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09 Phantoms hit Aussie shores

July 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

At last the 09 replacement Phantoms have arrived in Australia.  In accordance with the warranty instructions my friend and I took our 08 model Phantoms to our local Starboard retailer to pick up our new boards.  With much excitement we swapped over centreboards, foot straps and mast tracks from the old board to the new. Ok so I have not used the new board yet but it looks good.  I really appreciated the new shape and lines that appear to be more subtle than the previous.  In particular, I liked the ridges on the deck that travel for a good portion... [Read more]




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The Windsurfer’s guide to Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key

June 19, 2009 · 6 Comments 

I just stood there, starring at my Expedition Windsurfer not believing my eyes.  I had left my dagger board at home, some 70 miles away!  I had just carried the board to the kayak launch ramp at Grande Tours in Placida Florida and realized that I was missing the dagger board.  I never take it out of the board, where could it be?  I had no choice but to load the board back into the truck and head for home.  The Expedition Windsurfer is a specially designed windsurfer capable of being packed out for multi-day camping trips.  My plan was to... [Read more]




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UK Raceboard Class launched

January 30, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

The successes of our Olympic sailors has inspired many new windsurfers to take up windsurf racing. ‘Raceboard’ is already an official class with very simple kit rules based on length, width and production registration. Quite simply the board is a performance longboard - a true racing class. One that is not inhibited by wind strength or location. It is also provides the fairest racing when considering a sailors size/weight or age. At National level the class has been a little dormant primarily due to board manufacturers being focused on the... [Read more]




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Australian Longboard Festival

January 13, 2009 · 3 Comments 

The Australia Day Weekend, 23rd-26th January, will see the inaugural Longboard Windsurfing Festival happening on the East Coast of Australia.  This event includes the Raceboard Oceanic Championships, which will be held at Illawarra Yacht club and the National Windsurfer One Design Championships which will be held at Port Stephens Sailing and Aquatic Club.   On the East Coast of Australia seabreezes prevail from the North East consistently and a cool Southerly change usually once a week in the month of January. It’s a fairly safe bet that... [Read more]




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The Expedition Windsurfer

December 5, 2008 · 13 Comments 

The morning broke very cold for west central Florida.  The mid 40s is unseasonably cold for this time of year and I was feeling every degree.  I was stoking the fire, trying to beat back the cold and waiting for my coffee to heat up, when two commercial fishermen motored past my campsite.  I wondered how they felt about the cold weather. I had spent the night on a small mangrove island near the mouth of Bishop Harbor in Tampa Bay.  Last night in the orange glow of the setting sun I found a small spit of sand adequate enough to set up camp. ... [Read more]




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Design and construction of a longboard windsurfer

November 26, 2008 · 2 Comments 

Recently the LBWS team was alerted to an impressive project on building a raceboard.   Malcolm works as a researcher in aerodynamics and has a background in mechanical engineering.   As you could imagine he has an avid interest in the hydro and aerodynamics of windsurfers. Malcolm says, “theory can only get you so far in the end you have to do the experiments or proto-testing to improve designs”.  Below is the outcome of Malcolm’s experiment into building a Raceboard, it’s an impressive read. Design and construction... [Read more]




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A Year of Longboarding

November 13, 2008 · 18 Comments 

Every newbie to windsurfing asks this same question: What board should I get? When I started windsurfing the answer I got most often was a Starboard Go. It’s stable, got good floatation and it planes easily. It even has little side fins you can attach when the wind is low. I started having problems with the board soon. I sail on the Hudson River, and my launch site is small. When I’d get blown downwind without realizing it, it would take an hour or more to work my way back. When the wind was low, the board wasn’t much fun. It was... [Read more]




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Raceboard and Mistral OD World Championships 2009

November 10, 2008 · 14 Comments 

2009 will see the Raceboard and Mistral One Design World championships held in Germany on the Baltic Sea at the seaside resort town of Warnemünde. The World Championships are scheduled to run from July 7 - 11 with the German Raceboard and RS:X Championships occurring just prior between the 4 and 6 July. Event organisers have informed LBWS that there will be the following divisions. • Raceboard 9.5 m2 • Raceboard 7.5 m2 • Mistral One Design • RSX • Woman • Youth • 35+ • 45+55+ • 65+ While this is a World championships, event... [Read more]




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Phantoms Recalled

October 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

Starboard announced today that they are recalling all Phantoms with a serial number above 40. See the comments from there designer, Tiesda which appeared on the Starboard forum today. To owners of the Phantom Race 380 serial numbers #040 and above, Our manufacturer has advised us that a number of boards have been produced without the specified layer of PVC reinforcement around the critical area in the daggerboard box. This may result in cracks and water intake. We feel that it is the correct action for the World’s number one Windsurfing board... [Read more]