It is a great location and today's racing happened right in front. We did two races - each two 3 mile out and backs. Totally wound - 4.7 in the first and flattened 5.4 (2cm beyond spec downhaul) in the second. It was probably just as windy in the second but there was a lull after the first that had all of us go up a sail size. Pro tip: sail your stuff for a warmup before racing it 12 miles I had some stuff out of whack and it made things more challenging than it needed to be but by the end, everything got sorted. It was incredibly fun and nice to do an adventure like that with safety support. Imagine doing two laps of Van Pugh to Vann's Tavern and back in ripped conditions with 180 of your best friends. As rec punters, our objectives were to do it safely and not get lapped by the pros. We got in safely but Taty blazed past me half way home on the last leg. It was glorious to see how fast they are.

Today's video:

Ed, no GPS. Only details I have is that Taty is about twice as fast as the avg windsurfer. It was hard to fully push it because of the chop created by so many boards in the water. Going out was a bit more upwind so more choppy but coming back in, I could push harder so I'm guessing speed in the mid to upper 20s. The top guys are visibly faster just riding around.

Barrett, today was freestyle. Everybody in the house took a break despite it being very windy. It was cold and we were all tired from the previous two days. Channey did get out on a 5.0 and small board up in Salvo. Temps are going to be about 10 degrees warmer tomorrow and there's either a low-key race or we'll go out and play.

It's been a great vibe here this week and feel grateful to have experienced it. Watching the videos (there are some extended drone cuts on youtube of the long distance races, too) makes me wish I had some (more) speed oriented gear.

Not close enough to see Christophe rigged a 6.8 in the morning (he had a horrible race trying to go without a weed fin) but rigged up to a 7.8 the second race, when I had my 5.4 freeride sail, and he scored 10th. I could have seen myself with a rigid sail being a meter bigger than what I had even at my size.

Watching some good sailors out yesterday when it was cranking that had pretty big sails up for the conditions (mid 6s) very clear that they ride their boards differently - much more on the fin. You can see a bit of that in the videos, too. We regular punters are engaging the board from the mast track back into the water whereas they really have the board almost hovering off the water with just the last couple of feet or less of board on the water especially off the water. Even with my gear coming back toward shore where we were a bit more off the wind, I had times I was really light on the board and it felt fast - not really tail walking but a similar feeling of looseness yet still very much in control. It was much harder going out because we were both pinching a bit and there was more chop from the traffic. It's pretty clear watching them that the board is pushing a lot less water out of the way and riding a lot flatter.

Being able to see stuff like that up close is another reason it's so great being here. You notice little stuff. Another example was watching the freestylers tack - which they did a lot. They also fall a lot - there's zero shame in not making a move. They just get going and try it again. I, for one, am too tied up in my ego and play it safe too often. Of course, I hate falling in cold water and that doesn't help.

Where was this video last week?

Excellent photos! Trips are always better when a real photographer is part of the group.

More stuff that would have been helpful before going to OBX. An older article on how smallish (70kg) Taty lined up to race slalom against the big boys who weighed as much as 30kg more.

https://boards.co.uk/technique/a-guide-to-going-fast-by-taty-frans.html

Quote:

“I have always had to rely more on technique than strength, and while I am comparatively strong for my 70kg weight, I do not have the added strength and 30kg weight jacket of most of the slalom competitors. This means my equipment choice, tuning and training become even more important, and my approach to these must be vastly different to fellow racers if I want stand any chance of beating them.”

“Before I started freestyling I did a LOT of longboard racing, where I learnt how to stay calm under pressure, and keep control of any equipment.”

“Control is easy, beating the well-built guys is the biggest challenge.”

“Positive thinking helps a lot, and I always have to think that anything is possible or I would never win a race.”

“Having the right equipment for my weight and height is crucial, Maui Sails and Starboard supply great, fast gear for me, but my fins are definitely the most important part. If the fins are good, then it’s all good.”

“I usually tune my race sails with the details that are printed on the bag, as this works well for me. On my iSonic, I put the foot straps all the way to the back and I always use a fin that is 2cm bigger, as I like a lot of back foot pressure.”

“I always try to use the smallest equipment that I can, which usually means that my sail is 2m smaller than the big guys. Personally, I am happy sailing the equipment I know the best. Smaller equipment is lighter and faster, in both flat out speed and around gybes. Quicker gybing means I can make up places at marks, and if there are short reaches, like in Sylt, I am often faster than many as my entry and exit phases of the gybe are quicker too. Although I am a lightweight sailor I am also better in rough windy conditions, I love the challenge!”

“I struggle the most when it is really windy with long reaches, as the 100kg racers get so much speed that it is hard for me to maintain my position. For races like this I just stay confident, have fun and stay in the moment, ready to take advantage of any loss of speed or mistakes from my competitors.”

“Hitting the start line at full speed and in the right position is critical for a lighter competitor like me. If I am late for the start it is game over. A heavier sailor usually has better speed overall, so can afford to be a second or two late, or even not cross the line at full speed as they can just accelerate more and more. For this reason I train a lot on starts, practicing hitting the line, knowing my own speed and reading the wind shifts. The more you practice, the easier it will be to adapt to every situation. Again my longboard racing background gives me more confidence with this.”

Copied it here because the website is on borrowed time - last post there was six years ago.

OBX Wind makes the Starboard website: https://windsurf.star-board.com/windsurf-blog/starboard-at-the-windsurfing-festival-obx-wind-2023/

"Our Starboard riders were on top!

In the Freestyle division, our Starboard rider Philip Soltysiak claimed the victory. Philip showed an incredible form and took home the US Freestyle Title. Our Starboard Sales Manager Dirk Doppenberg finished in 4th place in both the Long-distance race and the Slalom competition. For the Slalom races, Dirk was using the Starboard iSONIC 73 in wood construction in 12-18 knots wind conditions. During the long-distance race, the wind was much stronger between 25-30 knots and Dirk bet on his Starboard Futura 110 in wood construction.
Philip about his US Freestyle Title:

“I’m super stoked to win the 2023 US Nationals! We had an awesome event with the top US freestylers and some special guests from Bonaire. The conditions were choppy with strong wind and lots of weeds. The setup that got me to the top in this event was the Starboard iGNITE 93 paired with a really powered-up 4.5m sail and a 15cm weed fin. “