Performance Longboard Windsurfing Newsletter – the present and future of longboarding…
Longboarding Is Not Dead… We are Connecting people who care about longboard windsurfing and it’s future, who wish and can contribute to make it greater, better and popular… We´ ve established an facebook group – an open space for exchange of ideas among longboard enthusiasts across current longboard classes.
Longboards are the best… just nobody around knows it … 😉
✔️ IF you are a Longboard Freak..
✔️ IF you are interested Much more and Much deeper in Longboards…
✔️ IF you believe that longboards are not a dying breed and You care seriously about their future…
✔️ IF you feel you can and want to contribute and discuss this topic and are not looking for another colorful windsurfing photo gallery….
Join us @ the Performance Longboard Windsurfing Forum – D2, RcB, LT, Kona, Glide & oldschoolers & race organisers welcomed 👍
Enter only if you are familiar with FACEBOOK. Facebook will ask your name and password, NOT me… Once you enter the group Don’t forget to ANSWER entrance questions, otherwise you can’t be accepted
https://www.facebook.com/groups/performancelongboarding
For those who are not Facebook fans, I will try to publish here at least some interesting topics, photos and news that are discussed on our forum. Please show off how LONGBOARDING is alive in your area and why you think it is COOL and deserves attention and care. Send your posts and comments to ws1975@post.cz – we’ll be happy to post them here on the site and on that Facebook forum of ours.
What’s new on the longboard scene? What we also discus? Rules/objectives-pink, Technique/design-grey, Events-blue, Longboardpromo-green…)
Starý Windsurfy 8-11-2022
This post started the whole thing… Guys and gals, let me introduce… Alain Cadre, 2022 France Champion in Raceboard class. Check the 3BAY raceboard custom under his feet
Alain C.: “..a Div2 type board, shorter to fit in the raceboard rule, can be more efficient in the conditions that we meet 90% of the time on the regatta weekends…. sailing upwind on a div2 is much more pleasant than on a flat raceboard, in my opinion… (c) Copy courtesy of Alain Cadre
11/2022 Poll: What does Performance/Racing Longboarding need to survive and grow? Where we should focus our efforts most effectively? Please take part, choose at least one option. …..
RE:
John Langvall
While it is obviously good that everybody are looking to attract new young people to the sport it is easy to forget that every year a lot of people become 50+ and a lot of people become retired. They have the time for windsurfing, and in difference from youngsters a lot of them have the means to buy the needed equipment. Longboard sailing is particularly well suited, and healthy, for windsurfing into old age. That are two groups of people I really think should be worked on by marketing longboard windsurfing.
Mark Ward
In Australia there has been a steady decline in raceboard participation in recent years to Windfoiling, Wingfoiling and Windsurfer LT, however there are very few raceboards/sails available on second hand market. I think some people like to follow the new trends but may eventually realise that Raceboards still have benefits compared to these new board types and offer great all round performance in wide range of conditions. Perhaps by promoting the benefits of raceboards (eg; versaility, peformance, etc) and creating ways to improve accessibility to affordable boards and sails will help increase participation in the raceboarding again. Recently I have noted a few LT sailors commenting about missing the performance of raceboards.
Peter Murray 11/2022
I thought it would be good to add a few observations on the D2 / Raceboard racing. In the UK I sail my D2 in the raceboard fleet and scored as one fleet. In terms of performance my D2 Davidson is not faster than a raceboard in the lighter airs as body weight is probably the greater factor – if I was 65Kg instead of 84kg I might be quicker. Once the wind is enough for the D2 to rail properly – say > 8knots, then it is quicker than a raceboard up wind but not on a broad reach. At the recent UK nationals I occasionally beat the fleet to the first mark and it was 20knots – I came 3rd= over the two days. At the D2 euros Peter Wauters custom D2 was faster in the lighter wind with a shape based more on the Lechner but when the wind increased the Davidson got better results as id say it was easier to sail especially downwind. On the sea at the UKWA Christchurch event we had 12-16knots on the second day, decent swell and I could hold the raceboards for a lap but would be overtaken on the second downwind leg. I see no reason for the fleets not to sail together as we do in the UKWA events. Skill, weight and fitness are what get you to the front. In my experience over the last 5 years very little difference in light wind between a D2 and raceboard.
