Back on Ice n Snow :-)

Brought the mast bases up to the "country", which is the term we use for the chalet up north. Obviously also brought the masts, boom and sails. Typically use 6-oh and 8-oh and bring the 7-oh just in case. The boards are there from the last winter windsurf season.

Temps were a bit high (just below freezing) and there was about 2 to 3 inches of snow on the frozen lake. We were worried that there would be NO snow for Xmas and no ice on the lake. We lucked out on both counts. Because there was snow and it was sticky due to the temperature, neither board seemed to do well. And on top of it all, there seemed to be NO wind :-(

After I finished putting the mastbases on the two(2) winter windsurf "sleds", I went and checked out the wind again. It was supposed to be 15 kph and reach 25 later. Well, it felt like it was closer to 10 kph from the west. Oh well, let's rig the MS-2 8-oh which is a powerful sail and has 2 cams to hold shape. Tried the snow sled on the snow and went no-where - due to sticky snow and lack of wind. Tried it on the track of ice someone cleared and it went. Not too fast, but much better than the snow...

Okay then , let's try the ice sled - what, with an 8-oh cambered sail ??
If the ice was colder, less snow on the lake and the wind stronger, there is NO way I would put the 8-oh on the ice sled. In this case it went and was speedy a couple of times.

The whole affair was just enough to tease me - and perhaps make me the laughing stock of the lake. Oh yeah, i already am that - so, who cares? :-)

In other words good start to the season !!!
Now, let's hope for some better winds and cooler temperatures...
In the forecast -- winds are up when temps are still close to freezing and colder when there are no winds ...

Here are some pics from earlier posts - forgot to take pics on this first outing ...

Tried again on Wednesday the 28th on the lake - cooler temps, a bit more wind - not steady , butt lots more snow $%^&*( Excellent work-out, but not too much success. Does NOT mean it is time to give up - just wait for better conditions OR make my own track on the lake :-)

Again on Monday 2nd of January. Put the Gaastra 7-oh. Winds were a little better, but not steady enough. Once again temps were too close to freezing. Was absolutely sweating. In deep snow at these temperatures, snow gathers at the front of the snow sled. Perhaps that is why Louis Caron's sled is made of slats !! In other words the ice sled did not work on the ice and the snow sled went, butt not good enough on either $%^&*() Let's hope temps are better back home and ice forms on the rivers.

INDEX 

Journal Entries: were below this index - now indexed - posts are below

History of Windsurfing: history-of-windsurfing.html
BIC Fufour Wing & Starting Windsurfing: my-bic-dufour-wing-and-how-i-started.html
Tabou Rocket 125: tabou-rocket.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      the above POSTS are the TOP THREE(3) in order of HITS - 23OCT2011 to XMAS
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Heavyweights: heavyweights-and-windsurfing.html
Physics of Windsurfing: jim-drakes-windsurf-physics.html  
 
How I started Winter Sailboarding: how-i-started-winter-windsurfing.html
How I Started Shortboarding:  how-i-started-shortboarding.html
How YOU can start windsurfing: how-you-can-start-windsurfing.html
 
Sailboards : sailboards.htm
Fins: fins.html

Sails: sails.html              Sail Materials: sail-materials.html                                 
Masts: masts.html

BOOM: boom.html                                
Accessories: accessories.html

Windsurfing in Montreal: windsurfing-in-montreal.html

Original Journal Entries: original-journal-entries.html 
New journal entries: new-journal-entries.html 
Fanatic Ultra CAT: fanatic-ultra-cat.html

Blogging: blogging.html

Supported By windspirit.ca <== clique here for GREAT windsurf specials !!

Windsurfing on Land ??

It seems water windsurfing hit mainstream in California and then in the seventies it boomed in Germany. Not really sure where it is MOST popular now, although I have seen some clips with lots of activity in Japan. Also just read that windsurfing is still more popular in France and Germany than in the U.S. of A. In case you have NOT heard - Windsurfing Magazine is NOT publishing in 2012 !!!!

Ice windsurfing has some popularity in NE United States, but seems to be even bigger in the Scandinavian countries. There also does seem to be some snow windsurf activity, but not too much. Snow seems to be more kite and ski oriented - here in Montreal in any case...

