Holy crap mate! glad u guys are ok! Would like to know #77's side of the story..?
That's one of those problems the organisers didn't foresee when abbreviating the race name to L2L.
was at the finish line and saw what i thought was an inverted Peter Lynn (Synergy/Charger?). Looks like it is in this vid...and inverted...fair effort if it was indeed flown like this for the crossing.
@PilotPete, well done for getting through the scrape! I had a close call with poor old 77 so must have been in front of you just before your tangle.
With 2 minutes to go, I was still on the eastern side of the starting boat sailing away from the line and about to turn back toward the line to make my run around to the start. I couldn't turn back because 77 was sitting right behind me pushing me further from the line. With 90 sec to go, he fell off which allowed me to turn, get back around the committee boat, and cross the line about 20s after the start. Happy days.
Not so for 77. Unfortunately where he fell off was now right in the sailing line for the advancing flock of kites...me included... with the kite parked at 12. I sailed just under him, another beside me just above him... and I have no idea how all the lines missed.
The shot below was just before we passed him, and must have been just before he got going again on the way to tangle with PilotPete.
I guess its all part of racing and how lucky you were at the end of the day.
My conclusion is that many things can go wrong and every thing has to be perfect to get to the front.
Starting with your watch not stoping on the beach
Your lines not getting pulled into the air by seaweed on some one elses lines
some guy falling off the board just past the start line, the next guy flys his kite backwards towards your own, but kites just miss and you have to wait till its all sorted.
At the end of the day a lot of guys like myself are thinking, ...What could have been, but were all stoked just getting across.
Also probably not such a good idea quoting names or numbers.
Im sure anyone can make a mistake in the start fracas.
Man, that race looks like fun.
I'm the culprit number 77. It doesn't show in the photos but there was a guy also behind me pushing me back towards the startline. I think in the end he used more brains than me and just turned around and joined the pack. I had expected that all the riders would take off sort of downwind, and in the photos you can see that most did, but maybe 10 riders came out more across the wind than I expected. When I realised I was in their way I just stopped in the water and put my kite up high so everyone could go around me on the downwind side. and most did. But someone went upwind of me and couldn't get his kite over mine and that turned to tears. At least I managed to unhook and then let the leash off and the other guy managed to get away, so it was only tears for one of us in the end.
Obviously it was Pilot Pete that tangled with me, so Pete I hope you weren't going to be in the top few, because it would have certainly cost you the race.
And yes what a great day the organisers have put on again. Well done Tim and the crew.
Dazza
While the "learn by experience" advice is flowing here's my bit.
Have a run on the gear you intend using - preferably a few days before the race. 
. DOH.
Someone also told me that a bit pre-race training also helps. Interesting concept ?
My poor, out of condition, 3 mths off the water, body told me the same thing on Sunday. 
Congrats to all concerned esp Tim T and our WAKSA volunteers. You guys rock.
Best L2L yet. What an awesome day out.
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" When I realised I was in their way I just stopped in the water and put my kite up high so everyone could go around me on the downwind side. and most did. But someone went upwind of me and couldn't get his kite over mine and that turned to tears. At least I managed to unhook and then let the leash off and the other guy managed to get away, so it was only tears for one of us in the end."
Hey Dazza
S... happens and no real harm done, but I have to point out from what I saw you were moving towards me at pace and that's clear in the video. You were not stopped in the water when your kite lines tangled with mine unless you are talking about another encounter? The only way I could have avoided your lines was to drop my kite into the lines of the leeward rider downwind of me who had right of way (as I was on his windward side).
These things can and will happen but running back against the race flow is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, the closing speed could have been 50-80 kms an hour if it had been head on with another rider.
Let's put it down to lessons learnt there's always another day!
Seabreeze, the best place for nerds to air their grievances that before the inter webs would have been filed in the **** happens basket.
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You are a definite worry Phil. 
Kent, nice gps track. You can clearly see where the weed got stuck. The more impressive numbers are the min and max elevation - a difference of 33 feet. Did you have to boost that high to drop the weed ?
Pete, you are right of course. It's not the way I remember it but the video doesn't lie. I watched the video again and it's pretty clear. I should have turned around again or just lifted my kite higher. Basic mistake on my part. Sorry, Pete.
Really good event!
Just 2 things that I would like to change for next year.
- The whole beach is cleared out one hour after the race, must be possible to make it a little more long lasting while such a good bunch of kiters are gathered at the same beach.
- Find a better place for the after party, this one was way to chilled for my liking. Salt at the beach is just around the corner and they have hosted good WAKSA parties before. Lend the showers from the lifesaving clubs and no need to go home in between for anyone.
would like to swop it for a medium
Yes will do - and will add the lessons learnt after 3 attempts with a 4th a 33rd & a hard fought 1st this year. I agree with a few posts above about having to get everything right and not make mistakes in the race. 10 seconds at 25 knots is 150m so you if you get tangled, fall off or get stuck behind a slow pack it can cost you 10 places in the blink of an eye. As above posts I got tangled on start in 2011 so things like that happen in the blink of an eye and with alot of kites around you you can't do much about it as the nightmare starts to happen. 
But thats the fun and drama of racing
Hats off to Dale & Phil - very consistant every year and the Boyz will be hard to beat in 2013 -
Go Team Boss
