The UKWA National course racing championship is a series of 5 events, the final one was at Stokes Bay (Gosport, on the Solent) last weekend.
The post Louis Morris UKWA Raceboard National Champion appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
The calm before the storm, the team checked out some of the local beaches and look at the week ahead, produced by Red Handed TV
Tiree Wave Classic 2014 is funded by Argyll &Bute Council and supported by EventScotland the BWA, Puravida Boardriders, Wild Diamond, Tiree Lodge Hotel, Calmac Ferries and the community of Tiree
Day 2 Tiree Wave Classic 2014 from Jim Puravida on Vimeo.
The post TIREE DAY TWO UPDATE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
(This feature originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
Where’s your production based?
The sail production is based in Sri Lanka. We still visit the factory twice a year. (If I count together all our visits in the factory in the last 14 years, then we’d have spent two years there.) All the design and development work is done here in Hamburg in our loft using CAD software.
Where do you see yourself in the market place?
We’re a small brand but with a long record of knowledge. Being custom makers originally we’re still focused on the needs of our customers. For example the minimum mast concept.
Who’s your ideal customer or type of sailor?
I think there’s any ideal Sailloft customer. I think every windsurfer has the right to have the best product that helps him to get the maximum fun on the water. But to answer your question most of our customers are really committed to windsurfing. They use their stuff often and want to have perfect quality and durability.
What kind of products do you specialise in?
Although we sell more wave and Freestyle sails I wouldn’t say that’s our speciality. We have crossover and freeride products too with a wide range of use. But the special thing we do specialize in – and the primary characteristic of a Sailloft sail – is delivering a wide wind range, say for gusty winds. Or to be precise, our target’s to have all this in one rigging set up. Then we have specialised products like our Bionic line with special laminated panels. We were the first brand bringing this technology from the big boat racing scene to windsurfing when we release the first Bionic sail in 2009.
Who’s on the development team?
Of course our international team riders as Adam Sims or Adrian Beholz (for Freestyle) are a part of the development team. We work closely with them and get a lot of input regarding the needs of professionals. But what the normal customers want is also important for us. We attend a lot of test events and hear and collect the wishes of the ‘normal’ windsurfers. We believe there are big differences sometimes between the wishes of the pros and the everyday sailors. It doesn’t sound sexy in the marketing brochure, but, at the end of the day it’s the end customers paying us.
What’s interesting in the pipeline?
We’re working on a slalom / Race sail.
Why do you like making windsurfing sails so much?
Sail making is our life. It’s challenging to design an aerodynamic object in three dimensions out of flat sailcloth. And then it should work in different rigging set-ups, from deep profile to flat and in gusty wind. Although the development steps are smaller today than 10 or 15 years ago, it’s still fascinating. We love windsurfing ourselves and want to create the perfect rig.
What are the most challenging products to make?
We see every sail as a task. Yes, we are Germans and we cannot jump out of our skin! The first challenge is always to create a sail that fulfills all the requirements of two sail designers. Two designers means different ideas, especially when the designer are of different weights and have different sailing styles. But Olaf and I we are a good team. And when we finish a sail where both of us say ‘yes!’, then we know it’ll fit more than 90% of customers.
What do you think of the current mass-production sail making landscape?
This answer requires an extra interview! To make it short: Sails in general (all brands) are of a high standard today compared to 10 years ago. But the recent trends are for specialised products for small, specific types of use. (3-batten sails for example.) I look on this trend with a little bit of sorrow as I think it’s better for the customers if gear’s simple and more versatile. Thanks Gerrit.
More info via sailloft.de
The post BOUTIQUE BRANDS – SAILLOFT HAMBURG PROFILE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Iballa E-63_ Sessions 2014 from morenotwins on Vimeo.
Some “lost footage” from Iballa sailing in some waves #CanaryIslands during this season!
thecanarywayofsurf.com
Perfect training before Maui event!
The post LOST SESSIONS FROM IBALLA MORENO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
All fleets have been kept busy preparing and partying by event host Puravida and the BWA team. yesterday the competitors met for a beach competition clinic and local pancakes.
This years judging team have now announced the heat sheets and they are as follows:
With Adam Lewis (North/Fanatic) and John Skye (RRD/RRD) absent from the event the door will also be open for Andy Chambers (Pryde/JP), Dave Horrocks (Gaastra/Tabou), Aleksy Gayda (RRD/RRD) and Sam Neal (Simmer/Simmer) to grab vital Championship points.
Freddy Ide attends Tiree for the first time as the only youth. This young man will be one to watch as a future BWA Champ and PWA contender.
britishwavesailingassociation.com
The post HEATS ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 TIREE WAVE CLASSIC appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
www.star-board-windsurfing.com
FANATIC FALCON 110
JP SLALOM PRO 68
RRD X-FIRE 114
TABOU MANTA 71
BACK TO TEST INTRODUCTION
The post STARBOARD ISONIC 117L 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Why do you love wavesailing? Red Handed TV catch up with some of the competitors that have made the journey to Tiree with a good forecast closing in.
