Sorrentos Opener

[PonoBill]

The first MCKC race of the year is coming up January 8--next weekend. Sorrentos opener. It's a short little race to get the blood blowing, but it will be a lot of fun and the party after is usually the best of the season. It's be nice to see a lot of you guys participate. I'll be there bringing up the rear.

http://www.mauicanoeandkayak.org/

[LaPerouseBay]

I'll be there in my boat.  Those races really are a good time.     

[headmount]

So what happened?? How was it?  I had a honeydo day.

[PonoBill]

It's was a flatwater slog, but fun. I have been sick as a dog, but I went anyway. Didn't hug anyone.

It was a fun race, as they always are. I got a lousy start. Always a surprise to me how hard that is to overcome. How could the first hundred yards in a multi-mile race matter so much. But once you lose contact with the leaders it's really hard to reel them in. I passed a number of people, finished 4th in the open class but 9th overall, which means I got my ass whupped by a substantial number of 14' and under boards. For shame.

[headmount]

PB... to go do a 6 mile flat water race while sick and post the time you did?  Might not the wisest thing but certainly no shame .  Good work.   Hope your electric is back.  We had a bolt strike right next to our house yesterday but didn't lose juice here in Paia.  Feel like I moved to Florida.

[LaPerouseBay]

Had a great time at my first canoe race.  120 boats; 67 did the long course, 53 the short.  23 oc-2's, 11 ski's, 3 V-1's, 25 SUP's, 3 paddleboards.    



Orange and yellow lines are by the organisers, red is mine.  long course inside line is somewhere in between.  

I had a good warmup and rounded the first bouy in the top ten.  Then chased the ski's and a few oc's WAY outside.  They quickly pulled away, but I could see them.  Many paddlers took the inside line, but I didn't see them.  And I was looking hard.  They were hidden in the swells.  A bit of west swell began to help at the end.  It was agony to catch them and unweight the boat as the south bumps came at you, but that's racing.  Tough sledding for sure.  


 
Based on the results, I think the outside line saved me some time.   I didn't see the canoes on the inside until 50 feet from the finish.  More swell out there than meets the eye... I usually go inside too, but it must have been glide free.  Here I am  finishing just ahead of Kevin Sarich.  He is very experienced - more talent in his little finger than I have in my whole body.  I can't catch him at Maliko.  I bought my boat from him.  



Saturday's race course has more bouys and finishes where it starts.  No chance of sneaking away on a fast line - I'll be lucky to finish on the first page!  Full results here.
http://www.mauicanoeandkayak.org/pdf/2011SarentosSeasonOpener_RaceResults.pdf

[PonoBill]

Funny, MCKC used to be just the Maui Kayak Club--just surfskis. I think the number of surfskis racing last Saturday is about the number they had in club back in the day. Look like adding canoes and SUP is working out.