The wind is back on Bonaire!

It was a great weekend kite and windsurfing.

Friday i was all afternoon out on the water with my windsurfgear 7.0 Neil Pryde Evo and the 97 liters Starboard. 
Saterday i was playing again on the water ,but this time with the kiteboard. Learning to jump and because of the strong winds over 20 knots there was a nice swell, so I could make some nice jumps. I did one sesion of 2 hours and was to tiered to go again.
Then on Sunday again at Sorobon where I was windsurfing with Rutha who took the Maui Sails Tr8 and a 101 and I took the same like Friday, just today we had some swell with rain and strong winds then the wind went down and up again. It ws good fun but in the very strong gust it was to hard to seet in.
Then oke wasn't weekend anymore but after some hours of work I went again to the kite beach where I had a great day with 10m2 race kit and the twintip. I started to do the jumps better already, have some little airtime and can controle the landing. I was very happy to stay easy upwind so I was also doing some toeside riding and later even into a jibe.
When Lars came to check on me he learned me how to do a kiteloop. This is pretty cool.
The second sesion I was jumping again and again and for the first time I went out the water with a little help of Martin but slowely let the kite go down to the beach where Martin was to take the kite down. 
I will be very happy when I can do this also as then I'm less dependent to who is on the beach or not.
Hopefully later this week I can go again, I love watersports....The water is my playground!!!

RS:X ~ Windsurfing back in the Olympic Games

Wednesday, 14 November 2012 20:03

After a six-month -long battle, windsurfing has
made it back as an Olympic event for the 2016
Olympics. The ISAF Annual General Meeting, in
a simple majority vote, decided to delete Kite
boarding and re-instate Windsurfing, which has
been in the Olympics since 1984 as a men's event,
and since 1992 for women.

The ISAF AGM also voted to re-instate the RS:X as the class to be used in the 2016 Olympics.

In May the ISAF Mid Year Meeting of the ISAF Council, in Stresa Italy, took many by surprise when it installed Kiteboarding as an Olympic Event, doing so against the recommendation (17 votes to 2) of the Events Committee.

The same recommendation was again put forward to the ISAF Council Meeting at its Annual Conference, in Dun Laoghire, Ireland, but that would have required a 75% majority to Re-open the Decision of the Council from the May Meeting in respect of the events for the 2016 Olympics.

The move to re-open failed by just two votes to reach the required threshold, but got support from 26 of the 38 voting delegates, at the Council Meeting on Thursday.

From there it was likely that if the Council vote was repeated at the Annual General Meeting (held only once every four years), it was obvious that the Windsurfers had done their homework and would carry the day - provided politics did not come into play and delegates at the AGM (where each country physically present is allowed a single vote, instead of just the the regions in the Council Meeting) had stayed true to the voting direction from the Council meeting - which was that although 75% were not in favour of re-visiting, there clear majority were for a re-instatement of Windsurfing.

Given that scenario, the fate of Kiteboarding in a simple vote was inevitable, and the rogue decision of the ISAF Council at its Mid-Year Meeting was finally overturned by a vote of 51 to 40 in favour of the Windsurfer. There were 104 countries represented at the AGM (with a big fly-in representation for nearby Europe) with a large number of abstentions (believed to be 13) on the 2016 Olympics vote.

The technical process in the voting was that ISAF Regulation 23.1.4 (which covers the Olympic classes for the next Olympics) was amended and approved to include windsurfing

The equipment approved for the 2016 Olympics Sailing Competition is as follows:

Men's Board - RS:X
Women's Board - RS:X
Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser
Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial
Men's second One Person Dinghy - Finn
Men's Skiff - 49er
Women's Skiff – 49erFX
Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470
Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470
Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17

On the kite raceboard

It was exacly one month ago that I had my first kite lesson and today I was keeping myself upwind from the kite beach, so was able to stay at the kite beach and not going downwind anymore.
Lars came after 30 minutes and found it time for me to start on the race board already. It was for me a bit of suprise, but liked the idea I got a try on this board. 
It's a Naish, what is a nice step in between the twin tip onto the real raceboard. It's a bit smaller and less volume then the real raceboards. First we tried with only the front foot in, but I liked it better with both feet in the streps. Not much later I was going. 
It was a funny feeling, as it was feeling like being on a surfboard only not holding a boom from the sail in my hand but just a bar, so less stable. I was suprised I managed to go both sides for longer distance, I even tried for the fun a upwind turn but that was a bit to much in my first lesson on the raceboard.
We tried all the way till I was to much downwind, as now I was only concentrating to stay on the board. The rest of the time I was practising alone.

