Design and construction of a longboard windsurfer

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 of a longboard windsurfer by Malcolm Jones

For a while I’d being toying with the idea of building a board to replace my ageing longboard which was taking on water. I’d started repairing my old board when I decided I’d be better off starting with a fresh slate.

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A Year of Longboarding

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 like sailing a pancake.

Being a bit of an equipment geek [Read more]

Raceboard and Mistral OD World Championships 2009

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 organisers [Read more]