RE: Peter Wauters:
If I was 65 kg instead of 86 kg I would be quicker too ! Luckily enough, in the light and medium wind, I had the Pegasus. “Probably the best longboard in the world”
Peter Wauters 11/2022
Here is a 2019 design in the same philosophy as Alain’s 3Bay, (with which it is always pleasant to discuss :-)), the P380, where the good properties of div2 boards were cast in a raceboard format. The aim was to combine light-weather speed with good planing properties.
The board is fast and very fun to sail and it already came out in raceboard and div2 competitions. In the pictures you can see both daggerboard and fin setups. Construction is semi-hollow.
Ed Thompson 2/2023
Competitors in the UK’s North East Windsurfers (NEWS) Longboard racing event at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club last Summer. These guys hold a series of racing weekends at various Northern locations each Summer. New entrants always welcome.
Juha Blinnika 11/2022
MONSTER racebaord testing. New design by Kai Mannisto
Monty Spindler 11/2022
From a vision, into life … prototype Raceboardblade Ultra Light Wind 9.5 2024 V2 is ready to meet the wind for the first time.
Starý Windsurfy 2/2023
Why longboard is Cool? Saturday Night (Fever) Reflection. When they ask you in the bar: ‘what you see on those longboards’. Amy Carter wrote for Boards.co.uk an ode to Rcb 8 years ago. Everything written (almost) applies even if you put the word ‘longboard’ instead of ‘raceboard’. ” Here are a few facts to enlighten you about the world of modern raceboards, and why it isn’t such an alien thing as you thought….https://boards.co.uk/…/6-reasons-why-raceboard-is-cool…
Starý Windsurfy 2/2023
A 15,000 Km (windsurf) Voyage…. Longboarding is NOT just about racing or weekend cruising. Longboards are the only (practically) usable windsurfers for long distance travel. We all remember Arnaud’s adventures, but maybe not everyone is familiar with Jonathan Dunnett ‘s long distance travels. … I am very happy to announce/remind you that Jono has published a second book about his adventures:
– In Balance: A 15,000 Km Voyage of the Seas of Europe (12/2022).
– Long term ambition: first solo windsurfing around the UK (2017)You can enjoy Jonathan’s blog on https://onebubble.earth/ and impressive
https://youtu.be/oPq13LKwrjY& https://m.facebook.com/100063462729574/
Credits: Jono’s fb page(s) & archive, Monica Vincente-Arche (for www.windsurf.co.uk) Dan Tore Jørgensen (for wikipedia)
Guy Le Roux 12/2022
The Raceboard Class rules are limiting in nature. The Raceboard Class rules were written in 1985 when the World Sailboard Manufacturers Association and the IYRU used numbers off top pro raceboards of the time, all designed for racing with an 11 knot wind minimum. Yes, you read that right—the boards that generated the numbers used in the rule were based off boards designed for an 11 knot wind minimum. Of course evolution has taken place. Materials, sails, masts, booms have evolved and the wind strength required for planing has been cut in half. Let’s go sideways here. In yachting in the early 70’s a design classification called the IOR dominated the race scene. These boats had distorted hull forms with narrow sections aft that made them hard to control when over-powered. Along came Bill Lee (and a cast of characters) from Santa Cruz, California who designed boats that completely ignored the IOR design rule. Lee just wanted to go fast. He threw out the rule and without being limited he led the world to a future of much faster sailing. What I propose is for longboard windsurfing to evolve beyond the Raceboard Class rule. We could schedule an open evaluation event with a year’s lead time, at which races would be held without wind minimums or maximums. The races could be round robin. They could be held at 10am and at 2pm for light winds in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon. Or racing could be targeted for specific wind velocities so all-around performance could be accurately evaluated. What would result would be boards that work best on the average day. I am not suggesting blowing up the Raceboard class. I am suggesting that we look outside of the Raceboard Class design rule for new levels of performance. Positive evolution has happened in the Raceboard class and many of these lessons would be applied. I am proposing that additional performance improvements are possible if we work outside of the Raceboard Class rule limitations.
Geert Wesseling 2/2022 Invitation to the Vintage raceboard Race 7/10/2023
LT fleet France is impressive….
