still don't get it. This is a no pumping class, after all. Unlike light wind racing, I was in my harness the whole time. No problems here.

konajoe · Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 517

Even though the Kona gods smiled on the regatta, they looked down and frowned on me. The forecast at registration time predicted that the wind would be near the wind limit for the entire race. We were given the option to drop down a sail size, and I took it. The Kona gods saw this, and taught me a serious lesson.

Some of the same people I could keep up with in the practice race, were just gone. Couldn't sail deep downwind, couldn't get upwind fast without the centerboard. Very challenging trying to keep up, but I could've done without that.

So lesson learned. Keep the gods happy. If you want a chance of being competitive, stick with the right sail

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

tough competition:

4) Andy Brandt
10) Joachim Larsson
13) Britt Viehmann
20) Steve Gottlieb
29) Ron Kern
56) Dan Weiss

thought some of those guys are serious competition
guess the rest of us would be at the back of the pack

Darbonne · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:56 am Post subject:

Hate that I missed it. Thanks again for the shirt. Next year the worlds are in Sweden. Then Clearwater for 2018. I don't think I will make it next year, but I am already planning on Clearwater. Maybe I can finish more that one race next time.

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

Darbonne · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 2:36 pm Post subject:

You can only choose to go down 1 size from your required weight class. You then have to use that sail for the entire regatta.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

konajoe, what size sail are you usually assigned?

i really like the 9.0 and 8.3

gregnw44 · Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 783 Location: Seattle, Wa

Darbonne · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:30 am Post subject:

You are spot on Greg. Go to a Kona event and you will see that windsurfing is alive and well. The Kona was my first board after my beginner board, and it was Konajoe who convinced me to get it. I am relatively new to the sport (5th year) and I am still struggling with some aspects of WS. I attended the 2014 Kona Worlds at the same location as 2016. I didn't know what to expect. I was blown away at the level of fitness and skill of the racers. The races were grueling for me. I finished only one, and came in dead last at the regatta. I would have been there this year but for the March flood in Louisiana from which I am still recovering. I am totally sold on the Kona concept. I bought a 135 liter RRD last year because I thought I wanted to try a shortboard. I have never ridden it. Trying to sell it so I can buy another Kona and possibly start my own Louisiana fleet. See you in Clearwater in 2018.