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!
Friday, 2 July 2010
Thursday, 10 June 2010
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!
Friday, 21 May 2010
Neil Pryde High Performance Road Bikes
Neil Pryde are set to release a range of High Performance Road Bikes. No pictures available yet but I want one! Here is the press releaase from the Pryde Group Site:
NeilPryde, the flagship brand within the Pryde Group and the world’s leading Windsurfing Sail and Rig supplier announces the introduction of NeilPryde branded high performance road bicycles planned for launch in the second half of 2010.
The new product line will capitalise on the company’s reputation for cutting edge high performance equipment manufactured in carbon composite materials.
Neil Pryde, founder of the Pryde Group commented on the move:
“A high proportion of the NeilPryde customer base share our passion for cycling and we are confident that our customers will appreciate the performance and elegant engineering in the NeilPryde Bikes.”
The design of the bicycles is a collaboration with BMW Group DesignworksUSA.
The Pryde Group plans the launch of the high-end carbon fibre road bikes mid 2010 with product sold direct to consumers via the Internet and through a select dealer network in key markets. The program will be fully supported by professional consultants and after-sales service.
NeilPryde, the flagship brand within the Pryde Group and the world’s leading Windsurfing Sail and Rig supplier announces the introduction of NeilPryde branded high performance road bicycles planned for launch in the second half of 2010.
The new product line will capitalise on the company’s reputation for cutting edge high performance equipment manufactured in carbon composite materials.
Neil Pryde, founder of the Pryde Group commented on the move:
“A high proportion of the NeilPryde customer base share our passion for cycling and we are confident that our customers will appreciate the performance and elegant engineering in the NeilPryde Bikes.”
The design of the bicycles is a collaboration with BMW Group DesignworksUSA.
The Pryde Group plans the launch of the high-end carbon fibre road bikes mid 2010 with product sold direct to consumers via the Internet and through a select dealer network in key markets. The program will be fully supported by professional consultants and after-sales service.
Saturday, 15 May 2010
New Toy - JP 102 FSW
Picked up my new JP 102 Freestyle Wave during the week after selling my JP 92 Slalom. It was a hard decision and if I could afford the luxury I would have kept both boards. With our SA speed spots gone and a another baby on the way I am hoping this will be the answer to getting my sailing fix after work on the local coast when the summer seabreezes kick in.
I am going to use it with the 6.4 & 5.4 Excess with the option of putting the RSR 7m on it occasionaly. I am really looking forward to mixing it up a bit as I am getting a little tired of the 1 dimensional sailing I have been doing for the last few years.
I wasn't sure about the boards colour scheme when it was first released but I have to say it is really growing on my. I went for the bombproof FWS construction as I want something a little softer in the chop and from landing big airs.
I wasn't sure about the boards colour scheme when it was first released but I have to say it is really growing on my. I went for the bombproof FWS construction as I want something a little softer in the chop and from landing big airs.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
RS:Racing Evo III
Robert Stroj Interview (NeilPryde Design) care of the NP Website.
RS:RACING EVOIII and the Integrated Compact Clew
Q. Some of the top NeilPryde Team Riders will be racing on the EVOIII this season. Why?
As with any very new development it’s always a challenge to get all the little details 100% right and it took a longer time to finalize the design than was originally planned. We wanted to make sure that there was plenty of testing before the sail gets introduced to the market.
For those reasons we decided to have only our international team register and use the new RS:RACING EVOIII sails during the 2010 racing season so that we can introduce fully tested sails to the market later this year.
Q. Will there be a difference in the EVOIII sails introduced to the market later in the year from the ones the Team Riders are using now?
The sails introduced to the market will be the same designs as used by the team during the season, but will be introduced in new colors and different graphics.
This is a very similar concept to the current EVOII Limited Edition sails which are exactly the same designs as the regular 2009 EVOII sails, just with new graphics and colors.
Q. What is new with this sail design?
With this sail we introduce the Integrated Compact Clew where, in comparison to the current Dynamic Compact Clew, we have eliminated the cutout at the clew and connected the foot area with the leech by closing the sail behind the boom end.
I have been thinking about this clew concept since my time at ART. After the introduction of the Compact Clew that came out on the RS5 at the end of 2004 I was hoping to be able to take this concept one step further and use all the advantages of the Compact Clew without having to compromise the outline of the sail.
Q. How does it work and what are the advantages?
The real advantage of this concept is that there is a tension connection between the foot edge and lower leech. This helps to keep the foot of the sail from blowing out in gusts and also makes the whole leech twist, harmonically, getting even more out of the advantages already associated with the regular Compact Clew.
In addition, there is the benefit of a cleaner sail outline, when compared to the Dynamic Compact Clew, and therefore better aerodynamics as it is not necessary to have a clew cutout.
In comparison to regular sails with a clew on the back edge of the profile the EVOIII has all the benefits common with the Dynamic Compact Clew: improved lower leech twist and much reduced draft movement due to the lower leech ability to create reflex behind the boom which releases excessive power and effectively locks the draft forward.
After long development (since May 2009) we ended up designing a very simple and precise sliding rail system for sail closure behind the boom. It works similar to a zip but is much stronger and incorporates a batten to support this area as well as evenly distributing the high load coming from the clew grommet.
With this system being very new we decided, like previously mentioned, to ensure it is fully tested prior to introducing new sails to the market.
RS:RACING EVOIII and the Integrated Compact Clew
Q. Some of the top NeilPryde Team Riders will be racing on the EVOIII this season. Why?
As with any very new development it’s always a challenge to get all the little details 100% right and it took a longer time to finalize the design than was originally planned. We wanted to make sure that there was plenty of testing before the sail gets introduced to the market.