It was another big step, the day after I was on my new twin tip and the Airbush 8m2 Litium and was great. The first 15minutes I had some troubles because the kite was reacting very quick and the board felt a bit funny after the 138cm to the 130cm was a big differents, but was possible. I got the feeling and stayed without a problem upwind. After 1,5 hour sailing I had enough, but how I get back to the beach?
Just at the end my kite got tangled with another kite because not everyone knows the rules on the water, lucky the lines where not tangled with eachother so I could continue after Lars took the other kite in the boat.

Overall I had a great weekend and improved again a lot....:-) 

http://www.bonairekiteschool.com/

It's getting more serieuos now!

I had now about 13 hours (8 lessons) of practise I went from zero to a independed kitesurfer. So that means that I can go myself on the water, able to make some jibe turns on the twin tip and able to stay upwind. Of course because not everything goes very smooth yet, I make some mistakes, loosing control, falling after a transiation etc. etc. I also loose a bit of my upwind and had to be picked up by the boat after a session of 55 min. what is not bad at all. In the coming days I will work on my turns, so I will be not doing to much body drags finding back my board.I will train as hard as possible as I can't waite to try out the race board to know if I like that? For now I love to learn a new sport and to know there is a group of people around me who like to push me to a higher level.....

It's now exacly one month later and I already have my own kite equipment:
* Airush Lithium medium kite 8m2 
* Airush Varial VXR race kite 10m2 
* Airush race bar + lines
* Race harnas
* Twintip board

http://www.bonairekiteschool.com/

Learning to Kitesurf

Everyone would be thinking what is happening now!

I know it's maybe bit weard to hear I'm going to learn kiteboarding. On the other hand why?
I like to do sports. Its not only my hobby but even my job, I always into learn new things and kiteboarding was always on my list but somehow it never realy happend.

One day someone called me to borrow a boardbag from me. I was a bit suprised as it was not for a surfboard but for a kiteboard. Later on I understood why? It wasn't for a twintip, freestyle board but for a kite raceboard. They are almost the size of a surfboard.
Anyway that is how I got in contact with Lars, who own's the (new) kiteboard school in Bonaire and is realy into the kite racing.
So we started to talk and not much later I was at Lars his kiteschool, down the kite beach- Atlantis.

I didn't plan to come for a leson but Lars put a training kite in my hands and was already telling me how to stear the kite to 12 o' clock back to 11 0'clock, back again and to the otherside.

This wasn't difficuilt at all was pretty easy. I was playing for not more then 30 minutes and I got told to get ready for the water. I had nothing with me (bikini or dry clothes), but Lars asked me what I needed. I said nothing with a big smile :-P . I realy was going to have a try on the water too, GREAT!
It was about 14-15 knots so I went on the water with a 12m2.
After a little body drag down wind we practise to both sides and later on also upwind.
Upwind was a little bit more difficuilt as you had to stear the kite with one hand, but I was able to do with out dropping the kite.
The other thing I learned was how to get the kite out of the water after it dropped.
Then the most exciting thing was with the board. I don't know how I did but straight away the first try I went on the board and kept on going. After 100 meters, I started to get more and more speed and snashed on the water face foward. I was so excited I was kiting already after 1 hour....
Then we tried more and more I still was able to go but not as long as the first try.
Many things are realy simmelair to windsurfing, the only problem I had was that I was pulling a bit to much my front hand so got a lot of speed and was out of controle.
After an hour we stopped. It was a great un expected day.

