Standup Zone Forum

Stand Up Paddle => Downwind and Racing => Topic started by: Off-Shore on March 07, 2017, 11:50:12 PM

Title: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: Off-Shore on March 07, 2017, 11:50:12 PM
Just a couple of vids from the Dragon SUP competition we had in Hong Kong in November last year. We had pretty simple rules which required competitors to be required to be standing as they crossed the start and finish lines only, and there to be minimum of one female per team.

In the early heats, teams stood the whole way round the course (400m with one 180 deg buoy turn) but by the final each team had figured out the fastest combination of kneeling and standing.

https://youtu.be/hg6bkaDL2DQ
The Final

https://youtu.be/QzppcVE0DsM
One of the early heats

It will be interesting to see how this form of team racing develops.. it is a lot of fun.

Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: PonoBill on March 08, 2017, 12:13:45 AM
I've got mine sitting in my shop, tanned, rested and ready. Just waiting for it to stop snowing in Hood river. I'm thinking this is gonna do a lot of Viento runs this year.
Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: Area 10 on March 08, 2017, 12:24:59 AM
Looks like fun. You'll have to work out some race regs for kneeling, because if a whole team knelt all the way they'd have a huge advantage (unless it's a howling downwinder).
Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: Off-Shore on March 08, 2017, 12:54:52 AM
Interestingly you will see the winning team in the final had the two ladies kneel and the two gents stand up. But these were all elite Pro Surfski paddlers and they just beat our best local team with one lady kneeling. In the heat before this one the local team beat the Pro Surfski team.

For this year's 200m races we will have a standing start with no kneeling allowed and a beach finish where all 4 paddlers have to run past a finish line on the beach so more simple. 
Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: Area 10 on March 08, 2017, 01:15:16 AM
Yeah, some people find kneeling too uncomfortable and can't really do it. But if I kneel I could roughly keep up with Connor Baxter if he was standing - for about 20 metres, anyway, then I'd have to stop and be taken to hospital :) Kneeling is hugely more efficient if you can make it work for you.


Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: supuk on March 08, 2017, 01:33:46 AM
we raced the prototypes last year 3 up is the fastest, however when one person goes down its super hard to get back up because the board serges on every stroke.
Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: Area 10 on March 08, 2017, 01:44:48 AM
Yep, exactly - there are going to have to be some pretty strict rules about kneeling. The whole "kneel-while-going-round-a-buoy" thing needs to be addressed too, even in the solo races. At the moment in a mele it can be more efficient to approach a buoy as tight as you can, then jump in the water when you get to it, turn your board round the buoy with your hands and then re-mount the board than do the whole turn standing while battling to stay upright, and at the moment there's nothing to stop you doing that - is there?
Title: Re: 4 Person Team Dragon SUP racing - vids
Post by: yugi on March 08, 2017, 05:40:18 AM
^ standup is the rule

falling ... can't fault that

whatever is quickest. Not sure a team remounting a board is so fast but hey... explore. The upcoming world champs will reward the ones who practised.
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