This summer, 80 of the world’s fastest foiling kiteboard racers will assemble at the St. Francis Yacht Club to compete in the second stop of the 2015 Kite Foil Gold Cup tour. From July 30 to August 2, competitors will launch from Crissy Field and race along City Front, filling the Bay with colorful kites that are reaching record speeds.
“The Kite Foil Gold Cup regatta at the St. Francis will be the largest kite foil board race in the history of the World tour,” says regatta chairperson Erika Heineken. “It’s gonna be spectacular!” For Heineken, the Gold Cup represents many things. As the top-ranked female in the tour, it is a pivotal stop in her personal competition. As a native San Franciscan and a lifetime sailor at the St. Francis Yacht Club, it is also her chance to compete on her home turf. Sailing alongside her will be many regulars from the StFYC Thursday night kite fleet, including Johnny Heineken, Joey Pasquali, Ariel Poler, Kevin Growney, Steve Bodner, Daniela Moroz, Seth Besse, Geoff Headington, Chip Wasson, Haydn Fischer, Hugo Kenyon and Tyler Baeder, in addition to many international competitors.
The regatta will consist of two days of qualifying races followed by two days of finals. Heineken predicts there will be enough competitors to necessitate three fleets: gold, silver and bronze. Seeding for Day 1 will be based on previous rankings; seeding for Day 2 will be based on Day 1 results. All scoring will be cumulative.