With my foot extremely sore and inflamed, totally my fault for sailing yesterday I had to sit out today. The conditions looked really fun at Ho’okipa and it was hard to resist but unfortunately I lost my 100% sailing record. I did manage a windy and cold run later in the day with a new PB! I am hopeful a day out of the water will do it but I may need two. For today’s post I decided to highlight one of the North Shore’s new personalities Jimmie Hepp who sprung onto the watersports scene this spring, not for his sailing, he doesn’t even windsurf but for his photos. His daily presence at Ho’okipa rivalled even the most die hard Baker brothers and his images have lit up Facebook and are starting to get wider recognition in the industry. I have chosen ten of my favourite Jimmie pictures to share with you today; so sit back click enlarge and enjoy.
Pic # 1: This picture was taken from the State Championships this past weekend. I love the confussion in the image. You can see how windy it was and getting round the marks was extremely difficult.
Pic # 2: Taken at Makena during the recent skimboard event. Jimmie has covered every water sport you can imaging in the last six months, if it has been on he has been there.
Pic # 3: This was taken at the North end of Front St by the old Chart house. While not a watersports one it does include a few boats so I guess that counts. WOW!
Pic # 4: This is the start of the MORMAI'I MOLOKAI PAILOLO SUP RACE.
Pic # 5: 22nd May, Ho'okipa, Skyler Haywood and Bernd Roediger, maybe Tatiana and co should try to re-create this with her Butterflies?
Pic # 6: 22nd May, Ho'okipa, Bernd Roediger alone this time, perfect sailing and perfect shot!
Pic # 7: 4th May, Ho'okipa. Levi rocks whatever the conditions (OK onshore 35 knot Pozo isn't his fav!)
Pic # 8: 27th April, Ho'okipa, Diony Guadagnino testing his 2011 Bolt, love the colours, great action, love the shot!
Pic # 9: The Butteryfly Effect, created by Tatiana Howard
Pic # 10: Pavillions, Ho'okipa back in March. Love the shaddow on the wave.
It was really hard picting my 10 favourite shots, there are so many, I tried to look at non-windsurf pictures too so that I got a good balance. My favourite one is PIC # 7 (I think) what's yours?PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW SO WE CAN SEE WHICH ONE IS MOST POPULAR.
Jimmie's pictures have become extremely respected and popular in Maui and I am sure that before long we will be seeing some of his pictures in print. Keep up the great work. ALL of Jimmie's pictures are available in full res for sale so if you see anything that you like please contact him and he will sort you out. At the moment he is putting together a CD of all the pictures from the Maui Race Series and that is being sold for a very reasonable 50 bucks. So if you have not already done so make Jimmie your friend on FB and go from there.
26 years ago (in 1984) the first Maui Race Series champions were being crowned. If you are old enough and were windsurfing at that time cast your mind back to what it was like in those defining years. I still have windsurfing magazines from 1984 (I was 7 years old); the iconic images of Robby Naish, Mike Waltz, Pete Cabrina and many more of that era inspired me and began to mould my future path. I was 18 when I put my academic career on hold, sold all my race gear and bought a ticket to Hawaii. I owe a debt of gratitude to those early pioneers just as the sport of windsurfing owes a debt of gratitude to the organisers of events and competitions around the world. Without event organisers there would be no stages for our champions to be born and publicized. I want to publically thank the Maui Race Series organisers and volunteers for their hard work, it was hell out there at times today and it took grit to get through the races, imagine how horrid it was on the start boat and this is Hawaii, people do it in Denmark, in Scotland and many other cold and wild places just so that we can race, jump and spin in front of the cameras. I also want to thank the sponsors of the series and all companies who have sponsored events in the past here and around the world, without this cash injection it just would not be possible. I am sure that association with such an amazing sport is beneficial to these companies so it is a win-win situation.
Some last minute advice is always good. You can see the flag order clearly writting on my arm so that I didn't forget! Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp
This post will concentrate on my experiences today and reflect on where my racing career might go from here. For an article about the whole event and all the results check out The Maui News - Double honors for McGain, Roediger.
The alarm sounded at 7am this morning and it took a period of total concentration for the next ten and a half hours to ensure that I was: prepared, rigged, at briefing, at the start line, ate food, drank water, changed sails, changed fins, completed races, de-rigged, packed my gear, attended the after party at Neil Pryde and finally drive safely home! I didn’t stop for a moment and had very little time to actually step back and ponder what was going on, I didn’t even notice the results to other divisions or races, how others were doing, barely had time to say two words to Liz who was gallantly supporting and assisting all day (Thank you xx). It was great to see baby Jack turn up to support his uncle on his first trip to the beach and I am sure that he will become a regular feature of the Kanaha and Ho’okipa car parks in future years. I did manage to grab my helmet cam for a couple of heats so that you can experience what it was like out there.
The Maui Race Series is split in two parts; first up it is age groups then in the afternoon it is mixed up into ability groups each section has four races with one discard and prizes are awarded for both. This format is excellent but some sailors do feel the strain and there tends to be a few less survivors on the start line in the afternoon (especially today with the brutal conditions). The quick running heats are extremely efficiently organised and a total of 44 heats were run in 4 hours of racing.