One week later: it wasn't looking promising outside but Lars called me that we where going to have my second leson today. The big dark rainclothes would soon go away and the thunder was already gone.
I drove a little bit nervous to the beach, as the last time I remeber I had some hard crashes on the water as I got so muchs speed each time I stand on the board.
It was more wind then the other time, I think about 19-20 knots so I had today also a smalles kite 10m2.
After a few little excersizes to see if I remember the things from last time. Yes I did.
I was realy suprised as I had the kite much more under controle and made some very nice runs to the right side and was also able to stand to the left side too and already started at the end to try to kite a bit upwind on the board...it feels so nice. After 1,5 hour I went back to the beach, with a very good feeling about my progression. It seems so muchs easier to learn then windsurfing.
My goal now is to learn as quick as possible to controle the kite with the board and to be able to go myself, so I can practise more and more...

http://www.bonairekiteschool.com/

The Olympic dream came to an end.......

It has been quite the last months on this block, not without a reason. 

After the last qualification competion in Caidz- Spain. I knew I didn't do where I came for and that was to qualify, my country and so myself for the Olympics. 
A little hope was left to get a wildcard as there where two places. But then the said news arrived. First that it was going to be very hard to get one as the Netherlands Antilles didn't exist anymore, so also no future for the country in the next Olympics, but that we knew already. Then second and even worse was that somewhere half of May there was very bad news for the windsurf sport and special the RSX class and as well the Big techno class (wich is the youth class before going to the RSX) as they anounched there has been a vote against windsurfing and to put kitesurfing into the Olympics in 2016. 

My first reaction was " How is that possible". Everyone worked so hard for many many years and they can stop an catogory like that without a reason? 

Already quick after the news came out, there was some confusing about the way the voting went, etc. Spain and Venuezula even apologized about what they did. They choosen kitesurfing while that having a big program for windsurfing.
Sinds then I followed as much as possible, trying to understand what happend, why and what next. 
Basicly most important what is next. As starting a youth project for RSX in the Caribean was now kind of out of the picture. 
So all I could do is waite till November when it will be official...

Don't get me wrong I do have nothing against kitesurfing, but we lost a lot of talent by taking windsurfing out.

A few months later after the vote was made for kitesurfing into the Olympics at Rio 2016 and windsurfing out .....

I forgot almost to tell that even that I didn't make it into the Olympics of London 2012 I can look back to a great part of my life. I traveled a lot around the world special the last two years. I was in Puerte Rico, Cozumel and Puerte Vallerta Mexico , Miami and Banana river USA, Medenblik- Holland,  Weymouth- England, Perth- Australia and Cadiz- Spain. In all different kind of competions like: Central America games, North American cup, World Championship, Olympic class regatta, etc. But for me maybe the most impressive and important was the Pre Olympics in Weymouth and the PANAM games in Mexico.

So overall it was a lot of investment, financiel, mental, fysical but was 100% worth and I always can say to myself I tried and did all I could do myself.

I also want to take the moment to say a BIG THANKS, to all the people who kept believing in me and helped me as much as they could.

Curacao Challenge 2012

Skippers meeting day 1

From Thursday 17 May to Sunday 21 May, Curacao in the sign of the great windsurfing event the "Curacao Challenge. Unique to this fourth edition is that the matches in three different locations, namely St. George's Bay, Windsurfing Curacao to Caracas Bay Island and the sea at the Jan Thiel Beach.On Thursday 17 and Friday 18 May, 'downwind' slalom races at St. George's Bay for two different classes. The open class, designed for windsurfers with a lot of competition experience, and the sport class for windsurfers who first enter a contest.In the open class slalom in the age 16 +, Jean Patrick van der Wolde from Curacao, recently crowned 2011 Curacao sporting talent in youth and youth also IFCA World Champion 2011, make its appearance. His great rival from Bonaire, Amado Vrieswijk, he will be not easy. These two talented young people have already fought in many games against each other, but will now be up against professionals and Taty Frans and Bjorn Saragoza. This promises to be very exciting heats.
In the weekend of 19 and 20 May, slalom races, freestyle competitions and spectacular mini-kids races at Windsurfing Curacao. On Saturday and Sunday working the open class, in which professionals and Taty Frans, Bjorn Saragoza and Monique Meijer will sail from Bonaire, a spectacular figure 8-slalom on the open sea off the beach of Beach Club Zanzibar. The class will sport a 'downwind' slalom sailing at Windsurfing Curacao.On Saturday and Sunday sail the rookies and freestyle class at the same time the Spanish Water. The rookies are children who just started with windsurfing. Some of them are just a few weeks of surfing and do it anyway. 

