The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Inexpert Advice, Tales of Redemption, and more Photos from the Regatta

First of all, let's talk about you (if you were at the race):  Photographer Jimmy Rivera took many more photos than could be used on the blog, but you should still get to see them (and Jimmy has generously made them available here:
Download LI RACE 09 WEB)

Okay, enough about you, let's talk about me.  I was in six races and the relay race...my results (and nutshell commentary:)

First Race:  Third (managed to get around jibe mark carnage.)

Second Race:  Fourth (participated in jibe mark carnage but waterstarted quickly.)

Third Race:  First!   Yeah boy!   I was two hundred yards behind the guy that should have won, but he sailed too far in to shore before tacking.  I made my tacks in full-strength wind and so got across the finish line first.   I fell at the jibe mark in this race, btw, so falling and winning are possible.

Fourth Race:  Last!  Yeah boy!  I carved a beautiful jibe around the jibe mark, was a lock for third place, and lost my concentration as per yesterday's post.  Two days later my shoulder still hurts from the catapult.

Fifth Race:  Fifth (see the photo to the right).  In the Lemans start beach carnage my board ended up inside Ted's boom.   It took us the better part of a minute to untangle ourselves and begin the race, yet thanks to the mess at the jibe mark Ted finished fourth and I was right behind him.

Sixth Race:  First!  This was the only race that resembled what I thought a windsurfing race would be like.  I was early to the mark, jibed around it nicely, and was headed for victory except for the fact that Bob Mansfield was behind me and catching up...he had a speed advantage (that is to say he's much faster than me!)   He also had excellent reason to want to beat me, as last year I jibed into him at Napeague (ie I rammed him).   What to do?  Kevin O'Shea told me he was distracted off his board at the mark when a competitor shouted at him, so I tried yelling.  Bob did not fall.   I could hear him heading upwind behind me, so I pinched as well, keeping his way blocked as we got within a few hundred yards of the finish line.   Then I heard him bear away...he was going to shoot underneath like a bat out of hell and zoom by!   But like some asshole driver on the Long Island Expressway I beared off with him, using the Complete Jerk strategy to fend him off.  It worked, I won, he came in second, and was friendly and laughing afterwards.   It was all in good fun, but between the ramming and the blocking I figure I've got two strikes against me in Bob's World.

Relay Race:  Our team came in last, but we had fun.   I sailed against K-Dog Kevin O'Shea, who quickly got in front of me but on whose tail I managed to stay for the run to the buoy and back.  I spent the rest of the afternoon telling K that he was on a faster board...he should have pulled away from me...why was he such a slow sailor?   Also I recently refused to sell him a boom, so I have two strikes with him too.

That's my story.   I came in last, I came in first.   You could have, too!  I was sailing on a heavyish 9 year old Bic with a stock fin that was considered crap THEN, along with a wave sail (an absolutely fantastic 6.2 wave sail, but it wasn't designed to go fast or sail overpowered) and still managed to win (a pumpkin).   Most of the racers at the regatta were sailing on Whatever They Had (I particularly enjoyed Vulcan George Pav racing on his freestyle board.)   And for the last two King of the East events at Heckscher, we've had loads of fun racing ancient longboards alongside state of the art formula gear (and everything else) in nonplaning or barely planing conditions.  

My point is:  Windsurfing racing on Long Island is casual, it's come as you are, it's fun, and it's fun.  And as Jill Marr points out, it's fun!   There are going to be more of them, and you should join in the fun!

(Top:  The editor wants a pumpkin.  Bottom:  Same editor contemplates his nose, while his board's nose slides between Ted's boom and sail.  Ted thought getting knocked down at the start was bad, but the indignity (and real fun) was just beginning!  Photos courtesy Jimmy Rivera.)

Notice of Event (with lots of details) for Saturday’s East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta

Notice of Event: 

2009

 East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta

 

Date: 10/10   (Columbus Day Weekend)

Events:

Windsurf Racing

- The main event, with multiple races is scheduled for Saturday.  If conditions are not conducive to sailing, we may decide as a group on Saturday, to postpone events until Sunday, 10/11.  

