One Month Until the Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix In Cocoa Beach,Florida

We are less than a month away from the  5th annual Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix, better known as Thunder On Cocoa Beach, May 14-18, 2014.  Come on out and enjoy the festival like atmosphere, meet the race teams, watch the bikini contest and enjoy all the racing action taking place beachside between Cocoa Beach Pier & Lori Wilson Park.  See the complete schedule http://superboat.com/2014-cocoa-beach-schedule

More information; http://thunderoncocoabeach.com

A photo from last years Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix. 

Photo: Dave Crago

Kiteboarder takes on high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 catamaran in the gulf of Oman » Extreme Sailing Series

From 19-22 March, the blue waters of Muscat, Oman hosted the international Extreme Sailing Series™ - the second Act of the 2014 global tour that attracts the world’s best sailors to race on the short, sharp Stadium-style racecourses. Fans of the Series are more accustomed to seeing 11 high-performance carbon-fibre catamarans go head to head at speeds of up to an incredible 56kph - but spectators in Muscat were treated to a different kind of show, when Gaastra Team Rider Tom Buggy (GBR) challenged the high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 to a drag race, to find out who would have the edge.

British rider Buggy, who is normally part of the Land Rover sailing team, lined up against his teammates in a ‘boat versus board’ head to head, in 7-9 knots of breeze and flat water – just enough for his 17 meter Jet and race board to take on the punishing three mile round course.

Buggy explained: "I kited out 500metres or so to meet the boat which was circling waiting for me to dial up and start and before I knew it, we were off at full speed. I pulled up from leeward so I was just in front of the boat and all I could hear was the full carbon 40-foot catamaran carving the water behind me and the winches groaning as the boat loaded up in the breeze. Suddenly I felt pretty small and the realisation of me falling off and getting run over was becoming a real worry."

Gaastra Team Rider Tom Buggy (GBR) challenged the high-speed Land Rover Extreme 40 to a drag race in Muscat, Oman © Lloyd Images

 

"After around a mile and half, I gybed off ready for our blast back to the event site but as soon as the boat turned behind me the 63-foot high mainsail created a huge wind shadow and stopped me dead. In a blink, the boat was already 100metres ahead and I had to work super hard in the wind shadow and light breeze to get the drive from my fins and catch up. With half a mile to our finish, I just managed to draw the boat back in - although the guys on board made it look effortless to blast fully powered, whilst I had to work every metre of the track, with my legs burning just to keep the drive from by board. We will settle for a draw – this time!"

Buggy lined up in a ‘boat versus board’ head to head, in Muscat, Oman © Lloyd Images

 

The next stop for the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series, is Qingdao, China 1-4 May, where Buggy will be taking on the Land Rover Extreme 40 challenge again – and this time, there will be no second place. Both board and boat will be linked with GPS tracking, bring the next battle closer to the fans. Watch this space.

Red Bull King of the Air 2014: Watch it live | Red Bull

Watch live as the world’s best kiteboarders compete to see who can go biggest and most extreme.

Aaron Hadlow performs during a pre-event training session for Red Bull King Of The Air

at Big Bay Beach in Cape Town, South Africa on the 30th January, 2014

The fastest, highest and wildest kiteboarding competition of them all is nearly upon us and you can watch all of the action as it happens live on this page.

With a strong field of international-standard kiteboarders - including all of the top 12 from last year's event - and the stunning scenery of Table Mountain behind it, it's set to be an action-packed day to blast away those winter blues.

The weather window runs from January 25 to February 9, with the event currently slated to take place on Sunday, February 2. However, winds can be unpredictable things, so keep an eye on the official website for the latest information.

AC OPEN brings adrenaline-fueled excitement to America’s Cup Village at Marina Green / America’s Cup

The AC OPEN will see upwards of 16 events staged at the America’s Cup Village at Marina Green over the next six weeks, running in parallel to the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup.

Bringing together a wide range of one-design sail boats and other recreational watercraft, such as kiteboards, Access dinghies (with the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors), the 18-foot skiffs, stand-up paddleboards, and land racers, the AC OPEN is a series of events that will enhance the spectator experience at the America’s Cup Village as well as creating a link between users of San Francisco Bay and the America’s Cup.

ACOPEN kicks off with kiteboarders / America’s Cup

Visitors to the America’s Cup Village, at Marina Green, have an added attraction to put on their calendar, the ACOPEN festival of regattas.

