If you are looking into competitive racing, you should pay attention to the following:
- your body should be in good shape. It is very exhausting going upwind for about 20-30 minutes. You will feel your legs big time. And your back as well, so if you have any problems with your back, pain killers are the way to go...
- get your body lots of minerals, vitamins and energy. No doping, but things that give you enough energy to get you going and not feeling your muscles becoming soar.
- read info about racing. Any windsurfing and sailing race info will help you to understand how you should race. The right tactic will make a big difference in your results.
- the start is important. To get a good start you need a watch to be right at the starting line when the green flag goes up. If you come with speed, it does help. Be careful though, tangling can happen very quickly, specially with very ambitious guys...
- know all the rules! If you break a rule, you will get disqualified. Read them carefully and know them.
- don't be too heavy, in my opinion the lighter the better you will perform.
- the gear is very important. Pay attention to the gear that keeps winning, either directionals or special boards. You need to go upwind like crazy, so keep testing until you found your gear. Same with kites, they should fly fast, shouldn't have bar pressure and downwind pull, and fly far into the wind window.
- have your gear ready on the beach, don't be late. The best would be, if you have a bar for each kite, set it up, so you can switch quickly between them, also for boards, always good to have one for more or less wind. During races winds can change, and you don't have so much time and you don't want the stress, to need to setup gear during the breaks between races.
- If there are more races in a row, but with a break, get back to the beach, relax your body, drink a power drink, and get some energy into your body.
- stretch your body before each race, to relax the muscles.
If I have more advices, I will post it on here.
Have fun!