  There will be several Race Divisions, including:

  -  Open Division - no limits re board or sails.  This will include RSX and Formula, and any boards with a sail > 7.5.

  -  7.5 Division -  limited only to sails that do not exceed 7.5, and no formula gear.  Intended for the casual racer, this will likely be the largest fleet and main event.

Depending on participation, we may also post scores for: 

 -  Womens Division
 -  Juniors Div  - (17 & under)
 -  Masters  (50 yrs and over)
 -  Heavyweights - (Actual weight category TBD)

Race courses will vary, and may include:

    - Windward/Leewards

    - Triangles

    - Slalom

 

Starts may include:

    - Timed countdown starts

    - Lemans beach starts

Other potential events at the Regatta:

Freestyle Expression Sessions

- Freestyle will not be an official competition, but, we will be looking for freestylers of all levels to go out in between races and show us what you got.  This is for the crowd… hot-dogs wanted!

 

SUP Races

- If enough people bring paddles and are willing, we'll run some SUP races along the beach.   SUP boards are preferred, but Longboards can used as well.

 

Windsurf Relay Races

- Relay teams will be assigned at the event and team relay races will be run.

 

Event Location:   

It depends on the Wind!    The specific venue will be decided and announced the night before the event, based on forecasted wind conditions.

 

If wind is forecast out of the South, East, or West, we  will likely run the event at Heckscher State Park on the south shore of LI. 

If wind is forecast from the North, we will go to the LI Sound side, where we will likely select either:

- Steers Beach Park, Northport (type it in Google Maps and it will take you right there), or

- West Neck Beach, Cold Spring Harbor 

 

 

The location selection will be posted on:

- PeconicPuffin (this here blog!)
- the LI Windsurf Yahoo group
- iWindsurf.com’s forums,
- the windsurfing newsgroup.

For questions or confirmation of the venue selected you can call the Regatta Hotline:  631-988-4816

 

Registration:   

Send an email to: jillmarr@optonline.net  and let us know you're in.  

Indicate which Division you plan to sail.  

We may ask for a $10 contribution at the event.

The East Coast Windsurfing Fall Regatta is an open event; windsurfers of all levels are encouraged to attend. 

Longboards? Yeah We Need Stiiinking Longboards, NEWJ!

The Peconic Puffin is packing its umbrage and taking it somewhere!  We take great umbrage at the New England Windsurfing Journal’s  August 2009 issue, which characterizes the East Coast Windsurfing Festival’s longboard fleet as having been pulled out of  various junkpiles.

We don’t care that it’s true.  We’re offended.  There are politically correct ways to describe such boards.   How about “maintenance and cleanliness-challenged boards that time forgot”?

We’d also like to point out that five of the top ten finishers in the ECWF racing competition were sailing these boards (as were a few thousand insects that accompanied some of the boards from their storage-challenged homes.)

So NEWJ:  We’re all umbraged up!  Damn straight…

Actually we’re delighted to have coverage from the mighty NEWJ!  And we hope to see NEWJ cover Long Island’s upcoming East Coast Fall Regatta, taking place October 10-11th during Columbus Day weekend.   Read the event announcement for details, and in the meantime, think about hosing down your junkpile longboard (or go get one if you aren’t yet a proud owner.)   Because NEWJ may be conducting white glove tests at the event!

The 2010 East Coast Windsurfing Festival Wants You!

If you missed it and wished you were there,

If you were there and wished you competed,

If you competed and wished you’d done better,

You will have your chance!   The 2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival was such a success that the organizers are already announcing that the third annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival is on for June 2010.  And while most of the “even bigger/even better” details have yet to be put together, one new feature for 2010 has already been announced:  Due to the popularity of the racing events, there will be both Open and Sport fleet classes (Sport will have a 7.5 sail size limit, so that those of us who don’t own racing rigs can still throw down!)  And of course there will be plenty of freestyle, leading up to the crowning of the 2010 King of the East (Caesar, prepare to defend your crown!)

We’ve got eleven months to get ready.  Me, I’m going to put Redek on my old Superlight and learn some new freestyle moves.

(The Peconic Puffin wants you there too!   The editor approaches the finish line on a 7.0 held together with stickers, duct tape and packing tape.  Photo by Bill Doutney.)

