In the latest Windsurfing Magazine, I was pleased to note an opinion piece by Greg Winkler and a review of a new longboard design, in addition to an article in the previous issue about a guy who sails a custom longboard in the surf. Check it out.
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In the latest Windsurfing Magazine, I was pleased to note an opinion piece by Greg Winkler and a review of a new longboard design, in addition to an article in the previous issue about a guy who sails a custom longboard in the surf. Check it out.
great issue of windsurfing mag. I wouldnt mind trying out one of those exocet kona's they reviewed
http://www.exocet-original.com/products/kona.asp
there was a link to http://www.naishsails.com were you can get a really cool screensaver too
I was tempted, too.
If I could find a 'like new' Equipe XR, I think I would have to have it. Mine is starting to flex just a weee bit. (It has a few miles on it).
I was thinking "Atlanta Fall Classic / Longboard National Championships". What better venue?
btw, the date for whatever it is, is October 21-22. Also Oct 7th is reserved for a WS event if we feels like it- "Shredfest... the sequel"?
cv
First season is 6 years where I won't be coaching soccer. I just might show up with IMCO in hand.
Only problem I have with longboards is I dig having my longest board in the trailer maybe 280 cm. The IMCO is, well, so.... long. Just picked up Chris C.'s Playmate for Sim - all of 245 cm. I can actually stand it up inside the house.
reconsidering things - it's interesting that much of the revival, from what I can read, is motivated by light air surf sailing. These boards are meant to be surfed more than meant to ride way upwind. I can't imagine spending too much time with my skills and budget with an Equipe XR in the surf.
You are correct sir- an Equipe is not a good wave riding board
Although, I think there was some video of R.Naish doing a forward loop on an Equipe. So obviously it's probably better for jumping than radical bottom turns and off-the-lips, etc
I have an Equipe XR. you can always count on me to be sailing the oldest board at the lake. it has its good qualities, however, if the water is rough I can't manage an uphaul without falling back in and I can't water start( I cahhn..t carve jibe either) these problems are of course due to my lack of ability and no fault of the poor little Equipe. I had no idea I was supposed to be sailing the d.... thing in the ocean! too scary for words
I don't have much to compare it to (a START is my other board), nor much skill to compare with, but so far I'm really enjoying my Equipe. It's notably faster and planes much quicker than the START and it's a lot easier to sail upwind in marginal conditions. Hopefully I'll graduate to waterstarts and a smaller board with some more experience but for the time being I'm having fun on the recently acquired longboard.
P.S. Already looking forward to the Fall events. Thanks CV !
leeo45, with the appropriate fin and sail, the Start will plane well before an Equipe. What size fin and sails are you using?
A 7.8 NP Spirit is my biggest sail (so far). I have a 5.5, a 6.6, and the 7.8. I have a Curtis 70cm fin for the Start that I bought from Gene/Windsense. My problem with the Start seems to be the way it deals with the waves at Lanier, or actually the way it doesn't work well in the waves with me sailing it. On a pure broad reach with good wind I do OK, but I have a real hard time gaining any ground upwind. The longboard seems to cut thru the waves better without loosing speed. I suspect it's mostly user error 'cause I'm new at this - - but, I'm having fun anyway.
Lee,
I think its probably a matter of how you are looking at it, and how you define "planing." Many peeps consider planning when you are in the straps, hooked in and blasting accross the wind. On the Start, or similar boards, there is a well defined transition from not planning to planning, because such boards are slow in subplaning, but fast in planning. Its easy to tell when it happens. (Width of the board, the very thing that makes it plane in light winds, slows the board down in subplaning.) Getting planning on such boards is like getting catapulted, except instead of the power of the sail and wind pulling you forward, crashing into the deck, you manage to turn it to a good purpose - blasting the board forward at high speed.
On a longboard, there is no "bright line" between planning and subplanning. A longboard is (on a relative basis) quite quick in subplanning or displacement mode, but it takes more wind to get to the back footstraps. The reason is that a longboard is much more efficient in sailing in displacement mode, and as it picks up speed, it gains "hydrodynamic lift", meaning it gets more lift from the water pushing against it as speed increases than from displacing water. This process effectively makes the board lighter, making it that much quicker. This provides the nice quick, light, feeling of the board as it accelarates. You don't have to be in the straps to get to this point where the board is very quick, and lifted up out of the water. This is also "planning" because you are sailing faster than "hull speed" and getting the majority of the lift from hydrodynamic forces rather than displacment. However, in such circusmstances, the board will probably not be as fast as a wider board when its fully planning and you are in the straps. (Note, all this discussion assumes you are sailng on a reach, not upwind). Once you are in the straps, in all likelihood, the longboard will be as quick (maybe even quicker) than the wideboard.
Randy
I'm a guest from a longboard club in Sydney, Australia. How much competitive/performance longboarding is their in the USA? It's hard to find out from this distance, and as confirmed longboard enthusiasts (who also sail and like short boards) some of us are trying to link up longboarders more, even if it's just on the net.
Someone mentioned the Exocet Kona. We (the club that is) have one for testing at the moment, unfortunately it's the light wind period for us. In a couple of light-wind tests it's been stable, incredibly fast to turn, and similar in pace to a Mistral Pan Am 2 Raceboard.
I'm a recreational longboard sailor, not qualified to respond to your post. Hopefully someone in this club will reply to some of your questions. Its a holiday, Memorial Day, for us.
Linda
The List price of the Exocet Kona mentioned earlier in this post will be increased by $100 effective June 1 and they are currently out of stock until the end of June. BUT, any orders placed NOW will be processed at the original price. For additional info give me (WindSense) a call.
Also, regarding the long board/wide board debate, for the lite air non-planing windsurfing(?), besides the Kona, other boards are available such as the Exocet Pacer http://www.exocet-original.com/products/pacer.asp and the Starboard Hybred Formula http://www.star-board.com/products/hybrid-formula.asp . Also there are the more beginner oriented boards with retractable daggerboards such as the Starboard Rio http://www.star-board.com/products/rio.asp . And, dont forget that wide boards, formula boards and beginner boards (with big fins), do plane in very lite air. I really like my Bic Nova with my 8.5 sail for lite air sailing. There have been reports of a new Bic Formula board and an 11.0 Retro planing at Van Pugh with zero wind???? There are Bic 2005 Formula and Nova Closeouts still available at great prices.
ALSO, WindSense, Atlanta's windsurfing shop, is increasing it's inventory. IN STOCK (or on the way) are pretty much all sizes of Chinook booms, masts sizes 400 to 490, and an awful lot of extensions, bases, harness lines and other misc items. Alot of the Mail Order companies have recently mailed their catalogs, so look through them and then give WindSense a call, you'll be glad you did. I'll be glad you did!
Gene
WindSense Windsurfing
770-967-0104 or 404-735-4944
Gene Mathis