Tiree Wave Classic 2014 is funded by Argyll &Bute Council and supported by EventScotland the BWA, Puravida Boardriders, Wild Diamond, Tiree Lodge Hotel, Calmac Ferries and the community of Tiree
Day3Tiree14 WebLowRes from Jim Puravida on Vimeo.
Day 3 gallery by Dave White.
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 DAY 3 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
After over a decade riding for JP/ NeilPryde, three-time freestyle World Champion Ricardo Campello and his long term sponsors finally parted company at the end of 2013. Ranked 5th in the world, the 28-year-old Venezuelan was on the verge of quitting completely,when along came Andrea Cucchi from Point-7 Sails and Patrik Diethelm from Patrik Boards, who both came in with offers to snap up his amazing talents.
Words & Photos JOHN CARTER
(This feature originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
I started talking to Andrea from Point-7 and also Patrik Diethelm as a possibility amongst others. A lot of brands were interested but the deals were all closed. I was kind of stuck. At one point I felt like quitting completely. Maybe I could just do a bit of sailing in Maui and do the odd trip but not as a sponsored rider? I had to think of my future and I couldn’t compete for free or just a few thousand dollars a year. That’s not my game or my goal. I love windsurfing, don’t get me wrong, but I was so frustrated and I didn’t know what to do. But then I had an e-mail from Andrea who suddenly seemed super interested. At the same time, Patrik also contacted me and managed to put together a decent offer. Over the next weeks I worked out deals with both brands, who both found some budget for me and now everything’s perfect. I’m pretty much on the same sort of deal as I used to get with JP/NeilPryde and I feel much more relaxed.
The new equipment is unbelievable. I feel I’m sailing better and feel comfortable on the water. Of course I’m still getting used to the new sails and boards to fit my needs a little bit better. Patrik came to Maui for a week just to shape me some new boards for the Ho’okipa side and now he’s working on my onshore boards for Pozo. He really listens to me and so does Andrea, which has got me super stoked and super motivated. It almost feels like this new change is something that I needed. That’s why sometimes change is good.
MOTIVATION
I have a new routine right now. Don’t get me wrong, I loved NeilPryde Sails, they were really amazing and they really helped me and they supported me for a long time. Martin [Brandner] from JP was also good to me and [shaper] Werner [Gnigler] was and still is a really good friend. He made me some amazing boards. But you know, maybe things were the same for too long? There was always a lot of pressure on me to win. They wanted results. With Patrik and Point-7, of course they want me to do well and want me to win, but they’re more relaxed. I don’t think the same level of pressure is there. If I don’t make podium, they’ll be fine about it. They’ve hired me for who I am and what I can do, for my image, not because I’m a top-5 rider. Of course everybody wants to have a World Champion and that’s my main goal, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t make it in 2014. I’m relaxed here in Maui right now and just enjoying ripping at Ho’okipa every day. I don’t have a month of photo shoots to do. Patrik just said “lets just paint your first boards as you like”. With the situation in Venezuela, I decided to make one of my boards with the colours of the flag on the bottom. Actually everybody here in Hawaii loved it.
I’m really fired up now. I want to win and do my best. Everything’s new. New sails, new boards. I’m excited every time I hit the water. It’s all different and new and that feels good. Most of the sails these days are all very good quality, the Point-7s feel a bit similar to what I was used to and I’m having fun with them in the water.
With the boards, I tested some of Patrik’s shapes while he was here. He knew exactly when I first tried his production board how I was going to sail it. From seeing my videos and checking my style he knew what was going to happen when I hit the water and rode my first wave. Exactly what he said would happen, happened! I was shocked. He really understands a riders needs and how they want their boards to be. He had watched my turns and my moves and already knew what sort of board I would want! Right now he made me some similar shapes to what I was using before, but now we’re working on some new designs that we hope will be even better than what I have already.
PATRIK
“ I was kind of stuck. At one point I felt like quitting completely ”
I came here to test and to windsurf as much as possible. I like sailing here at Ho’okipa. I can get some good pictures, my friends are all here and I love sailing with good sailors in Hawaii. At home I sail alone a lot and we don’t get so many waves. Sailing with other guys motivates me. Guys like Levi Siver, Brawzinho, Victor and Kauli. Hopefully we’ll have another PWA here again so it’ll be good training for that. It’s a privilege sailing here when the conditions are good. I like Hawaii. We needed to test some boards and the easiest and best place to come was Maui. The vibe at Ho’okipa is really cool, but it’s really crowded. I get my share of waves, a lot of people respect me and I respect those who respect me. If a guy tries to take my wave then I go for him! Some guys have no idea. If they take my wave once, I will take his wave until he stops! Some days there are a lot of people out there who don’t know what they’re doing. They just want to sail Ho’okipa because it’s cool to say they’ve done that. Last week there were three photo shoots at the same time – NeilPryde, Fanatic and North and Simmer – it was carnage! I wouldn’t mind, but it’s always the best days!