 

An Eight-Spin Matrix: Caesar’s Flowstyle (video)

The second day of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival began with no wind. To pass the time until the breeze arrived, soon to be 2009 King of the East Caesar Finies gave an on-shore 101 instructional clinic on a few of his incredible moves. I believe he said his record for Matrix spins is 13…he put up a nine spot during his demonstration to festival competitors and spectators.

Windsport’s Pete Dekay caught the action on camera (thanks Pete!) (Editor's note: the original headline for this clip said "Nine-Spin", which is how many we counted. Apparently we can't count, so the headline has been amended. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may have caused.)

He also discussed the basics of some of his other dazzling sail moves.  After a few words on sail size ( 4.0-4.5 recommended) and a bit about giving the mast a little push and then the clew, the sail left his hands, described a circle in front of him over the ground, then paused before jumping back into his hands like an obedient dog. It was simple. It was jaw-droppingly awesome. People applauded, laughed, grinned. “More windsurfers should go out on the water and have fun in light wind," Caesar said.

Flowstyle!

(If you've never seen Caesar put on a show, here's a link for you to catch the action.)

Nine More Things To Hail From the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

There were hundreds of stories at the East Coast Windsurfing Festival beyond the extraordinary pro freestyle competition (complete results of amateur and pro competition can be found here.)   Every participant I saw was having fun, giving it there all (sailing, laughing, cursing, smiling) and I’m sure I missed lots of great moments, but hey I was just another guy falling off of his board.   Here are some of my favorites:

All Hail Nasty Old Longboards!

Last year Pete (“The Eliminator” or “The Terminator…he goes by both) Roesch dominated the racing whilst sailing an old Fanatic Ultra-Cat.  Many took notice (including me) and this year the beach sported quite the collection of longboards that in other circumstances would be headed for the nearest landfill.    I was proud of the fact that my 1983 Superlight (made before footstraps were invented) had been laying in a brushpile for a year, and had a worm living in the mast track as I removed it from my van.    George Marr immediately one-upped me with his own find:  another cast-off Ultra Cat with a slug residing in its adjustable track.    Damn.   Then Peter Bogucki of NEWJ (himself sporting an ancient ride) pointed out a Superlight on the beach fully encrusted with last fall’s maple leaves and a healthy family of ants.    Then there was the Crit…basically a sailboat with a mast track on top and wooden centerboard in who knows what condition.    In the races these boards were finishing top ten alongside formula and Olympic class gear.   Write this down:  Stop by a swap meet (or yard sale, or garbage dump) twixt now and the 2010 festival and pick yourself up one of these sweet honeys…nobody will laugh when you round the upwind mark at the head of the pack!

All Hail Peconic Jeff!

Time was when I was a better freestyler than my partner in so much windsurfing crime.    But P-Jeff had a great weekend, and sailed the best two minutes of his freestyle life that I’ve ever seen in the finals, to finish third, ahead of The Mighty Larry Hoff and Kurt Veith (last year’s Men’s Amateur winner.)  I’m going to start taking notes at future sessions together.

All Hail Jimi Sobeck!

 Just a few years ago Jimi was this nice kid learning to windsurf.  Now that he’s pasted every amateur in both racing and freestyle we’re going to have to stick him with the pros in 2010.

All Hail Mike Burns!

They had to fly someone thousand of miles to eek out a victory over Long Island’s finest.    And you just know that Mike will have a whole new bag of tricks for next year…

All Hail first-time competitors!

I don’t know how many people had never raced or competed in freestyle before, but I know my friend Robert.   Robert told me that his goal for the festival was to make it around the course.   His first heat didn’t go so well, but before the day was done I saw him pumping his fist in the air.   It put a big smile on my face.

All Hail Competition to the Queen of the East!

Jill Marr (returning Queen of the East) had some competition this year…it was great to have Jean Bauman (racing champ!) and Alison Dunston on the water to broaden the female field.   For next year we’re hoping to have even more.

All Hail People Who Came from Beyond Long Island!

Pete Dekay from Windsport came from Canada.   Tom Lepak (mighty racer foiled only by Jimi Sobeck) came from his continuing world tour as an ABK windsurfing instructor.   People came from Connecticut, from Bonaire, from all over.  It was great seeing/meeting you all.

