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Organizer Nils Stolzenchner of NJS Custom Board Designs and GM of the Omni Hotel, Corpus Christi, waits for the wind with competitors Bruno Sroka (left), Dirk Hanel (middle), Kari Schibevaag and Shannon (race committee). Photo Third Coast Photo

April 24, 2010:

Corpus Christi, TX, is known as one of the most consistently windy spots in the USA but for Day 3 of the IKA Kite Course Racing Championship, did not deliver. With winds out of the northwest blowing from zero to 20 in the middle of the bay, an offshore direction for the event site at McGee Beach, Jesse Richman (Cabrinha/NPX, USA) was the test rider to see if he could make it out and back to the wind line/course in the marginal, light wind conditions. After making it out to the start line, Jesse did not have enough power to make it back to the beach, and the Race Committee decided that conditions were less than ideal and postponed the first race until 5p. At 3:30p it was evident that the wind was not going to switch, and Day 3 of the races was called at 4p.

With the lack of wind, it gave the competitors from 14 countries the opportunity to fine tune gear and rest up  from the previous two days which saw six races on day 1 and another four races on day 2.  Proud to host the IKA World Kite Racing Championship  in Corpus Christi,, it also gave the competitors the chance to sign the the Republic of Texas flag, at the request of the mayor of the city, which will fly at City Hall.Rested up from a day of no wind, many competitors ended the day by attending “Buc Days”, and experienced their first rodeo ever in Texas style.

The leader board remains unchanged with Adam Koch (USA, Ozone, 11 points) clear in the lead ahead of Damien Leroy (USA, Cabrinha, 16 points) and Bruno Sroka (FRA, Cabrinha, 20 points). One more race giving the third discard of the event could still change the results, so fingers crossed that the wind will cooperate for the final race day on Sunday.

In the women s fleet, Kari Schibevaag (NOR, Ozone, 9 points) sits pretty safe in first and could reach a perfect score with one more bullet. Second is last year’s world champion Steph Bridge (GBR, North, 13 points) followed by Kristin Boese (GER, Best, 29 points).

The full results are available here: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=2696

The 2010 IKA Course Racing World Championships come to an end on Sunday 25, with more races and the price giving ceremony in the evening, crowning the new 2010 kite racing world champions.

More event photos are available from thirdcoastphoto: https://thirdcoastphoto.com/kite2010/