2007 started off with an incredible bang in the world of windsurfing. For a brand new event, this regatta achieved legendary status right out of the box. With 102 boards in attendance in 5 classes, (plus Sonars, which are used by disabled sailors), and perfect racing conditions in Biscayne Bay (75 degree water, 14-25 knots of wind for three days), the racing was incredible! The top Olympic Sailors were all in attendance in RS:X, which made for a lot of excitement and we also had top Formula sailors in town in the form of Jimmy Diaz and Micah Buzianis. Also, there was the 2007 debut of the Kona class, and Steve and Marty had a nice fleet assembled. Kona Class makes for very fair racing as the fleet is divided, with heavier sailors getting bigger sails, and the smaller sailors get the smaller rig.
Day one had some initial confusion as sailors got the course figured out (the courses were very long….long enough that you could not see the windward mark till you got up near it but they were very well laid out by an experienced RC who took the full planning conditions into account) and the RC had to deal with some 49ers who set up a course in the middle of the boards after the course was already laid out! But after that it was smooth sailing in 18-25 knots all afternoon. Micah and Jimmy had some good battles and dominance of the Polish Team in RS-X was starting to show up early. Steve Gottlieb dominated Kona in the strong winds, with his 9.0 standing straight up and down and the dagger all the way up.
Day 2 saw more of the same, with slightly lighter winds that were a little more up and down but still with the 20 knot puffs. The RS:X Women had multiple recalls, being the most aggressive off the line, and amazingly, in a couple of races, the top woman was finishing only 1 minute behind the men….very impressive! Jimmy Diaz sliced his foot on the back of his new Kashy Fin (which appears to be the fin to have in Formula right now….too bad they cost 700 dollars apiece) and ended up in the hospital and out of the regatta. This left the door for Micah to go unchallenged and he showed incredible speed in completely dominating the event from start to finish—all bullets. Kona sailors were sailing dagger down for part of the races on Sat., but they had a very long course which challenged them. Bruce Matlack was found sleeping in his car, too tired to move after the action all day. Sailors took a break on Island C in front of Shake A Leg, to avoid the whole launching and landing madness on the docks (the inflatable Northsports Airports had been brought in just to accommodate all the boards) and enjoyed lunch outside. RS:X got one more race in after lunch and Formula and Kona also had some more action.
Day 3 was supposed to be slightly lighter conditions….NOT!! As windy as Friday, if not more so, the RC schedule 3 races for everyone and then for the lunch to happen back on shore. Kona sailors were beaten down and opted for one race only in the full planning conditions. 3 more wild races ensued for both RS:X and Formula. The Formula guys were all out of control…..particularly on the reaches of the trapezoid, with the boards rolling all over in the gnarly chop. But that did not stop Micah from dominating…he was winning by over a leg on a very long course. Young 15 year old Gabriel Browne showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future in Formula and the Gold Medal in RS:X looks like it is going back to Poland if you ask anyone who was at this event, in both men and women. A great party Saturday night, incredible facilities at Shake A Leg Miami, good food and tremendous hospitality made for an outstanding event. We look forward to seeing everyone next year!
http://www.cavigliafoundation.org/files/Formula – results.pdf