What about windsurfing on land ?? Since the season between water and winter windsurfing seems longer than usual this year, I thought I would investigate ... In Holland and the UK the "whike" seems to have caught on {i am NOT sure how they pronounce it !!} The whike is like a specialized tricycle with a specialized sail {not a windsurf sail}. In the UK they seem to be allowed on bike paths AND roads !! Think they cost something like 3500 Euros in Holland $%^&*()

Also from the UK comes the turfdog, which simply looks like an altered "mountain skateboard". I tried to order one on-line just to check the price and it was around $700 !!

Locally Guy Trudeau Jr. shows you how to make a windskate using a skateboard. He uses one to practice his freestyling {not that this fellow needs any practice !!}.

You can check Guy out at www.windskate.ca and here is a clip of his tricks on land:

Since I am NOT a free-styler, I am guessing I would be better off with a "mountain skateboard" like a "turfdog". As I am always on a budget, it will be something I make from leftovers :-)

As long as I do NOT look like these clowns :-)




Unca Freddy just informed me that the lake is frozen up north with a fine crust of snow on top and snowmobiles have passed by...

Forget the land thing - i'm goin' up north and ice windsurfing !!!

Update - was at 30noeuds today and they sell "land surfers" between $283 and $600 where the deluxe model actually has a brake. Employee/owner told me he has been selling many to dog owners !! They use them to "train" the dogs ie the dog pulls them !!


Why not go all out like this ??

The Longboard Revival

I have written about my "new" 1990 Fanatic Ultra CAT longboard in another post. I have always been a longboarder and only recently a shortboarder - last four(4) years.

In case you have not noticed SUPs are gaining popularity. Some of them accommodate windsurf sails.

The KONAs are gaining popularity too and seem to be going towards a one-board race class/division.

However, longboards are also coming back in the limelight. Even if it is getting difficult to purchase a brand new one. For me it was not just an availability issue, but also a cash issue. The CAT is a classique and i love it already.

No discussion on this subject would be complete without a mention of the infamous LBWS site and forum. They seemed to be out of commission for a bit , butt are now back in full force !! Check them out at : http://www.lbwindsurfing.com

The LBWS site discusses some of the latest boards which donut even seem to be available yet:

Exocet RS D2 - where D2 seems to mean the DIV II nose
Starboard Phantom 377 with batwings
AHD Tactik supposed to be "good in 0 to 15 knots" and supposed to plane in 10 knots

An interesting thing about the Exocet is that Richard Reatti aka "yagon" of LBWS had sent plans to Exocet that never materialized and yet the RS D2 looks JUST like the plans !!! You can read all about this on the LBWS website.

Interesting board just the same !!

EXOCET RS D2 2012 from eric bellande on Vimeo.

Fanatic was supposed to come out with a newer version of the CAT in 2006, butt that never happened. On the Fanatic forum and the LBWS forum members are screaming for this board !!! Here's an article about the board that never was : http://www.boardseekermag.com/equipment_reviews/equipment/fanatic_megacat_2006.htm

So, why the renewed interest in the more traditional longboards ? A longer board glides better. Most of the new modern boards do NOT schlog well. In light winds a racboard can plane up early and can be used in winds up to about 25 knots. Talk about your one board solution !! {I still have three boards just the same :-) }


People are saying these boards are more difficult to learn on. I still use an 80's  BIC Dufour Wing to teach people who have never been on a board. First they play on a Mistral Windglider to get a feel for the wind and sail and then i pop the same sail on the BIC. AND OFF THEY GO !!!


One thing I always loved about the longboards was the cruising about on a beautiful sunny day. NOT something one does on a formula board or shortboard - not even a 160 liter !!


So, check out the LBWS link further up in this post - they do have some videos too. ENJOY :-)

When one speaks of RACE longboards - and even longboards, the question often comes up as to which sail(s) to use !! So far I have successfully used older sails that still rig on epoxy masts and also my more modern Maui Sails. There were a Pursuit , MS-2 and a TR-4. Usually i rig them with the leech tighter than usual. This seems to be ideal for this type of board. In Toronto it seems they are amour-ed with the Severne Racesails - 9.5.  They do not seem to have them here in Montreal. On the StarBoard forum Remi mentions the use of the Severne Overdrive 8.5 - and they have a StarBoard Race sail too. I have asked on the Maui Sails forum if they were considering making specialized sails for winter windsurfing and longboards. Does NOT look like that is going to happen soon ... Cambered sails are nice because they retain their shape through lulls and help the board glide on through ... Just saw that Severne longboard sails are called "Dagger" now...

