Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail. The following is a list of surface water sports; these are sports which are performed atop a body of water The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating flexible joint called the Universal Joint (U-Joint). Unlike a rudder-steered sailboat, a windsurfer is steered by the tilting and rotating of the mast and sail as well as tilting and carving the board. In some cases less is more The purpose of this article is to give an overview The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical or near vertical Spar, or arrangement of Spars which supports the Sails Large ships have several masts This method of controlling the board's direction is called the free-sail system.
The sport combines aspects of both sailing and surfing, along with certain athletic aspects shared with other board sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding and kitesurfing. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a Surfboard, although wave-riders Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a Snow -covered slope on a Snowboard attached to a participant's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding Water skiing is a Sport where an individual (or more than one individual is pulled behind a Motor boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water wearing Wakeboarding is a surface Water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water behind a boat Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard) Although it might be considered a minimalistic version of a sailboat, a windsurfer offers experiences that are outside the scope of most other sailing craft design. In some cases less is more The purpose of this article is to give an overview A windsurfer holds the world speed record for sailing craft (see below); and, windsurfers can perform jumps, inverted loops, spinning maneuvers, and other "freestyle" moves that cannot be matched by any sailboat. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail Windsurfers were the first to ride the world's largest waves, such as Jaws on the island of Maui, and, with very few exceptions, it was not until the advent of tow-in surfing that waves of that size became accessible to surfers. "Jaws" (Pe'ahi is the name given to a Big wave surfing reef break on the island of Maui in the U The Island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 Tow-in surfing is a Surfing technique pioneered by Laird Hamilton, Buzzy Kerbox, Dave Kalama, Milton Willis Michael Willis and others in the
Windsurfing includes speed sailing, slalom, course racing, wave sailing, superX, and freestyle as distinct disciplines.
Though windsurfing is possible in winds from near 0 to 50 knots, the ideal planing conditions for most recreational sailors is 15-25 knots, with lighter winds resulting in displacement mode sailing.
Lessons can be taken with a school. With coaching and favorable conditions, the basic skills of sailing, steering, and turning can be learned within a few hours. Competence in the sport and mastery of more advanced maneuvers such as planing, carve gybing (turning downwind at speed), water starting, jumping, and more advanced moves can require lengthy practice.
Contents |
History
Windsurfing, as a sport and recreational activity, did not emerge until the later half of the twentieth century. Because of the financial stakes in the manufacture and sale of windsurfing equipment, there has been considerable dispute and litigation between parties claiming the rights to the invention.
Different courts in different jurisdictions have recognized different inventors, clouding any possibility of clear attribution. However, what is clear from the historical record is that windsurfing, as it is known today, owes much if not all to the promotion and marketing activities of Hoyle and Diana Schweitzer. In 1968, in Southern California, they founded the company Windsurfing International to manufacture, promote and license a windsurfer design. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Together with Jim Drake, an aerospace engineer at the RAND Corporation, they were the holders of the very first windsurfing patent ever, which was granted by the USPTO in 1970, after being filed in 1968. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They also originated the term "Windsurfer," which was registered to them as a trademark by the USPTO in 1973. The United States Patent and Trademark Office ( PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues Patents to Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. A sailing craft utilizing two surfboards supporting a frame, sailing rig and steering mechanism was patented by Michael Kiefer in 1966. [1]
The Drake and Schweitzer creation was a surfboard-like board with a triangular "Bermuda" sail and wishbone booms, connected to the board via a universal joint. The wishbone boom on Sailing craft is most commonly seen on Windsurfing boards (sailboards The details of the original designs are available in Drake's whitepaper on windsurfing. Also, the history of the invention is discussed in these interviews with Jim Drake [1] [2]. Despite forty years of subsequent development, this apparatus is remarkably similar to windsurfing equipment in use today, and the word which Drake and Schweitzer coined to describe their invention has become eponymous with the sport itself. There is no evidence that they had knowledge of any prior inventions similar to theirs.
