Author Topic: Racing Classes  (Read 8117 times)

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Racing Classes
« on: July 21, 2008, 01:42:23 PM »
Well, now we have this new area, why not put it to some use.

One of the main topics of conversation at these last two events was the classes, sizes, age groups, etc.  I should note that there was a overwhelmingly positive feel to these events, and the comments were in no way minimizing that.  There were, however a bunch of different ideas on how things should be set up going forward, and what seemed like a consensus, that no matter what is decided, let's get it set so that everyone can prepare. 

What makes sense to you? 


Byronmaui

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2008, 03:00:06 PM »
I am not a racer but based on different boards and builds I would like to see the following:

12 under no rudder
12 - 14 no rudder
Unlimited over 14 with rudder and no rudder together.

Aloha


Byron

stoneaxe

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2008, 04:50:34 PM »
I'll be really interested in the results of this....We'd love to turn the challenge into a race next year...or at least have a race be part of it. I don't think we would be able to make it directly translate immediately though. Not many standup boards here yet nevermind race boards. Be great to get some ideas as to age categories though.

Any thoughts on sub-categories of standard boards? My starboard 12-6 would give me a big advantage over someone on a 10-6. I realize this probably sounds kind of silly to you folks on the islands and west coast but for next year at least it will be unlikely to see many racing boards on the east coast (at least north east). I have yet to see a single one out there.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Tony DaKine

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2008, 08:21:59 PM »
I just like to keep things simple and limit it to two classes so my vote would be:
- 14' and under, no rudder
- over 14 rudder or no rudder

Followed by:
- 12' and under, no rudder
- over 12' rudder or no rudder


kurtr

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2008, 08:33:53 PM »
I like the idea of a 12' and under category -- or actually 12' 6" and under to include the Starboard -- so the folks like me with cruisers wouldn't have to race against the 14' Vortices.    ;)

capobeachboy

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2008, 09:01:20 PM »
In paddleboard racing there's stock class which is 12' and unlimited which is everything else.  Several years ago some events added a 14' division.  Now that SUPs are included in a lot of our mainland events this year Hobie and C4 came up with 12'6", 14' (no rudders in either class) and unlimited where anything goes (rudders, catamarans, etc.).  I assume 12'6" was chosen over 12' because there's already many production boards just over 12' and it would be unfair to group them with 14's (Surftech Laird 12'1", Starboard and Jimmy Lewis both have a 12'6").  This is probably the biggest division as there's more boards of this size than anything else.  There's a few production 14's out so there and they are not really competitive against the mainland unlimited boards (18'+) so it makes sense to have these divisions as well.  In the end it's up to the race directors to make their own decisions but I think these divsions make sense and I hope they stick. 

Hawaii is a whole 'nother type of racing and not having raced over there in years I can only comment on what I've seen in the event announcements (14' and under/over, rudder/no runner and 13' under/over).  Hopefully a standard will be set there as well so we don't have to have a different board for every race.  Could this be a market opportunity for somebody to make a 12'/12'6" or 13'/14' convertable board?

Age groups are another thing that's being added to more events, and right now the most popular is 39 and under / 40 and over and sometimes kapuna (50 and up).  I like the surf comps where they have a "60 to dead division."
« Last Edit: July 21, 2008, 09:14:29 PM by capobeachboy »
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Sam Pa'e

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2008, 12:23:35 AM »
OK......I've done three races in three week straight............ :o
I have seen top paddlers win and your average Joe that's just there for the fun of it WIN!!!! :D

This is what I would like to see:

12'-6" and under "stock"  no rudder.............(different age division M/F, 225lb.& over, 18yr. & under M/F)
12'-6"- 14'  "over stock"   no rudder..............(different age division M/F, 225lb.& over, 18yr. & under M/F)
14'- 16'        "limited"         rudder..................(different age division M/F, 225lb.& over, 18yr. & under M/F)
16'- over                          "unlimited"............................( ALL OPEN & "CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON")

I think that since all (surfing) boards sold up to 12'-6" this is were the stock class should start from.

Anything over that size should be an "over stock" class.

Boards that range between 14'- 16' leave this class since the top guy are in this class.

Last but not lease 16'-over are in a whole new finishing time that's hard to catch.

Just my to cents........ ;)

Aloha...........Sam

Tom

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2008, 07:28:14 AM »
Since surfing is such a big part of SUP, maybe have one group (12'6" & under) race in and out of the surf. I've never been to a race but would be interested if I could show up with my everyday board and have fun.

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2008, 08:48:34 AM »
Since surfing is such a big part of SUP, maybe have one group (12'6" & under) race in and out of the surf. I've never been to a race but would be interested if I could show up with my everyday board and have fun.

I agree with that.  IMO, there should be a category for non-race boards.  However you want to phrase it, 12'6 and under wave boards or 13' and under all-'rounders...just something to keep one class very clean for participants that could be interested, but don't have, don't want, or can't afford a specialized race board.

So possibly:

12'-6" and under Wave
15'  and under Race boards
Unlimited race boards


« Last Edit: July 22, 2008, 09:00:28 AM by Admin »

stoneaxe

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2008, 10:28:18 AM »
I definitely like that idea Rand. Someday maybe I'll bust open the piggy bank for a race board but not until there are a few races around here to justify it.

I'm waiting to hear from the folks down at Virginia beach to see what they'll have for classes and what kind of numbers they expect. I'd love to make the trip down this October for my 1st race. Stop in and see surfpainter too... ;D Of course I'd probably also have to stop and visit the brother-in-law.... >:(
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

srfnff

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2008, 09:56:30 AM »
I too really like the idea of a category for non-race stand up paddleboards. However you break it down after that could be batted around, but the whole thing should start with two basic categories: racing boards and non-racing boards.

