Some Comments on Recent Racing

Hi

I mentioned that I wanted to discuss some of the PWA Slalom racing.  I wanted to go through the final race at Marignane where Pierre Mortefon sailed away from Antoin because of a better choice of equipment for the conditions. 

Well, all of that has been eclipsed by the current racing in Fuerteventura.

The heat videos from this event contain the best slalom racing I have ever seen.  Please go to the PWA site and watch them.  Anyone interested in slalom racing needs to watch every heat for a free master-class.  

Why is this racing on such a stratospheric level and so enjoyable for spectators?  Here are the factors as I see them:

• The organised winter training has produced massive benefits for the athletes. The skill levels of the fleet have ramped up making everyone a contender.
• Coverage of the event is fantastic. Drones are being deployed so effectively for us to see every move and Ben Proffitt is absolutely the right person to be commentating. 
• The wind played along in Fuerte this year. The water state is not good however and this makes the speeds being achieved by Antoine, Pierre and Matteo almost unbelievable.
• Current racing equipment has been engineered to levels which make these feats possible.
• The almost super-human windsurfing abilities of the top three racers

We are lucky to be able to witness events such as this.

Good winds

Phil

New Equipment for 2020 1

Hi

I was going to do a piece on the recent racing but that will have to wait.  Instead, here is commentary on some new equipment which has caught my eye.  Manufacturers have started posting their new ranges and I will keep watch for interesting developments.

 

Starboard 

Starboard have done something I have been waiting for, for a long, long time.  They have taken a freestyle board, added outboard strap plugs (in addition to the normal inboard ones) and are supplying it with two fins – a trick fin and a freeride blasting fin.

 

This gives us a normal trick board with instant pop, instant acceleration and crazy speed but which allows us to deploy these attributes for high wind blasting.  Well done Starboard - a master stroke from you.

The board is called the Ignite and is something all of us need to have on our wish lists.

Here it is:

  The board

The fins - look at the fat tail.  No sinking in gybes.  Awesome!

The boards (three sizes) are short and wide and just look right to me.  If you sail in high winds but are tired of your small slalom/freeride board sinking in the lulls, this may be the answer for you.  The Ignite will shine with small wave sails like Severne’s Blade Pro, but also something light and really fast (Severne Gator/Hot Sails Maui GPX for example).

 

The Power fin box means that you can experiment with your existing fast b&j fins .  The short fin is easy to dismiss for those of us not interested in tricks but don’t write it off.  If you sail in shallow water (a tidal bay for example) you sometimes need a short fin.  Trick fins can be a whole lot of fun and allow for really sick gybes.  You may even be tempted to try a trick or two.

If you have a small kid who is keen on the sport, this has to be the best board – no question.  Something both of you can share in different applications.

Naish

Naish has posted its new equipment range.   Of interest to me are the new Starships and the Galaxy.  My only concern is the weight of these boards.  They furnish no weight specs and as most of us know, Naish is capable of building really heavy stuff.

   

If the weights are not too horrible, these boards have to be worth a look.

This is the Galaxy - a versatile slalom board with many footstrap options and a foil-ready fin box.  Watch Robbie’s video which is interesting and quite compelling.   I like the informal shape and vintage paint colours.  

A nice thing (if it is not too heavy of course).

Good winds