Getting the gear ready

Getting ready for the start

Me flying around the marks

Day 1- It was a windy day and I started of with my 6.2 and 86 liter Starboard I sonic. The first heat I was pretty powered up and was sailing very smooth around on the waters of St Jorisbay. Just then the wind dropped a little and I wasn't able to change gear. I had to wrok hard to keep my gear going but was still able to pass other people. I guess it was between 18-22 knots today.
After lunch I changed to the 97 liter board what is my favorite and was helping me a lot.
This day we had in total 6 rounds and I was 11th in the men class overall and 1st in women.

Racing between the big guys

Day 2- It was still nice weather conditions for some playing on the water. Not so strong wind as the day before but still very good. I guess about 18 knots. So I went out on the 97 liter I sonic with my 7.0 m2 Neil Pryde. Today I promised my self to make better starts as the level in this group is so high that you can't be late a few seconds on the start, it will drop you straight away more then 5 place. So I did. 

I was happy about my starts as was all the time in the first part of the fleet. 

I was jibing smoothly around the marks. I had a great competion with Rens Grijpsma, Milan and some others and finshed the day with a good feeling about my races. Tommorrow we will move to Zanzhibar to go out on the open see and the forecast is for 28 knots.

Day 3- Today was the real challenge, after the rea flat water at St Joris baai was today the open sea at Jan Thiel Zanzhibar. In the morning they had a freestyle competion at Spaanse water and after we started the open Slalom. There where 16 brave men and boys and me... The wind was pretty strong. The most decided to go on smaller gear then at St Joris. I decided to take my 6.2m2 with the Starboard I sonic 97 as we had to do a figur eight and I was pretty happy I decided to tke this set. It was realy strong out there with big waves up to 3 meters, but because the course wasn't perfect we had a very upwind mark and a downwind mark, so with a bigger board and fin it was muchs easier then with the small board. I was realy happy with my results as had some great jibes around the marks and speed was good too. Just the starts where hard to time as was very gusty close to the shore and with the waves difficuilt to stay in one position, but overall I was stocked with my performance.

Going back to the beach

Day 4- It was already the last day of the Curacao Challenge. The windguru was giving a lot of wind today so everyone decided to keep the same set as the day before with the 28 knots we seen online. On the water it felt not as much. It was maybe even a little less then the day before.
Today they organisation was able to put a better course on the open sea so we had to do a real figur eight. I was so tiered from the days before that I had a little problem making the jibes in the waves. I had two times a 12 as finish.
Then we went back in for a little rest and some drinks. I decided to stay on shore to watch the last races.   It was great to see them flying over the water.
Later in the day there was a freestyle competion again at Spaanse water. It was great to see all the boys and guys doing there tricks to impress the judges.
The Bonaire team did realy well. 

I want to thank all the Sponsors and volunteers of the Curacao Challenge who made this great event again. Special thanks to Insel Air for the wonderfull price I got and the great support they have given me.

Results:

Freestyle

Pros
1 Kiri Thode Bon
2 Bjorn Saragoza Bon
3 Amado Vrieswijk Bon

Kids
1 Cheppie BON
2 Wave CUR
3 Stijn CUR

Slalom

Boys 14-17

1st Kenroy Francisca  CUR
2nd Jordan van Rooijen  CUR
3rd Richard Richie CUR

Girls 14-17
1st Fleur van der Burg CUR
2nd Puk van Spall CUR
3rd Annelotte Sussenbach CUR

Men 16+ Open Class
1st Richard Konstapel CUR
2nd Bjorn Saragoza BON
3rd Ethan Westera ARU

Women Open Class

1st Monique Meijer BON

Kids 7-15 Open Class
1st Aron Etmon CUR
2nd Felix den Heijer CUR
3rd Jurgen Saragoza BON

Men 16+ Sport Class
1st Michel Motshagen CUR
2nd Ivan Etmon CUR
3rd Roeland Schaeffer CUR

