The Starboard Black Blade is the finest SUP sprint regatta in Australia. The Black Blade was the first SUP Sprint race on a buoyed course in the world outside America. Competitors will race over 3 distance - 200m, 500m and 5km
Great fun format, with all divisions contesting state championship medals.
Board : 14'
Divisions:
Male Open
Male U/40
Male O/40
Male O/50
Female Open
Female O/40
You can only enter one division for the entire event.
Entry fee is for all 3 races. Overall points for Flatwater Champion across 3 distances.
Registration: 0800
Briefing : 0830
The Action Sports WA Flatwater20 was a distance challenge, The Starboard Black Blade is all about speed and short sprints.
If you are a SUP surfer that can get on a wave early out the back - you will do well at the Black Blade. 200m sprinting is all about the start - a quick stroke beat up to get the board on the plane and maintain it.
We have a big division break down this year, so everyone can race their age group/ability. Interesting mix up with the overall age group champs - combined total of 200m, 500m and 5km places. Will the short sprint guys maintain it into the 5km?
Fun racing, plenty of time between races on the amazing Champion Lakes course.
****BREAKING NEWS*****
Ian from Starboard has announced that Stand Up Paddle Sports - Osbourne Park and Nedlands will put up a $1000 Starboard Board voucher as a prize draw for all competitors in the Black Blade.
Fantastic opportunity to get a significantly discounted Starboard race board or surf board. 
Nice work Ian! Thats awesome!
Looking forward to this one, great format and will not be as lonely as that 20kms last week! See you there!
Short and sweet the races may be and I am looking forward to this event but I still remember how sore I was the next day last year.
Yep way worse for me than I was after The Doctor, King of the Cut, Flatwater 20 etc.
I was in the State Wavekiting Titles the next day and lets just say I struggled.....a lot, got through the heats ok but had a little nap in the back of my car before the finals and could hardly move when it was time to go.
entries slowly coming in. $1000 board voucher offered by Stand Up Paddle Sports - for a Starboard board. Prize draw for all competitors. State SUPWA medals on offer.
Big event. Entries will close midday Saturday - no entries taken on the Sunday.
This event was sooo much fun last year - plenty of time to rev up your (O/50) opposition on land, and then the races were short and intense.
Ian from Stand Up Paddle Sports/ Auswind/ Starboard has come up with the ( very generous) goods again - Ian is such a huge supporter of all things SUP. I hope you'll be paddling this weekend Ian, didn't see you at the Flatwater last week ??
Hey Gooch, what is the format on the day ?
And what's the thoughts behind having a 5km race as part of a sprint state champs ?
See ya Sunday
LS
Select to expand quoteYOB Australia said..
This event was sooo much fun last year - plenty of time to rev up your (O/50) opposition on land, and then the races were short and intense.
Ian from Stand Up Paddle Sports/ Auswind/ Starboard has come up with the ( very generous) goods again - Ian is such a huge supporter of all things SUP. I hope you'll be paddling this weekend Ian, didn't see you at the Flatwater last week ??
Hey Gooch, what is the format on the day ?
And what's the thoughts behind having a 5km race as part of a sprint state champs ?
See ya Sunday
LS
Hey Lach
The 5km addition was a test distance in preparation for the AuSUP Australian SUPfest in Adelaide. The 5km course is 3 laps of a 750m circuit - with gentle 3 buoy turns. Ultimately we were looking at 2000m instead (similar to the silver blade), but that requires a few extra logistics, so we stayed with 5km.
The points are bias toward the 200m, the 500km and 5km are equal points. The 5km is also off a mass start (within divisions) and should make for a fun paddle at the end of the sprints.
Great event for competitors and spectators alike as you can watch the whole race from sidelines start to finish (maybe not the 5k tho). Sure there will be more of these style races throughout the country in the next couple of years.
Not going to make it this year to defend the O/40's title as we are on the road, but I'm so unfit at the moment I wouldn't have a look-in anyway. Hoping to make it to SA event tho...
****UPDATE*****
The times have been pushed back 30mins.
Registration at 0830
Briefing at 0900
Racing at 0930
There is a cycling race that may run over time and we have elected to run a little elater to make the most of the excellent conditions forecast later in the morning.
Looks flat and fast - don't miss out!
Zero swell about on Sunday so it looks like the Sprint will be coming out instead.
Are we going to see that DC there Stimo?
Select to expand quoteGoochi said..
****UPDATE*****
The times have been pushed back 30mins.
Registration at 0830
Briefing at 0900
Racing at 0930
There is a cycling race that may run over time and we have elected to run a little elater to make the most of the excellent conditions forecast later in the morning.
Looks flat and fast - don't miss out!
Greg,
What time do you expect to finish?
6 ladies entered, come girls - this is great fun racing, short sprints in your own lane. Lets see some new faces - we have age groups this year - Open and O/40.
Major trophy in the Open Female category.
Will there be a weight category to split the field up in the final like there was last year?
(I need to know whether I can have a decent or small dinner the night before) 
No weight category this year unfortunately - that was a cool race last year! We can't source one design boards, too expensive to be practical, also flatwater racing has developed into one board class now - 14', so we don't need 12'6 options.
All about cadence Jacko - you're the man.....hey you even beat Jim Terrell!
