(  see :   http://www.vfxi.com/Defi-2003/index1.htm   )

Defi du Lac St-Pierre-2003

Class: Formula
Overall Score: Last Race Date:06/01/03

Allowed Drops 1. Shown by '*'
Race Officer: DoDo Vallle

Created on 06/03/03 18:13:38 Scoring program: RaceSail (1.2.33)

 

June 5, 2003  
Report of the 2nd Annual Windsurfing Canada 2003 Quebec Formula Championships

THE "DEFI" IS A CHALLENGE ALL RIGHT IN '03
Sam Ireland shows the hardiest around the course in five races

        Over half the 33 registered competitors did not manage a result in the one day of racing on Sunday June 1st as gusty offshore North winds swept down onto Lake St. Pierre at the beautiful Centre nautique de Francheville training site. The first day was calm, but very eventful as Sam Ireland gave two clinics, the first with emphasis on sail rigging and gear, and the second concentrating on Formula starts, strategy and tactics.  Quebec City's Eric Girard (the double-mast high Maui wave specialist) was on hand as well with his clinics on flat-water freestyle technique!

        One of Canada's top pros Sam Ireland, First Place (Starboard, Neil Pryde, C3 - Deboichet) had no trouble cleaning up, showing his Eurocup prowess (where he finished in the top ranks in 2002, and will return to do 5 or 6 more events this year.)  Event organizer and Montrealer Yu-Wei Yang, 2nd Place (Men) (Starboard F147, NeilPryde, C3) sailed well in the cold, powerful gusts, scoring one bullet.

        3rd Place was Geoff Mitchinson from Barrie ON (Starboard, NeilPryde, Star-Curtis-Techtonic) and in 4th Place was (surprise!) Eric Girard, another Canadian (wave) pro (Starboard Go, Severne sails, Deboichet). Another welcomed return was Alain Bolduc, 5th Place (Canada's top ranking Olympic man just back from an excellent Mistral result in the Netherlands).

        First Master (6th place) was won by Jan Wroblewski of Mississauga ON (Starboard, NeilPryde, Deboichet-Starboard), followed by 7th Daniel Lefebvre (Men's fleet) of Quebec, 8th Rick Collins (Men's fleet) of Ottawa, 9th Hadrian Corning (Men's fleet) of Montreal and 10th Ian Matthews (just graduated from Youth, 19, Men's fleet) of Toronto.

        Top Junior (at 14 going on 15) was Thomas Soltysiak (13th place) of Markham, ON  (3 races) who beat his brother Phil Soltysiak, with gear problems but who scored two 12th places, finishing 14th overall.  The new Formula Experience (youth) fleet made a brave appearance, which included 14-year old novice Guillaume Pichon of Ottawa, who suffered a separated rig and had to swim ashore. Indeed as the day got colder and the gusts built, the slight majority of the fleet abandoned the course.  But, not so veteran Jacques Van Geenhoven (11th overall, Masters Raceboard), who turned in a stellar performance.

        Congratulations go to the fine RC work of Dominque Vallée, her family and the crew of Centre nautique de Francheville. Windsurfing Canada was pleased and honoured to be associated with the event, and we look forward to future great Formula season-openers in the challenging conditions that Le Défi de CNF provides in spades!   Special thanks goes to Yu-Wei Yang and associates for their invaluable help on behalf of Windsurfing Canada, and to the event sponsors: Au Vent Fou, Voile Libre Direct,  2 Rad,  30 Noeuds, Sport Radical, Sharks, Neil Pryde, Trident-Starboard, QFA and of course CNF.

        A l'an prochain...   (from email of John Darling)

 

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FINAL RESULTS -- 2002 QUEBEC FORMULA CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Défi du Lac St-Pierre, Centre Nautique de Francheville, June 1-2 , 2002

High warm winds greeted 30-40 entrants on Saturday morning, for three
great slalom races in magnificent steady 20-knot conditions:  we should say
"wave-slalom" in the challenging chop.  Eric Gouin of the Montreal
Windsurfing Club was first Man, with Hadrian Corning of Montreal second and
Rick Collins third; Gilles Roy placed first Masters Men; Jan Wroblewski
second and Yvon Lefebvre third.

In the afternoon as the winds turned Westerly and began to gust over 25
knots, the 8 Gold fleet and 5 Silver fleet Formulas battled in three races
with inevitably oversized sails in truly challenging conditions.

Sunday saw chillier but steadier Westerlies, powering three more Formula
races, with the fleet in much better control.  Marcus Hooper of Montreal
held on in 25-knot plus downwind gusts to win the 2002 Quebec Formula Men's
Championship.  Daniel Lefebvre of Louiseville, QC was Second Man and Rick
Collins of Ottawa Third Man.  Jan Wroblewski of Mississauga ON  and First
Master; while  Roman Halas of Baie d'Urfé QC finished 2nd.  The Quebec
Formula Women's Champion was Frances Kilburn of Baie d'Urfé.  John Darling
of Toronto was the sole Raceboard competitor.

Windsurfing Canada thanks the Lavallee family for an excellent event,
which included a great party and wonderful food, on a site which provides
new and high-quality facilities, also central for Quebec as it is just
adjacent to Trois-Rivières.   Canada's premier Olympic sailor Alain Bolduc
acted on the Race Committee.

Thanks goes to Yu-Wei Yang of Montreal for the fine initiative in
organizing this event in conjunction with Le Défi du Lac St-Pierre.  Yu-Wei
has recently joined Windsurfing Canada as a consultant on Formula racing,
and we look forward to 2003, when the Eastern Canadian Formula
Championships will take place in Quebec.

Info:  John Darling, Chair/Prés. WC  416-928-3086
(Further details: <can370@hotmail.com> www.geocities.com/enfrancheville  )