Hydrofoil Pro Tour ready to rip at St. Francis Yacht Club

by Amanda Witherell 6 Jun 2018 02:57 BST 6-10 June 2018

The skies and waters of San Francisco Bay will be ablaze with 50 of the world's top hydrofoiling kiteboarders June 6-10, 2018, for the Hydrofoil Pro Tour hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club.

"Kitesurfing has just been voted into the 2024 Olympics so the sport is only on the rise," said StFYC's Event Chair Seth Besse. "We can expect more of this stuff to come."

San Francisco Bay racers and St. Francis Yacht Club members have been at the forefront of kitesurf racing and hydrofoil development since its inception as a sport, making this a special stop on the Hydrofoil Pro Tour every year. StFYC has also taken the initiative to ensure the Tour is a certified Silver Level Clean Regatta by meeting environmental standards established by Sailors for the Sea, the world's only sustainability certification for water-based events.

"As kiteboarders, our passion hinges upon the health of the natural elements. We're thrilled to not only have the support for a sustainable regatta from the St. Francis Yacht Club, but to promote this concept among the kiteboarding community. Hydrofoil racing is one of the most progressive aspects of kiteboarding, so taking the Pro Tour in this direction should help spread the mindset throughout our members and to the general sailing community," said Erika Heineken, StFYC member and Tour competitor.

Fresh off the Tour's second stop in France, the event will draw some of the best local and international kiters for four days of racing on the City Front. Guy Bridge (GBR) is the current leader after the Tour's previous stop, May 18-21, 2018, in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, France. He will face stiff competition from Nico Parlier (FRA), who has won this stop a few years in a row, and Johnny Heineken (StFYC), local standout and holder of multiple world titles, who finished third last year. Joey Pasquali (StFYC) finished right behind him in fifth overall; look for both of them on the race course this year, joined by the Tour's Event Chair, Seth Besse (StFYC), and Daniela Moroz (StFYC), who's been hot on Johnny's heels in StFYC's Thursday Night Series.

"We're anticipating windy, gusty, shifty tough conditions with very tactical and fast racing," said Tour Organizer Marvin Baumeister Schoenian, "This is one of the fastest regattas of the year and will be an incredible experience for the riders and an amazing spectacle for viewers around the Bay and at the St Francis Yacht Club."

For optimal wind conditions, the competition will be held on the afternoons of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with up to five races per day. On Saturday, the kiters will be joined by the local formula windsurfers to compete in the San Francisco Bay Challenge, a distance race to Berkeley and back that will test both strength and strategy.

Spectators are invited to Crissy Field beach to meet and greet the racers before and after each day's events.

Hydrofoil Pro Tour NOR and registration here.

Hydrofoil Pro Tour is a Gold Level Clean Regatta

All of the regattas hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club meet or exceed Gold Level Clean Regatta status from Sailors for the Sea. The Clean Regatta program is the world's only sustainability certification for water-based events. St. Francis Yacht Club utilizes a voluntary, self-assessment tool to benchmark our environmental footprint with goals for reducing waste generated by the event and reducing pollution in San Francisco Bay. We adhere to the following environmentally responsible and sustainable practices in our Clubhouse, our waterfront facilities and our fleet of vessels.

Waste Reduction

• Maintaining water bottle refilling stations in the Clubhouse, on the docks and aboard regatta support boats, with reusable bottles available for participants who do not bring their own bottle. "Bring Your Own Bottle" program for all Youth Regattas to reduce plastic water bottle usage.
• Using online regatta management software to collect electronic events registration and deliver results reporting.
• Double-sided printing of all required printed materials.
• Awarding of Perpetual Trophies and usable/reusable gear as trophies.
• Reusable dinnerware, cutlery and glassware at Clubhouse regatta socials.
• No alteration of Rule 55 regarding trash disposal from the Racing Rules of Sailing.

Recycling and Composting

• Maintaining separate recycling, composting and trash bins.
• Reusable drinkware and compostable beverage service, including compostable cocktail cups, straws and napkins.
• All single-use dinnerware is compostable.
• Composting of all food scraps and compostable goods by Recology.
• Recycling of all bottles, cans, plastic, glass and cardboard by Recology.

Sustainability

• Locally-sourced vegetables, meat, seafood and beverages when available.
• Vegetarian and vegan options to reduce menu's carbon footprint.
• Safe, secure bike racks to promote a green transportation option.
• Water-only boat washdowns at regattas.
• Up-to-date four-stroke engines on all fuel-efficient RIB regatta support vessels.
• Provision of wildlife data reporting forms and education on best practices to minimize harm during wildlife encounters.

We ask all competitors and spectators to assist with our efforts by picking up litter when they see it, taking care to compost and recycle in the correct bins, remembering to bring their own water bottles and – for veteran competitors – to wear jerseys from previous StFYC kiting events. Please share with us any ideas you might have to make this event management model even better.