Select to expand quoteJacko94 said..
Will there be a weight category to split the field up in the final like there was last year?
(I need to know whether I can have a decent or small dinner the night before)
Assuming you make the final Jacko 
...it's on!
I just heard on the radio that the freeway bike ride is on so the freeway South will be closed. Worth keeping in mind especially for those heading from the north.
Hey SUPWA People
As most will know the Black Blade was postponed due to poor weather. The new date for the Black Blade is Sunday May the 11th. Same times as before, registration 0830-0900 and racing from 0930. All competitors that were entered for the Black Blade have been carried over for this date. Please contact me if you are not available and require a refund of your entry fee (please not we are unable to return the processing fee that the payment portal changes us ~$1.80)
Only difference will be some of the race distances - more information on this to be announced later.
Start spoiling the missus boys, might need the brownie points seeing its Mothers Day....
Can announce the change to the distance format (only small) with feedback and lessons learnt from the recent SUPfest:
200m
1000m*
5km
there will be equal points for each race to count toward the overall winner, with the result going to the best placed finisher in the 200m in the case of tied points.
*The general feedback was the 500m sprint was too difficult to sprint at a sustained intensity - it is too short to step down a gear. The 1000m is a comfortable distance and will make for interesting racing as well as better economy for the athletes for the whole event.
Was looking forward to this event but unfortunately I'm not going to make it this year Greg. 
Hopefully though, to make up for it there will be some waves with my name on them a few thousands k's away.
200, 500, 2000. That's a good combo.
The problem with the 5000 is it just becomes a drafting exercise which is unavoidable.
Select to expand quoteScotty Mac said..
Greg, the 500 was good. IMO the best combo would be:
200m
500m
2000m
All in lanes.
I'd have to agree with the race distances Scotty has mentioned as this is what differentiates this racing format from other racing.
I think it is important that there is clear differentiation between sprint racing and other racing formats.
5km around a circuit seems like a bit of a cross over kind of distance and is not sprinting.....too similar to other events.
Sure the 500 is difficult.....but who wants it to be easy?
The main reason it is difficult is because not many crew are currently incorporating 3 minute 100% effort intervals into their training.....this will change as sprint racing grows.
SUP should be following Australian Canoeing's lead as far as sprint race distances go IMO.....they've been doing it for decades.
At SUPfest I'm pretty sure the K1's also did a 5km but the participation in this didn't seem as high as for the lane sprinting.....seemed like a bit of a novelty tacked on at the end of the regatta
I quite liked the novelty of the 5km race at the end, but agree a 2km lane race would be more appropriate. If there is going to be a circuit race integrated into flat water events like this, then it needs to be either much longer (12km+) or as Dogman suggested, the course should be much tighter so the spectators can see the whole course, and the turns need to be tight rather than sweeping, so the leader has a method of throwing off the wake riders. Also, a bit of carnage at the turns is what the punters want to see, even if it is flat water.
Select to expand quoteDeano72 said..Scotty Mac said..
Greg, the 500 was good. IMO the best combo would be:
200m
500m
2000m
All in lanes.
I'd have to agree with the race distances Scotty has mentioned as this is what differentiates this racing format from other racing.
I think it is important that there is clear differentiation between sprint racing and other racing formats.
5km around a circuit seems like a bit of a cross over kind of distance and is not sprinting.....too similar to other events.
Sure the 500 is difficult.....but who wants it to be easy?
The main reason it is difficult is because not many crew are currently incorporating 3 minute 100% effort intervals into their training.....this will change as sprint racing grows.
SUP should be following Australian Canoeing's lead as far as sprint race distances go IMO.....they've been doing it for decades.
At SUPfest I'm pretty sure the K1's also did a 5km but the participation in this didn't seem as high as for the lane sprinting.....seemed like a bit of a novelty tacked on at the end of the regatta
Hi Guys
We received alot of feedback for the SUPfest which I have incorporated into the Black Blade. The difficulty with the 2000m race, is it needs to be in lanes and it extends the program significantly when you have to allow for 15minute races. Unfortunately this distance - with heats (and allowing for growth) won't be achievable at the SUPfest due to the tight program within the AC event. As you guys know (as you were there) this event would be impossible to run without AC and we have to fit within their program. The mass start 5km race worked well and made a good change for the racing over the weekend. The final lap of the 5km (750m after the final turn) will have NO DRAFTING (for the Black Blade - to see if this works for the SUPfest). Additionally everyone will have to use the same board for all 3 races.
1000m to 500m......we did a bit of research here. All the canoeing events have been dropping their 500m in favour of 1000m. The Olympic distances are now 200m and 1000m for the K1 and C1. Not a matter of changing it because others are doing it, but more a matter of getting the best distance for a weekend of flatwater racing and what gives the best performance and recovery and best indication of a Flatwater champion. There are a few other factors which I can't elaborate on until a de-brief with AC and Surfing Australia. For the moment the Black Blade is trialling the 1000m distance - with a view to provide info for the SUPfest.
If you never go, you will never know! These sorts of events are so new to the sport so finding the right formula is going to take its time.
Sounds like a good format for the black blade and once again something new and different to try in terms of distance.
As for drafting, introducing tighter turns or even a slalom aspect (series of turns over a short distance) would be best. Or just ban it...
