MOST SUCCESSFUL SPEEDWEEK SINCE 2006

Weymouth Speed Week 2014in its 42^nd yearhad one of the best weeksforecast since the current harbour records were set back in 2006. When Anders Bringdal and Zara Davis set the current men’s and women’s WSW harbour records of 38.40 and 32.44 knots. Expectations were high, local speedster and previous winner Kevin Greenslade was fastest windsurfer for the first few days clocking 33 plus knots over 500m almost every day adding fastest of the day pots to his already vast collection. Zara Davis seven times winner here was also quick with speeds just under the 30 knot mark. But all eyes were on Tuesday, with the promise of 40 knots plus from the tail end of hurricane Gonzalo.

Old and new speed sails, fins and boards were made ready. Only two questions remained; what direction would the wind come from and could the records be broken?The race officer Paul Sibley called an early 8.30 skippers meeting to make the most of the day with first possible start at 9.00. The wind did not disappoint with a constant 30 knots and gusts of over 40 knots but with a lot of North in it. The course opened bang on 9.00 using a starboard course to make best use of the wind angle. But to say it was choppy was an understatement! The first brave souls to go down were not rewarded with fast times but some massive wipe-out’s. The crash of the day (Crash of the year in my opinion) went to Gary Connell, who’s video of his crash went viral. The top riders soon adjusted to the conditions and ignored their fellow competitors massive crashes and pushed on making the knee high chop look flat.

The fastest of the day was Patrick Van Hoof from Belgium who came out on top to take the pot for the fastest of the day with 34.56 knots which wasn’t beaten for the rest of the week and gave him top spot on the Pro Fleet podium, winning a free entry in to the European Championships next year at the Dunkerbeck speed Challenge. He was just ahead of local heroes Kevin Greenslade and Pete Young. Zara Davis showed her speed pedigree as well, mixing it with the men and clocking the 6^th fastest speed of the day and finishing fastest women of the week for a record 7^th time at the event.

Speedweek is not all about the top riders the majority are made up of enthusiastic amateurs who come back every year and make up the bulk of the fleet. Stand out performances were Tim Lawes with a 30.94 knots and 1^st timer at speedweek, Mark Mathews with a 32.23 knots who will be joining Patrick at the Dunkerbeck speed challenge.

Pictured above – Samuel Anstey (Junior competitor)

THE UKWA Spartan Speed Championships are also run under the umbrella of speedweek, with the fastest of two runs and minimum speeds of 28 knots needed to make it a counting round. For the 1st time ever they achieved 8 counting rounds of speed windsurfing during the week. The top UKWApositions changed around a lot and every round was hard fought. The early leader SimonCofieldwas injured in a wipe out and had to sit out for one day allowing his old rival and 3 times winner of the UKWA speed title Kevin Greensladeto take the lead. Third, forth and fifth place was just as close with Jim Crossley taking initially 3rd spot ahead of Simon Pettiferand Nigel Spriggs but with Jim taking a day out Simon took the advantage over the last two days to just pip Jim by 0.7 and Nigel taking 5th place. Zara Davis the only UKWA lady entered this year did very well coming an impressive 12 overall in the fleet. Well done to all UKWA competitors, it was tough going with some very strong winds and chop to contend with. The brave were rewarded with speeds of over 33 knots on the fabled Portland 500m course. Full results will be on the UKWA website.

It was a fantastic week of sunshine and wind with competition every day and top speed of 36.44 knots over 500 by 16 year old Kiter, Benoit Guadiot from France on a modified course board, showing WSW is still innovating in the pursuit of speed.

Thanks must go to the volunteer and helpers and our sponsors K66 Fantic , North and ION importers, Simmer Style, Tushingham, Severne Shop, Takoon Kites, Dunkerbeck Speed Challenge, The OTC, Baker Acadamy, Spartan, UKWA and AYRS. Without whom speedweek would not happen.

The post MOST SUCCESSFUL SPEEDWEEK SINCE 2006 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Introducing RS:Racing EVO7

Welcome to another chapter in our relentless search for speed. The all-new EVO7 embodies the future of racing sails through its progressive leading edge design that provides breathtaking thrust. This, combined with a reactive mid leech that dynamically controls shape and drives acceleration, make EVO7 the forerunner of imitations to come. Available for pre-order now. See more at http://www.neilpryde.com/sail/racing/rs-racing-evo7.html

The post INTRODUCING RS:RACING EVO7 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PRESS RELEASE:

OCEAN ELEMENTS 10% OFF ALL BEACH HOLIDAYS UNTIL 3rd NOVEMBER

We have had an absolutely amazing summer here at Ocean Elements which is summarised pretty nicely in this video.  From getting the new Tushingham Bolt, Starboards Atom and setting up Vassiliki first beachside webcam the 2014 season has been awesome.

For the 2015 summer season we already have some very exciting plans which include brand windsurf and sailing equipment, a new specialist sailing centre, mountain bikes and guides in all our centres plus much more!  For more information and deals about summer 2015 visit our website:  www.alpineelements.co.uk/beach-holidays/greece-holiday-deals

Our Beach Club holidays promise a world of adventure and pure relaxation in our beautiful beach-front hotels. Our beach-front locations are full of the latest windsurf kit, sailing dinghies, mountain bikes, SUP’s and more – with RYA tuition included. Our clubs allow you to relax and enjoy some well-earned ‘me’ time, or be as active as you like.

<ENDS>

The post OCEAN ELEMENTS 10% OFF appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Fanatic Ray 110L 2014 Test Review

THE LOW-DOWN
With the straps further inboard – and just a slight weight difference – than Fanatic’s full-on slalom racing shape, the Falcon, (see May issue test for 110) the Ray is the most similar ‘de-tuned’ version to its race equivalent on the market. (And significantly cheaper plus it comes with a fin.) The Ray sits alongside the Hawk (Freecarve), Falcon and Falcon Formula at the racier end of the Fanatic range. The Ray 110 is delivered with a 40-cm. G10 (Tuttlebox) fin.

BRAND CLAIM
“The Ray 2014 has been updated to offer even more looseness in turns, jibing power, and accessible acceleration – while still maintaining blistering top speeds. The increase in jibing ability comes from softened rails in the front of the board; while tail cut-outs that have been increased in size and tuned-in shape help increase control while planing. The already-proven scoop rocker line has been left untouched, while the adjusted V shape in the nose and tuned-up tail release offer a better ride than ever. Fast, but friendly – that’s the ride you’ll get with the Fanatic Ray.” (Sic.)