My camp during the pre-race set up. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp
Nervous, yes extremely nervous is the best way to describe how I had been feeling in the run up to the event. I knew that I had put a lot into it over the last couple of weeks, I knew that I had been absent from racing for a long time, I knew that I had been writing about in online, I knew that lots of people have been reading about my adventures… the list goes on, lets just say I was nervous! I was pleased and sort some comfort into the fact that my logistical preparation had gone well and I had a very calm set up in the morning although the changeable wind made equipment choice critical and had many scratching their heads a little. Before long I was sat on the beach upwind of the start with just 5 minutes to go with a bunch of other racers. My nerves were calmed a great deal when Matt (Wicks) joined me (we races together from age 13 to 18 I think) and his cheerful words made me feel at home.
To the start, well I have been practicing so was a bit confident but the strong winds of up to 40mph+ of the last couple of days had made it extremely choppy with some rolling waves out to sea so setting up was rather hard. Two minute count downs go extremely quickly and all of a sudden I was crossing the line with the pack sprinting to the first mark at full speed and within just a few minutes I was crossing the finish line just behind Matt and in 8th place (out of 10). Wow that was quick, I knew that my hesitation on the turns had cost me a few places but I was so pleased not to have embarrassed myself and completed the first race.
End of Race # 1, Matt wins this one. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp
During the set up for the second race I was concerned that a heap of the other sailors seemed to be way ahead, was I late? But, as we came within ten seconds of the flag it was clear that a number of sailors were over early and would be disqualified. Matt and I were again side by side, I led to start but my lacklustre gybes let him through and I was playing catch up. After 3 minutes with the throttle on full we both crossed the line within 15 feet of each other, that was so much fun! I thought I was in trouble with the officials as one came running down the beach screaming at me, luckily all he wanted was my name!
The end of race #2, maxed on a 6.0m. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp
The wind had increased and I just had time to change down to a 5.5m but didn’t have time to change the fin. Liz handed me the helmet cam and I dashed off to the start, you only get about 5 minutes before you need to get back upwind to the start area. The start was amazing, I think I reached the first mark in fourth but once again the turns were causing me trouble and I slipped to eighth by the end.
This is mens 19-39 age group race # 3 including the pre-race countdown. A good start but it goes wrong!
With the wind still maxing out at 40 mph on the course I stayed with the 5.5. Not such a great start but again I was right up there at the start before drifting down the pack after a series of poor gybes, I couldn’t understand why my corners were so bad on race day after being so good in practice. I was certainly playing it too safe. With some disqualifications I ended up with a sixth place in this race so it turned out to be a good result.
I didn’t stay for the final prize giving and results so it was only later I got to read the full results and much to my surprise I came 5th overall in the 19 to 39 division and in that second race where a few people were over early I WON!My results were 8th, 1st, (8th discarded) and 6th = 14.7 points. Consistency and start discipline had really paid off and I am really pleased because this was one of my major weaknesses as a teenage racer. I only wish I had known these results before going into the afternoon as it would have given me confidence to push a little harder.
I think this is the start of 19-39 Race # 2, you can just see me in the middle behind the white North.
After a short lunch break where I spent much of my time adjusting my 5.5 to cope with the increasing wind only for the wind to drop down and me have to switch back to the 6.0m! I did get some much needed rest back at my base camp, having a good race day camp is so important and I always try to get out of my wet gear whenever possible, the longer you are in wet clothes, wetsuits etc. the more energy drains out of you.
For the afternoon I had signed up for the Expert division and the increasing wind, swell and rain made for torturous conditions but it reminded me of racing in Denmark at the 1994 Youth World Championships and I was relatively comfortable. With even less time between heats in the afternoon there was barely time to catch your breathe before you had to be on your way to the start boat. The wind picked up some more and I could see more coming upwind. I just had enough time to change down to the 5.5 again and change the fin before the third race. Again my turns were letting me down but my speed was good between the marks. With better turns maybe I could have won the division but I ended up third with a 1st, 3rd, 3rd and 3rd (Discard) = 6.7 points. Again I didn’t realise that I had won the first race until later when I realised that Bernd was over early. As I rounded the final mark I started to reflect on the whirlwind of a day and smiled but was a little sad that it was all over and I would have to wait until next year to race again.
This is the Expert group race # 3 including the pre-race countdown. Too many mistakes, really over powered on 5.5m.
Max 100m speed of 29.95knots during the races.
So where to go from here? I am certainly keen to continue with racing for fun and aim to compete in a few Maui Race Series events next year. In a month I will be leaving Maui and going back to Bahrain for a number of months and I will be sure to take some slalom kit with me because the conditions are perfect there to train. I had luckily borrowed virtually all the gear used from Hot Sails Maui and Tom and to compete in the future I will have to get some boards and order sails, booms, bases etc. This is expensive but with careful planning I am sure that I can reduce the cost a lot. Slalom racing is fun and my advise to any budding racer is prepare, get your practice in and get signed up, if you approach it with the right attitude you will enjoy yourself and your sailing with improve immeasurably. Now that this challenge has been completed it is time for me to start my next. Check back tomorrow for more info about my next mini-challenge!