Summary of 2011 for Average Joe Windsurfer

I originally wrote this post around November 11th, 2011, which also happens to be the last time i was out on the water.  What is unusual about this year is also the warmth. It is now December 5th and I have tried to go out nearly every weekend in the last month. Yesterday I actually rigged up the TR-4 10-oh and the AHD with a 53 cm fin, butt the winds died... I am kicking myself cuz i coulda gone out with my CAT longboard. It is already up north stored away until next spring. Next year the CAT stays here until it's time to get the winter boards !!!!

Now back to the original post :

I am almost sure the year is over – had flurries already and snow announced this week....
My longboards have been brought to storage since about three(3) weeks now ...

So, Let’s have a look at the good, the bad and the ugly…

It cannot have been all that bad cuz I did have over 60 outings  !!! Over 53 % of those were with a longboard. Started with the BIC Dufour Wing and ended with the Fanatic Ultra CAT. Yup, I purchased a beat up old CAT that will be my most used board next year !!! Over 85% of those 60 outings were with the MauiSails Pursuit 8.5 or the MS-2 8-oh. Yes, I also purchased a proto-type MS-2 8-oh sail which has 2 cams and works well with the CAT …

This obviously indicates that the winds were lite this year !!! Only about 15 “good” outings with the shortboards and only went out about 3 times with the Fanatic BEE LTD 124. The longboards allowed for more outings and the CAT planes earlier than anything I have ever tried !!

The light winds made learning more advanced skills somewhat of a “forget about it” {to be said with a Long Island accent } . Beach starts were definitely improved. Water starts were barely practiced and the foot strap phobia was not even touched !!!

Discovered that the TR-4 10-oh also goes well with the CAT. At one point was considering selling the TR-4 and the 520 mast.

Did not break much stuff this year, butt I did lose a $200 weed fin in the local river $%^&*( At that moment I also put a nice rip in the palm of my right hand. Bee propolis seemed to cure it quickly and nicely.

Having difficulties selling anything. Have the F2 Comet 330 board , MS Pursuit 8.5 sail and Autima 490/90% mast for sale on various websites. Had some nibbles, but the people seemed far away and not willing to meet half way. I usually am willing to meet, as a seller and as a buyer !!!

Helped one fellow at work purchase an 80’s kit with sail et al for $50 to play with at his cottage. He says his kid is loving it.

Purchased an inflatable Mistral WindGlider with a 3.5 meter sail. My 12 year old nephew used it successfully and was going about the lake within 1 hour !!! Took a collegue , Dolores, out on the water with the WindGlider and within one hour she was on the BIC Dufour with the 3.5 sail. Someone from the lake called my wife at home, who stayed back since she was not feeling well, to inform her I was on the water with a strange woman:-)

All in all sounds like it was a GOOD YEAR = lotsa TOW/ time on water !!!
                                             { light winds or naught !! }

Now I just need to put my stuff away and prepare for the next season 

ice and snow windsurfing 8=)

Windsurf Logos

Some people like logos so much and are so dedicated to the product that they have windsurf logos tattooed on themselves !!!

If I was to get a windsurf tattoo, i would like to go with something more along these lines:

It is called "Mutate Now" from Artur Szpunar - of Maui Sails..

Windsurf Board Logos

An anonymous tipster informed me/us:
"The Windsurfer logo is generic and not particular to the Rocket. Actually the Rocket was rather a particular board, not representative of the whole line. Same logo though, including the 2011 Windsurfer (made home in Australia, imported US)."

----------Windsurf Sail Logos ----------

Another anonymous tipster pointed out that Raceboard Sails include Aerolite, Demon and XO. These are specialized sails that one does not see often nor hear about - unless that is the type of windsurfing you are doing. There is a discussion right now on the LBWS forum regarding the Demon Sails. Apparently they are NOT cheap in $$$ nor quality. Made in the US of A and hand made !!! NICE !! Or is it UK ?? Still NICE !!!

