Will to Win - Neil Pryde 40th Anniversary Book

Neil Pryde have released a limited run of hardcover books celebrating the companys 40th anniversary.  The book covers the history, the people & the sports of this iconic windsurfing brand. Part business book, part corporate history, part celebration, part biography, part sports narrative it is sure to interest anyone who has followed the sport for many years as well as those newbies wanting to know how windsurfing has shaped up to what it is today.  I ordered my copy last night and look forward to seeing some of the old never before seen shots and stories.

Board Quiver 2011

For 2011 I am trying to cover as many conditions and types of sailing as I can with 4 or 5 boards.

I hope to use these 4 boards with the following sails:
JP Super Lightwind - RSS MkIII 9.5 & RSR EvoIII 7.8
JP Slalom VI 68 - RSR EvoIII 7.8 & RSR EvoII 7.0
JP Speed 49 - RSR EvoII 7.0, RSR5.8 & RSR 5.0
Fanatic Freewave 115 - NP Excess 6.4 & 5.4

There are a few gaps there such as a 90L slalom but without our faster/flatter spots of the past I hope to spend a heap of time on the 68/7.8 combo again. I'm not sure how well the SLW will work with 7.8 but hopefuly it is as good as on the Slalom IV84 when it is gusty.  I am keeping the 49 for the occasional trip to Sandy and some possible new SA speed locations I want to try out.  I have always had a soft spot for the Fanatic freewave and decided to get on this year.  I made the mistake of thinking I had to get a board smaller than my slalom so that I didn't "double-up".  The JP 102 FSW didn't plane as early as I had liked for my weight and I had read in forum posts that the 112 actually felt a lot smaller than the quoted volume so the FW115 was the one to go for.  I also like the graphics a lot more!

The Onboard Beachport X-perience

The Onboard Beachport X-perience is on this October Long Weekend with something for everyone! There will be Wavesailing & SUP Expression Sessions in the surf and Speed & Racing on Lake George. The event is Sponsored by Onboard and will be run on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th of October 2010 with the 3rd day Freesailing/Paddling.


The format is simple:
Wavesailing expression Saturday and Sunday when and where the conditions suit at Beachport (Possibly Robe) with a riders vote determining the event winners!

SUP Freesurf when the conditions best suit with an expression session to select the top 4 surfers to battle it out in a final. Race on Sunday.

Speed Sailing (and Racing depending on conditions) on Lake George Saturday and Sunday with GPS results determining the speed winner!

Event Schedule: Wave & SUP @ Surf Beach
SATURDAY:
11:00am Conditions brief, Wavesail & SUP,
1:00pm BBQ Lunch and Drinks thanks to Onboard.
5:00pm Close of day. Dinner at the Beachport Hotel.
SUNDAY:
9:30am Conditions Brief, Wavesail & SUP.
12:30pm BBQ Lunch and Drinks thanks to Onboard.
5:00pm Close of Competition.
7:00pm Presentation at the Beachport Hotel and Dinner.
MONDAY:
Free Sailing / SUP day, More Coopers etc....

Event Schedule: Speed & Racing @ The Lake George Spit
SATURDAY:
11:00am Conditions brief, Speed & Racing .
1:00pm BBQ Lunch and Drinks thanks to Onboard
5:00pm Close of day. Dinner at the Beachport Hotel.
SUNDAY:
9:30am Conditions Brief, Speed & Racing
12:30pm BBQ Lunch and Drinks thanks to Onboard.
5:00pm Close of Competition,
7:00pm Presentation at the Spit or Beachport Hotel and Dinner.
MONDAY:
Free Sailing

The Onboard Beachport X-perience is free however we encourage sailors to sign up as members of Windurfing SA (or Victoria).

Come down and have an awesome weekend!

For Details on the Wave & SUP contact Pete at Onboard (08) 82943866
For Details on the Speed & Racing contact Tim on 0400 887 054

Last Session @ the Clayton Channel

I edited this clip about a year ago but didn't get around to posting it.  The wind was light and gusty from the north, great for long reaches but you had to gybe before the big lulls.  The water was nice and flat and will be greatly missed by the local speedsailors.

JP Slalom Evolution

The JP Slalom's have evolved into a range of world cup dominating shapes, but where did it all start?

The first range of dedicated slalom shapes was released in 2005.  There were 3 sizes and they were a little different to other boards on the market with their square tails and compact outlines.  Below is a brief summary of what developments and changes have been made throughout the Slalom's 6 years of evolution.

The Evolution of the JP Slalom Range!
(if the graph does your head in - read the specs below!)

Slalom I

94L - 235cm x  60cm - 5.3Kg

114L - 238cm x 70cm - 6.1Kg
134L - 238cm x 80cm - 6.8Kg

Slalom is becoming popular once again after being almost killed by un-friendly slalom boards of the late 90's.