Windsurfing International created the Windsurfer as a one-design class. One-Design is a Racing method where all Vehicles or Boats have identical or very similar designs or models Going one-design was influenced by the success of the Laser and Hobie Cat classes. One-Design is a Racing method where all Vehicles or Boats have identical or very similar designs or models The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular One-design class of small sailing dinghy A Hobie Cat is a small Catamaran (or two-hulled sailboat manufactured by the Hobie Cat Company of Oceanside California USA Each Windsurfer had an identical computer-cut sail, a technology new at that time and pioneered by Ian Bruce and the Laser class. Later Windsurfing International produced other development board sails, so as not to be left behind with the quickly evolving sport.
Drake relinquished his patent rights to Schweitzer in 1973. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Through the seventies, Schweitzer aggressively promoted and licensed his design to manufacturers worldwide, and the sport underwent very rapid growth in Europe. At the same time, Schweitzer also sought to defend his patent rights vigorously against unauthorized manufacturers. This led to a host of pre-dating windsurfer-like devices being presented to courts around the world by companies disputing Windsurfing International's rights to the invention.
Schweitzer sued Tabur Marine, the precursor of Bicsport, which is still a major manufacturer of sailboards and other marine recreation equipment today [3], [4]. In Windsurfing International Inc. v Tabur Marine (GB) Ltd. 1985 RPC 59, British courts recognized prior art by Peter Chilvers, who as a young boy on Hayling Island on the south coast of England, assembled his first board combined with a sail, in 1958. Peter Chilvers is an Inventor, Engineer and promoter of Sailing and Windsurfing. Hayling Island is an Island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire. Intended to be steered by a rudder, it did not incorporate the curved wishbone booms of the modern windsurfer, but rather a "straight split boom". The courts found that the Schweitzer windsurfer boom was "merely an obvious extension". It is worthy of note that this court case set a significant precedent for patent law in the United Kingdom, in terms of Inventive step and non-obviousness; the court upheld the defendant's claim that the Schweitzer patent was invalid, based on film footage of Chilvers. The inventive step and non-obviousness reflect a same general Patentability requirement present in most Patent Laws according to which an
In 1983, Schweitzer sued Swiss board manufacturer Mistral, which also continues as a major manufacturer of sailboards [5]. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) However Schweitzer lost the case. The Mistral defense hinged on the work of US inventor Newman Darby, who in the mid-sixties conceived the "sailboard. Newman Darby is an American Inventor best know as the Inventor of the Sailboard. " a hand-held square rigged "Kite" sail on a floating platform for recreational use. Darby's published version did not show any connection between the rig and the board (the mast simply rested in a depression on the board) but it did refer to a "more complex swivel step for advanced riders not shown". He published his "sailboard" design in August 1965 Popular Science magazine. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. For the 1935-1949 film series see Popular Science (film. Popular Science is an American monthly Magazine founded in 1872 Darby organized Darby Industries, Inc. in 1964 to build what they called sailboards [6], [7] [8]. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail [9]. However, the "sailboard" never gained popularity, and Darby's company ceased operations by the end of the sixties.
![[9]](http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/images/d8625-3.jpg){kind=link}
Eventually US courts recognized the Schweitzer windsurfer as an obvious step from Darby's prior art [10]. Schweitzer had to reapply for a patent under severely limited terms, and finally it expired in 1987. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Shortly thereafter, having lost its license royalty income, Windsurfing International ceased operations (see interview with Hoyle Schweitzer).
For their part, Australian courts, in a 1983 patent case reported in "Intellectual Property Reports" 3 IPR 449, attributed the first legally accepted use to an Australian boy, Richard Eastaugh. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Between the ages of ten and thirteen, from 1946 to 1949, aided by his younger brothers, he built around 20 galvanized iron canoes and hill trolleys which he equipped with sails with split bamboo booms. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He sailed these near his home on the Swan River in Perth. There is no evidence that any of the later "inventors" ever sighted the Eastaugh craft of a decade earlier on the other side of the world.
It is acknowledged that the Eastaugh, Chilvers, and Darby inventions all pre-dated the Drake and Schweitzer invention. However, the popularization of windsurfing would not have taken place without the efforts of Schweitzer. The prior inventions simply lay forgotten until they re-emerged in legal defenses against litigation by Schweitzer.
Windsurfing led to the development of scoring programs on early portable computers. Because Windsurfing regattas were drawing a large number of competitors at remote locations, Windsurfing International sponsored the development of software running on portable computers to score regattas, starting with the 1976 World Championships in the Bahamas. The software, named OSCOR, was developed for the HP9825 (then a $20,000 computer) and later ported to the TRS-80. The OSCOR software was eventually donated to the United States Yacht Racing Union.