MAUI
DRONE
The drone is my new toy and something really nice. I think it’s amazing. I bought it because I wanted to have some sick windsurfing footage of myself, but I haven’t taught anybody yet how to fly it yet. But anyway you can get really sick shots of the beaches and lifestyle from amazing angles. I’ll make some footage back home in El Yaque where the water is super clear too. It’s a tool to help me with my own clips. I can fly it pretty high in the sky – I’ve almost lost it a few times. Sometimes you just can’t see it anymore. If the battery dies while it’s in the sky, then you’re finished. I filmed Gollito the other day doing freestyle in 25 knots. I got a few moves, but need to get goggles next so I can see what I’m filming. It’s a good toy – the technology on the drone is incredible.
MARGARITA
I’ve been sailing at home quite a bit this year. It’s been windy and I’ve ben freestyling quite a lot. I wanted to get used to the new sails. It’s my home. I have my mum and my friends there. I relax most of the times and concentrate on my personal things. I still have my school, which is mostly for beginners because we don’t get many tourists anymore. I have my boat that I take out fishing or go out with my friends. Mostly time at home is more about downtime. The tourism stopped because the country is in really bad crises right now. We used to have direct flights from Europe ten times a week and it was easy for visitors. Now they’ve cancelled all the flights due to the situation and people are just put off because they have to fly through Caracas and change airport and get another plane, which is a hassle and a pain in the ass. People just really don’t want to do that. We used to have twelve windsurf schools and now we have three that are still surviving. Hopefully, soon there will be a change and everyone can come back.
“ I’m really fired up now. I want to win and do my best. Everything’s new. New sails, new boards. I’m excited every time I hit the water ”
BEGINNINGS
My first ever event was in Austria, I think back in 2002. Josh Stone was looking after me. He saw me sailing in Margarita a while before and told me I should come to some events. I came out to Maui where he helped me and then my next step was Austria where he helped me to get a wild card. I was really light so I could plane all the time even though there wasn’t much wind. There wasn’t enough wind to compete but while we were training I sailed really well and Martin Brander spotted me. I was already riding JP and NeilPryde and, after Martin saw me, he invited me to Maui for their photo shoot. I was lucky enough to get my first contract and he paid my ticket to Maui. After that I was on the team and my career started. I was pretty happy, I’d asked permission for my school to take off for two weeks and I came back three months later. It was a real opportunity at the time. I ended up winning three freestyle World Titles and one Vice World Championship.
FREESTYLE
Yeah it’s been fun at home because we had some small waves. It’s been howling so I’ve been doing push loops, doubles and back loops and big shakas. I learned the ‘Pasko’ and I’ve been enjoying that sort of sailing – it’s fun. I stopped competing because I was kind of over freestyle at the time. With all the training I wasn’t having fun. I do it at home because that’s the only sailing there is, but I don’t want to compete on the world tour, I want to do waves. It’s hard if you want to win both, almost impossible. It’s too much with all the travel as well. I’ve been travelling too much and really want to focus on wave sailing. Freestyle has really helped my wave sailing. I want to learn the double air taka back on the wave – it’s like a ‘Pasko’, but on the wave.
PORT OR STARBOARD
I prefer riding on starboard tack in Maui because in surfing I’m a regular footer. This of course helps. For some moves on jumping I prefer port tack and some moves I prefer starboard. For doubles I prefer port tack. Push loop tabletops I can do really nice on starboard, but in Pozo they kind of come out differently. I can’t do a tabletop in Pozo but on starboard I can really tweak them. Back loops I’m better in Pozo, but in Maui my timing is all wrong. I like jumping, but after two weeks in a row if I go to Pozo to train I get over it. It can be too much. Sailing there is just too hard sometimes. There are a lot of crashes and bad landings and you destroy the boards. You land so flat sometimes that any board will get cracked or soft. Koester is unbelievable over there. I don’t even need to say anything about how amazing he is. It seems so easy for him to land moves. He’s so in control and used to sailing there. He’s pretty friendly to me, a bit shy and quiet, but every day he’s getting better and he even makes some jokes now. He’s also getting a bit older and more mature. He’s a nice guy, I like him.
DOUBLES AND TRIPLES!
Honestly I don’t have any secrets for doubles! I just remember that when I first started, I used to close my eyes. You just need to go full speed with power in the sail and hit the ramp right – simple! I do remember a massive double, in 2011 I think, it was in a semi-final against Philip where I went really high, stalled it and landed fully flat on my board and I snapped it! It was still a good one – I got 12 points out 10! I still think the triple is possible and I do want to go for it when there’s the right day! Of course there’s a risk, but I really want to go for it and, yes, I would like to be the first one to try it and make it. I just hope everything goes nicely and I don’t get hurt!
THE WORLD TITLE!
