North American Kiteboard Racing Championship begin this week

St. Francis Yacht Club will host the 2013 Kiteboard Course Racing North American Championships on June 3-7, 2013. Kiteboarding has been integrating into the culture of competitive sailboat racing for some time now. Much of the world will be exposed to this dynamic sport as the St. Francis Yacht Club hosts this prestigious championship. The Louis Vuitton and America’s Cup events will be riding on the coattails of the kiteboarders on San Francisco Bay from July – September and the sailing fever will be pervasive.

The St. Francis Yacht Club is the birthplace of kiteboard racing and has held many world class events, heavily contributing to making the sport what it is today. Returning to San Francisco, the North American Championships will host the best racers from around the world. Reigning World Champion Johnny Heineken will be battling to defend his home waters from the world’s best.

The competition will be fierce as competitors from around the world want to prove their skills on the challenging waters of San Francisco Cityfront. Many feel that if you can win on ‘the bay’, you can win anywhere in the world. Current women’s World Champion, Erika Heineken says she is enthusiastic to see the incredibly competitive international fleet on S.F. Bay. Other world class local standouts to keep an eye out for are Adam Koch, Bryan Lake, Joey Pasquali, Brian Kender and a bevy of other talent. International favorites include Italian Ricardo Leccese, Poland Blazej Ozog, and Colombian Alvaro Cadena.

America’s Cup Principal Race Officer John Craig will reign as PRO for this important kite racing event. John, as former Race Director of the StFYC ran the first ever kiteboarding race in 2005 and has a vested interest in producing an amazing event.

The event will take place over 4 days concluding on Friday. Racers will launch from Crissy Field beach, and there will be daily commentary there. Immediately following the event St. Francis Yacht Club will host the longest continually running windsurf and kiteboard event in the World, the San Francisco Classic and Ultra Nectar Challenge, a long distance race from the Golden Gate Bridge to Berkeley and back. The San Francisco Classic and the UltraNectar Challenge are actually two separate races that combine to put any sailor to the ultimate test. The course traverses the bay numerous times going as far as the Berkeley shore and then racing back up to the City Front. Any racer who has completed this race on any craft is considered highly accomplished!

The North American Championships is one of many marquis sailing and kiteboarding events in the San Francisco Bay this summer and promises to provide an amazing experience for both competitors and onlookers.

Entry list – Event details