The boom of the 1980s led windsurfing to be recognized as an Olympic sport in 1984. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) However, windsurfing's popularity saw a sharp decline in the mid-1990s, as equipment became more specialized, requiring more expertise to sail. Now the sport is experiencing a modest revival, as new beginner-friendly designs are becoming available.
Boards and Gear
In the 1970s and 1980s, windsurfers were classified as either shortboards or longboards. Longboards were usually longer than 3 meters, with a retractable daggerboard, and were optimized for lighter winds or course racing. A daggerboard is a retractable Keel used by various Sailing craft Shortboards were less than 3 meters long and were designed for planing conditions. planing Boat 's hull skims across the surface of the Water rather than pushing through the water in the way a traditional Displacement hull However, this classification by length has become obsolete, as new techniques, designs, and materials have taken the sport in new directions.
Most modern windsurfers (1990s and later) are derived from the shortboard design, and are intended to be used primarily in planing mode, where the board is mostly skipping over the surface of the water, rather than cutting through, and displacing the water. planing Boat 's hull skims across the surface of the Water rather than pushing through the water in the way a traditional Displacement hull Planing is faster and gives more maneuverability, but requires a different technique from the displacement mode (which is also referred to as slogging or schlogging). Generally, smaller (i. e. , lower volume, shorter length, narrower width) boards and smaller area sails are used as the wind increases.
While windsurfing is possible under a wide range of wind conditions, most recreational windsurfers prefer to sail in conditions that allow for consistent planing with multi-purpose, not overly specialized, free-ride equipment. Larger (100 to 140 liters) free-ride boards are capable of planing at wind speeds as low as 12 knots if rigged with an adequate, well-tuned sail in the six to eight square meter range. The pursuit of planing in lower and lower winds has driven the development and spread of wider and shorter boards, with which planing is possible in wind speeds as low as 8 knots, if sails in the 10 to 12 square meter range are used.
Modern windsurfing boards can be classified into these categories:
- Freeride: Boards meant for comfortable recreational cruising (mostly straight-line sailing and occasional turning) at planing speed (aka blasting), mainly in flat waters or in light to moderate swell. They typically fall into the volume range of 90 to 170 liters. The so-called freeride sailing movement diverged from course racing as more recreational sailors chose to sail freely without being constrained to sailing on courses around buoys.
- Formula Windsurfing Class: Shorter boards up to one meter in width, for use in Formula Windsurfing races. Formula windsurfing is a class of race Windsurfing boards that has developed over the last 15 years in order to facilitate high performance competition in light and moderate See below for a more detailed description.
- Wave boards: Smaller, lighter, more maneuverable boards for use in breaking waves. Characteristically, sailors on wave boards perform high jumps while sailing against waves, and they ride the face of a wave performing narrow linked turns (bottom turns, cutbacks, and top-turns) in a similar way to surfing. Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a Surfboard, although wave-riders Wave boards usually have a volume between 65 and 90 liters, with a length between 230 and 260 centimeters, and 50 to 60 centimeters in width. A general rule is for a sailor to use a wave board whose volume in liters is about the same as the sailor's weight in kilograms - more volume providing additional flotation for sailing in light winds, and less for high winds, where less volume is needed to achieve planing. In recent years, the average width of wave boards has increased slightly, as the length has shrunk, while the range of volume has been maintained the same more or less - according to board designers this makes wave boards easier to use under a wider range of conditions by sailors of different abilities. The most common sizes of sails used with wave boards are in the range of 4. 0 to 6. 0 square meters, depending on the wind speed and the weight of the sailor.
- Freestyle boards: Related to wave boards in terms of maneuverability, these are wider, higher volume boards geared specifically at performing acrobatic tricks (jumps, rotations, slides, flips and loops) on flat water. Usually 80 to 110 liters in volume, and about 240 to 250 centimeters in length, with widths frequently in excess of 60 centimeters. Freestyle boards began to diverge more noticeably in design from wave boards in the early part of the 2000 decade, as aerial tricks (the Vulcan, Spock, Grubby, Flaka, and related New School maneuvers, almost all involving a jump-and-spin component) became the predominant part of the freestyle repertoire, superseding Old School moves, in which the board did not leave contact with the water. These boards also incorporate a fairly large amount of fore and aft rocker (curvature from front to back) to make leaving the water (jumping) easier.