Shape:
Short & wide - no unnecessary weight up front.

Channel bottom as used on most JP boards.
Straight & parallel rail towards the tail for straight line stability.

Slalom II

84L - 232cm x 55cm - 5.0Kg

94L - 234cm x 60cm - 5.3Kg

114L - 234cm x 70cm - 6.1Kg

134L - 238cm x 80cm - 6.8Kg

With the PWA Racing Format changed to Slalom 42 the range is increased to 4 boards. 
There is no figure 8 slalom, only downwind. 
Colour schemes now incorporate the now standard yellow & black. 
Micah joins the JP team and bases his decision on testing the near final prototypes.

Shape:

Thinned out and flatter deck from mast track to nose to create a spoiler effect.

Optimised rail shape for increased comfort.

Slightly reduced tail width for a looser ride.

Tail cutouts with bigger openings for increased control & jibing.

Channel bottom is maintained.

Slalom III

69L - 240cm x 53cm - 5.0Kg
89L - 240cm x 59cm - 5.3Kg
109L - 240cm x 69cm - 6.1Kg
119L - 240cm x 79cm - 6.8Kg

The Chnnel Bottom is dropped in favour of a cleaner more traditional botom shape.
A range of 8 G10 slalom fins is released the complement the board range in 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 42, 48 & 52cm sizes.

Shape:

Slightly longer shapes, especially in the smaller sizes.

All 4 boards have thinned volumes in the nose and center.

Rails thinner with reduced radius.

New constant radius deck shape around the strap area.

Straps slightly closer to centerline with more outline curve between the straps.

New smaller size(69L) is also a speed board option.

Tail cutouts modified on each size, smaller boards have smaller or no cutout.

Slalom IV

54 x 240cm - 70L - 4.9kg!!!
60 x 240cm - 84L - 5.3kg
68 x 240cm - 104L - 6.1kg
76 x 240cm - 114L - 6.6kg
84 x 240cm - 134L - 7.2kg

The range is now specified in board widths rather than volume.

Pro edition in Biax Carbon with silver limited finish.

GPS testing shows an average speed increase of 5km/h over the MkIII. 

A fifth board is added to the range so that every rider can find the perfect match.

Shape:

Bottom curves adjusted for each size of board.

Tail cutouts adjusted to suit the requirements of each size.

Slalom V
54 x 236cm - 72L - 4.9kg!!!
60 x 238cm - 92L - 5.6kg
68 x 238cm - 112L - 6.3kg
76 x 238cm - 122L - 6.8kg
82 x 238cm - 132L - 7.1kg

Slalom is changed to 63- 6 sails and 3 boards have to be registered at the start of the racing season.  Construction has been modified with a timber hull & carbon deck providing a softer feel in harsh chop.  Antoine joins JP and continues his Slalom domination on boards developed by Werner & Micah.

Shape:
The mid sized boards have added volume, a lot of which is in the rails.


Slalom VI
56 x 235cm - 81L - 5.4kg

59 x 235cm - 92L - 5.8kg

65 x 235cm - 101L - 6.3kg
68 x 235cm - 112L - 6.5kg
76 x 235cm - 121L - 6.7kg
82 x 235cm - 132L - 7.2kg

The range of boards is increased to 6 with a new concept of 3 boards for lighter sailors & 3 for heavier sailors. 
The smaller boards now feature a timber deck also and high speed comfort increases. 
This is at the expense of a slight increase in weight.

Shape:
Smaller sizes now have a double concave running into a flat vee in the tail.
Larger sizes have a constant flat vee throughout.
Outline straightened between the straps and tail widened for a more parallel stance.
New race deck for increased comfort and control at speed.
Deck pads are increased in thickness.

Slalom IV Range

Slalom V 92

Slalom VI 92

Totally Wild Windsurfing

The Onboard crew made an appearance on national TV this morning on Totally Wild.

Totally Wild is a kids show that screens at 8am and so I usually miss it, and I did on this occasion also.  The filming was done late last year and I took the day off on a shocking forecast but still got planing for the camera when the wind picked up to 8-10 knots.  I make an appearance at 2:10 & 4:25 on my 9.5 RS Slalom.  I had given up on the show ever screening...

It was a great opportunity to promote our sport of windsurfing!

New Cub in the Pack

I can't believe I have a daughter!

I have a Son and 3 Nephews in the family and so we were all blown away when Isla arrived on Monday @ 1:14 pm. I haven't been on the water for 2 Months! My Wife has been so sick and our first arrived early so I have been on standby for an early arrival.  Isla loves the water like her Father and Brother!