I have two seconds in the PWA wave sailing overalls and now I want a title more than ever. I really want to win. I feel like I won’t sit still until I get a world wave title, even until I get old! I think every athlete wants to be a World Champion in their sport. I’m doing this because I’m a very competitive person. Since the beginning I always wanted to win. I’ve already won three freestyle titles and I think I can win the waves. This is the discipline I love now, so that’s my focus. I wish sometimes we had some events like Indo, Chile and Cape Verde. Down-the-line windsurfing is amazing and I think we need that for the sport. Onshore is cool too, but the hard-core waves is the image we need. If you don’t want to be World Champion, what’s the point? I don’t do it for the money! I survive with the windsurfing money. I cannot be doing it for free either. If I wanted to be a millionaire I wouldn’t be in windsurfing. Unfortunately now windsurfing is not at its most lucrative moment. I can survive and I want to win, that’s it!
The post RICARDO CAMPELLO – WINDS OF CHANGE! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Day5Tiree14 WebLowRes from Jim Puravida on Vimeo.
As we head into one of the best forecasts we’ve seen on Tiree this year, all the riders are ready to do battle for the title…….
The Pro Competition may have lost a few riders to Europe today, but the rest have remained to see they way to win the Tiree Wave Classic with a new twist……’The Quickening’…….There Can Be Only One Winner
The post TIREE DAY 5 UPDATE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
OVERVIEW
The ‘Simmer Competition Race’ (SCR) is their top-of-the-line racing product that sits above the narrower-sleeved SCS freerace and 2XC twin-cam. (Simmer also has a no-cam freerace model, the V-Max, that we tested in the April 2014 issue.)
BRAND POSITIONING
‘The SCR is designed and manufactured specifically for high performance competitive racing, slalom and speed. For the 2014 SCR is developed by Tomas Persson together with top PWA sailors Sylvain and Benoit Moussilmani. For 2014 we have developed the back bone of the rig, the mast and the battens to give the sail a better top-end speed and faster acceleration. Precision batten tapering is a new concept which allows us to with greater precision control how the batten curve defines the sail profile. Each cambered batten is specifically customized using the this technique to create the most optimal support for the profile.’
PERFORMANCE
This 7.8 SCR was sadly late to party due to some unavoidable logistical issues. Arriving near the end of the trip meant not only limited water time, but also a narrower range of conditions, boards we could pair it with and therefore also a limited number of head-to-heads against its rivals. We only sailed this 7.8 in shorter chop and less rolling swell than we had earlier in the fortnight, but we did get to test the top-end of the wind band on a par with the rest. There’s a lot of technical materials involved and there’s clearly a lot of attention to detail in the product construction, although we were surprised to see so much ply on the luff sleeve near the leading edge. Elsewhere there’s loads of expensive Dacron and Kevlar-reinforced ply and the rigging process was straightforward and swift. At the top of that wind range the SCR was comfortable, with a slight element of softness and forgiveness, all helped by the nice and responsive mast. In terms of our ‘power spectrum’ the SCR is definitely at the more manoevrable end of scale with the outline being easy to flick around and manhandle through gybes and manoeuvres. The rotation and acceleration exiting gybes were both smooth – the low-end being ample to get you going but easy enough to control without too much energy expended. This 7.8 has a pretty medium depth profile and entry that favours being well powered, but still has enough shape to pin down a board well and enjoy good speed with the downwards, forward drive directing energy into the hull. We found there’s pretty much one downhaul setting to keep the leech working optimally and kept some good belly with negative outhaul keeping the sail against the boom almost up to the lines. In rougher water we liked to keep the outhaul that way to further add to the ‘pinning’ factor for added pace and control.
THE VERDICT
One of the friendliest of the all-out, dedicated racing sails to handle and extract top-level performance from. The Simmer SCR is soft and forgiving, easy to gybe and offers excellent top-end performance and speed in an easy-to-rig, well specified package.
READ THE OTHER REPORTS
GAASTRA VAPOR 7.9
NEILPRYDE RS: SLALOM 7.8
NORTH WARP 7.8
POINT-7 7.8 AC-1
RRD FIRE 7.8
SEVERNE REFLEX 7.8
The post SIMMER SCR 7.8M 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
BWA Chairman, Nigel Treacy reports :
What a difference a day makes. After the first full day of competition all remaining fleets have now completed their single eliminations. The ladders are now loaded for the double eliminations with 2 full days of epic conditions to come.
Sailor of the day has to be 13 year-old Freddie Ide who entered as a youth and went on to make the final of the Ams fleet !
Could Freddie be the next Philip Koster and can be seen here swapping tips with the former Wave World Champion
And if that is not enough…..we await ‘The Quickening’…. This will be a shootout to remember as five of the UK best Pro wavesailors go head to head in a new competition with a brutal format….all will be revealed.
Here are the results from the singles and the ladders loaded ready for the doubles….