- Slalom boards: Shortboards aimed at top speed, rather than maneuverability or ease of use.
- Beginner boards: (sometimes called funboards or barges) these often have a daggerboard, are almost as wide as Formula boards, and have plenty of volume, hence stability. A daggerboard is a retractable Keel used by various Sailing craft
- Racing longboards: Mistral One Design, or the Olympic RS:X class race boards.
There are many attempts to bridge a gap between two of these categories, such as freerace, freestyle-wave, freeformula, and so on.
The original Windsurfer board had a body made out of polyethylene filled with PVC foam. Polyethylene or polythene ( IUPAC name poly(ethene) is a Thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (notably the Later, hollow glass-reinforced epoxy designs were used. Glass-reinforced plastic ( GRP) is a Composite material or Fiber-reinforced plastic made of a Plastic reinforced by fine fibers Most boards produced today have an expanded polystyrene foam core reinforced with a composite sandwich shell, that can include carbon fibre, kevlar, or fibreglass in a matrix of epoxy and sometimes plywood and thermoplastics. Polystyrene ˌpɒliˈstaɪriːn ( IUPAC Polyphenylethene is an aromatic Polymer made from the aromatic Monomer Styrene Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre see Spelling differences) is material made from extremely fine Fibers of Glass. In Chemistry, epoxy or polyepoxide is a Thermosetting Epoxide Polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks when mixed with a Plywood is a type of Engineered board made from thin sheets of Wood, called plies or veneers A thermoplastic is a Plastic that Melts to a liquid when heated and freezes to a Brittle, very Glassy state when cooled sufficiently Racing and wave boards are usually very light (5 to 7 kg), and are made out of carbon sandwich. Such boards are very brittle, and veneer is sometimes used to make them more shock-resistant. Boards aimed at the beginners are heavier (8 to 15 kg) and more robust, contain more fiberglass, or even have an indestructible molded plastic shell. For more information on construction, see [11].
Sails
Modern windsurfing sails are made of monofilm (polyester resin in a solid, transparent form), dacron (woven polyester) and mylar. A sail is any type of surface intended to generate Thrust by being placed in a Wind &mdashin essence a vertically-oriented Wing. Polyester Resin - Unsaturated Polyester Resin. The term generally used for unsaturated (means containing chemical double bonds resins formed by the reaction Polyester is a category of Polymers which contain the Ester Functional group in their main chain Biaxially-oriented Polyethylene terephthalate (boPET Polyester film is used for its high Tensile strength, Chemical and dimensional Stability Sensitive parts are reinforced with Kevlar Spectra or Polyester mesh. Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and Polyester is a category of Polymers which contain the Ester Functional group in their main chain
Two designs of a sail are predominant: camber induced and rotational. Camber in Aerospace engineering, is the asymmetry between the top and the bottom curves of an Airfoil in cross-section Cambered sails may have multiple camber inducers, plastic devices at the forward ends of battens that cup against the mast. A batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually Wood) Battens are used for various purposes in Building construction, as well as other various fields They help to hold a rigid aerofoil shape in the sail, better for speed and stability, but at the cost of maneuverability and generally how light and easy to use the sail feels. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor The trend is that racier sails have camber inducers while wave sails and most recreational sails do not. The rigidity of the sail is also determined by the number and composition of battens. A batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually Wood) Battens are used for various purposes in Building construction, as well as other various fields
Beginners' sails often have fewer battens, if any, so they are lighter and easier to use in light winds. However, as the sailor improves, a battened sail will provide greater stability in stronger winds.
Rotational sails have battens which protrude beyond the back aspect of the mast. They have to flip to the other side of the mast when tacking or gybing, hence the rotation in the name. Rotational sails have aerofoil shape on the leeward side only when filled with wind. Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing at the time in question They can be absolutely flat and depowered when sheeted out.
In comparison with cambered sails, rotational designs offer less power and stability when sailing straight, but are easier to handle when maneuvering. Also, rotational sails are much easier to rig.