It seems in Toronto the Raceboarders are using Severne Raceboard sails. Ironically I cannot seem to find em in Montreal. For now I am okay with my Ultra CAT , MS-2 8-oh and TR-4 10-oh :-)

Will look for those logos NOW !!

I also omitted Point-7 - those "black sails".

And WHY do i like logos?
I like to know what the locals are sailing. Pros can sail anything, but local talent is NOT all semi-pro. There definitely are some that are expert, but most seem to be average joes.

AND it shows me what is available in the area. We have three(3) local shops and i know what they carry. So, if i see anything out of the ordinary i ask about it. Even JP users are asked if it is worth the price. JP's seem a bit $$$. Once someone finds a product they like, they seem to stick with it. This especially makes sense in the sails.

What about logos for the accessories ?? Those products are less visible which means you can see them up close anyway.The fin which is the least visible piece is still the engine under the water !!! The boom is visible, but so thin, it is difficult to put a visible logo on it.

Nose Protector ??

Lately on the forums {iwindsurf, SB and the auzzie one} there have been discussions about "nose protectors". They started to make me wonder whether they actually did anything to save one from a "nose job".

This is obviously what we are trying to avoid !! {foto from the board lady}

So, I wrote to a local rep, Bruno of 2-rad. He makes me smile because he is so matter of fact. He says if you take 170 liter board out in over 25 knots of wind and do a few catapaults, you are bound to bust a nose. Either yours or the boards. He says the protector will protect the rider, butt not the board. He used the analogy of protective bags in the car. In an accident all the cushions will protect the people, but not the vehicle.

Have seen other people and discussions about boom sleeves/bras, mast base pads and the such...There are those strange animals called deviators, but they just make me nervous. How much stress can a mast track endure ?

 

Somehow I get the feeling these issues are just a fact of life. You ride dangerously and risks or personal and equipment injury goes up.

One can start with the boards covered in foam like the AHD ZEN and i have seen polyethylene boards like the BIC Techno that seem to survive almost all minor incidents and still look almost new. Everyone seems to consider these boards "okay", but lacking in performance.

I have learned to live with chips in my fins and repair them during "downtime". My AHD FF 160 is very "sensitive" and looks beat up. It still rides really well and planes up quickly.

So, as i said earlier, i just learn to live with it and take the risks.

However, the "board lady" says to avoid the rigid nose -pads, but YES do get the padding and here is an example:

In the comments the Canadian guy, back from Provenance, swears by deviators and pads.
Bruno says the deviators pull on mast track and cause delamination.
Yvan of AuVentFou says deviators are "passés".

Transporting boards on roof

Always thought there was an obvious way to put the board on the roof rack.

Since the bottom is flat , the top rounded and sensitive, I always put the bottom down on the rack.

Once that is decided, I think it is logical to put the board facing the back in terms of aerodynamics. If it was facing front, there would be wind resistance and loss of fuel efficiency.

Then there is talk on the SB forum about leaving the fin on or taking it off. My fins cost me over $150 each. They will stay IN the van and in their protective sleeve !!

I also donut like to pile boards on top of each other since this stresses the footstraps - unless i put some tennis balls in the straps and keep board bags on.

The craziest thing i have found is this image. In other words - donut overload #$%^&* [:)]

It looks like they either set this up just for the picture or had an accident where the door was blown off and thus crinkled the roof. ODD ...

Too bad there NEVER is any wind in Montréal :-)

Yesterday, Sunday the 2nd of October 2011 was a cold FALL day with winds out of the NE. There were stories of super waves and super jumps at Quebec City. Locally there were guys out on their 4.x sails and 90 liter boards. They were all VERY excited - and i did NOT get to go out at all : ( Would have liked to go to Vaudreuils or at least do one hour on the local river - even WITH the rock danger !!!

Check out these pics !!!!!