Mike Archer continues to lead the pack and now sits in first place with local boy Scotty McDowell in second. Ben Page will be eager to wrestle the first place off Archer but it will take a mighty effort as he needs to defend against young gun Freddie Ide before taking down Scotty and then Archer. Is it possible? Ben did it in 2013 when he came back through 7 straight heats. Mike and Scotty will be nervous.
Sailor of the day, Freddie Ide, will also be looking to advance further and ruin the party of the other Am sailors.
In the Ladies, Tour leader Justyna Sniady (Simmer/Simmer) collected another solid win but there will be more rounds ahead and Sarah Kellet will be looking to gain valuable points before the ladies head to Cornwall for the final showdown. Sarah Bibby (Simmer/Simmer) is off to a slow start but on her best day she has the ability to finish first.
The Masters fleet is one of the most fiercely contested competitions. Kyle McGinn is currently sitting in 10th place on the tour but that didn’t stop him taking down the formidable tour leaders to nail his first BWA win. Tour leader Craig Hamilton, will have his sights firmly set on regaining valuable places in the double to distance his lead before the final Cornwall event. Previous tour champ Big Dave White will also be chomping at the bit in the double.
Congratulations to Geoff Hautman and his team for delivering his first BWA comp.
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 FIRST FULL DAY OF COMPETITION appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Tiree Wave Classic 2014 Day 6 Video, competition round 1 from Jim Puravida on Vimeo.
After several days of tropical paradise on the Isle of Tiree, the low pressures have crossed the ocean to deliver ever building wind and waves! Wednesday was just what the competitors were waiting for with a full round of competition at Crossapol beach delivering some great conditions followed by some awesome freesailing at Balephuil as the swell built all day. This leads nicely into Thursday with promise of even bigger winds and waves still to come, and the exciting new Pro format for the Tiree Wave Classic – “The Quickening”
Whilst some of the pro’s were on standby they got stuck in to help the Am’s with tips and advice as well as joining the judges to give another edge to the contest.
Willy Angus, Head Judge – “ Our guest Judges Sam Neal & Bubble from the pro’s today were top notch, a real testament to the team feel of the comp this year”
In the Am’s Final Scotty McDowell (Simmer/Simmer) from Troon, made an explosive start to the final hitting the beach with minutes to spare….he was by far the fastest to the first ramp every time, showing outstanding speed and performance! Mike Archer (Simmer) just pipped him in the semis, and once again in the final to take first place in round one – he had a solid Back Loop with some great riding style that gave him the edge. His time in the judging role certainly helped his understanding of what the judges were looking for! Ben Page (RRD) is another up and coming student rider who shone here last year and finished in a well earned 3rd place.
Sailor of the day has to be 13 year-old Freddie Ide (Goya) who enteered as a youth and went on to make the final of the Ams fleet today! Freddie was a true inspiration to watch and charged to sit in 4th place going into round 2.
Justyna Sniady (Simmer/Simmer) lead the ladies all day with a solid win in each heat…..her experience and consistency has grown on the PWA tour and it showed well, inspite of a broken board mid heat and bit of a swim to get back out for one of her rounds! Sara Kellet (Tushingham/Starboard) and Sarah Bibby (Simmer/Simmer) both delivered some great forward loops and wave riding to keep Justyna on her game!
In the hotly contended Masters fleet the dark horse proved to be Kyle McGinn ….. we’ve not seen him at many comps before, but he really found his feet as the Giant Slayer to take down the 2 big rivals and team mates Davey Edmiston (RRD) and Dave White (RRD) off the the top spot in the single. Tour leader Craig Hamilton will be keen to come back with another shot at first place in the double today so stay posted for all the updates as we get through another full day of competition.
Results
Am’s
1) Mike Archer (Simmer)
2) Scotty McDowell (Simmer/Simmer)
3) Ben Page (RRD)
4) Freddie Ide (Goya)
Masters
1) Kyle McGinn
2) Dave Edmiston (RRD/Pryde)
3) Craig Hamilton (Goya)
4) Dave White (RRD)
Ladies
1) Justyna Sniady (Simmer/Simmer)
2) Sara Kellet (Tushingham/Starboard)
3) Sarah Bibby (Simmer/Simmer)
All photos: Dave White
Tiree Wave Classic 2014 is funded by Argyll &Bute Council and supported by EventScotland the BWA, Puravida Boardriders, Wild Diamond, Tiree Lodge Hotel, Calmac Ferries and the community of Tiree.
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 ROUND ONE VIDEO PICTURES AND REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 DOUBLE ELIMINATION AND QUICKENING
Report and BWA heat sheets for 2nd day of competition.
Following yesterday’s full day of action, Thursday brought even more wind and waves and with it there were more shock results;
PROS
The Pro Championship event had finished by Tuesday but with 5 of the top British pros still on the island of Tiree, event organisers Puravida along with the BWA and RedhandedTV organised the first ever Last-man-standing pro knockout event aptly named ‘The Quickening’.
5 of the top pros go out for a 10 minute heat with the the top 4 advancing. The top 4 do the same with 3 advancing. You get the picture. until after 40 gruelling minutes of fierce competition….”There can only be one”.