PERFORMANCE
Misconception and Preconception: Without knowing beforehand that this 110 shares the same outline as the Falcon, we all thought the Ray looked a little ‘dated’ – an image enhanced by the classic East End gangster’s name. (Once again a case of graphics being misleading and clouding one’s judgement before taking a spin. Lesson: Go and demo boards …) Using a mix of both the twin cams tested in this issue and the 7.8 dedicated slalom sails tested in the May edition, our Ray instantly proved to be an simple geezer alright. No, not an unsophisticated or treacherous type, but surprisingly smooth and forgiving and totally un-technical to handle. Lining-up against specialist racing gear we suddenly found that, despite the old-fashioned looks, Ray’s very much still got it, being capable of beating serious, no-compromise gear, but from the comfort of a nice Recaro seat. He might look like an old Ford Cosworth, but when it comes down to it, Ray’s very refined and, anyway, the old Cossie’s still got the top-end speed so what’s all the fuss about? We reckon Ray prefers taking on bigger geezers, or players who like that old skool, push-against-the-rail sensation with a more outboard type of stance. Despite being forgiving at the lighter end of the spectrum, initially we felt the low-end wasn’t too good, but, in tricky, overpowered conditions this is so fin dependent it’s hard to judge a board based on a massive, soft G10 foil, plus, in stronger wind, the acceleration became exponentially better and better anyway. Cornering was smooth and easy and there’s a nice compact feel to the hull. Nice one Ray.

THE VERDICT
A true dark horse, the Fanatic Ray doesn’t just offer a tamer version of an out-and-out racing board, it delivers truly competitive speed in a super comfy package. Fastest with dedicated racing sails but a good match with Freerace foils for the optimum route to fuss-free racing that’s not too far off the pace.

For more information on the

FANATIC RAY 110L 2014

go to 

www.fanatic.com

Other boards in this test: 

JP SUPERSPORT 112

RRD FIRESTORM LTD 111

SIMMER MONSTER 100

STARBOARD FUTURA 111

TABOU SPEEDSTER 108

Back to 110L Freerace test intro page

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

The post FANATIC RAY 110L 2014 TEST REVIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

The post BWA CORNWALL 2015 FORECAST IS ON appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

CAMILLE JUBAN CHARGING TEAHUPOO

Hard charger Camille ticks another infamous break off his bucket list. Check out the edit from his amazing Tahiti trip !

ADDICT – CAMILLE JUBAN from Theo Reynal on Vimeo.

The post CAMILLE JUBAN CHARGING TEAHUPOO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

MAUI MAGIC – KONA KINGS

Swift and Polakow Go Mad at Lanes

JP: It’s been at least five years since we’ve scored large surf and good southwest winds in Hawaii. The Kona days only come in the winter months and even then only blow a few days out of the year. Kona winds blow the opposite direction of the usual trades. So, to get a large northwest swell with Kona winds on the north shore of Maui is very rare. 

These days are very unpredictable and the forecast said the winds were going to be light, but I knew that anything could happen when the wind is blowing from that direction …

Story JASON POLAKOW & ROBBY SWIFT // Photos JIMMIE HEPP

(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!)

I woke up early and checked the conditions around 6 a.m. The wind was already filling in and the surf was already pumping. To score epic, un-crowded Lanes you really have to get super lucky. Days like Christmas day or the morning after the Super Bowl would fall into this category – and that’s if there are smokin’ conditions on those days. Well, for some strange reason this particular day was one of those days. A perfect lineup with not a soul on the water. I started to immediately freak out calling Robby Swift and screaming at him to get down here immediately. I’d decided to book a helicopter as well, which made me even more stressful, as I knew as soon as a kitesurfer hit the water it would be all over for the helicopter. Their stings pose a real threat to the rotor blades, so helicopters like to stay at least 500 metres away from them.

RS: Jason is rarely awake before around 9:30 a.m., so when I had four missed calls from him at 6:45, 6:48, 6:50 and 6:52, I knew something was going on. I called him back and he was obviously frothing at the bit to get out there. I tried to delay it a little as my wife is one of our videographers and I know how she loves to be woken up early to get down to the beach with the camera gear, but Jason’s insistence was too strong and we had to pull poor Heidy out of bed! When I got to the beach it was clear that it was all worth it. The wind was super strong, easily 4.7 weather, the sets were rolling in and there was not a single surfer in the lineup. It looked like Jason and I would get it to ourselves on one of the best days of the year.

JP: By 9 a.m. Robby and myself were on the water and by 9:30 the helicopter had arrived and we were already shooting by ourselves with perfect waves and sunshine. I started to get a bit aggressive with the conditions and began to wipe out too much, each time having to swim to the inside to get my equipment, which meant burning precious, expensive helicopter time. I’d told Robby earlier that morning when we were rigging the gear on the beach not to get too radical when the helicopter was here as they cost so much money to rent and we wanted to get our money’s worth – and here I was, doing the exact opposite of what I told him not to do. I swam in the water as I watched Robby have one sick wave after the other, getting more and more pissed with myself for not listening to my own advice.

RS: Jason ended up being a victim of his own excitement once the helicopter arrived. I think he managed to get one wave, maybe two before his first wipeout. I was sailing out through the channel and saw him come up under the lip so late on such a closeout section that I don’t think there was any chance of him ever making it. I was chuckling to myself as I saw him let go of his gear and get eaten doing a back flip down the face of the wave, happy to have the next 20 minutes of heli shooting to myself!

JP: At one point I lay in the channel between Lanes and Ho’okipa with a huge swim in font of me, wondering how I was going to get in? The current is so strong when its big, all the water’s getting sucked out to sea and it’s really hard to get inside. I decided to signal for the helicopter to ask for help. The helicopter came over and I raised my arms out of the water making hooks with my hands to try and let him know what I wanted him to do. After a bit more sign language he came down in-between waves and picked me up and flew me to the inside where my equipment was. I was so pissed I was wasting all this money and Robby was getting all the good waves that this was the only option I had to get back into the game. I remember looking over at Robby as I was dangling from the helicopter skids and giving him a little cheeky smile as the pilot flew me to my gear. Within minutes I was sailing back out again like nothing had happened. I need to do this more often I thought to myself.

We sailed for another half an hour, still with no one out, sharing perfect waves together until our helicopter time was up. It was at least another hour before we saw the first signs of life in Maui with one other sailor joining us followed by a few more kiters. What a day to remember!

RS: I’m not sure what the F.A.A. think about Jason’s technique of getting back to his gear? All the people on the beach certainly like it when he does it though. It’s not the first time that I’ve seen his scrawny little legs dangling below the helicopter and I am sure it won’t be the last now he’s realised that he can get the pilots to do it. At least this time he was smart enough to get lowered down to the water before letting go as, the last time, he let go from pretty high and ended up hitting the reef and cutting himself up on the coral. It’s definitely a good way to save yourself some swimming though. I think I probably swam about 2 km. all in all that day between swimming for my gear, the current sucking the gear around the channel and back through Ho’okipa time after time. One time I chased the equipment around three entire circles from the rocks, out the back of Ho’okipa via the channel, then body surfed in only to find that the current had sucked the gear all the way out the back of Ho’okipa again. In the end I ran out of energy and just floated next to the rocks waiting for current to bring me the gear back, amazed to see that nothing had broken at all after about 40 minutes of solid poundings in the massive surf.

