Results: Kingston Windsurfing Regatta, July 5-6 2003

Kingston and Sail Kingston came through with flying colors (again) providing 5 short Formula races on Saturday July 5 and 4 more longer races on Sunday July 6, in winds from 9 to 15-plus knots, and of course on the famous Kingston chop.  With only one Raceboard and three Americans Formulas showing up, there were 25 entrants including four women (two new Formulas) and four Juniors in the Formula Experience class.

First "A" Fleet Formula was Stephen Myer from Pennsylvania (US933, Mistral Devil II-Windwing-Select), with 5 bullets in 9 races, showing excellent form on his 12.5m2 sail and handling the choppy conditions with aplomb. Montreal teammates Hadrian Corning (Starboard-NeilPryde-Deboichet) and Yu-Wei Yang Starboard, NeilPryde-C3) battled it out, with Hadrian winning two bullets and taking 2nd place by a half-point over Yu-Wei 3rd.  2002 Canadians Champ Jan Wroblewski from Mississauga (Starboard- NeilPryde-Deboichet) took 4th place, with Rick Collins of Ottawa placing 5th.  Veteran (and first Grandmaster) Yvon Lefebvre of Quebec City overcame early problems to make three 4th place finishes, scoring 6th place, while Barrie's Geoff Mitchinson started off with a bang, winning the first two bullets in the "A" Fleet, but only managing a 7th place finish at the end of two days racing.

Two other US sailors finished 8th (John Groesbeek US 811) and 11th (Iain Boyd, CAN 531).  Veteran Raceboard Master Bob Shuttleworth of  Aurora ON was 10th, while Daniel Lefebvre of Quebec suffered a physical injury and was only able to complete the first race.

The Formula Experience fleet featured 4 Women,, 4 Juniors and 4 first-time Men Formulas.  Frances Kilburn (an "A" fleet sailor competing with two women newcomers to Formula) from Quebec (Mikes LabML90-NeilPryde-Deboichet) won 1st place, with Phil Soltysiak, 16, close behind, taking first Junior and 2nd place overall (Starboard 136- NeilPryde-Curtis), while his younger brother Tom Soltysiak, 15,  won 3rd place & 2nd Junior (Starboard 136-NeilPryde & Hot-Curtis), and another 15-year old Josh Wood (Starboard 136-NeilPryde-Deboichet) took 4th overall (3rd Junior).

The FE women's fleet shows great promise with Stephanie Todd winning 5th place (and 2nd Woman), while newcomer Bart Ollen came in 6th, followed by Andrée Gauthier, another Raceboard veteran woman on a small Formula board for the first time.  Ling-Yue Hung of Ottawa finished 4th Woman. Despite missing the 2nd day, the 4th Youth Guillaume Pichon had a strong first day to finish 8th overall, over Formula newcomers Robert Lerioux (9th), Jonathan Fraser and Jason Idler.

The winds though a little light at times on Sunday were overall excellent for "A" and "FE" fleets and novices, with warm water and sunny weather, excellent RC crew and Kingston hospitality at the Kingston Yacht Club.  NeilPryde provided prizes for all competitors.  A big thanks to the organizers, and we have an invitation to return in late June in 2004, an offer we won't refuse!

N.B.:  Please note that the Magdalen Islands event scheduled for August 25-30 is cancelled.

SEE YOU ALL at Windsurfing Canada's 4th and 5th sanctioned events, the Canadian Windsurfing Championships/USW NRT event in Squamish BC, July 24-26 and at Le Festival du Vent in Quebec City August 16-17 (bring your slalom board as well for both of these !)