And the man to raise the Tiree Wave Classic 2014 is Phil Horrocks (Gaastra/Tabou) with Aleksy Gayda (RRD/RRD) in second and Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers (Pryde/JP) taking third place.
Whilst this Pro event results won’t count towards the 2014 championship, we are sure to see a return of ‘The Quickening’ in future.
LADIES
Another fantastic days sailing from the Ladies fleet who are ripping at the moment. Justyna Sniady (Simmer, Simmer) dropping 2 rounds to arch rival Sarah Bibby (Simmer/Simmer) but still 8.2 points ahead she is now impossible to catch. Bibby will be happy with her day as she overtakes Kellet but with a further day’s sailing there may still be chance for Kellet to retake the 2nd.
AMS
Ben Page and Tris Levie provided the most excitement today. Tris sitting in joint 7th at the start of the double elimination managed to advance past 3 sailors to finish in an impressive 4th overall place. If that wasn’t impressive enough then SWA sailor Ben Page threw in a repeat performance of 2013 by also advancing but this time Ben fought from 3rd place to get his first overall win at this event. 13 year old Freddie Ide now sits in a very impressive 5th place. Not bad for a young man competing in a fleet beyond his age!
MASTERS
Standout performance of the day must surely go to big Dave White who started in 4th and charged through four rounds to finish in first place. Kyle McGinn will be hoping for a re-match with a day to go.
There still remains one more day of possible competition.Head Judge Willy ‘Angus’ MacLean has planned this to be at the legendary Maze on the west Coast of Tiree. The Maze is a notorious venue offering bone-crushing swell and waves to match. This tour has proved that the results can change as quick as the wind and if tomorrow does deliver at the Maze we will be in for more shocks and surprises.
Report by Nigel Treacy, BWA Chairman.
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 DOUBLE ELIMINATION AND QUICKENING appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
SLALOM FINS BUYERS’ GUIDE
Photo: John Carter
(This feature originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
Outline: For example a wide blade with a wide tip has a larger surface area that will make the board plane earlier with good upwind ability. By contrast, more slender, high-aspect shapes of the same size (depth) have less area and will plane slightly slower and be less effective upwind – yet have a speed advantage on a reach.
Foil: Some fins have wide shapes with a thin foil thickness which give both good upwind ability and good off wind speed. Others are just off wind specialists that may suffer slightly upwind.
Heads: The majority of Slalom Fins use a Tuttle fitting with Deep Tuttle being used in sizes from around 46cm and above.
Flex: The next dilemma is the stiffness. With many Brands having a choice of 3-5 stiffness variations, it can be confusing to the un-initiated. As a rule a softer fin is less powerful but more controllable. Heavier riders tend to favour stiffer fins. Most brands will actually give you their recommendations when ordering as there is an optimum stiffness per sized Fin. G10 is still the mostly used material for all Fins. It will outlast the Carbon fin if it in most cases. The issue with G10 is the physical weight. When using a Slalom fin beyond 46cm G10 becomes rather heavy. Add a Deep Tuttle head and it starts to weigh over 1 kilo. The same sized Carbon fin will weigh in at around 650g. Fins up to 44-46cm work fine in G10 but beyond this Carbon gives a better bend curve and lightness.
This Remi Vila and Jean Deboichet design was first introduced in 2013, primarily with the Starboard iSonic range in mind, but will prove a good upgrade for other freerace/freeride boards. The carbon construction is designed to give a high level of acceleration and control at extreme top speeds. The thin foil and tapered outline deliver very rapid pace that’s ideal for racers and high-end freeriders looking for a responsive fin.
Sizes from 28 to 46cm (note 44 and 46 are
deep tuttle)
SRP: from £129
MAUI ULTRA FINS
SLALOM RACE CARBON
The carbon Slalom Race generates a very high end speed that is achieved from a new, thin, low-drag profile. Fast on all courses, the Slalom Race Carbon has excellent upwind ability due
to wide base and accelerates very quickly
from gybes.
Sizes: 26-58 cm (2 cm steps) in Tuttlebox (TT) from April 2014
Also in Deep-Tuttlebox (DTT) and Powerbox (PB) from May 2014
SRP: from £206
www.mauiultrafins.eu
www.windsurfingfins.co.uk
MXR
KATANA RACE
Full on Slalom racing tool for the experienced rider who likes a loose feeling. The bigger the sizes get, the more suited they are for the upwind drive. The smaller sizes are extremely fast and predictable on the irregular chop at the relatively low of the wind angles of slalom is usually sailed. Its a more traditional outline with some speical tweaks.
Sizes: 26-48
RRP: from £160
F-HOT
Finite Element Model
With experience of manufacturing for the motorsport industry F-Hot return to fin production with latest moulding technology enabling greater control over fin flex. Developed on the World Tour, the F-Hot slalom fin comes in three different flex patterns enabling the rider to tune their board to suit their style. Nothing speaks louder than results, creating a demand for these British made fins in every corner of the slalom world.