JP: I really live for days just like this. They’re so rare, but they dwo exist. You just have to be in the right place at the right time and you can still score insane waves with no crowds – just you and your mate picking off the best sets of the day in perfect sunshine. Nothing beats that!

RS: Like Jason said, it’s almost never that you get to sail such amazing conditions on your own, especially with a helicopter there to film you. The shots look so beautiful with the morning sunlight that you also never see as, due to the ’10 surfer’s rule’ you aren’t normally allowed to sail before 11 a.m., so all in all it was a very special day, one that I’ll remember for a long, long time.   

“ I’M NOT SURE WHAT THE F.A.A. THINK ABOUT JASON’S TECHNIQUE OF GETTING BACK TO HIS GEAR? ”

The post MAUI MAGIC – KONA KINGS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Ezzy Lion 7.5m 2014 Test Review Report

BRAND POSITIONING

• “Twin cams provide great light wind power and high wind control.

• Narrow mast sleeve doesn’t fill with water, making water starts easy.

• Calibrated rigging guide gives precise tuning for better performance.

• Ezzy cam system will fit any RDM or SDM mast made in the past 20 years.

• RBS epoxy battens are stronger and stiffer than vinyl-ester battens.

• Every Lion is rigged and thoroughly checked over in the factory.”

PERFORMANCE
The overriding impression of the Lion 7.5 is that it feels very much like a rotational, with a sensation of being soft and powerless, but this is very deceptive, as the power delivery is extremely subtle – something that you notice head-to-head in terms of early planing, acceleration and speed. This sail is super flicky. We mostly felt like were using a rotational and couldn’t stop commenting on that. In our minds this is what a twin cam should feel like rather than some sort of diluted race sail. There’s also good feedback in terms of being in touch with the sheeting angle and the head ‘wag’ was notably positive too in how it pumped the rig over swells without stalling the drive. Obviously the flickiness was perfect for gybing and, with the wind, shall we say, mostly on the upper end of the range on this trip, we’ll just leave the assumption that the Lion will be a good sail for basic tricks! We wouldn’t normally comment on rigging in this section, but it has to be said that this is the easiest cammed sail any of us have ever rigged. The straight luff makes it so simple to slide in the mast and of course we’re talking a much, much narrower sleeve here than the rest of the selection, so there’s never going to be any issues with water stuck in there. Naturally the straight luff means very little downhaul pressure or muscles are required either as you use their excellent calibration system to tweak it just right for the conditions according to the supplied instructions. Is this a sail for using powered-to-the max? Probably not. This is a freeriding sail of distinction, but with the comfort that delivers then, if the sound of being hauled around by a multi-cammed beast terrifies you, yes, you will be faster on this product than a more daunting type of rig. If racing or GPS competition interests you, you’ll quickly find that control is King and equals more hours on the water. And with that in mind, the wind – and tuning – range (although we can’t comment on the low-end below 18 knots) is wide and this 7.5 provides decent value for money as a smooth-sailing, summer sea breeze product.

THE VERDICT
Easy to rig, effortless to sail and the most manoevrable of the bunch, the Ezzy Lion 7.5 offers rotational-style ride and handling and superb ‘flickability’. Top-notch construction and fuss-free setup and tuning make for a compelling performance freeride or freerace option.

www.ezzy.com

Other sails in this test:

GAASTRA COSMIC 8.0

NEILPRYDE HORNET 7.7

NORTH S-TYPE 7.8

SIMMER 2XC 7.8

SEVERNE TURBO 7.5

Back to test intro page

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

The post EZZY LION 7.5M 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Peter Hart Up and Riding in a Flash

Getting up and going is not just a ‘tick the box’ skill – it’s one that should be refined and adapted all the way through a windy career. Peter Hart reveals the fundamentals of early planing. 

Right, before we go any further with this subject, lets get the weight issue out of the way. At the very mention of early planing, I wager those of you with fuller figures are throwing your arms in frustration, cursing your genetic disadvantage. I mean it’s simple physics isn’t it? A big thing needs more power to make it move than a little thing.

Hence women, children and scrawny blokes fly around in a fart while you wallow. And so it is you sail like a big person and sit there like a sack of potatoes waiting for the next hurricane gust to shift you. And I should know, because I was (and still am) that big person. 

When I started racing I’d throw the towel in the moment the wind dropped below about 15 knots and watch stick insects like Barrie Edgington twinkle towards the horizon. It wasn’t until I started doing a few World Cup races and witnessed 95 kg. man mountain Bjoern Dunkerbeck turbo boost off the line ahead of the flyweights, that I understood that bulk is just an excuse for poor technique or a lack of effort.

Weight, of course, is a factor (in fact it’s the topic of the back page) but shedding kilos is a long term project. It’s not going to happen overnight. So lets focus on the early planing factors you can influence here and now. For a start we need to define what we mean by ‘early planing.’ It’s not just a contest to get going in the lowest wind strength.  Whatever the wind, force 3-10, whatever the kit, raceboard or 60L wave board, it’s about how quickly you accelerate, how quickly you get into the straps and release; how much sail you need to do it. (And by the way, big people take heart that the flyweights often aren’t as good at early planing as their larger cousins because they don’t have to be. They’re usually sailing bigger boards relative to their weight so can just get in the straps sheet in and get blown along.)

If you cut the time it takes you to plane AND the amount of power you need to plane, ALL aspects of your windsurfing WILL improve

WHY?
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that early planing is the cornerstone of windsurfing. There are so many reasons to be good at it.

Energy saver. The most tiring place to be is in a state of semi planing in planing winds because there’s so much drag going through body and arms.

More control. If you don’t have to rely on enormous kit to get you planing, you have better control in tacks and gybes.

More practice.

New Skool. Moving up the scale, freestyle moves, especially those from the new ‘skool’ of derring-do, are only really achievable with sails under 6.0 (and preferably a lot less than that) – and you need to be using that small sail in a relatively light force 4-5 wind. It sounds brutal, but freestyle if off limits to those who can’t get planing with small sails.
The same goes for wavesailing. Big rigs in the surf limit your manoeuvrability and they break.

Better, more frequent jumps. The number one reason for floppy jumps is that people aren’t planing where the ramps are. In typical beach break conditions you need to be up to full speed by the time you meet the first barrage.

Better Racer.

More security, less falls. The most precarious place to be is in ‘mid something.’ Mid tack, mid gybe, mid ‘Kabikuchi’, that’s where you’re going to lose it. It’s same with early planing. The longer you spend not quite planing with the board grinding through the water rocking from edge to edge, the more likely you are to catch a heel on the chop and catapult. And if it’s taking you an age to find the straps, you’ll look down and that will be when you get smacked by the unseen gust.

