Follow Dave Robertson's Kiteboard of the Coastal Classic Route

by Charles Winstone on 23 Oct 2014 Follow Dave Robertson on his attempt to Kiteboard the Coastal Classic Route on Friday 24th October.

The weather forecast looks optimal for an attempt to Kiteboard the Coastal Classic Route from Auckland to Russell. The challenge will be taken on by Dave Robertson who is New Zealand’s most successful Kite Board racer finishing ninth at the Kite Boarding World Championships and is a Yachting New Zealand board coach.

This is an elusive record to achieve with Ben Turner lining up for his fifth attempt this year. The most successful to date is Louis Tappers who finished just eight nautical miles from the finish line after 13 hours of kite sailing in 2013. The nearest equivalent is windsurfing which was first done in 1997 by Luke Wigglesworth in a time 11 hours 45 minutes.

The stamina required will be huge and Robertson says 'It is going to be a long day as I want to start before the fleets of yachts. This will keep me clear of their start procedures where it is most congested and give me the most daylight to get to Russell. My best guess is 10 to 12 hours of riding which will be hard on the knees and arms'.

You can follow Dave Robertson on his Predictwind live tracker.

The gear selection for the attempt is a fine balance with Ozone Kites NZ giving Robertson a selection of kites to suit a range of conditions. The primary choice is the new Ozone Chrono that has superb performance and large wind range.

'This will be a difference to other attempts as I will have a Sea Blade RIB following with my gear. If there is a radical weather change or breakage I can change equipment. It won’t be as easy a fully crewed yacht to change kites but we have the option', Robertson said. He will have three boards, a foiling kiteboard, a race board and a backup twin tip. 'If all goes well, I will be on the foiling board for most of the route as this gives the least stress on my body and is the fastest'.

Predictwind are supporting Robertson, providing assistance with the logistics and have live tracking of the attempt. Using the Routing Tool Robertson has been able work out the optimal course options in advance which will be updated during the day. 'This will give me a real edge, the technology is amazing using real time observations such as wind and swell data. With the help of the support crew we can make the right decisions throughout my journey'.

'I am also grateful Lancer has joined in and provided the Sea Blade RIB and crew to support me. When I was looking for a support boat for the conditions we could encounter the Sea Blade was the top of my list. It has 25% better efficiency than a deep V mono hull which all helps with the fuel bill' The Sea Blade is a unique hull form designed for maximum crew comfort and performance.

The Sponsors, Predictwind, Sea Blade and Ozone, wish Dave the best for his attempt.

Dave Robertson:
2004 - 1st Windsurfing Youth World Champion
2007/8 - Coach of Thomas Ashley (Olympic Gold Medalist/World Champion)
2008 - 2nd 8.5 meter multi hull nationals
2008 - 3rd Downwind race kite surfing national championships
2008 - 9th Quarter finalist freestyle kite surfing national championships
2008 - 15th GPS speed website kiting rankings

This course has been attempted four times before but in less favourable conditions, and not by Dave who recently completed an ultra marathon (100km!)