Sep 282009
September 27th SUP Race in Key Largo, part of the Hobie/Liquid Surf and Sail Stand Up Series
Beautiful conditions greeted the competitors at Gilberts in Key Largo for the 6th race of Liquid Surf and Sails Hobie StandUp series. With many new custom boards, Keys locals and of course, Chip Bock and his 18ft Bark in the house, who was going to take the crown at this one?
Race director Jim DeSilva called for a very simple course….out and back around the lead boat, with around an hour run time. Had to be simple, as a large number of the competitors had partaken in some special “training” beverages the night before….no complications were going to be allowed today. Conditions were very flat, into the wind to start and downwind on the way back. At the start we had Chip out front right away, followed by Thad, winner of the Coconut Grove event, on his Creamsicle/Dreamsicle Carlin Custom, quickly into second behind Chip. Fresh out of his Miami garage was Dan Barrett, with his 12’6 hand laid proto machine featuring huge V-Bow, big well cutouts and a kayaky looking back end. Dan was powering on this board early, but ran out of gas to stay with the lead group….of course he had only paddled the board for five minutes previously, but he swears nothing but heavy training until the next event. But there was Jake Portwood, powering out behind Thad on his Ark Custom (tag team partner and fashion icon Roary was awol at this event, Roary….. we put you on the POSTER FOR THE RACE AND YOU DON’T SHOW UP, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THAT?? Chris, please substitute that picture of BigFoot paddling on the Custom Ark for the next poster for the US Sailing Race event next month, thank you) who was following in the wake of the Dreamsicle. Top female rider Amanda was also right up front in the beginning as well, laying the smack down on all the other women right out of the gate. Jim DeSilva, on one and a half legs, on the Hobie FR-1, caught up to Portwood and thought he was going to pass him…..little did he know that Jake was lying in wait and pulled right behind DeSilva and DRAFTED him the whole way out to the turning mark…..literally bumping the tail of his board, usually separated by little more than 3-4 inches. With DeSilva doing all the work for this “team”, Jake easily turned the boat and left DeSilva in his wake, who was pretty tired from being constantly chased all the way out there and being pushed around by the Ark.
In the front the race was kind of boring…..Chip out front, Thad killing everybody on the Creamsicle, Jake dusting DeSilva, and then…that is where it got interesting. Amanda, Sam and some of the Locals were all battling it out. Sam eventually prevailed, coming in about a minute behind DeSilva which unfortunately was not enough to prevent him from hearing it all week about how Jim beat him on one leg (Sam works at Liquid Miami). One of the most impressive performances was turned in from new racer Fernando Martinez (10th place), who had never been on a standup board before (but he is National Windsurfing Formula Champion) and proceeded to power on the way back and take out experienced SUP racer Eduardo Owen. Eduardo said, “I could not touch him, he smoked me downwind….” same thing that happens when we race Formula Eduardo! Anyway, this guy will be a force when he gets it all sorted out, watch out for Fernando. Amanda dominated the other women in an impressive display. MaryAnne was second place woman on the Naish Glide and was seen trying many boards afterwards to get the edge for the next event……Amanda can paddle anything and win, as she proved at the last Fort Lauderdale event(she won on a rescue board), so this will be a tough mountain for any woman to climb, the girl can paddle.
OK, next event at US Sailing October 25th in Coconut Grove, looking forward to seeing all of you there!
Chip Bock—40:36
Thaddeus Foote—42:15
Jake Portwood—45:45
Jim DeSilva—46:32
Sam Cambron—48:50
Mike Metzger
Amanda Wilson
Etc., etc….
More info, www.liquidsurfandsail.com