The leading edge of a sail is called the luff. In Sailing the parts of a Sail have common terminology for each corner and edge of the sail The mast is in the luff tube. The rear edge is called the leech. Leeches are Annelids comprising the Subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater terrestrial and marine leeches The front bottom corner of the sail, where the mast foot protrudes, is called the tack, and the rear corner, to which the boom is attached, is called the clew. A boom in the context of Windsurfing is a piece of equipment that attaches to the mast providing structural support for the sail. In Sailing the parts of a Sail have common terminology for each corner and edge of the sail The bottom edge, between the clew and the tack, is called the foot.
A windsurfing sail is tensioned at two points: at the tack (by downhaul), and at the clew (by outhaul). There is a set of pulleys for downhauling at the tack and there's a grommet at the clew. A pulley (also called a sheave or block) is a Wheel with a groove between two Flanges around its Circumference Grommets and eyelets are Metal, Plastic, or Rubber rings that are inserted into a hole made through another material Most shape is given to the sail by a very strong downhaul, bending the mast in the luff tube. The outhaul tension is relatively weak, mostly to provide leverage for controlling the sail's angle of attack.
The sail is tuned by adjusting the downhaul and the outhaul. Generally, the sail has to be trimmed more for stronger winds. More downhaul tension brings the two ends of the mast closer together and, thus, softens the upper part of the leech, "spilling" the wind at the gusts and shifting the center of effort of the sail down. Releasing the downhaul tension shifts the center of effort up. More outhaul lowers the camber/draft, making the sail flatter and easier to control, but less powerful, while less outhaul brings more overall depth to the sail, more low-end power, shifts the center of effort upward and to the front, and may limit speed by increasing aerodynamic resistance depending on the sail's angle of attack to the wind. Angle of attack ( AOA, \alpha Greek letter alpha) is a term used in Aerodynamics to describe the Angle between the
Different sails are used for various disciplines of windsurfing: wave, freestyle, freeride, race. Wave sails are reinforced to survive the surf, and are absolutely flat when depowered to allow riding the waves like surfers do. Freestyle sails are also flat when depowered, and have high low-end power to allow quick accelerations. Freeride sails are all-rounders that are comfortable to use and are meant for recreational windsurfing. Racing sails, obviously, provide speed at the expense of qualities like comfort or maneuverability.
The size of the sail is measured in square meters and can be from 3m² to 6. 5m² for wave sails and from 6m² to 12. 5m² for racing sails, with ranges for freestyle and freeride sails spanning somewhere between these extremes. Learning sails for children can be as small as 1. 7m² and racing sails being up to 12. 5m² large.
Indoor windsurfing
Indoor windsurfing competitions are held, especially in the European winter.
A competition is held annually at the Schroders International Boat show, at London's Excel Centre in January. Each year a massive indoor pool is constructed and housed in a marquee. Powerful fans propel the boards along the pool. The competitions held include slalom style races, jumping competitions and more.
Permanent indoor windsurfing facilities are being constructed around the globe including Germany.
Additional equipment
- Harness
- Harness lines
- Joint
- Wet/dry suit
- Footwear
- Helmet
- Personal flotation device
- Fin/Skeg
Competitions
In windsurfing competitions, there are the following disciplines:
- Olympic Windsurfing Class
- Formula Windsurfing Class
- Slalom
- Super X
- Speed Racing
- Freestyle
- Wave
- Windsurfer One Design
Freestyle and Wave are judged competitions; the sailor with best technique and diversity wins. Olympic Boardsailing, Formula Windsurfing, Slalom and SuperX are races where many sailors compete on a course, and Speed Racing is a race where sailors compete on a straight 500m course in turns.