Sizes from 52cm down to 20cm
SRP: £195
The SL 2 is a powerful tool that’s very easy to control at top speed thanks to the profile and, specifically, the extra base width. Developed together with top-level WA Slalom and
Formula racers Gonzalo Costa Hoevel and Micah Buzianis, this fin planes very early and has a powerful exit from the gybe. CNC G-10 construction.
Sizes from 28cm to 38cm, Powerbox/Tuttle.
SRP: from £129.95
www.zerogravitydistribution.co.uk
This fin follows the latest trends in shape, with a curved leading edge together with wider tip and base dimenions. Best suited to the latest breed of slalom boards. The RSL07 is both fast off the wind and more controllable in the gybe thanks to the new outline. In the sizes 32-40 the new RSL07 is designed for use in medium/strong wind and is especially suitable for slalom boards of about 100L. In sizes 42/50 this fin is recommended for use in medium/light wind, or with modern, wide slalom boards over 120 – a very powerful fin in light wind conditions. Handmade custom carbon construction.
Sizes: 32-34-36-38-40-42-44-46-48-50
SRP: from £160
www.techart.it
www.windsurfingfins.co.uk
The post SLALOM FINS BUYERS’ GUIDE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Check out the latest video and gallery from what organizers are calling ”One of the best BWA comp days of all time !”
Tiree Wave Classic 2014 Day 7 Video, The Quickening! from Jim Puravida on Vimeo.
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 DOUBLE ELIMINATION VIDEO PHOTOS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 FINAL RESULTS
A dramatic final day with amazing conditions – the crew are making their way back to the mainland but hot off the press are the final results with more to follow when the team get connected to the world of wifi again !
!st Phil Horrocks (Gaastra/Tabou)
2nd Aleksy Gayda (RRD/RRD)
3rd Andy Chambers (Pryde/JP)
WOMEN
1st Justyna Sniady (Simmer/Simmer)
2nd Sarah Bibby (Simmer/Simmer)
3rd Sarah Kellet
AMATEURS
1st Mike Archer
2nd Ben Page
3rd Tristan Levie
MASTERS
1st Dave White (RRD/RRD)
2nd Kyle McGinn
3rd David Edminson
1st Freddie Ide (Goya/Goya)
The post TIREE WAVE CLASSIC 2014 FINAL RESULTS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
Somewhere, over the rainbow!
// The wizard of RRD. John Skye, living the dream in Maui. “We were about to abandon the shoot because the sky had turned black in the distance, but then the sun burst through the clouds and a rainbow appeared. Five minutes later it doubled-up for a few minutes – but after that the heavens opened up! In the words of Judy Garland ‘Dreams come true’! “
Photo
John Carter
(This feature originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
The post JOHN SKYE – PERSPECTIVE appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
THE LOW-DOWN
The Iron is one of four sails in the comprehensive Simmer wave sail programme. We can’t comment on its true surfing performance, since we tested it in Egypt, but all the attributes of a power wave sail are there in abundance. Other options in the Simmer collection are the grunty Enduro ‘freemove’ sail and Veron entry-level freeride model. Construction-wise the news is good with the typical Simmer quality build involving Kevlar x-ply, Dacron and beefy film. The Iron rigs on RDM masts and Simmer claim it’s so throaty it can be sailed one size down from your normal choice.
BRAND POSITIONING
‘The Iron is our ‘hybrid’ power wave sail, it is designed for high top-end speed, power and control. The Iron comes alive in average type conditions when you need to make the most out of what you have. The effective sail profile allows you to use a smaller sail size than you normally would and still stay maneuverable. The Iron’s low aspect ratio and five batten outline makes this our most stable wavesail, with a massive wind range and great control for high wind jumping.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE
The Iron is particularly smooth and stable as you’d expect from a ‘power’ wave sail with good depth and shape. The foil graduates nicely with the draft tapering away steadily to produce effective twist without any excess leech flutter or twitchiness. At the top end of the range we found it was really easy to keep well sheeted in in heavy gusts. As a crossover sail should – particularly with onshore conditions and jumping in mind – the Iron tracks upwind well to help you keep ground and have space to accelerate into ramps or work on those gybes and blatant show-off tricks. With onshore conditions often requiring a lot of drive, the Iron’s power will be handy to through strong currents and will make a good match for larger riders and those that like to be well powered anyway. In general this is a really ‘forgettable’ and ‘invisible-in-the-hands’ sail that could suit a lot of different locations and rider styles. Manoeuvrability-wise the Iron’s good and flicky. It’s pretty compact really, but the boom length isn’t inhibiting. The power delivery is quite direct with only a small amount of spring at the slacker end of the tuning band. We found both outhaul and downhaul effective in tweaking the range between 14 and 33 knots on this trip and the low-end can be increased even further with a fairly tight leech if required.
