I set several goals in 2009. Finally I’ve reach one of them. I was planning to add more windsurfing boards to my quiver and so I did.
I felt like I missed a lot of opportunities to surf and that had to be fixed. I had only a Starboard Hypersonic 105. This board has an incredible range but since I put on some weight I wasn’t staying afloat anymore. And besides that, I got more interested in gps speedsurfing. The Hypersonic is super wide with 76 cm which is not good for top speeds. Last years I had also some setbacks because I had to replace some things due to crashes.
Now I have the financial means to buy the boards that I want. Last week I bought a Starboard Isonic 101 (2008). This board will be my mid to high wind board. I didn’t go for a real speedsurfing board because those boards can only be used for that purpose and I want to do more than just go downwind.
The Hypersonic will be replaced by an Isonic 122 so I have optimal boards for light winds and a board for mid to high winds. I am still looking for the Isonic 122. (If you have one available you can contact me here).
Hopefully I will be able to improve my Personal Best at GPS-Speedsurfing.com and have more fun time on the water.
Update: I have found an isonic 121 for a great price. Ready to go on the water!
Zara Davis managed to crack the woman’s speed production record of 36.99 knots (68.5 KM/H) That is some serious speed! She used a Mistral speed board, a Simmer 5.0 SCR 2010 and a Sonntag GPS_5 220 widebase speedfin. The cannel in Luderitz, Namibia, was not ideal for windsurfing. The approach is very shallow and the sand bank build to reduce the chop also interfered with the wind, making the end of the run not perfect. So Zara Davis managed to get the best out of the spot.
Here is short video from the NP/JP team speedsurfing at La Franqui. Nice to see how Ben van der Steen and Jacques van der Hout have to conquer the chop before they get to the flat water.
Starboard released a new tool to help you make a better board selection out of their range of windsurfing boards (and they have a lot of boards to choose from).
I thinks it’s great that Starboard is releasing a tool like that. Off course will it help them to sell them the correct boards. As result you will get more people having fun with Starboards on the water. And eventually more happy customers for Starboard. A win-win situation for both sides.
In step 2 Starboard explains that the volume is one of the most defining physical characteristics. So it’s really an important step when deciding which board you should choose. But they don’t clearly explain what volume is right for you. I think it would be better to show which factors are important for choosing the correct volume. Factors like which boards you currently own, in what wind range you are going to use the board, what level your at and your weight.
The PWA released a video report from the ladies only event in Almanare. During this final event Karin Jaggi secured the PWA World Championship title for 2010. Valérie Arrighetti was breathing in her neck and managed to win the event. She became second in the overall rankings.
Sunday was a great windsurfing day in the Netherlands. The absence of wind started to annoy me a bit so I was really happy with this day. But the lack of wind in the passed weeks gave me some time to get my RS Slalom repaired without missing to much action.
Anyway, Jeffrey (also a Dutch Fun Speeder) made great photos during that day. He was standing in the water while the speedsurfers were passing him at high speeds. That’s is possible at Strand Horst since the water is knee deep. I hope you were also on the water otherwise you missed a lot of action. Check out his shots over here.
Did you ever wonder how you should set up and tune your quad fin board? Starboard presents a short technical video which explains the 5 fin settings on the board. Check it out over here.
Maui Sails Just released a great action packed video about their fastest race sail, the TR-6. The sail designers Barry Spanier, Artur Szpunar and pro windsurfer Peter Volwater talk also about what has changed in this year`s TR-6.
There is some great high-speed gybing in the video. So you can use this video to help visualizing your gybes. Visualizing a move can help you improve your technique when you are back on the water.
The Miss Reef Pre Party was held last Sunday. “The Spot” at Zandvoort was the place to be to check out all the Miss Reef Holland contenders. 14 chicas battled for a spot in the upcoming finals. Eventually, only one miss can call her self Miss Reef Holland.
The weather was perfect. The sun was shining. Very pleasant for the ladies since they were wearing very small bikini’s. The vibe at the beach was really nice among the crowd and contenders. Ex-pro windsurfer Seb van den Berg gave comments and introduced all the ladies.
Nayra Alonso updated her website with some cool pictures from the photo shoots she did the last week.
The World of Windsurfing week has started. This week is focused on making non-windsurfing people enthusiastic for the best sport in the world. So make the most of it and convince other people what a great sport we are doing.
The PWA World Tour has kicked of in Podersdorf, Austria. Check out the first movies they put online with interviews and action shots.