Olympic class
In Olympic Windsurfing, 'One Design' boards are used. All sailors use the same boards, daggerboards, fins and sails. A daggerboard is a retractable Keel used by various Sailing craft The equipment is chosen to allow racing in a wide range of sailing conditions. This is important for the Olympic Games, as events have to take place regardless of whether there is enough wind for planing. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games
The Neil Pryde RS:X is the current Olympic class which is going to be used for the first time in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Neil Pryde Ltd is a company designing and manufacturing Windsurfing and other water sport equipment
Formula class
Formula windsurfing has developed over the last 15 years in order to facilitate high performance competition in light and moderate winds. Formula windsurfing is a class of race Windsurfing boards that has developed over the last 15 years in order to facilitate high performance competition in light and moderate Formula is now a class of windsurfing boards controlled by the International Sailing Federation that have the principal characteristic of a maximum 1m width. The International Sailing Federation (ISAF is the world governing body for the sport of Sailing, particularly yacht, dinghy, Windsurfing and They have a single fin, with a maximum length of 70cm and carry sails up to 12. fin is a surface used to produce lift and Thrust or to steer while traveling in Water, air or other Fluid media 5 m². Class rules allow sailors to choose boards of different designs, as long as they are certified as Formula boards, and use fins and sails of different sizes.
Large sails in combination with the 'wide-style' design allow planing in very low wind conditions. However, if these requirements are not met, the boards cannot be used and events will not take place, as non-planing sailing is very difficult with this design. Formula boards are used on "flat water" as opposed to coastal surf; but racing is still held in windy conditions involving swell and chop.
Formula boards have excellent upwind and downwind ability, but are not very comfortable on a beam reach unless sail and fin size are reduced. Points of sail describes a sailing boat's course in relation to the wind direction This explains why the course is usually a box with longer upwind and downwind legs, or just a simple upwind-downwind loop.
Slalom
Slalom is a high speed race in a course shaped like a figure of eight. Most of the course goes on a beam reach with floating marks that have to be jibed around. Slalom boards are small and narrow, and require high winds. Funboard class racing rules require the wind of 9-35 knots for the slalom event to take place.
Super X
This is a fairly new discipline in windsurfing competitions, a cross between freestyle and slalom. The competing sailors are racing on a short downwind slalom course, have to use duck jibes on all turns, and are required to perform several tricks along the way, such as jump over an obstacle, spock or even front loop. Front loop is the name given to a trick performed by a Windsurfer (also known as a forward loop whereby the rider performs a jump from a wave face and forces the sail board The competitors are required to wear protective equipment. SuperX discipline disappeared at the end of 2006.
Speed sailing
Speed sailing takes several forms. The ISWC (International Speed Windsurfing Class) organizes (under the umbrella of the ISAF) competitions in locations known for good speed conditions. The events are made up of heats sailed on a 500m course. The average of each sailor's best two speeds on the 500m course, which is typically open for 90 minutes per heat, is their speed for that heat. Due to this structure, it is possible for the sailor with the outright fastest time not to win the heat if his second best time pulls his average down.
Points are given for the placings in the heats. The overall event winner is the sailor with the best point score (again not necessarily the fastest sailor). Likewise points are given for places in the events and at the last event the world tour winner is crowned. The world champion and the continental champions are crowned in separate one-off events.
On record attempts controlled by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC), competitors complete timed runs on a 500m or 1 nautical mile (1,852m) course. It is not a competition as such, but a race against the clock. Since March, 8th 2008, the outright (500m course) sailing record is held by Antoine Albeau at 49. Antoine Albeau is a French Windsurfer who holds eleven Windsurfing World Championships in different disciplines since 1994 09 knots (90. 91 km/h - 56. 49 mph) who beat previous record by Finian Maynard at 48. Finian Maynard (born 22 November 1974 in Dublin, Ireland) is a five time speed Windsurfing world champion ( 1998 until 7 knots. Manyard also held the nautical mile record which he took from Bjorn Dunkerbeck at Walvis Bay in Namibia in October 2005 in an epic contest with Dunkerbeck and another multiple world windsurfing champion Antoine Albeau. In October 2006 Dunkerbeck improved on Finian's speed of the previous year by over 1 knot. His best nautical mile speed is 41. 14 knots. A new record can not be publicly claimed until verified by the WSSRC who has an observer at the event. In the meantime, the french trimaran Hydroptere improved that speed again to almost 42 knots.
With the advent of handheld GPS's, sailors have been able to organise impromptu competitions amongst themselves, as well as more formal competitions such as the European Speed Meetings and Speedweeks/fortnights in Australia. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth See www. gps-speedsurfing. com for more information. With over 2000 sailors registered, it is possible for windsurfers all over the world to compare speeds.