A badly tuned car uses a lot more gas that a tuned one. Those slow to plane are wasting a lot of energy and hence need more of it in the form of more sail and more volume

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
To plane, a board – or boat for that matter – has to overtake its own bow wave. Smaller boards – and boards with a steep rocker line – push more water in front of them and so need more power to drive them up and over. A board needs more power to make it plane than it does to keep it on the plane. It’s like an over-laden speed boat. To start off it’s full throttle, props churning a massive wake, passengers running to the front, carbon footprint growing by the second until finally it climbs over the watery wall. But then as it releases and glides effortlessly (although still a bit noisily) you can throttle right back. If you hook into a 120L freeride board with a 7.5 sail across the wind and do nothing, you’ll need about 18 knots of wind to drive it onto the plane. But when you’re on the plane, you’ll only need 10 knots to keep it there. So to get on the plane in less than 18 knots, you have to do something to create an artificial surge of power. Pumping is one way but by no means the only one. As David Brailsford, Olympic cycling coach, famously stated, their multiple successes came from the ‘aggregation of marginal gains.’ It’s the same deal with planing. A lot of small adjustments can amount to a big advantage. But it has to start with the kit. The ramifications of kit choice and tuning are so vast, that I hope you’ll excuse me if I just hone in on a few specific areas that seem to make the biggest difference to the most amount of people.

---

A TRUE LITMUS TEST

Early planing tests every aspect of your game. You have to select and tune the kit to an optimum level. You have to read the conditions and coincide your effort with a gust and down slope. It demands a level of fitness. Tight limbs and a solid core are needed to transfer the power directly into the board.  In strong winds especially you have to be committed and bit brave. And of course it’s the ultimate test of your stance, power control and trimming skills.

THE MATCH
It seems that this whole conundrum could be sorted with one sentence: “take out a bigger rig.” And for the timorous, that may well be the answer. But it may have the opposite effect, especially if you can’t fully sheet in, or the rig over-powers the board.
On a 12-knot marginal day last week on the beach lay a 125L freerace board with an 8.5 and a similar 120L board with a 7.8. They were both set up well and the carbon content of the hardware was similar. Surprisingly perhaps, the smaller combo planed earlier because board and rig felt a better match. It just slipped onto the plane. Both the 7.8 and the 8.5 rigs fell within their board’s recommended range. However the 8.5 was on the limit for the 130. The ends of the scale are rarely the sizes that work the best.

---

DRIVE & RELEASE

There are many personal, quirky techniques to help planing like rocking the board from side to side to unstick it, hoofing the fin, shaking the sail to get the air moving etc. Ultimately you’re trying to bounce it onto its planing surface by driving it into the water with rig and foot pressure – and then releasing it. Letting go of the front hand off the boom, as well as being mildly cool, stops you choking the rig and forces you to extend away and drop the hips behind the feet. 

// The toes of the front foot press down on the sweet spot of the board just in front of the entry to the rocker. The friction creates lift. The board pushes back against the foot…

// …so as you release it, it pops up and onto the plane. Because the hips are right back, putting the front foot in the strap is just a case of tucking it under your knee.

MATCHING HANDS & FEET

The feet will always try and match the hands. If you commit the cardinal sin of placing the front hand at the front of the boom, the front foot will move forward to keep balance and stop you heading up. But he’s now standing directly over his feet so his weight and all the power from the rig is acting down rather than forward. Planing is now a hurricane away. But if he moves the front hand back, the front foot will move back, the nose will rise and the board has a chance of releasing.  

With the 8.5 it felt as if the advantage of the extra power was cancelled out by the extra dead weight, which made the board displace more water and create a bigger bow wave. It was crying out for the support of an extra 10L of volume. Water state also has a big influence. The day before, Irish Ned crawled from the water and declared that his rig, and I’ll quote his own vernacular, ‘felt utter sh**e.’ He was using his 5.7 on his favourite 80L wave board – a combo he loves on his windy, mostly flat, bump and jump patch back home. But in the onshore winds of Scraggane Bay it felt totally different. The relatively big rig was pushing the thin, soft rails deep into the chop and stopped it releasing – and that’s what made the rig feel heavy and ‘sh**e.’ He needed a bigger board. When we’re talking matches, so much depends on the design and, above all, the width of the board and the skill and weight of the sailor. However, in the disciplines where early planing is top of the list, e.g., marginal wind sailing, new school freestyle and wavesailing, a little extra board volume is a more potent weapon than a great tractor of a rig, especially now since bigger boards, of all categories, are so much more controllable. Smaller rigs are also easier to work and pump – more about that shortly.

THE RIGHT SORT OF POWER
I’m all for detailed rigging instructions, but if you’re to excel, there comes a time when you have to dump the fundamentalist scripture and trust your own feelings and instincts. If it doesn’t feel right and you ‘aint going, change something until you do. At risk of sounding like a train service spokesperson, you may have a lot of power, but it may be the wrong sort of power. You sheet in, the sail fills and pulls. Eskimos have 50 words for snow. Practised windsurfers should have 50 words to describe ‘pull.’ Was it a grunty pull? A draggy pull? A jerky pull – or a soft, springy pull? (Soft and springy is good.) If your chosen rig isn’t quite getting you there and you don’t want to/can’t change up, the received wisdom is to ‘bag it out’ by easing off the outhaul and/or the downhaul. More shape surely equals more power. But bag it too much and the sail turns from a foil to an umbrella. The skill is in tweaking and feeling whether the sail is powering you along or just driving the board under the water. My first adjustment is usually to ease off a centimetre of outhaul, which puts a bit more shape in the battens just above and below the boom, where most of the power is generated. If you let off too much to the point where there’s no tension in the back of the sail, on non-cambered sails particularly, the foil billows onto your back hand. With an unstable centre of effort it’s hard to pump effectively and deliver the power precisely into the board. And on boards with titchy fins the tail will keep breaking out. The downhaul needs to be handled with care. Easing it off a little, you put more shape into the top part of the sail and tighten the leech. That can be good. A tight leech is more reactive when you pump. But ease it off too much and the leech stays closed. The sail traps the wind but doesn’t release it. You sheet in, loads of pull, here we go … no we don’t. The sail keeps on pulling instead of softening and becoming lighter as you accelerate. Unless the wind can escape from the leech, you’ll get all the misery of being over-powered, aching muscles, blisters, but none of the joys – instant acceleration and speed. Brendan was out on his 6.0 yesterday. He was slow to get going despite easing off the downhaul. Actually it was because he eased off the downhaul. Big diagonal creases spread from the leech to the mast end of the battens – a sure sign that the leech is trying to open but can’t. Somehow it seems counter-intuitive to increase downhaul when you’re struggling to plane – but in this case an extra inch transformed the sail.

