Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic

This years’ Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic (January 17-19,2009) is welcoming the Formula Class North American Championship to Biscayne Bay.   In it’s third year, the regatta is a charity event to benefit  Shake-A-Leg Miami’s watersports programs for people with disabilities.   Shake-A-Leg Miami, a non-profitorganization, uses sailing and other watersports to bring hope, confidence, social integration, independence into the lives of people with disabilities and their families.  Similarly, the Caviglia Bluewater Foundation seeks to serve, represent and educate individuals and families who have been touched by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) on their way to recovery and rehabilitation. Together, these two organizations are hosting the regatta which is open windsurfers (Formula and Kona),  Keelboats (Paralympic classes and J-24’s) and two dinghy classes (O’Pen BICS and Access Dinghies). 

 

Close to 180 sailors from around the world are expected on several race courses, including The O’Pen Bic “Unregatta”, a format jampacked with crazy racing and tons of fun for kids of all ages.    

 

Proceeds from the last two events enabled Shake-A-Leg Miami to start up a windsurfing program and teach more than 200 kids how to sail over the past two summers.  This year Shake-A-Leg is hoping to build the program and make it adaptive to introduce people with disabilities to the sport.   

 

For more information on the Alex Caviglia Bluewater Classic, please visit the website at: www.shakealegmiami.org/alexcavigliabluewaterclassic .

Prepared Peak Performance Race Camp

There are still a couple of spots available in the Prepared Peak Performance Race camp that will be held at the Banana River Resort in Cocoa Beach, FL from Dec. 27-30!

In addition to teaching and refining windsurfing skills, we will be focusing on creating well rounded competitors by emphasizing preparation, training (both mental and physical) and goal setting. These skills are vital for long term success in windsurfing, and also crossover to success in other sports, college and the workplace. It is a lot to fit into just four days, but our goal is to make sure that these four days are efficiently used!

The price for four days of coaching, four nights lodging, breakfast and lunch each day and 2 dinners is $520 per person (only $130/day!). If you have other lodging options – you can pay $440 for four days of coaching, lunch each day and 2 dinners. The clinic includes time on Bic 293, Neil Pryde RS:X and Exocet Kona equipment. If you bring your own gear (of any kind) there is no additional equipment charge. If you are not bringing any gear with you, there is a $100 equipment charge.

Your coaches for the clinic will be Dominique Vallee, Britt Viehman and Karen Marriott. Dominique Vallee from Quebec, Canada has over 15 years of windsurfing, coaching and racing experience. She has competed in PWA slalom events and was the gold medalist in windsurfing at the 2007 Pan American Games. She has the experience of several Olympic campaigns in both the Mistral One-Design and RS:X. Britt Viehman also has over 15 years of experience, including years of Formula racing experience and an Olympic campaign in Mistral One-Design. Karen Marriott has raced Mistral One-Design, Formula and RS:X and was a member of the US Sailing Team in 2006 and 2007.

Come join us - we already have 4 competitors from Quebec and 9 from the US!

Miami Pro-Am

The Miami Pro-Am kicked off Nov 15-16 with some great conditions for Formula and Kona racing. There was about 35 sailors there and the really cool part is half of the competitors there were under the age of 20! US Windsurfing’s Team USA showed up and were jamming. Most were competing (and performing quite well) in the Kona Class and there was several in the Formula Class.

Cool stories about several of the sailors here at the Miami Pro-Am:
-Cullen Ahearn from Clearwater, FL competed in his first windsurfing regatta ever at the Pro-Am last year. In the past year, he has put in so much hard work that in highly tactical Kona fleet, he won the podium! It is great to see him achieve such skills as a sailor and he is a great competitor - watch out for him, he is continuing to practice hard.
-Mateo Vargas, a Laser sailor from St Pete, competed for the first time ever in a windsurfing regatta and placed 4th overall in the Kona fleet!
-Chris Gardiner from St. Pete, FL won the Youth Class in Formula with Sergio Cremissini from Miami and Alex Stankie from Cocoa Beach rounding out the Formula Youth Fleet.

There are a bunch of more up and comers as well who are hungry and looking to climb on podiums as well.

Off the course at the US Sailing Center, it was cool to see skateboards and footballs instead of older guys huddled around discussing Formula fins and the economy. And in the evening, the skate park in Coconut Grove was put to good use. Overall it is looking like a great start to the racing season with Team USA. So feel free to talk to the kids on land, because on the water you may not have that chance. They are all good kids and I am stoked that they are making a showing. I am contacting more kids to get them involved - so look for the numbers to increase at future events.

We are looking forward to the next Team USA event, the Prepared Peak Performance Training Camp at Banana River Resort, Dec 27-30. We have 12 youth sailors already and some others considering it strongly.

Britt Viehman
US Windsurfing’s Team USA Coach