Late October and early November 2006 was a particularly good period for fast speeds. In Namibia, Hennie Bedenkamp was the first sailor over 40 kts for the nautical mile on Oct 31 2006. Later that day Dunkerbeck did improved this to 41. 14 kts. The next day in Holland, Martin van Meurs achieved a peak gps speed of 46. 9 kts. On 11 November Bob Cunningham achieved a peak of 45. 2 kts at West Kirby in the UK, while in the southern hemisphere Chris Torkler made 44. 6 kts in Auckland, New Zealand and on the 9th and Chris Lockwood achieved 48. 9 knots 2 second peak speed at Sandy Point, Australia on 13 November 2006 with a 500m average of 46. 1 kts. On 18 January 2007, Dutch sailor, Martin van Meurs went on to increase his (max 2 sec) speed to 49. 4 kts at West Kirby UK.
Speed sailing shares a fierce (but good-willed) rivalry between the sailing disciplines, particularly kitesurfing - where (as of early 2008) kitesurfing has achieved unofficial speeds in excess of 50 kts. Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard)
Freestyle
Freestyle is a timed event which is judged. The competitor who has the greatest repertoire, or manages to complete most stunts, wins. Freestyle is about show and competitors are judged on their creativity. Both the difficulty and the number of tricks make up the final score. Sailors who perform tricks on both tacks (port and starboard), and perform the tricks fully planing score higher marks. High scoring moves include; Shaka, Burner (funnel ponch), Double Forward Loops, the Funnell (invented by freestyle champion Ricardo Campello in memory of Andy Funnell), the Chachoo and the Clew First Puneta (switch stance Spock (windsurfing)), Eslider, Flaka. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail A Spock is a freestyle Windsurfing move where the sailor performs a sliding downwind 360 degree turn with the board and in the footstraps A Flaka is a freestyle Windsurfing move where the sailor performs a sliding upwind 360 degree turn with the board and in the footstraps
For novice windsurfers, low wind freestyle tricks are an appropriate start; such as sailing backwards with the fin out of the water, or transitioning from a sailing stance to sitting on the board while continuing to sail.
Wave
Similar to freestyle (though wavesailing preceded freestyle) except that the stunts are generally performed in surf and points are awarded for how well the waves are ridden. A typical wave contest will score two jumps going out and two wave rides coming in. A good heat would consist of a clean forward rotating jump, a backward rotating jump, a long slashy wave ride and a trick on the face of the waves such as a goiter or wave 360.
International stars
- Robby Naish: one of the first windsurfing champions to gain long-lasting international fame, he dominated the early years of competition in the 1970s and 1980s. Robert Staunton Naish (born April 23 1963 in La Jolla San Diego California) is one of the first athletes to have gained long-lasting international fame Pre-PWA World Champion from 1976 to 1979, PWA Overall World Champion from 1983 to 1987, and PWA Wave World Champion in 1988, 1989, and 1991.
- Bjorn Dunkerbeck: the successor to Naish, he dominated competition for many years in the late 1980s and 1990s. Björn Dunkerbeck (born 16 July 1969) is a professional Windsurfer who has won Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA Overall World Championships a Twelve time PWA Overall World Champion.
- Stephan van den Berg, world champion 1980-1983, winner first Olympic windsurfing contest in 1984. Stephan van den Berg (born February 20, 1962 in Hoorn, Noord-Holland) is a retired windsurfer from the Netherlands
- Josh Stone: freestyle pioneer, inventor of spock, PWA Freestyle World Champion in 1999, 2000
- Ricardo Campello: a freestyle innovator, he created many new difficult moves, PWA Freestyle World Champion in 2003, 2004, and 2005. A Spock is a freestyle Windsurfing move where the sailor performs a sliding downwind 360 degree turn with the board and in the footstraps
- Kauli Seadi: Pioneered freestyle maneuvers in wave competition. Ranked first in PWA Wave competition in 2005, 2007 Wave World Champion.
- Karin Jaggi: Multiple PWA World Champion in freestyle, wave, speed competition, 1990s and 2000s.
- Natalie Lelievre: Overall World Champion, 1984, 1985.
- Daida Moreno: PWA Wave World Champion, 2000-2005, Freestyle World Champion 2003-2007.
- Iballa Moreno: PWA Wave World Champion, 2006 and 2007. Twin sister of Daida Moreno.