---

GET OUT THE STOPWATCH

The surest way to gauge progress is with a stopwatch, real or imagined. In a solid wind, time how long it takes you to get hooked in, strapped in and released fully onto the plane.

If it’s more than 5 seconds, there is work to be done.

THE MAST QUESTION
A last thought on kit: People ask whether the 100% carbon mast is worth it – or will the cheaper one do? With absolutely no support from the carbon growers association, I have to say it IS worth it, for the early planing alone. Power to plane doesn’t just come from a full belly. It comes from a reactive leech. When you sheet in and pump, the mast flexes and the leech opens and the wind exhausts. The lighter, full carbon mast returns more quickly, which allows you to pump faster and more often.

TWEAKING THE SET UP
This won’t last long. Ready. Put the boom up. That’s it. Don’t go silly. It has to be within the range that works, which for planing sailing on 70-cm-wide (ish) board is around nipple to shoulder height – a little higher for wider boards where the straps are further from the mastfoot. With a higher boom, you feel the balance of power shift from feet to mastfoot and the board lighten up. Looking for more power to plane, I put the boom up an inch and release a centimetre of outhaul. Nine times out of ten that does the trick. If it doesn’t, I’ll just hope the pubs are open. And my very last word on the set-up matter before we head to the far more important business of technique, concerns harness lines. The most efficient way to power up the sail and get planing is to use the harness. If the harness lines are short, you’ll drag the rig back as you move to the straps, depower the sail and sink the tail. If the lines are long, the rig stays forward and upright. You’ll power up the mastfoot and the board will stay level – your choice.

EARLY PLANING TECHNIQUE
The sign of a well-rounded windsurfer is being able to adapt her skill according to the kit, the conditions and the moment. For example, a good gyber will shape the arc of each turn depending on how powered up she is and what’s in front of her. The slick waterstarter employs a different rig recovery method depending how and where the rig is lying. It should be the same with early planing. The sequence and technique changes for different designs of board, light and strong winds, calm or rough seas. An obvious example is where someone moving from a big freeride board to a small waveboard tries to get going by sheeting in across the wind and hoofing against the fin. But for all the many variations, it’s best to approach the challenge with broad concepts and relate it to skills you already have.

THE BURST OF POWER
What gets you out of the water in the waterstarts is creating a sudden surge of power. To begin with, if it’s windy, you just bear away. Then you learn to bear AND extend from the shoulders to raise the rig. Then you start pumping as you come up and kick the front leg and time the effort with a gust and as a wave lifts you – until finally you’re popping up in a zephyr. It’s exactly the same with getting planing. You need a burst of power to overtake that bow wave and break free. Success comes with co-ordinating all your lift devices – kicking off the wind on a gust, sheeting in, tilting off down a slope, bouncing the board, working the rig – all pretty much at the same time. And back to waterstarting. When it doesn’t work, the thing absolutely not to do is hang there, arms raised high waiting for the next depression to pass through and blow you up. Instead you have to lower the rig again, head back upwind and create another burst. Trying to plane, if you bear away, go for it and it doesn’t happen, don’t tootle off downwind cursing your ill fate. Turn back upwind and look to explode again.

THINK LIKE A SMALL PERSON
May I crave your indulgence and ask you to imagine you’re water-skiing behind a dodgy, faltering powerboat off the coast of S. Africa. The rope has frayed so you’re being pulled by just one thread. You look behind to see a hungry Great White shark following you with intent. What would you do? Instinctively you would extend the arms, give to the power, come up on your toes, suck your guts up under your ribcage, make no jerky backwards movements against the rope and reduce the drag of the skis by riding them as flat as possible.
That’s early planing – in brief you’re trying to present the board to the water in such a way that it creates the east drag, whilst at the same time maximising the available power. But how do you do that?

---

SET UP CHECK

A few simple checks on the beach to give you the best chance of getting going with the least effort.

// Set the boom height to the top of the workable range, which for a wave board is around shoulder height.

// Place the board close to the wind and the lines should be long enough that you can hook in with the front foot by the mastfoot. But there’s a feeling of being slightly suspended in the harness with the weight coming off the feet.

// Then, in the straps the ultimate early planing test is that even when you move back into the straps, the set up allows you to stand tall on your toes and hold the rig upright. 

LESS IS MORE – UNTIL MORE IS MORE
Coaching lower intermediates in the art of early planing I urge them to do less. Aspiring experts I encourage to do more. Less, in this case means keeping it all solid and constant, committing fully to the harness, holding the rig still and bearing away gradually to deliver a calm constantly increasing force into a level board. That opposed to gyrating hither and thither, on and off the power, rig flying all over the shop so the board surges and stops like a learner driver kangarooing down the street. More, means getting more active, in a good way. You keep the power on but add little surges to help unstick a reluctant board. We’re talking pumping. Pumping – sheeting in suddenly and releasing – is a controversial subject in that while it’s potentially the best way of releasing a board, done badly is also a way to make sure the board never planes ever. The way to introduce yourself into the feel and rhythm of pumping is to do it hooked in. Committed to the harness, the board gets a constant flow. Then give little pumps with the back hand. Every pump creates a surge, which you drive into the board with the toes and then release. It’s as you release the pressure that the board bounces up onto its planing surface. I don’t really want to talk about pumping as it’s like trying to describe juggling. It’s all about feel and timing. Other things are far more important.
Of all the important things that are the most important, this is the most important of all. The key to getting going is working within the wind angles that provide the useable power for that wind strength and the amount of sail you’re carrying. It’s bearing away into a gust that is your most effective weapon – but how much? In less wind you need to bear away more. In more wind you bear away less. Perhaps it’s easier to describe the effects of heading off on the wrong tack. In a marginal wind, if you don’t bear away enough, you just don’t generate the power to get going, simple. On a small board with a small fin, if you don’t bear way enough and start pumping, the surges of power are lateral and you’ll slip sideways. To pump effectively on any board, you have to bear away off the wind. Off the wind the pulses of power drive the board forward. In a strong wind, if you bear away too much, you can’t close the sail and get pulled too much over the board. At best the board lurches from edge to edge. At worst you get catapulted.

KNOWING YOUR BOARD – THE ENTRY POINT QUESTION
Crusty windies from another era have been bamboozled by the planing quirks of modern kit. Back in the day boards were up to 4m long and had a constant rocker line. To plane you made the long journey to the tail, via several sets of straps, stopping for tea and Kendall mint cake on the way, as the board gradually lifted out. To move back a moment to soon was to sink the narrow tail and stall immediately. Above all else you stayed forward. Today, many boards will not plane if you stand too far forward. On the shorter, racier models, the entry point, where the board first makes contact with the water, is only just in front of the straps. If you stand in front of it, you push a curved section of board into the water and stop it gliding. It’s a case of, get into the straps in order to plane. On your own board, feel for that entry point by playing around with the front foot position. A inch forward and back is critical to the trim.