Saturday brings the Maui Race Series to a close with the final event of the race season here on the Valley Isle. The Neil Pryde sponsored State Championship will bring together racers from around the globe as far a field as South Africa, Australia, the UK and of course there are a lot of riders from the USA many of whom are Hawaiian grown. All racers will have one thing in common as the first hooter blows, a desire to become State Champion in their respected division and by this time tomorrow we will have our champions crowned.
All sticker'd up and ready to roll...
On a personal note this event will mark my return to racing after a 15 year gap and I am really looking forward to it. This afternoon it all camer back to where it begun some 20 years ago at Alton Water in the UK when I first applied my sail numbers to a green and black Dolphin Sails 6.0m, back then it was K197 but I later shortened that to K97. The sails and boards may have progressed some what but, the feeling of marking a sail and preparing your gear for race day is still the same and those feelings came flooding back today.
Planning is everything and I thought that I had all bases covered but, then it got stupidly windy for Maui with gusts of 41 mph today with the same forecast for tomorrow. Today I could not sail in a straight line with my 5.5m (my smallest!). The last 2 weeks of training has been with 8.0 thru 6.0m. Enough of today, tomorrow is race day, all bets are off, the sun will rise and I will be on a mission until the final chequered flag falls to signal the end of the final race.
Bring it on!Tune in tomorrow for the full report with pictures and onboard video action, see what it is like to compete and hear how my return to racing goes!
With just a week until the final Maui slalom race of the season the action at the beach is hotting up. Everyone seems really motivated to do well next weekend and it had led to some great training opportunities as racers jostle for position on the water. Confidence is so important during these super charged testosterone full races and that knowing that you can out pace or out turn your fellow competitors is vital if you are going to succeed on race day.
I am starting to meet a few of the racers at the beach who seem to be at Kanaha every afternoon and it has been really useful to get some input from equipment set up to advice on starting. I remember my first few events on the UK national circuit in the 90’s and how intimidated I felt, that cannot have helped my performance so it is great to feel a little more at home amongst the racers here. Tonight I set up some sparring with a fellow competitor who has his own buoy. Rounding a mark on your own is one thing but when you add other sailors into the mix the perfect laydown slalom gybe may not, okay probably isn’t the best policy and you have to adapt to the situation FAST before you either bounce out and fall and/or get hit by someone else. I almost don’t want to write this but I seem to be developing a habit of falling when the person in front of me falls, not sure why but that is certainly the time to attack rather than falter. After several rounds of sparring I was really pleased, I had plenty of speed and managed to cut inside at the mark and come out with some speed. We were running really short legs to get as many competitive corners in. We were both using GPS tracking and it was great to be able to compare. At first I was running 26-27 knots but as the wind picked up my speeds increased to 27-29 knots. At the end of the session we had a good chat about the good and bad and agreed to meet up to practice starts – I now have a timer so need to get used to using it and the starting procedure.
I am pleased to see less dark colours on the turns today = better speed maintained! Best 100m run today was 29.035 knots with a top end of 29.605 knots.
I was set to test a 32cm prototype race fin today but that almost didn’t happen when I realised that I didn’t have a set of screws that fit – they were all too long. Luckily after searching my box of bits I just about managed to find enough washers (about an inch think on each screw!) to fit it snugly into the box. (My session was almost halted again when I broke my downhaul rope and had just enough left for a double run through the pully rather than a tripple, it was rather hard to get the desired tension, note to self - get some spare line!) For the last couple of days I have felt the need for more grip and this new fin certainly gave me that, it was really smooth and I felt in more control. I think that this will be perfect for 6.6m and lighter wind 6.0m weather but, I think that I might need a 30cm when I am over powered on the 6.0m and a 34cm or 36cm for the 7.3m.
The 32cm prototype felt smooth and fast, it was great to have more control and better grip. I look foward to getting my hands on some other sizes.
I also have a some 16cm Twins to test out, they have plenty of flex so I am confident that they will have plenty of slide. I have my fingers and toes crossed for some waves so that I can try them out and report back.
On arriving back at the ranch I still wanted to push myself a little further and again donned my running shoes, to be honest maybe I should have rested but I am always keen to see when the max is and I came pretty close to finding it today as I totally blew out half way through my run, eventually I got home but totally shattered. This is where I must pay tribute to Powerbars which proved an excellent way to help speed up my recovery. I think that it is time for some rest and the latest episode of Friday Night Lights!
I have been really pleased with the Powerbars I bought the other day, these seem to really help in the recovery phase and I will certainly be buying some more.
Pic of the day - Paia Bay
This is one of my favourite beaches in Hawaii, whether you want a swim in the summer, to relax in the sun or a surf in the winter this is so often the perfect place to be.