Kids 7-16 Sports Class
1st Jean Paul Da Silva de Goes CUR
2nd Delano Moreno CUR
3rd Oscar Etmon CUR

Kopa Julia 12th of May 2012

Last year we had no wind at the Kopa Julia so we had a SUP competion instead, this year we had no complains about the wind. It was blowing all day around 25 knots.
There where over 25 registrations in all catogories: new kids, Juniors, Youth, Men and Women.
After the skippers meeting at 12.00 o clock we all went on the water. First the smaller kids had to race. They had a three jibe slalom what was great to watch. Then the big guys and women. There slalom course was much longer, all the way to the mangrove what was great.
I had some very good races. In my catogory was also sailing Staphanie Todd and Maxime van Gent. The women had to race with the Men and Youth, so we could see our level with them too. I think we where about 12 people in that heat.
In the women I was 4 times first place, without a problem. Overall I finished most of the time in 4th place after Bjorn Saragoza, Danny Kater and Amado Vrieswijk.

Men

1st Bjorn Saragoza
2nd Endruo Finies
3rd Danny Kater


Women
1st  Monique Meijer
2nd Maxime van Gent
3rd Stephanie Todd


Youth
1st Amado Vrieswijk
2nd Ezri Heijmans
3rd David Lee Winklaar


Junior
1st Sil Romijn
2nd Denley
3rd Xemion


New kids
1st Marcel Spruit

World Championship Cadiz- Spain

On my way to another competion (right now again at Schiphol airport).


It's so far the second qualification round for qualification Olympics.
The first 20 spots are given already to the top 20 countries in the Wolrd Championship Perth Australia last December. 
The last 7 places are left and I'm one of the countries going to fight for one of does places.
It will be a very tof competion. There are 120 men and 80 women registrated.
The biggest windsurf event I ever been too. It will be great, it will be fun and it will be hard!!!

Last time the Dutch Antilles flag ever will be at a (RSX)sportevent.

18th March. I arrived yesterday very late as the last connection flight from Madrid was on delay, then we had tecnical problems at the sart and had to return and when we finaly where in the air they told us the aiport was closed by now so we had to fly to Seveila and transport by bus to Jerez. 4 hours later I was finaly there.

The appartment we stay is very nice and at the event side a nice atmospher and all my friends already there. Very nice to see them all back again.
I didn't sail today as I wanted to take a bit rest after the crazy travel, I stickered the sail and checked the material for today.


19th March. Today for the first time on the water here in Cadiz. The sail seems to work nice, I feel I have to change some of the footstreps later, but no big problems on the gear. Around 12.00 o'cloc I went on the water, as this is going to be the official racing time. I missed the start of the first practice race but followed the group just to see what they where doing. As the comeption is in a bay and today with the light of shore wind it was very tricky with the wind. The 2nd and 3rd practise race I was most on port side but staring over bakboard I got a lift from a wind shift wich brouth me straight to the upwind mark. After two very good races between 2nd and 5th place upwind and around 5-6 downwind I thought it was a nice way to start an went with most of the other people back to the shore after 2 hours of training.
In the afternoon I went with Luca to Gibraltar and Tarifa what was nice and relaxing.

In Puerte St Maria

Gibraltar Englisch state

Sunset Tarifa

20st of March My second day on the water. It was more windy then yesterday, I guess around 22 knots, but very gusty. Not easy to sail.

After 5 min. The screw came out of the chickenstrep on the back of the board so couldn’t use it anymore so in the downwind no change, but in te hupwind I could follow the others in does difficuilt conditions, so was nice.

Just I need to get used to the cold as after 2 hours I realy wanted to go back to shore as couldnt feel my hands and feet anymore of the cold wind.
After I changed to another hotel Pinomar as it’s much closer to eventside.

One of the training races just before the start

Training race at the start

21st of March- Today it was mesearment and registration and also the practise day, so full scedule. I went around 10.30 to the sailing club to get myself registrated, I did already my mesearmet online just had to put the serie stickers on the equiment and give back the form and showing them my fin. All was fine.