 All Hail Bitter Grudge Matches!

Not really, but the pitched battle between George Marr and Pete Roesch was a source of great entertainment (and frustration to me as I couldn’t even insert myself between them and the finish line once.)   Though I did get to have it out with George Pav at the windward mark…hey is it illegal for me to step on his board and flip it in the middle of a race?

All Hail Everybody who helped make the festival possible or better!

MC Thom Hering, Christina Burns, Joe Natalie, Jon Ford at Windsurfing Hamptons, the good people at Ocean Air Sports, Pete Dekay from Windsport Magazine, Peter Bogucki at New England Windsurfing Journal, anyone I’m leaving out, and of course the competitor organizers Mike Burns and Jill Marr.

(Photo by Bill Doutney:  Caesar is going to catch that sail, no kidding.   Meanwhile there are thousands of photos from the festival by the indefatigable Bill Doutney...check out these links here, here, here, and here.   Thanks Bill!)

Hail Caesar Finies, King of the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

The second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival was another smash success.   Caesar Finies, the “flowstyle” freestyle magician of Bonaire defeated defending King of the East Mike Burns for the freestyle crown.  Local young gun (and future Olympic hopeful) Jimi Sobeck took both the men’s racing and freestyle amateur titles, as 63 windsurfers from half a dozen states (as well as a contingent from Bonaire) converged on Heckscher State Park on Long Island for two days of windsurfing, sun and fun.

Tomorrow the Peconic Puffin will bring you in depth reporting (well, more than a sentence) on the many dramas and intrigues that played out during the festival, including:

-The Battle of Pete Roesch vs. George Marr,
-The Ascendency of Peconic Jeff,
-Jill Marr in competition,
-Slugs, worms, or ants (and other raceboard tuning secrets!)
-and can Jimi Sobeck please let someone else win?

...as well as photos by Bill Doutney.   But for now, here are the topline results of the 2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival:

Pro Freestyle:
1.    Caesar Finies (King of the East)
2.    Mike Burns
3.    Jon Chachi Sassone
4.    Ezri Heymans
5.    Chris Eldridge

Men’s Amateur Freestyle:
1.     Jimi Sobeck
2.    Pete Dekay
3.    Jeff Schultz
4.    Larry Hoff
5.    Kurt Veith

Women’s Amateur Freestyle:
1.    Jill Marr
2.    Jean Bauman

Men’s Open Racing:
1.    Jimi Sobeck
2.    Tom Lepak
3.    Kurt Veith
4.    George Marr
5.    Pete Roesch
6.    Bart Kornas
7.    Michael Alex
8.    Joe Giordano
9.    Pete Dekay
10.    Peter Bogucki

Women’s Open Racing:
1.    Jean Bauman
2.    Jill Marr
3.    Alison Dunston

East Coast Windsurfing Festival Day One Micro-report

Your editor is too tired, bruised and bulldozed by the competition to come up with a real mid-event report, so please take what little I’ve got:

1.  The pro freestyle competition is dazzling!  Caesar Finies, hero of a thousand youtube videos has come to Long Island to hurl is magic live.  Defending King of the East Mike Burns in turn is pulling out all the stops (and doing it mid-railride) to try and retain his crown.

2.  The racing is hilariously intense.   Young bucks on enormous formula gear compete against not-so-young bucks on longboards manufactured well before the young bucks were born.   Pete “The Eliminator” Roesch is somehow not in first place, whilst Jimi Sobeck and Tom Lepak have been whipping the water into foam.

“Yeah, but look at the size sails those guys have,” says  Pete.

3.  The amateur freestyle is a joy to watch (as long as you don’t watch me) the crowd is large and warm, and overall the 2009 East Coast Windsurfing Festival is bigger and better than last year’s.

Time to drag my ass back to Heckscher…

(Caesar goes aerial no matter what the wind, Jimi Sobeck puts the hammer down.  Photos by Bill Doutney.)