For those reasons we decided to have only our international team register and use the new RS:RACING EVOIII sails during the 2010 racing season so that we can introduce fully tested sails to the market later this year.
Q. Will there be a difference in the EVOIII sails introduced to the market later in the year from the ones the Team Riders are using now?
The sails introduced to the market will be the same designs as used by the team during the season, but will be introduced in new colors and different graphics.
This is a very similar concept to the current EVOII Limited Edition sails which are exactly the same designs as the regular 2009 EVOII sails, just with new graphics and colors.
Q. What is new with this sail design?
With this sail we introduce the Integrated Compact Clew where, in comparison to the current Dynamic Compact Clew, we have eliminated the cutout at the clew and connected the foot area with the leech by closing the sail behind the boom end.
I have been thinking about this clew concept since my time at ART. After the introduction of the Compact Clew that came out on the RS5 at the end of 2004 I was hoping to be able to take this concept one step further and use all the advantages of the Compact Clew without having to compromise the outline of the sail.
Q. How does it work and what are the advantages?
The real advantage of this concept is that there is a tension connection between the foot edge and lower leech. This helps to keep the foot of the sail from blowing out in gusts and also makes the whole leech twist, harmonically, getting even more out of the advantages already associated with the regular Compact Clew.
In addition, there is the benefit of a cleaner sail outline, when compared to the Dynamic Compact Clew, and therefore better aerodynamics as it is not necessary to have a clew cutout.
In comparison to regular sails with a clew on the back edge of the profile the EVOIII has all the benefits common with the Dynamic Compact Clew: improved lower leech twist and much reduced draft movement due to the lower leech ability to create reflex behind the boom which releases excessive power and effectively locks the draft forward.
After long development (since May 2009) we ended up designing a very simple and precise sliding rail system for sail closure behind the boom. It works similar to a zip but is much stronger and incorporates a batten to support this area as well as evenly distributing the high load coming from the clew grommet.
With this system being very new we decided, like previously mentioned, to ensure it is fully tested prior to introducing new sails to the market.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
DIY - Booms - Shortening an X9 Boom!
I bought an X9 260 boom CHEAP(bargain of the century) as we do not have any formula sailors in my area. My biggest sail is a 9.5 RSS MkIII with a boom length of 238/240 so I wanted to cut down the 260 to suit. The next "standard" x9 down is the 225 but this would mean 15cm of extension - I wanted it as stiff as possible with minimum extension but with a little flexibility for fine adjustment. I have a 180 and 200 X9 also and checked the lengths of the large diameter end of the boom(that sleeves the tail) and found the 180 & 200 are from the same tooling and the 225 & 260 are from the same tooling( as far as the start of the larger dimater goes). Or to put it another way the 200 has about 80cm of tail tube( and can be cut down to the 180) and the 260 has 100cm (and can be cut down to 225). I decided that a 230 would be best and everything went well. I would not recommend doing it if resale value is a high priority(as it is no longer standard) but if you want a customised boom to suit your particular quiver of sails that you will keep forever then it is a good option. Measure twice and cut once!
I will add some words to the slides when I get the chance...
I will add some words to the slides when I get the chance...
Monday, 22 March 2010
DIY - Fins - Making a Mould - Step 1
There are many reasons why you may want to mould your own fins - you may want to save money, to make a shorter copy of a favourite fin or improve the performance of a fin in certain conditions. In my case I want to experiment with Twist, Flex & Fin Rake. By making a durable mould many fins (10+) can be made with little or no damage to the mould itself. If you are wanting to make 1-3 fins, there is a quicker and cheaper method I will cover in DIY – Fins – Making a fin Mould – Quick Mould.
If you have a range of fins from the same family use the longest to make the mould from. I am making the mould using a Select 39cm SL7. These are great fins and 39 is the biggest you can buy.
If you have a range of fins from the same family use the longest to make the mould from. I am making the mould using a Select 39cm SL7. These are great fins and 39 is the biggest you can buy.
Materials and Equipment
You will need and Epoxy System(resin & hardener) for making fins and this same system can be used to make a durable mould. By adding fillers such as Talc, Carbon Black and Aluminium powder you can make a variety of gelcoats, putties and fillers that can do just about anything related to fins and moulds. I buy 500ml PP(polypropylene) cups from a health food shop to use for mixing the resin and fillers together. They are cheap and can be re-used if not damaged and are the perfect size for the resin quantities required.
To mix the resin and work with the filler you will need to make some spatulas. Power hack saw (& plain hack saw) blades work well as they are thin and stiff and can be ground easily with a variety of fillets on the tip for mixing and filleting. You will need to grind the teeth off of the cutting edge to make cleaning easier.
The powersaw blades are also great for making a blending stick, stick sand paper of different grades to each side using double sided tape and you have a flexible sanding or blending stick. These are handy for doing board repairs when you have to sand down filler flush with the surface of the board.
For making the mould you will need some scraps of MDF of melamine coated chipboard. I prefer the melamine as you dont need to seal the surface and therefore save time when building the mould. MDF will allow a finer edge when cut with a jigsaw.
Plastic putty or Car Bog is required when setting up the fin on parting plane. To clean-up the putty put some metho in a detergent squeeze bottle and label it!. Another useful tool is a scraper or chiseled end on the filleting tool or spatula to use for shaping and cleaning of partially cured(green) bog.
Here is the first stage of making the fin mould...
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