San Francisco Bay Area Resources

Photocast by SFBAYIMAGES.com. For you purest, beware, it includes the windsurfers AND kiteboarders on the bay at the same time I went out in my photoboat that afternoon. Some photographers set the scene with the spectators on the beach, I kind of liked the backdrop of the kiteboarders in the mix. We could split hairs and call the above photocast "Watersports off Crissy Field, August 10th, 2008"......Sandra Cannon - SFBAYIMAGES.com

Hope you enjoy it.

Who:
Around 100 racers from around the world are planning to attend. The US National Championship Windsurfing event is open to all nationalities and has attracted many of the world's top ranked professional competitors. Many of the top nationally-ranked amateur competitors are locally based, and look forward to having the best in the world here on their home turf - The Bay Area. The area�s racing fleet is top in the US - many local racers are past national champions. Ages:
- A strong junior (9-18) contingent will be present - part of a successful ongoing effort by the sport to encourage young talent. - Many of the older competitive racers will be present also- like local Steve Sylvester, age 56, who often wins his division, yet is also the top tier overall.

Where:
Crissy Field on the San Francisco City Front. The Crissy Field is one of the premier windsurfing event sites in the world. Framed by the Golden Gate Bridge, it is the backdrop of a dynamic cosmopolitan city center. Radical, high-wind, extremely challenging conditions create the ideal spectator viewing from the beachside. Competitors will rig and launch from the Crissy Field East Beach. Spectators are encouraged to come and meet the sailors.

What & When:
Updates and daily results can be found at www.stfyc.com
Event Schedule:

August 6, Monday: Registration and tune-up
August 7, Tuesday: Racing - appx: 12-5
August 8, Wednesday: Racing - appx: 12- 5
August 9, Thursday: Racing - appx: 12-5
August 10, Friday: Racing - appx: 12-5
August 11, Saturday: Racing - appx: 12-5 - Awards Ceremony

Racing Disciplines:
Course Racing - Like traditional yacht racing with a tactical, strategic upwind and downwind battle, covering a typical triangle course. Long Distance - A grueling test of stamina and the ability to handle highly variable, extreme conditions as the racers cross distant corners of the San Francisco Bay. Slalom - High-speed, downwind races on small, lightweight boards and sails. This is a very exciting, close-to-shore, tightly-packed fleet race, ideal for spectators.

Equipment:
Formula Windsurfing is an equipment standard class, which places limits on the number of sails a racer may use for an event, and applies limits to the board dimensions. This levels the playing field and allows amateur competitors easy access to the same gear used by the professionals. Generally speaking, this limitation system makes it more affordable for average participants to race on state-of-the-art gear. The Formula system has revived competitive windsurfing around the world by making it more inviting and accessible to those interested in racing. In terms of traditional sailing, a Formula Windsurfing set-up is among the fastest of course-racing sailboats.

Key Support Organizations:
Regatta Host: The St. Francis Yacht Club - www.stfyc.com
Founded in 1927, the St. Francis Yacht Club is steeped in over 75 years of yachting and racing traditions, and presides at the water's edge of the San Francisco City Front. The St. Francis Yacht Club hosted the 1999 and 2004 Windsurfing National Championship. Sanctioning Body: US Windsurfing � www.uswindsurfing.org
Local Community: San Francisco Boardsailing Association- www.sfba.org

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