The ACOPEN brings together a wide range of one-design classes and other recreational watercraft, such as kitesurfers and stand-up paddleboards, for a series of regattas in conjunction with the America’s Cup Summer of Racing.

The action kicked off over the weekend with 30 kiteboarders taking part in the Kites and Big Cats Regatta, sanctioned by the American Kiteboarding Association. Kiteboarding originated on San Francisco Bay, and the male and female kingpins of the sport happen to be a brother and sister duo from the Bay area, Johnny and Erika Heineken.

The duo, the World and North American champions for their genders, placed first and seventh in the three-day regatta. Johnny Heineken finished with the low score of 10 points, counting all first-place finishes in his final scoreline and discarding a second in the 11-race, one-throwout series. Erika Heineken finished seventh overall after moving up two places on the final day of racing.

“We’re going around the same courses as the America’s Cup boats and playing the same game,” said Johnny, the 2012 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. “It’s kind of a fun and easy transition where we get to learn a board sport that’s exciting and high-performance, but play the same game we grew up with.”

“It’s fast and it’s exciting,” said Erika. “It’s awesome to go out with your friends and go fast every day.”

Bruno Sroka completes kite cross between France and Ireland / Surfer Today

Bruno Sroka completes kite cross between France and Ireland: Sroka, 37, sailed for 17 hours through the Celtic Sea in a 240 nautical mile (444 kilometers) kiteboarding adventure between the French village of Aber Wrac'h and Irish town of Crosshaven.

Kai Lenny's Kite Board vs. ORACLE TEAM USA's AC72 / America's Cup

Kai Lenny's $1,500 Kite Board vs ORACLE TEAM USA's $15 million catamaran..."It's like bringing a knife to a gun fight," said ORACLE TEAM USA grinder Matt Mitchell. Those were the comments of Jimmy Spithill, the skipper of ORACLE TEAM USA and the defenders of the America's Cup.

The question was whether kite board champion Kai Lenny can outrace the new 72-foot catamaran of ORACLE TEAM USA.

Pink slips were on the line when Lenny put his $1,500 board up against the $15 million boat recently on San Francisco Bay. On the same course that will host the 34th America's Cup in September, the two sides engaged in a bridge-to-bridge battle between the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge.

Diversionary Tactics, Part One - Options for staying wet when surfing's not an option | SURFLINE.COM

You can't always surf.
Sometimes it's too small. Too weak or windy. Jellyfish or sea lice. Red tide or runoff. Restricted to surfboards or a 30-knot current ripping down the beach. Sometimes it's just straight-up flat. You can't always surf.

But you can always go surfing -- in your mind. You can drink the same coffee, jam the same pre-session song, call the same buddies and grab a paddle or a pole, a boogie or a rope, a kite or a pair of fins. Or just stretch your own God-given oars and channel all that potential energy and bottled surf stoke into something more kinetic -- something visceral and pointless and relaxing and invigorating and spiritual and
romantic and thrilling and sketchy and insane and hilarious all at the same time... just like surfing. Only it's not.

You can't always surf. But if you're up for it, you can always stay wet.

 More; DIVERSIONARY TACTICS, PART ONE | SURFLINE.COM

Antoine Albeau beats Rob Douglas in the Sosh Speed Cup 2013

Antoine Albeau beats Rob Douglas in the Sosh Speed Cup 2013: Antoine Albeau was able to beat Rob Douglas' 44.61 knots, to secure first place at the Sosh Speed Cup 2013, in Leucate, France. The eternal battle is on.

Jesse Richman crowned "King of the Air"

Pictures: Craig Kolesky, Ydwer van der Hinde.

 

Red Bull - 4 February 2013
On a day that saw winds and emotions riding high, Cape Town’s Big Bay played host to the latest edition of Red Bull King of the Air. In front of 5,000 spectators, America’s Jesse Richman clinched the win in a battle that saw the some world’s best kiteboarders pull airs of up to 25m.

CAPE TOWN (South Africa) – Cape Town’s famed Table Mountain was the perfect backdrop for the sixteen invited kiteboarders and eight wildcards to face-off in a unique ‘flag out’ competition format. At the end of an epic day it was Jesse Richman from the USA who managed to edge out Sam Light and Nick Jacobsen to grab victory in front of a 5000-strong crowd.