Since racing is all pretty new, are the rules and categories established by the race sponsors at each individual race? I guess there isn't one accepted standard that everyone is going by. This isn't true in lay down paddle racing is it? Sorry for these elementary questions, but I haven't been paying attention to racing until SUPs came into the picture.

Also, who are the primary movers behind SUP racing? I can think of Hennessey, C4, Quicksilver and
Surftech...are there others?

And Tom, depending upon the race, you COULD show up with your everyday board and have fun. At the Jay Race in NorCal on June 21 there were two races. One was the 12-miler and one was the 2-miler "Fun" race. The fun racers got swag bags and all the stuff the serious racers got so we all felt very much a part of the event. I "raced" with a friend who was very new to stand up and our goal was to finish without her falling. We did and it was really fun.

Thanks,
g

capobeachboy

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2008, 11:58:07 AM »
I posted up what Hobie, Henneseys, and C4 put together for the mainland races earlier in this thread.  This is based on what's been used in paddleboard racing for the last couple decades with the exception of the stock class being 12'6" rather than 12' because of the available production boards of that size and the addition of the fairly new 14' class.  The folks that put that together have a lot of combined experience in paddleboard racing and I'd like to see people embrace that instead of adding their own individual desires to the mix.  If everybody wants to chime in and add a up to 12'11" division or under 14'11" we'll all need ten boards to stay competitive. 

The non-race board class is a very good idea but make it a 2 miler or something of the like for newbie.  However, note that an 11' ULI is going to beat a 14' or 16' race board under the right conditions.

One very bad idea that I hope is not repeated (as in this year's Jay) is racing paddleboards and SUPs against each other for "first across the line."  That is only going to piss off a whole 'nother group of people against SUP.  There should be a separate course or start time for SUP to keep everybody happy.  We race other craft together, not against.

In addition to those mentioned by srfnff and above, some other movers in the mainland racing are Ron House, QuickBlade, Joe Bark, Infinity, and Tim Stamps.  Serious racing paddleboard builders like NCP, Richmond, and Ohana are getting into it, and I expect more surfski and OC1 manufacturers to get into it as well.  I have to add Rainbow Sandals as they're putting on a $25k purse SUP only event in Dana Point this October (and yes, the classes are 12'6", 14', and unlimited).

http://www.rainbowsandals.com/BattleOfThePaddle/default.asp
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srfnff

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2008, 01:40:51 PM »
Awesome post capo, thanks.

dfresh

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2008, 09:33:48 PM »
Stoked to see this thread !!!

Hobie and C4 saw this coming up on the radar after last years racing and got together to try and lay out some general guide lines that would help possibly set the way for future races as well as a guideline for board builders and racers to go off of. 

The 12'6 class was developed to essentially be a stock class and become a home for everyone who has spent their hard earned dollars on an off the shelf SUP.  This years racing has seen many board builders customizing to this length, so the next sensible  step would be to add a surf no surf type category. This is going to be up to race organizers,  but who knows

The 14' class no rudder was a HI creation, and Todd Bradley from C4 made sense of it last weekend at the Hennessey's international.  He mentioned that in HI, downwinding, there was a definate performance break at 14' and the addition of a rudder vs no rudder added an even larger advantage.  He mentioned that quite a few of the big HI races made class breaks based on where the big performance breaks were.

In CA, the races that have had 14' classes have had some pretty decent showings.

The Unlimited class was and is no holds barred, 18' +, cats, you name it

The one thing that was also layed out in the proposed racing rules were defintions of what is considered a catamaran, the use of foils, certain weird paddle types, sail type clothing being used in downwinders, and the requirement that racers need to be standing vs dropping  to their knees when conditions get unfavorable. Just good general racing guidelines

Like I mentioned these rules were set as initial proposed guidelines, and in no way meant to be forced on anyone but adopted by race directors and racers,  and modified as needed.  The races that have used the guidelines so far have been pretty sucessful, and I just noticed that they are being used in most part for the upcoming Rainbow Shoot Out

If anyone wants a copy let me know and I will shoot one your way


Admin

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Re: Racing Classes
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2008, 09:03:11 AM »
Quote
He mentioned that in HI, downwinding, there was a definate performance break at 14' and the addition of a rudder vs no rudder added an even larger advantage.  He mentioned that quite a few of the big HI races made class breaks based on where the big performance breaks were.

Thanks for the great post dFresh!  If you could, email over the guidelines and I will be happy to post them here.  Personally, they sound good.

Some of the most impressive results in my book, were from the guys on shorter boards.  The bolded finishes below were on 14's, except for Jeremy Riggs who was on his Bill Foote 12'6.  Yeeeeoooooowwww!  The last few days of playing around have a few of us scratching our heads as to what the advantage might be to long, and in what conditions.  I don't pretend to know the answers.

Maliko:
1   DAVID KALAMA   1:06:55   
2   SCOTT TRUDON   1:15:12   
3   BUZZY KERBOX   1:17:42   
4   MARK RAAPHORST   1:18:37   
5   CAMPBELL FARRELL   1:19:03   
6   JEREMY RIGGS   1:19:14    

Turtle Bay:
1  97 GUY PERE 1  1:08:30
2  189 BRENDAN SHEA 1  1:10:02
3  96 AARON NAPOLEON 2  1:12:08
4  169 BUZZY KERBOX 3  1:14:03
5  93 VITOR MARCAL 4  1:14:55
6  171 CAMPBELL FARRELL 5  1:15:14
7  137 MARK RAAPMORST 2  1:15:45
8  74 TODD BRADLEY 6  1:16:08


 


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