Strictly ‘one-design’ but sure it is a GREAT promotion of longboard spirit. How many of LT riders are also D2 and RcB fans? (c) Windsurfer France https://m.facebook.com/groups/689538938047272/permalink/1911016449232842/
RE:
John Langvall
I don’t have an LT myself (I already have way too many boards… whereof also a Superlight) but I do think the concept is great. For the majority of people I really think the LT is THE board, due to simplicity, ease and range. If you want to you can complement it with one nice size short board and have all your needs covered. But, it is not a performance longboard, so while it is possible to share start line I don’t think it will be much fun for the LTs, unless we come to the freestyle part .. which I think they at least have at Windsurfer worlds. By the way I think the freestyle part is an excellent idea, both to encourage the sailors board handling skills and to do something more than just sail in straight lines. It also shows that the LT organizers have understood that the class is essentially low performance and they have done something about it. That understanding is unfortunatelly sorely lacking within Kona.
Citizen Kay 11/2022 (Google translation from German)
I fully agree with Peter Wauters and John Langvall. I think almost all D2 pilots have experienced in the past that it was not liked to be seen by the raceboarders when you came with the desire to participate in one of their races with a D2 board. Especially at below 8kn wind nobody wanted to see the D2 drive the raceboards away. Logically, no one could explain this to me. Also the exclusion by rules, 380 instead of 390 length, I will never understand. In the past, the raceboards were not so edgy and high but rather flat. The D2 boards with 20cm thickness were excluded. Raceboards today are as thick as D2 boards.I would like for the future now that we are all older and more mature to destroy the boundaries. To do this, the raceboard class would only have to change the length to basically allow D2. Peter Murray joins the RB races in England with his onehundredboardz Davidson and that’s how it could / should be everywhere.For the organization, it is easy to say that, for example, three or five D2 participants have their own rating.Next thing I see is Manko. Currently, the industry and the functionaries determine how our sport develops and everyone follows.Example, the Techno class as the rising class of youth to the raceboards.This one is falling away now because everyone follows the “presumed” foil dream.This is killing, due to the high cost of the foil sets, the youth work in the clubs. Anyway, there are only two clubs left in Germany (Berlin and Chiemsee) that are able (financially and organizational) to successfully perform youth work!This development will probably significantly reduce the raceboard class in the foreseeable future.The idea of the windsurfing class, those who know me know that I was very critical of this class, I now see it as the only solution to maintain windsurfing with athletic goals. The LT as an entry class for club and youth work and at the same time simple and cheap opportunity for surfers to get a taste into competitive sailing and then allow the step into the “longboard class”.The next goal must also be to obtain a more balanced mention in the reporting in the magazines.I get annoyed every time I read a 6-page report in the surf magazine about one of many wave contests where even individual “heats” of two drivers are described in detail. The reports on the Division 2, World and European Championships, the raceboard class and the windsurfer LT only appear in mini reports or as margin notes.Why this is like that I can’t understand nor explain. I only see waveboarders on vacation or in the areas favored with appropriate wind.In conditions like we, as Alain Cadre correctly called, find 90% in everyday life, neither waveboards nor slalomboards make sense. Longboards always ride there and bring joy.I hope that from the idea of some people there will be a great impact that will unite us and our sport again and bring us back to where we came from.Having fun together on the fascination of wind and water
RE:
Chris Valavanis
I think with the same way, Citizen Kay ! We need less borders and rules and more “out of the box thinking” to be able to attrack more competitors in longboard racing.
Speaking about publicity I believe someone must communicate our events with a press realease send to all sites and press seems to be interested. That will help a lot attracting competitors. Another way is to follow the windsurfer model (fly and surf). That will need a professional touch. The Pirat club in Piran started already and have 6-7 boards and rigs to offer. It’s a start. Basically this form is making things easy for any competitor, specially for people coming from distant countries. It’s a good opportunity for small-middle range manufacturers, if you ask me. That way they’ll extend their business by renting their boards and creating a second hand market at the same time. I am sure Matic Meža thought about it already.
