New Olympic events.

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons IMO the decline in windsurf racing in the UK has followed a general decline in the sport as a whole as people go on to try the 'latest new thing', combined with the introduction of classes like Formula Windsurfing with it's 12m sails and the introduction of larger Raceboard sail sizes replacing the 7.5m rig. The effect of these changes made racing more physical and left some sailors unable/unwilling to achieve the fitness levels required.

It also coincidided with a change of landscape in dinghy offerings ... boats like the ISO came along, and whilst we might wince at the thought, they were actually perceived as quite cool, certainly cool enough for a number of racing windsurfers to cross to the dark side.

I know I’ll get shot down for this, but I think the ISO was a great concept sadly let down by some design flaws. But we shouldn’t dismiss the whole asymmetric thing as a fad that was proven to be all mouth and no trousers. The ISO was a first generation attempt at a good idea. Done again it could be great.

My observations from watching the raceboard fleet at national and regional events is that most outside the top 10 don’t really pump anyway. They race the people around them and seem to enjoy themselves.

Same as in the Finn fleet the older guys don’t/can’t pump so much but still seem to enjoy themselves.

Edited by GarethT - 10 Nov 18 at 10:37am

I'm so pleased to see hypocrisy here is at it's usual level. If windsurfing classes wish to ban pumping they can and do, the International Kona class which was/is a fast growing One Design class ignored and refused by the RYA to be accepted as an entry level class here in the UK but popular elsewhere, does ban pumping. They also have rigs coloured and sized according to helm weight.

But it's perfectly OK for international Contender and Finn to permit pumping though, that's ok is it?

Despite the misinformation from our bandit Blaze friend, you don't pump the entire time, sometimes pumping can be counter productive, you thrash off the line until your lane is established and overlaps broken then you lock into the harness if possible. If it's very light then you might give the occasional steering pump, as you would rock a dinghy, it's exactly the same thing. Off wind once you've caught a ride you stop or it'll slow the ride down on the refresh stroke. OK if there are no rides then you may get into a rhythm, but again if you pull push rather than stir, again it doesn't work. It's a skill and even some of the top people of today haven't totally grasped it, I groan every time I watch some of our tier 2 Olympic types, but then the board they ride is a planing board with a very heavy rig with multi battens and a pretty locked in flow point so doesn't react as well, good pumping also requires sails designed to react well to being pumped. But I tell you this speaking as someone who once pumped four hours solid round hayling, it's still not as arduous as butt hanging a Laser in a fresh breeze.

Funny thing with windsurfing as it gets windier it gets easier whereas I find the opposite is true with dinghy, maybe because I'm still doing it wrong, even on my little trapezing wonder boat, but it could be why dinghy racing gets limited in its appeal, I don't know.

But the real reason windsurfing appears not to be as strong as it once was is precisely because it was never accepted and embraced by it's bloody governing body beyond use for kids and as a time tuition element in its commercial schools. Sailing clubs never fully accepted windsurfing even today there are waters closed to windsurfing and as for getting kites on any inland water, good luck with that.

Edited by iGRF - 10 Nov 18 at 11:14am

Originally posted by turnturtle     I guess had it been based off a different Int 14 design of the era (one of the Australian ones perhaps)

Not sure, the Howlett designs may have been dog slow, but they were at least safe. The pre amalgamation Australian 14footer designs (that period) were anything but, if I recall correctly, and needed a highly competent crew who knew when and how to back off. Not want you want in a mass market boat.

On reflection the poor rigs and lousy ergonomics may have been a bigger problem. The B14 was probably the best all round hull shape of the era, although another 6 inches length would do it no harm.



Edited by JimC - 10 Nov 18 at 11:46am