Then I played a bit with the gear to get everything good and decided not to go bac to the hotel but prepair to go on the water to have a little training sesion with Lilian and Esther and followed by the practise race. The training was oke just for me dificuilt to understand what they where planning to do, the practise race was feeling good. Only had some troubles to get away at the start but later I got told that almost everyone was overearlie and because I made a clean start I had absolutely no wind. After I got speed I was doing good. At the upwind mark I decided to stop and to go back to shore was already out for 2,5 hour.

In the evening we had a short opening ceremonie and then time to sleep zzzzzzzzz.

Practise race (me most on the right)

22nd of March The first day of the BIG competion here in Spain. The men where lready out on the water. It took some time for them to do all 3 races so we had one hour prospone. I was in the second fleet (yellow). It was nice and windy and after a bad start I was sailing oke. I finsihed on time and went back to the start the wind was increasing and I had many problems at my second start. My 5m saftly line was loose and when I tried to get it in I stepped on the daggerboard and that all in the staring time. Half way the course again problems so decided to quiet as no way to catch up anymore. I went back to shore.

Me warming up in the back

Start of the 1st fleet (blue)

23th of March Today I'm again in the yellow feelt, only now we start first. Before the men and before the blue fleet. I was earlie again to have space for rigging but outside was no way to do with the wind, so  all started to rigg inside. At the moment we did some boards where flying around us. Scary and dangerous. Then lucky the prospone flag went up, we are on hold for two hours......men going out first....At 14.00 hour prospone flag untill 15.00 hour.
Races canchelled for the day.

35 knots with gust over 40!!!! No sailing this day...

24th march Today was official the rest day, but because we didn't sail. Again a lot of wind a material flying around. I decided to give it a try to go to the start. I managed to get out of the sailingclub and into the bay with my sail all the way tied and the mast all the way forward. When there came a big gust I couldn't controle my board and before i knew I was head first in the water. Oke, I don't want to give up imidatly, so next try after a waterstart. Not much later I was drinking again salty water and after the 3rd time I did see the official starting time was passed. I signed for a tow in back to the shore.
Later in the afternoon Kiran had to sail and Dorien told me I could go with her coach boat to see a competion close by so I could learn abaout the starts more and the position on the board etc. etc.

Day three, realy windy conditions!!!

Olympic dream MMgoforit

To represent your country at the Olympic Games is a very special honor. For many it is an obsession. For all, it is an unreasonable ambition to hold. Few achieve it. Even fewer go on to win a medal. The 2012 RS:X World Windsurfing Championship will be one step closer for some. For others, it may appear to be the end of the road.

Miami OCR 2012

22nd - today was registration day for all teh classes so also for the RSX class. We had to bring the sail and fin to the USA sailing club to get it checked and sticker our gear. I had no time to go on the water as my board had again some holes from the transport, not mice but I get more sued to it and was even able to repair it myself. I used marine tack and tried to close the holes so tommorrow I can go on the water without any problem.
At 1800 hour there is the opening ceremonie, we all had a shower and then we went.
Tommorrow will be the first racing day.


23rd- The house is full we stay with 8 people (Dominique, Margot, Laurance, Solvye, Jean Sebastiaan, father, mother and me) in the house, but it's nice. At 10.00 hour we went to the event side after a quick stop at the patrol station. I had enough time to rigg and to check my gear.
Around 12.00 I went on the water as it was not so close by. When we reach the startboat the 49ers still had to start there second race what was not nice as we had to waite an hour on the water before to start.
Finally it was our start, the men before us. I had a bad start I couldn't make it up anymore, the first mark was realy far so they had to shorten the race half way the race. It was only a L2 so easy (one upwind mark we had to round twice). The wind was between 5-8 knots I guess.
The second race I had a good start and pomped as long as I could and was in good position but not much later I slowed down a lot and couldn't point muh upwind so cleaned my fin but still not much better. On the downwind I felt bit strainges with the board later I notice why the daggerboard catch a lot of grass and was even inside the board. Anyway not good scores for me today a 12 and 11. Hopefully tommorrow a better day.
The weather forecast is for light wind all week. (8-10 knots) Not my favorite kind of wind but on the RSX you need to be able to sail in 3 knots and up...


24th The race commitee changed our starting time to 13.30 so we don't need to waite so long on the water.