Dronist Dronistuck 2/2023 D1 “Approximately 1984”
Starý Windsurfy 12/2022
Building a Division 2 hollow sailboard. By Malcolm Jones
https://infinity1971.bitbucket.io/… https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenDiv2/permalink/9206320062718755/
Matthew Burridge 11/2022
Here is a 1986/7 … Mark 1 Sabre built to the Div1 rule. This hull was built to plans from our design by an amateur builder in his shed. It has a bit too much rocker to be competitive, but this also makes it really nice upwind on the rail and on the sea. I have personally done 30 Knots boardspeed reaching on this board(with an 8.2). The mark 3 Sabre ( built by Bruce Keeping / Waveblades) won the Div1 Worlds in 1989. The Mark3 nose was altered and chined, less rocker and the rail shape was a little different. There was also a mark3b version, but Div1 was finished by then and the new Raceboard rule disallowed the bow shape in favour of very flat boardsThe sabre is a really good fleet racing hull, quick to tack, very nice to sail in lightwinds (stable), very good railing ability, quick to plane, very good in planing mode, and it can do all this with a small sailCompared to a div 2 hull of the era it was slower in lightwinds ( not embarrisingly slower, but significantly) but much easier to sail and it was massively faster and easier to sail in planing conditions.
Starý Windsurfy 11/2022
AHD Tactic. Any memories? http://windsurfraceboard.blogspot.com/…/ahd-tactik…“…. Target – Fill the 0-15 knots / less than 8 m/s, days with the super-glide (and excitement) of a sailboard and later, who knows, create a simple and all-round class.Customers – The summer-holidays sailors who already know how to windsurf, those who want to sail on lakes, and lovers of course-racing.Why does not this already exist – Very technical sailboards have already existed 20 years ago, and they were shining in light air….”https://youtu.be/Dm50qnz1u4U
Starý Windsurfy 12/2022
D2 – desperatelly unatractive… for media (?)
…this is the only ‘DII’ mag cover page in the Windsurfing Museum Prague archives. Guy explains (a bit) media approach to the D2 class (even) in it’s glorious years…
Starý Windsurfy 11/2022
EXOCET D2: Speaking about D2 and Raceboard “2 in 1″… everybody remembers, but let’s refresh.. Here is an action review by Tinho @http://windsurfraceboard.blogspot.com/…/exocet-d2…
Matthew Burridge 11/2022
Here is the Spreadsheet of the “variable sail size v sailor weight” system we used in the SW UK race series for several years in the early-mid 1990,s.The second column 7.5m2 for 68kg sailor was the one we used.It was very good quality racing, where lightweights won windy races and heavy weights won lightwind races. The fleet tended to be very closely matched.If you know your weight and your competitors weight it will be interesting for you to see how much of an advantage or disadvantage you have, relatively, under the current fixed sail size rules.For example – i am currently 95kg – i would use a 9.2m sail, an 80kg sailor would use and 8.2m2 sail and a 65kg sailor would use a 7.3m2 sail for fair racing.There were a few other bits to the equalisation ( board weight, mast length, fin) but i have kept it to the sail size for simplicity.
Starý Windsurfy 11/2022
Driving High School & Riding Skills. Who will teach the newbies (if they come)? We’ ve started discussing several aspects of our sport, mainly gear and rules. And what about Riding technique & Skills? I had no teachers or coaches in the 80s, but plenty of masters around. Now, 40 years later, I don’t often meet masters and there aren’t many self-taught videos available. Have the new sails and longer fins changed the “riding style” much? Share your favourite RcB&D2 VIDEOs to inspire and motivate future newcomers to longboard widsurfing.
https://youtu.be/hVX4E8kpOro
Starý Windsurfy 11/2022 Just to tease a little bit and illustrate what we are also talking about. Please note the curve/silhouette, not the exact numbers. I had to exaggerate our yellow (flat&round) fleet to get us to the chart. I estimate longboarders were the minority 10-15% before the foils came in. Any comments and corrections would be appreciated (esp. class participation numbers), this is just a first draft.
Longboard Links:
Class and producers pages in an alphabetical order (!)
Division II – official class pages
GLIDE – Glide windsurfing pages
KONA ONE – one-design class
Raceboard.org – raceboard class official pages
Windsurfer LT – International Windsurfer Class Association Europe
Seabreeze – Division 2 boards discussed
Seabreeze – Raceboards discussed
On the road to perfection – Patrik Pollak shares his knowledge
IMCO – International Mistral Class Organization (last update in 2018)
http://www.windsurfingukmag.co.uk/raceboard-windsurfing-revival-nows-the-time
https://windsportatlanta.com/story/mary-richards-part-1
Czech Windsurfing Association – minimum o raceboardech taky česky
Other usefull links from windsurfraceboard.blogspot.com/