EFFICIENT TRANSMISSION
And so to the body. It is the transmission. It takes the power from the engine and transmits it to the wheels. Ultimately it’s the vital link in the chain. The biggest change occurs though practice and confidence. It’s where people go from being blown on the plane thanks to big kit and a bit of luck with some local weather, to actually driving the board onto the plane. In the first instance, they just stand over their feet and the volume of the board sort of makes sense of the power. In the second, they drop their hips behind their feet, take the power from the sail, through a tight stomach into, the legs and actually slide the board forward.

You can get the same words plus actions from the horse’s mouth by joining Peter on one of his internationally acclaimed, game-changing clinics, catering for everyone from planing novice to jumping, riding fanatic. Lots of info about the 2015 schedule on 

www.peter-hart.com. And get regular updates by liking his 

The post PETER HART UP AND RIDING IN A FLASH appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Severne Starboard Aloha Classic Pro Mens AWT Final Video

Check out this video of the AWT final between Kevin Pritchard and Boujmaa Guilloul with Boujmaa taking the win !

The post Severne Starboard Aloha Classic Pro Mens AWT Final Video appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

STARBOARD SEVERNE ALOHA CLASSIC HEAT VIDEO CAMPELLO NOIREAUX POLAKOW EZZY

Last heat of the day and what a cracker it turned out to be, forced into a resail after a timing error this could so easily have been a final, check out the action !

The post STARBOARD SEVERNE ALOHA CLASSIC HEAT VIDEO CAMPELLO NOIREAUX POLAKOW EZZY appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

STARBOARD SEVERNE AWT ALOHA CLASSIC DAY 1 AND 2 HIGHLIGHTS

All the red hot action from the AWT’s last and deciding event of the year  in Maui

The post STARBOARD SEVERNE AWT ALOHA CLASSIC DAY 1 AND 2 HIGHLIGHTS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

PERSPECTIVE – KAULI SEADI

In the moment!

// We all want to take our wavesailing to the next level and all great wavesailing revolves around a decent bottom turn. A well-timed powerful turn can set the stage for the ride of your life, while a halfhearted, or mistimed effort can blow the whole wave. Check this shot of Kauli Seadi as drops down the face at Ho’okipa, sets his rail on autopilot and looks up to the lip with total commitment. That’s how to do it!

Photo

(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 PERSPECTIVE – KAULI SEADI appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

STARBOARD SEVERNE ALOHA CLASSIC FINALS VIDEOS

Check out these sick clips from  the Single elimination finals and Boujmaa’s semi final heat

The post STARBOARD SEVERNE ALOHA CLASSIC FINALS VIDEOS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

HARRY NASS NEW CENTRE IN HURGHADA VIDEO

Check out the video of Harry Nass’s new centre in Hurghada – free ride paradise  ! (and brush up on your german at the same time )

For more info see http://www.windsurf.co.uk/harry-nass-new-centre-hurghada-egypt/

The post HARRY NASS NEW CENTRE IN HURGHADA VIDEO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

2014 BWA PURAVIDA NOLIMITZ CORNWALL WAVE CLASSIC

 Nigel Treacy, Chairman BWA reports.

Since the BWA returned to Gwithian in 2009 this break has consistently delivered and 2014 was no exception. 70 of the UK’s top wavesilors descended on Peters point for the final round of the tour. Critically, the results of this event determine the final Championship results.

Day 1 was a dedicated Pros day but the waves didn’t arrive with enough power to contest. With improving swell on the forecast, Head Judge Ian Ross made the decision to hold off until Saturday.

Day 2 brought bigger waves and a solid South westerly wind. Competition commenced at 10.45 with the Youths hitting the water first. By 5pm 70 competitors had competed in the event with final results for the Pro, Women and Youth fleets.

Day 3 brought lighter winds but more swell. With only 2 final heats to run the Masters and Youths remained on standby for the day whilst the judging team waited patiently for a chance to start the event. By 2.30pm the skies turned menacingly dark and the judges jumped on the chance of heavy squalls to get the Masters into the water. And it paid off as both Ams and Masters were able to complete their finals before the sun came out and the wind deserted Peters Point.

3 days, 70 Competitors and 35 Heats completed this event has become one of the best organised and well-attended wave events on the BWA tour. The event also received fantastic volunteer support and a very warm welcome from the locals. This event is sure to continue for years to come.

The Pros

It was always going to be fierce in the pros with only 1 Championship point between Phil Horrocks (Gaastra,Tabou) and Ben Proffitt (Simmer,Simmer). Cornwall also brought out the big guns with Adam Lewis (Fanatic,North) hopping in from the Canary isles. Graham Woods (Goya) made a comeback after 5 years away in Oz and of course local Guru Andy King (Goya) came to party with a history of podium finishes at this event.

As it turned out King never got his game together and went out in the first round to Aleksy Gayda (RRD,RRD) who was on fire following his recent 2^nd place in the Tiree ‘Quickening’.

Woods also put in a solid performance to share 5^th with Gayda but it was young Horrocks who was to make it to the finals with big bro Phil, Lewis and Proffitt. As the final four got underway it was Phil and Dave Horrocks who were markedly commanding the heat with outstanding waveriding. It looked for a time that it would be a Horrocks double win until Dave fell victim to a bruising wipeout to emerge with a broken mast. Helpers on the beach of kit caddied replacement kit to David but it was too late as Proffitt and Lewis seized the chance to gain valuable points. By the end of a frenzied 10 minute heat Phil emerged the victor with a convincing performance. Proffitt took second and Lewis narrowly behind in third.

WOMEN

With 3 events in the UK completed, Justynia Sniady (Simmer,Simmer) and Sara Kellett sat in first and second and looked favourites at this event. Megan Gayda and Ping Ling had missed the Tiree event and so they were to have their own personal duel in the battle for Championship titles. With wind and waves building the women made enthusiastic use of the conditions and it soon became clear that it was going to be close. But it was another solid performance for Sniady to take her third win of the year. Taking second place, youngster Kellet has become one of the most improved sailors on the tour and is bound to join Sniady before too long on the PWA tour. Like her big brother, Gayda was on fire here and her experience in Brandon Bay was showing as she took the third place to leave Ping in fourth.

AMS

Once again the event organisers had to cap the fastest growing fleet of the tour at 32. Leading the tour, Mike Archer and Mike Wand Tetley had their eyes on the prize as bad luck befell Ben Page who is has an arm in plaster. Nial Mellon made the monster trip from Brandon Bay, Cornwall regular Will Barrett had his eyes on another podium finish with Gregg Dunnett attending his first BWA wave event. Lewis Merrony also returned after a year break. But it was shocks all around as both event favourites Archer and Wand-Tetley failed to advance from the semis to the final. In the final Mellon and Merrony proceeded to take every wave to pieces showing once again that both deserve a promotion to the Pro fleet in 2015. Mellon took the win with Will Barrett in 3^rd and an excellent fourth place for Dunnett.