THE VERDICT
Power on-tap for torque-hungry wavesailors and bump ‘n jump freaks alike. A wide tuning band and heaps of shape in a manoevrable outline deliver good drive for onshore situations, where strong current and ramps close to the shore need to be swiftly accessed on launching.
Other sails in this test:
The post SIMMER IRON 6.2M 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
THE LOW-DOWN
As the refreshing new brand on the block, Attitude (from the people behind Unifiber) have entered the market with some extremely well-built – and even better priced – products. We were very impressed with the first sail we tested (The RPM 7.8 no-cam freerace sail, April 2014 issue.) The Attitude range is nice and simple and all the products we’ve used have excellent attention to detail with unfussy-yet-effective features. The Source is their pure freeride sail that sits alongside the RPM freerace and the Allstar wave/freestyle.
BRAND CLAIM
‘Whether you’re forming a new habit or re-kindling an old one, the Source is a true freeride sail in the key sizes for driving a wide range of boards. Super light to sail, easy handling & fast on the plane, easy to tune with no concession on build quality and durability. A stable profile to optimize the sails wind range was achieved by adding a sixth batten for maximum stability in the 6.4 and 7.2 sizes. The stability and smooth power delivery is paramount to its performance. The confidence induced from these characteristics let you push your boundaries without hindrance from the rig.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE
Even just by the build quality and set on the beach you can see this is a solid and steady product despite having quite a flat foil with a pretty fine entry. On launching it’s immediately stable and settled and impeccably well behaved, with zero bucking around or reactive behaviour like a lot of more manoevrable and/or flatter sails can display both on and off the plane. We also found this level of comfort across an incredibly wide wind range, with testers of all weights happy from 15 – 33 knots throughout the test period. (We found the lower eyelet to be perfect at the top end with an impressive lack of flutter or leech noise.) Speaking of manoeuvrability, this really is one nice, compact and flicky rig to throw about, our only wish was to try it with an RDM mast to experience what differences in reaction might come about. (All sizes in this range are both RDM and SDM compatible though.) This is without doubt a sail that will last a long time and a brand that will succeed in the market place if this level of build and price can continue. A confidence-inspiring creation for everyday sailors wanting unbelievable bang for the buck.
THE VERDICT
A balanced and well-behaved sail with outstanding, compact manoeuvrability and stunning wind range. New to the market, Attitude have bravely produced a well specified range of sails that represent terrific value for money.
Other sails in this test:
The post ATTITUDE SOURCE 5.8M 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
THE LOW-DOWN
Ezzy describe the Legacy as a ‘high-performance wave and freeride collection’ targeting more budget-conscious customers. Spanning 4.2 – 7.5 it’s a sensible range that will appeal to a broad audience. With Ezzy sails it’s always worth remembering that the masts represent unbelievable value and that, as an overall rig package, they are extremely hard to beat.
BRAND POSITIONING
“An all new “stripped down” collection from Ezzy. At the heart of the Legacy is the bare elements of David’s design philosophy. The Legacy Sails deliver all the power, range and stability you have come to expect from Ezzy but with a twist. We keep a utilitarian philosophy with the Legacy by removing all the extra features present on our premiere sails. A high performance wave and freeride collection that delivers awesome performance for your more budget-minded customers.” (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE
Ezzy really seem to have cracked the no-hassle factor more than most and make rigging and sailing a very pleasing experience. (The low luff curves make sliding the masts in a joy and all the down and outhaul tensioning indicators are simple and, most importantly, effective.) They’re also quite forgiving of things many windsurfers can be less precise about themselves, such as harness line placement, and this 5.8 was a perfect example of the trademark, stable, smooth power delivery that exists across their entire collection. We’re always surprised by how their unique tall profile actually brings about a behaviour we’re used to feeling from the modern crop of shorter, compact sails. They never feel tall or twitchy anyway. The head is constantly working to control gusts, be that by either venting excess air or translating that power into smooth drive to get up to speed. The tuning range is vast, but even in the middle settings you’ll notice an insane amount of wind range as it is. Around the bends this Legacy felt nice and neutral and in general the lenient character will help many improvers master those critical gybes. The stance is relaxed and not so upright and agile as some more freestyle-oriented crossover sails, plus the fuller shape could also limit budding tricksters to some extent, but for all-round bump and jump and gentle wave use you can’t go wrong. With a lot of our team not having sailed or examined Ezzys for some time – and now that our magazine is privileged enough to be trusted to test them by the main man himself – there was total disbelief that this was a ‘price-point’ sail. A few quid extra and you can add upgrades for the ‘missing’ tack fairing etc. but the overall skin and build was, in our eyes, ‘a regular bulletproof Ezzy’. We obviously need to see their full-on wave sails to see what exactly the full HD specification will involve!
THE VERDICT
‘Be gentle with me’. A smooth, forgiving and stable foil that will reward you with a neutral ride and wide wind range. For a ‘price-point’ sail the build is simply incredible.
Other sails in this test:
The post EZZY LEGACY 5.8M 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.
