Windsurfer One Design American National Championships

Windsurfer One Design American National Championships (aka: The 12th Annual DINO Race) September 26th, 2009

This grass roots event was organized by the fleet of Windsurfer One Design enthusiasts outside of Houston, Texas and attracted 30 sailors.

Six races were held in light to moderate winds. The 30 sailors were divided into three classes. Starts were alternated and sailors rotated boards each race so each competitor sailed a different board in each race because there were more sailors than boards. A tight start line, a subtle ebb tidal current and slight wind shifts made for tactical sailing conditions for seasoned competitors and pleasant conditions for the beginner racers. [Read more]

Australian Longboard Festival

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 we will see a daily average of 12-15knots at both locations, however this summer the ‘Black’ Nor-easter (25-30 knots) has reared it’s head on a number of occasions which could make things interesting. Both of these events will cater for all levels from elite to beginners and will be a heap of fun. If your local, make sure you grab your longboard and get down for a sail and join in the fun. If you can’t make it, enjoy an online experience through LBWS.com.au, showcasing results, photos & video. Further information on the Festival and the two locations can be also found at LBWS.com.au.

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Windsurfer One Design Australian Nationals

With perennial men’s and women’s champs Dennis Winstanley and Karen Constable taking this year off, the 2008 Windsurfer One Design championship on the Gippsland Lakes was always going to be hotly contested. The only problem was the Victorian government, which put up “no windsurfing” signs and warned of dangerous algae. Locals, other government scientists and windsurfers didn’t encounter any problems with the water quality, but sadly the adverse publicity certainly impacted on the number of contestants.

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Light Wind Delight

One of the great things about longboard windsurfing that seems so bloody obvious but still often debated is the ability for it to produce great sailing in fresh breezes all the way through to light winds. I continually read and hear from some parts of the windsurfing community that there is no point even rigging up if the wind is light and you cannot get the board on the plane. In a recent forum post on this topic I recall reading “The bottom line is light wind windsurfing is incredibly boring”. While I am the first to admit that there is nothing quite like going quick on my raceboard I also like a bit of tactical light wind racing.

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Windsurfer OD Specifications

Most windsurfers are only designed for planing, so they either need strong winds or big sails so they can generate enough power to get onto the plane. The Wally is different. [Read more]

Tips & Techniques

One of the problems with the Windsurfer class in the past has been the lack of information on how to sail and own the old plank. Please submit any information you have to help to build up our version of Wallypedia. [Read more]

What is the ‘Windsurfer’ One Design

The WINDSURFER ONE DESIGN is the updated version of the original Windsurfer – the board that started it all, and still one of the strongest classes in Australia. The beloved “Wally” is tough, it’s cheap, it can be sailed in anything from gales to calms, and it’s one design. It’s suitable for everything from laid-back no hassle cruising, to racing against Olympians.

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