YOUTH

Three of this years youths sat with equal Championship points going into this event and it was soon clear that despite their young years this fleet was ferocious as the Pros and none were put off by the building waves. James Arnell Smith was making his first BWA appearance and did well to also make his first final. ‘Ams crusher’ Freddie Ide has had a great run so and is always on hand to give the pros tips! But it was not to be his day as Jack Petit and Fin Mellon battled for the top two places. Watching all the youths you would easily be convinced you were watching the top Ams with a comment from one bystander of “These boys would woop Andy King the way he sailed yesterday!”. With slashy top turns in the final moments of the heat it was Jack Petit who moved slightly ahead on points to take his first win with Fin a very respectable second and Freddie in third.

It is very clear that the future looks bright and you can expect to see any one of these youngsters following Freddie Ide to the PWA tour before too long.

MASTERS

In the hotly contested Masters fleet, Tour leader Craig Hamilton started the event well but came unstuck in the 2^ndround as Plymouth lad Dave Ewer once again commanded the waves. New to the tour in 2014 Kyle McGinn and Daniel Ramsden were also looking for podium results but it was local lad Justin Dennington that was here to spoil their party. A previous winner of the Cornwall event, Dennington looked at home in the Towans break but it was Ewer that sneaked ahead with bigger wave riding to take his second win here. McGinn took third and a cheery faced Ramsden gave a great account in his first Cornish Classic to take fourth.

The post 2014 BWA PURAVIDA NOLIMITZ CORNWALL WAVE CLASSIC appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

JP Australia Supersport 112L 2014 Test Review

THE LOW-DOWN
The Supersport has a stretched outline and is delivered with a 40-cm. G10 powerbox fin. Its JP go-fast stable mates are the Slalom/Speed Pros, X-Cite Ride Plus and Super Lightwind.

BRAND CLAIM
“The Super Sports deliver slalom-like performance but are way easier to ride and control. Great market feedback and lots of test wins have confirmed that. The line combines shape features from the X-Cite Ride and the Slalom boards to offer the best of both worlds. To make them really fast Werner Gnigler used his experience from the slalom developments while the influence of his X-Cite Ride shapes make sure that the power of the Super Sports is easily accessible for everyone not only for World Cup professionals.” (Sic.)

PERFORMANCE
Our early sessions on this 112 were in 25-30 knots of wind and a hectic water state – and really over-finned –  and so our first findings were hugely different to when we ran it in 18-23 knots. Initially, we found the Super Sport to be comfy and connected to the water and generally easy to sail and forgiving of both foot and fin pressure. Yes, it was challenging to gybe when overpowered, but what isn’t? Although strong upwind, the boxy rails are a bit ‘slappy’ in chop, yet the head-to-head speed and feel of speed is good – especially deep downwind – and this model could rival some serious slalom boards and even occasionally the JP slalom pro version too. In the messy water it prefers fast, wide gybes, but later we enjoyed some good fast, tighter turns in lighter wind, but still in difficult ‘death chop’. There is a more old skool, dated feel of length (it is the longest and thinnest in this selection) and this model offers an outboard stance as opposed to an upright-and-on-toes sailing style. Overall the ride is smooth and controlled, alive and with a stable rail-to-rail feel and positive acceleration. When well powered it felt planted and pinned, but in lighter wind was much more nice and ‘slippery’, regardless of water state. The rails are super soft and forgiving, but there’s no ‘bite’ like a full-on slalom board, which is good news for those taking steps upwards to genuine racing gear. All-in-all this 112 is easier to ‘make fast’ than a dedicated racing shape and would be a good pick for those who like to stay in a controllable power band without being particularly fussed about pushing the limits of what size fins and sails they can handle in the name of speed.

THE VERDICT
A real-world racing board with a narrower wind range than a dedicated racing shape, but all the ease-of-use and forgiveness of a sporty freeride model. Best paired with softer, friendlier race sails or gruntier twin cams/no-cam freerace foils. A smaller carbon fin could pay dividends as you progress.

For more information on the

JP AUSTRALIA SUPERSPORT 112L 2014

go to 

www.jp-australia.com

Other boards in this test: 

FANATIC RAY 110

RRD FIRESTORM LTD 111

SIMMER MONSTER 100

STARBOARD FUTURA 111

TABOU SPEEDSTER 108

Back to 110L Freerace test intro page

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

The post JP AUSTRALIA SUPERSPORT 112L 2014 TEST REVIEW appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

JEM HALL MOVE ON UP – SKILLS  AND  DRILLS

Looks like summer is here, so I hope you’ve been getting out on the water and had a few sessions under your belt? So, coach would like to know how are the cracking tacks and Holy Trinity going? 

Words JEM HALL // Photos NicK Jones

(This feature originally appeared in the July 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 really hope they are progressing well, through practice AND visualization, and if you want to move these forward then I will reveal a top secret you, shhhhh get on out there in light winds … shock horror! I can hear you say ‘I’m only going out if it is windy,’ or ‘my kit is too small.’

TIME ON WATER (T.O.W.)
Well I can reliably inform you that quite often the most learning and improvement on my coaching holidays comes in the lighter wind sessions and, often, the high wind moves like tacks, gybes and duck gybes are cracked after nailing these moves’ core skills down tight in less wind. As I have a lot of returners on my coaching hols, I can safely say that the ones who improve the most year-on-year are those that hone their ‘Skills and Drills’ in lighter airs AND on bigger kit, these people are all pro active learners and motivated to improve.

This month we look at what these drills and skills are and what the main tips and guidelines are for successful performance. I will focus on sharpening these skills on a WindSUP (Windsurfable Stand Up Paddleboard) this month and then next month on a floaty freemove/ freeride board. The WindSUPs are here to help us and our sport – and the most popular boards bought after a clinic, either on flat water or waves, are W’SUPs or floatier planing boards so as to have the opportunity to get more EFFECTIVE Time On The Water. Again, if you want to improve, you must choose to take actions to do exactly this, so, what actions could you take?

MOVES THAT MATTER
When I’m coaching in a light wind session I ask my rippers to grab a bigger board / W’SUP and a smaller rig, whilst some of our other more ‘learned’ fellows are on huge sails and smaller boards and sporting their speedos and high wetsuit boots and are generally going nowhere fast. This windsurfing lark is challenging enough, so let’s make it easy and go out and get back to our beginner and the sport’s founding roots and use bigger boards and smaller sails to have the time and control to learn the ‘moves that matter.’ Again, all these skills and a huge amount more are covered in full in my DVD ‘Beginner to Winner’.

STANCE:
The first skill is all about stance and how to get the best speed out of the board. Therefore, lets get all touchy feely and find the best place to put your hands and feet, which are mainly closer together and where it all feels balanced. ‘Don’t think, feel’ the kit is giving you feedback and it is saying ‘don’t over sheet me’, or, ‘stand further forward, and point your front foot forward to make you face forward’ (a huge tip for early planing in stronger winds!)

Drills for Stance: 

• One of my favourite skills, in all winds, is to sail one-handed. Drop your backhand and you will control the power more through your hips and feel just how important it is to steer the board through your feet and pull down on the boom – do it!

• Sail with your front hand off will see a similar skill development to the above and also help you to appreciate where the power point in the sail is. Both skills are also quite physical so are great for your water fitness!

• Lift your front leg. This will help you position your back foot better, both fore and aft (pivot) and side-to-side (tilt). Just do it.

• Kneel down over your front leg or drag your front leg in the water. This gets you pulling down on the boom and bending your back leg heaps in order to really add dynamism all over – especially in learning and improving your beach and waterstarts!

•  Now try one hand and one leg. Feel, enjoy and experiment.

TRANSITIONS
Practice makes permanent and, as they say, it takes 1000 reps to make a skill more automatic and locked into your motor memory. Therefore, a light-wind session of 40 mins could see you banging out 20 – 40 tacks and gybes, which has got to be good for staying dryer in higher winds and also for your fitness and getting your hands tougher?

Oh yes, you should please be doing your force 1 – 3 skills and drills with no harness on to get a feel for the trim and to develop your fitness and unhooked skills.

We covered tacks last month and so please refresh by reading this again. Now you are in lighter winds and on a big, open lovely EVA deck, please work on really using your legs and really moving your hips and feet dynamically.

Top Tack Tips: Feet and hands are narrower on the way in and wider on the way out. So get that back foot down the board on your exit please so you have the opportunity to steer (scissor legs) aggressively.

GYBE TALKING:
I can safely say that, unless people have cracked the light wind gybe (fundamentals gybe) and its all important stages of a clear beginning, middle and (clew-first) exit, then it will be very tough to master the carve gybe in planing conditions. My coaching holidays on flat water without a few light wind sessions see a bit less progress than the trips that are howling all week. So, no, seven days of Force 6 will not make you a gybing legend unless you’re already competent in this area.

This is not a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals gybe, as we’re all embracing our touchy-feely skills, so I’ll give you the basic tips:

• Prepare early with wide hands and feet

• Scissor the board downwind

• Exaggerate, get low and have your back hand at the end of the boom

• Think ‘rig out and hips in’ as you look out the turn, at the clew or back hand

• Switch your feet, front heel to back toe and then step forward

• Sail clew-first out on a broad reach (45 degrees to the wind) and be very very good at this

• Slide your mast hand down and rotate the rig and take your time

• Keep looking forward and take the rig through a big circle

• Sweep the rig forward and across and get low to take the power

A great combo drill here is to do Circles, where you gybe one way and then sail 3 board lengths and then tack the other way and after 10 rotations you then reverse the rotation, i.e., tack and gybe the other way. Or, you can do The Box: sail and tack upwind 200 metres – and then gybe back downwind.

REE YOUR STYLE
Light winds are all about having fun, trying new stuff and being present in the moment. I often, after 30 minutes of light wind coaching, ask my clinic rippers “what drills have we just done and now please name 20 more we could do?” Why? This gets them refreshing their minds about what they can practice and so puts them in the mindset of a proactive learner and thereby boosts their ability to self coach and set targets – both musts if you wish to improve AND have fun, all whilst becoming a learning machine!

So, before you read on, please have a think and write down on paper – or on your phone – 10 more light-wind moves you would try on the right kit and in the right place …

“ Light winds are all about having fun, trying new stuff and being present in the moment ”

SKILL BUILDERS

OK, I’ll now add to your list and also see how many we are sharing on our lists, so, in addition to the above skills, you could perform:

• Light-wind beach starts, fin-first beach starts, clew-first ones too

• Ducking the sail and then sail clew first, then rotate the rig. (Called a sail 360)

• Ducking the sail and then gybe. This is called a, surprise surprise, duck gybe

• Front-to-sail: build skills for learning to heli tack

• Duck tacks, de rigueur for all you budding high-wind stylers

• Body and sail 360s: remember to not think and just ‘feel’

• Boomerangs / floaters

This is not exhaustive and the list is endless. All you need is to focus, believe and enjoy while employing a large amount of perspiration and perseverance that will defo stand you in good stead for all the moves you want in high winds.

Go on and get out there and enjoy the W’SUP action, it’s funner than you think.

RRD boards, wetsuits, softwear, Ezzy sails and Pro Sport Sunblock sponsor Jem Hall. Get him live and direct on one of his highly-acclaimed coaching holidays, but be quick as they are selling out – check out his fab new site www.jemhall.com for details. You can also follow him on Twitter / Facebook.  

The post JEM HALL MOVE ON UP – SKILLS AND DRILLS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

BRITISH SLALOM CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014 WEYMOUTH VIDEO

The post BRITISH SLALOM CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014 WEYMOUTH VIDEO appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

GRAHAM EZZYS ALOHA CLASSIC K4 FINS SETUP

Definitely a stand out sailor of the Aloha Classic Graham Ezzy has been speaking to his sponsors K4 fins about his set up for the competition.

‘My flexible K4 fins give me a massive advantage over most of the other riders who use stiff G10 fins. You can see it in my carves– I can keep speed as I redirect. 

Before the event, I played with a lot of different setups on my boards, which are all tri-fins. I tried using all 12cm Carves. This made my boards super loose but without enough drive. After, messing around with dozens of different options in my boards (of which I had 5 setup for the contest), I settled on a classic 2+1 setup: 10cm side fins and 16cm back fin.

I use the Flex 16cm for the rear and it gives me the confidence to put all my strength onto the rail. The fin is deep enough that I don’t have to worry about spinning out. And no matter how hard I push, the fin bends rather than cavitates. In the Aloha, I was able to keep the board going rail to rail better than a lot of other competitors (I racked up 8 point scores with just rail turns), and my fins make this possible.

On the side fins, I use either the 10cm Stubby’s or the 10cm Ezzy Assy with 2 degrees of tow-in. I ride the stubby’s when I want to do more slidy tricks and the Ezzys when I’m looking for more carves. The Ezzy’s have a ton of drive and acceleration in the turns– which is amazing. And the stubby’s don’t track as well in the water but that makes them easier to release in the tricks like the taka.’

for more info check out  www.k4fins.com

The post GRAHAM EZZYS ALOHA CLASSIC K4 FINS SETUP appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.