Super-quick description of Expression Session

(from the Mighty George Marr as posted in the Yahoo Long Island Windsurfers Group:)

" The Heckscher pros sailed the flats since there was not much wind at the launch.  So I was the only witness to the expression session. Jon, Ezri, Mike Burns and Caesar were up to all kinds of craziness.  Caesar with his huge shoveit spocks, and Ezri with shaka's with Mike and Jon working those switch stance moves that I can't name yet. It was over powered 4.7 for me."

 
Today should be outstanding...I am on my way to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival...

Freestyle Expression Session Friday at Heckscher

This just in:   The pros wanna get it on ASAP, and ASAP is Friday.
This also in:  Windsport Magazine is sponsoring it!

So:   Come to Heckscher State Park on Friday at noon, and see (or join if you're hardcore) the pros as they compete in this extra-special Added Event.P

(Rankings from the Expression Session will be separate from the weekend's competition.)

Countdown to the East Coast Windsurfing Festival

The pros from Bonaire have already arrived and are practicing, including mighty Caesar.

A Facebook page was just set up to further the cause.

A weed fin is never a bad idea for Heckscher (the Boy Scouts say "Be Prepared"!)

Don't forget your duct tape!  

Any other questions?  Check out the East Coast Windsurfing Festival website.

(Sticking one's nose where it doesn't belong?   Not at all.   Freestyle practice at Heckscher last weekend...photo courtesy Steve Domjans.)

East Coast Windsurfing Festival: We Got Yer Number (bring duct tape to put it on!)

The races, the freestyle, the fun and the folly are practically upon us (the East Coast Windsurfing Festival is June 6-7 at Hecksher Park) so if you haven't registered yet, go to information page and take care of business.

The organizers (Mike and Tom) will be assigning numbers on Saturday morning to all competitors that will need to be displayed on all sails (if you have a US Windsurfing or other established number you can use it as long as you include the country code.)   The fastest way to do this is duct tape, so please bring a roll!

(Number 47 used electrical tape at last year's event.  Photo by Bill Doutney)

How Come Your Name Isn't On the Festival Website?

What’s up with that?    We got  Chachi, King Mike, Caesar, Terminator Pete, and the Marr’s (Superstar and Stoke).   We got Tiger and Peconic Jeff and Upwind Mike.   We’ve even got people without nicknames.  

But we ain’t got you.  

This makes absolutely no sense, as the East Coast Windsurfing Festival is so much fun that anyone who can tack should be in it for the races (and if you can do tricks, sign thee up also for freestyle.)   I stink at both and still managed to have fun in both last year, so you surely should be a part of this.

Click on this line to sign up.

Click on this line to see all the people who are already signed up.

Click on this line to sign up for the ABK clinic with Andy Brandt this Friday-Sunday if you’d like some extra skill polishing.


(Why isn't your name here?)

Hail Caesar...He Is Coming

The master of jawdropping lightwind freestyle magic, Bonaire's Caesar Finies, will be competing at the second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival at Hecksher State Park, June 6-7.   The bar has just been raised Big Time!  Of course Long Island counters with the reigning King of the East Mike Burns, along with LI expat Chachi Sassone.   Come check out the action (and compete yourself...there will be casual competition classes in both freestyle and racing for the fun-inclined)...sign up now at the East Coast Windsurfing Festival website.  

If you've never seen Caesar do his thing, check out the video below and find out what all the fuss is about.  

East Coast Windsurfing Festival Gets A Web Site!

The second annual East Coast Windsurfing Festival (June 6-7, 2009 at Hecksher State Park) now has its own web site!   Check out www.ECwindfest.com and sign up to join us in racing and freestyle competition.    Don't worry about whether or not you're good enough (I'm competing, so there's no danger you'll come in last) and don't worry about the wind, because barring tornadoes and lightning, the Festival is on!  (In fact, in the event of a tornado there will be a skippers meeting...maybe we'll have a spin loop competition.)

The East Coast Windsurfing Festival is tremendous fun...check out the Peconic Puffin's coverage of last year's event...and then sign up.  If you can tack, you can race, and if you can do a helitack, you can compete in freestyle.   Or just come to Hecksher and cheer your windsurfing friends on!

(A race begins at the 2008 East Coast Windsurfing Festival.  Photo by Bill Doutney)