- Jason Polakow: PWA Wave World Champion, 1997, 1998.
- Kevin Pritchard: PWA Wave World Champion, 2006, PWA 1st overall ranking, 2000.
- Nik Baker: Three-time PWA Wave World Vice-Champion, six-time Indoor World Champion.
- Ricardo Winick: Neil Pryde RS:X 2007 World Champion and Panamerican Games gold medalist.
Windsurfer One Design
In the last few years there has been a resurgence in the original One Design class.
The One Design has been around for over 30 years and is still the favorite board of many elite windsurfers. It can be used from calm conditions to heavy winds. Racing is typically in triangle arrangement with a windward-leward leg. The rig consists of a fiberglass mast and a 6 square meter mylar sail.
Youth windsurfing
Anyone above the age of three can start windsurfing with lightweight sails and boards. Between the ages of eight and 15, young people can become involved in t-15 windsurfing and can get together with other clubs and race for prizes. There is also freeride sailing, where youth sailers can just have fun.
The Techno 293 (T293) class includes juniors (under 15) competing on a 6. 8m sail and youths (under 17) competing on a 7. 8m sail. Both classes compete on the Bic Techno 293 (205l volume) . They compete in winds from 5 - 25 knots. The world champion is Ali Masters from Bristol, UK. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London
From September 1st to the 7th the Spanish isle of Formentera, just next to Ibiza, will host the 2007 Techno 293 OD World Championships for junors under 15 and under 17. Formentera is the smallest and southernmost Island of the Illes Pitiüses group (which includes Ibiza and Formentera and belongs to the Balearic Islands Ibiza (Eivissa is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 km off the coast of Spain [2]
Youth Windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge: The Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association works to get young people outside and on a board. They offer inexpensive lessons for local youth, in conjunction with Hood River Parks and Recreation, as well as free drop-in sessions during the week to meet other kids and get more time on the water. www. CGWA. net
Records
A windsurfer holds the outright World Speed Sailing Record: French sailor Antoine Albeau reached an average speed of 49. Antoine Albeau is a French Windsurfer who holds eleven Windsurfing World Championships in different disciplines since 1994 09 knots (90. 91 km/h - 56. 49 mph) over a 500 metre course at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (France) on 5th March 2008 beating previous one by Irish born sailor Finian Maynard who competes for the British Virgin Islands who reached an average speed of 48. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit "Saint Marys of the Sea" Provençal Occitan Lei Santei Marias de la Mar) is the capital of the Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Finian Maynard (born 22 November 1974 in Dublin, Ireland) is a five time speed Windsurfing world champion ( 1998 until The British Virgin Islands ( BVI) is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. 70 knots (25. 05 m/s or 56. 05 mph) at the same venue on 10th April 2005 [12]. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. These performances brought back to windsurfing the record which had been held for over 11 years by the asymmetrical wing-sailed trimaran, Yellow Pages Endeavour. A trimaran is a Multihulled Boat consisting of a main hull ( vaka) and two smaller Outrigger hulls ( amas) attached The Yellow Pages Endeavour, or YPE, is an Australian Sailboat designed for Speed sailing, which held the outright 500 meter world record from
- Updated List of Speed Sailing Records, Speed All Time Ranking
- Boards Magazine Speed-Sailing History
- Complete Chronology of Speed Sailing Records
- Video footage of Antoine Albeau setting actual overall speedsailing world record on March 5, 2008
- Video footage of Finian Maynard setting previous overall speedsailing world record on April 10, 2005 courtesy of AdventureImagery.com
See also
Similar sports
References
External links
- PWA: Professional Windsurfers Association
- ISWC: The International Speed Windsurfing Class
- IWA: International Windsurfing Association as cooperation of ISAF windsurfing classes
- Royn Bartholdi Windsurfing, with descriptions and photos of techniques and freestyle tricks
- World Windsurfing and Kitesurfing Directory
- Windsurfing News Provider
Dictionary
windsurfing
-noun
- A marine sport in which one stands on a floating board (typically 2 - 3 meters in length) to which a sail is attached. The board is steered by tilting the sail or banking the board. Some windsurfers use large waves to perform jumps and other stunts.
-verb
- Present participle of windsurf.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic