Bonaire Int. Regatta 2013

It's already the 46th of Bonaire Regatta. It wasn't sure if it would have taken place this year, just a few eeks before the event, but lucky they decided to continue this very nice event and wich is very important for Bonaire.

Day 1- The wind was pretty nice. About 18 knots with some gust. I'm in the men fleet so good have some practice with the men/ boys. I sailed on my Starboard I sonic 110 and 7.0 with a 40cm of fin. As we had a back to back race with some upwind course in it.

I did pretty good and finshed twice on the 3rd spot.

Day 2- Today was a lot of miscommunication as it wasn't clear that the scedule of race has been changed so by the time I got my gear read to go it was already the start of my heat. So missed that one with included Jurgen and Gunther.

The second race also was not clear so this time we made it still on time to the start to be able to start, but now the other boys wheren't on the startline. So that made my score a (DNS) and a 4th place.

I was with my Starboard formula 160 and 8,6m2 all day.

Day 3- was a rest day for all the boats and windsurf sailboards. Today was for the BMX competion and freestyle towin sesion, what was again a great show from the world top freestyle riders, like Amado Vriewijk, Kiri Thode and Taty Frans.

Day 4- It wasn't very windy day so we went with formula again and I took this time the NP 7,8m2 sail what was quite good as I had lots of speed and was easy to go upwind. I was very happy with my sailing as it was quite close with the other guys, like Ethienne. I had two times a 3rd place.

Day 5- Already the last day of the regatta. I started of with a 4th place and basicly didn't needed to sail my last race to keep my 3rd place overall, but i did just to have some fun on the water and to have more practice time with the other guys. I decided both races to go with the formula and the 7,8m2 NP sail. It was quite a good choose as a couple of times the wind went away and then a big gust came back in.

It was a very close battle between Jurgen Saragoza and me.

It was a very nice regatta, with very good wind this year. Hope to see you all back next year.

For more info see: 

http://www.bonaireregatta.org

Aruba Hi winds 2013

Aruba Hi winds is one of the nicest events to be at. It's also the event I never one before and this should be the year!!!

We travelled with quite a big group of kids towards Aruba. 

The first day was already nice - there was not so much wind in begin of the day but at 15.30 it started to pick up. S we could finaly start racing. We sailed at the end 3 heats today.

I'm in the heat with women and sport men.

In total 11 windsurfers, sport and women.

I surfed a 2-2-5 overall today and at the women a 1-1-2. It's earlie to say but is it finaly going to happen that I can be on the highst part of the podium this year.....?

Just hope it will go bit better with my body, I feel weak/ shaky and lots of pain in my back. Hopefully it will go away. Now we have dinner sposored by the event and after we go to the movies. Programm is very nice this year.

Day2- .....after the races we had dinner and party time at the Sail works catemaran. Very nice evening and lots of fun with the people from Venezuela.

Day 3- 

Day 4-

Big thanks to Don Andres who sponsored all the windsurfers of Bonaire by bringing there gear to Aruba. :-)

KITE RIDE BONAIRE

Downwinder Atlantis beach- Klein Bonaire/ Spice

Still waiting for some good pinctures of the downwinder but I can say that it was the best Downwinder I ever did with about 70 kiters, 10 windsurfers and 20 sailingboats.
The start was at 12.00 and after all the kiters left it was our turn the windsurfers. Even I can kite I decided to go with my windsurf equipment and like many times again on my favorite set 7.0 NP and 97 Isonic as the wind was about 19-20 knots and a bit more from the South then normal. 
All does collours on the water was a great view.
It was already great but when some dolphins started to play around me and the other people on the water I was just jumping on my board.
It was great to see them jumping besides me, under the boards and follow me everywhere around.
After I while they left me and I continued to Klein Bonaire (No Name Beach) and from there to Eden Beach/ Spice where we had some good party on the beacn and time to chat with (new) friends.
It was no competion, it was just a great event to show the people the watersports we have here on the island and to be together at the same time at the same place on the water.
It was a great event and hopefully next ear again. 

Next will be Aruba Hi winds! 

Pro Kids Bonaire 2013 (may 31st - June 2nd)

Day1- On may 31st we had to registrate at Sorobon. It was nice. We all get a goody bag with pretty cool stuff on it.

This year ProKids Bonaire 2013 has a total of 91 registtered participants for only the windsurf competions slalom and freestyle and later another 20 kids and adults for the paddle board competion wich took place on Sunday.

The evening evening was filled with entertaiment and sports a big opening with a party till late in the evening with Freestyle Night Sailing, DJ Toad, Domino, Bolas, Beach Volleyball and Foyan Boys.

I didn't stay to long as the next day the competion was going to start.

Day 2- First race day started with Marathon Aerobics and at 8AM followed by Skippers meeting and at around 11AM we started with the first Slalom Races. A day filled with entertainment and water sports and beach sports.
The wind was good and I was ready to race...
It was a bit not clear when the start of the women was, but when we finaly did start I was far in fron t of the rest, just because of that wasn't sure if I was in the correct group, but when I found out I was still in good position and followed the route. Finished 4th behind the men but before the other women.
The other races I even managed to finish 3rd overall and was in big "fight" to keep my place in front of the group.
With did in total 4 heats today and Im first of the women and 3rd with the master men.

Day - 3 Today things went even better then the day before. I had some very good starts, that I had even a couple of time the front position. It was a great day with again very good wind. IK was both days on my Starboard I sonic 97 and 7.0 m2 Neil pryde racing. I love realy this combination as it feels realy fast.
I won all the races of the women and today was 5 times out of 6 3rd overall in our heat. 
The last race was realy great as we all competed together and was lots of fun as of course everyone wanted to be first, Taty Frans was the fastest of the whole competion.
For more results see:
Results Pro Kids 2013

 On the podium Slalom competion #1 Monique Meijer, #2 Maxime van Gent and #3 Lara Overwater

First price for Stand up Peddle boarding women.

I would like to thank all the people who made this event possible. Then of course my sponsors Starboard, Neil Pryde, Bonaire Windsurf Place and Insel Air, without you it will not be possible. Hope to see you all soon back on the water again.

Copa Julia 19th of May 2013

After a great event last week in Curacao I was bit more prepaired for the Copa Julia.
Always a great event here on Bonaire.
It's because's Elvis his daughter's birthday, this year for the 15th time.
Many kids, but also adults showed up for the event and so over 30 people took part. With big names as : Taty Frans, Kiri Thode, Choco Frans, Amado Vrieswijk and Bjorn Saragoza, but also Chepi, Jurgen Saragoza, Denley, Yorman, Xemion and Jean Paul.
The event is mainly about having fun, but of course special in the older groups they want to show who is the fastest too :-)

We had three diffrent courses for all levels.
- Beginners
- Boys/ girls
- Men/ women 

The first start i did some realy stuppid things, so past the startline as last person. Ready to catch up the rest, I managed to pass about 4 people, but made again a mistake as not finishing over the correct line.
Oke next start should go better and so I did, not as good as the week before but at least not in the back, all my jibes went oke. I was back on my "home" water and felt so nice to compete against all the slalom sailors we have now on Bonaire.
Each reach I was getting better and better. So At the end I'm oke with my inprovement the last week and now I feel ready for the Pro kids.

Fixing my harneslines

Slalom results:
Men                  - Taty Frans
Women             - Monique Meijer
Youth               - Jurgen Saragoza
Super kids        - Bastiaan
Kids                  - Chepi Gustowiski
Beginner kids   - ?  

Most of the slalom & freestylers of Bonaire!!!

1st place women slalom

It was already the 15th Copa Julia (julia's cup) @ Sorobon.

Crowds gathered around to cheer on Boanire Future windsing pros as they gave the crowd a show on the water competing agianst eachother in both Slalom and freestyle.

We would like to congratulate all of the who competed and all of the parets and spectators for cheering and applauding for the kids.

On the 31st of May Boanire will be organizing it's 9th Annual Kids Event at Sorobon.

So if your on the island be sure enjoy the party or you can also follow the whole competion on  Prokids Windsurfing Bonaire..

Curacao Challenge 2013

It was already a year ago that I did any competion.
I went like each year to Curacao to take part in the Challege. I packed the Neil Evo racing 2013 sails 7.0 and 7.8 and took Starboard I sonic's 97 and 107 liter 2013 as teh weather forecast was a bit hard to know what to take. Windguru gave a forecast for begin of the event up to 23 knots and on Sunday for bout 14 knots.
This year it was a real Challenge, the organization decided to put me with the Pro's!
After almost no sailing for one year, new equipment and tof conditions, it was hard working for me.

Discovery Bay Location for the Pro class slalom at the Curacao Challenge 2013

Day 1- When I arived at Discovery Bay I was very suprised about the spot. It's a bay not far from Spanisch water where the Curacao Windsurfschool is located. You have to go down the stairs to reach the little beach full of rocks, when you looked to the sea it's amazing. Blue collour with a nice swell out on the sea.
I had basicly one option to rigg, the "smallest" gear I took, for me that was for this time the Starboard I sonic 97 liters and the NP 7.0
Just before the start the startboat had some problems so we had some free runs and returned back to the beach as it was pretty wild outside. Swell up to 2 meter high and wind up to 25 knots.
After a while we started. I had realy good starts at the pin-end, just against guy's like Kiri Thode and Taty Frans I had no change.
We did 3 heats before lunch what was organized by the Sponsor Goisco. 
After lunch we had another 4 heats, just I started to feel that I didn't windsurf so much the last months and as I was so overpowered I lost a lot of energy. In Heat 5, I couldn't make normal jibes anymore and when I couldn't make it on time back to the startline I had to stop. With the great support of the Citro seadoo guy's I arived safe back to the beach.
I could look back to a very CHALLENGING first day of the wind, but had lot's of fun on the water.

Me cruising around @ Curacao (Picture made by Stef Anemaat)

Had some very good starts (picture made by Stef Anemaat)

Day 2- Today there where no slalom races, today was sceduled for freestyle and SUP competion. At the last moment I decided to take part in the SUP competion and plased my self pretty easy in the quaterfinales, so on Sunday would be the final rounds.

Having fun with SUP (picture made by Stef Anemaat)

Day 3- I had to wake up pretty earlie (6 am) to go on time to the eventside, after I arriving on the beach we noticed that the wind wasn't so straong anymore as the other day. I decided to use the same equipment as i used on Friday just to make sure not to be so crazy overpowered again, it was this time a good choise. I felt much more in control and confortable sailing around the marks. 
I was able to get some realy good speed and was able to move up some places in mine ranking overall.
We sailed 4 races this morning. My starts where still good, just to do pinstarts was bit tricky as the first mark was close to shore and not much wind so was difficuilt to reach the mark, some even had trouble to keep planning, but for me the 97 liter board was just perfect.
After the slalom races I packed my bags and we went back to the Windsurfingschool Curacao where we had lasagne for lunch and after the lunch the SUP competion started again.
I was in heat # 4. Again a big challenge as all the women where in seprate groups with the men.
I started good but half way the course, wich was much longer then the day before, I started to feel my muscless after 4 heats windsurfing of the ocean with the Pro's. 
Anyway it was my first competion on the SUP and was a new thing for me and I liked it a lot, so hope in the future I can compete more in SUP competions too.
Then the rest of teh afternoon was planned for freestyle, there was not realy steady wind so the organisation decided to do a tow in sesion. It was a great succes. Big air times and good tricks.

I can look back to a nice event after a very long time and now getting ready for the Copa Julia next weekend at Sorobon and 31 of may up to 2nd of June for the Pro KIDS Bonaire!!!

Thanks to all the people who made this event possible. Fulco for bringing me to the airport. Insell air for supporting us with our gear. And a special thanks to Ingmar and Hilde for organizing my transport from the aiport and that I could stay at there place.
Without all this support it will not be able to go to other events, so big THANKS.