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=A63846FAED2A8C07&id=A63846FAED2A8C07!5569#cid=A63846FAED2A8C07&id=A63846FAED2A8C07!5641

and here is an excerpt

COBRA factory in Thailand

There seems to be an interest lately in the COBRA plant and also a renewed interest in custom boards. I am guessing part of this is due to the information available now AND an interest in boards like the Phantom longboards which are more difficult to mass produce well. Here is a clip with pics and some pics ...

Fanatic Ultra Cat

Je vais essayer de faire cette entrée en francais pour mes amis de La Plaine/St-Lin :)

This post will be attempted in French for my new friends - try the Google translate - put in French and then English :)
When it goes OFF the main page i will put an English version too ...started - interspersed with French BELOW

Merci beaucoup pour avoir me donner la chance d'essayer la fameuse planche Fanatic Ultra Cat !!! La planche n'est pas juste connu pour les vents legères MAIS aussi pour sa vitesse !!! Ca date des années début 1990 et il y a du monde qui l'utilise encore !! C'est environ la même longeur que mon BIC Dufour MAIS beaucoup moins lourde, plus épais et moins large en arrière. C'est connu d'être capable de "planer" et roule casement avec les mêmes vitesses que les "shortboards". 

Je l'ai nettoyé et ca fait une belle planche n'est-ce pas !!

Thank you SO much to my new friends for having given me the chance to test the infamous board Fanatic Ultra Cat!!! This board is NOT just known for light winds BUTT also for its speed!!! It dates back to the earlys 90's and there are still plenty of people who use such a board !!The board is approximately the same length as my BIC Dufour BUT is much lighter , less thick and less wide at the back. It is known to be capable of planing and going with same speeds as shortboards. 

I cleaned it and it is a beautiful board,  is it not ??

Qu'est-ce que ca prendre pour être une "longboard" du type course ? Comme déjà discuté, il faut que la planche "plane" rapidment ie ne prend pas trop de temps, evidement la planche est legère, le "mast track" peuvent être ajouster pendant le "voyage", le derive est fait en carbone, l'aileron est fait en carbone et c'est assez controllable evec vitesse et quand on change direction. Aussi le dérive peut être enlever de l'eau completement. Cela n'est pas possible avec le BIC Dufour. J'ai pensé que ca prendrait une aileron plus large par exemple ...

What does it take to be a " longboard" of type race ? As already discussed, it is necessary that the board plane up early, obviously the board must be light, the mast track can be adjusted while planing , the "keel" or centreboard is made out of carbon, the fin is made out of carbon and the board is rather controllable when direction is changed or under speed. One needs to be able to remove the "keel" from the water completely. That was not possible with the BIC Dufour. I would have thought this would have required a larger fin - to run with no centreboard.

Some say this board can be gybed like a shortboard !!

Pour sortir de l'eau completement, le dérive depasse la planche en haut. Il y a une couverte qui protège les pieds et donne la possibilité de facilement re-descendre le dérive.

For the centreboard to be taken out of the water completely , the keel sticks out of the board on top. There is a cover which protects the feet and allows one to push the keel/centreboard back down - with one's feet.

Le pied de mât est different et le "socket" aussi.

et l'autre coté plus haut ??

Il y a une genre de "pedale" pour être capable de changer la position du mât pendant qu'on "roule". MAIS c'est quoi la cord en dessus - qu'est-ce que ca fait dans la vie ?? Ca l'aire que c'est une genre de cord de sécurité.

There is some kind of pedal to allow one to change the position of the mast while moving, planing hopefully. BUTT what purpose does that cord serve ?? Apparently it is a safety cord that is NOT really required on this version of the CAT.

Le lendmain je suis allé sur l'eau avec ma voile MS-2 8.0 dans les vents très legères à Baie d'Urfé. La planche flotte mieux que mon BIC mais je trouve qu'elle flotte casement trop. Elle me fait penser à des BICs que j'ai essayé. Les nouveaux BICs flotte comme une bobin de pêche. C'est dur avec les vagues de face et de coté $%^& J'ai mis l'aileron dans le milieu et le "mast track" en arrière. Mais j'ai oublié de barré le mast track $%^&*($%^&*( Casement aller dans l'eau %^&*( Pas utilsé l'harnais aves ces vents faibles. Mais eu du fun pareil.

The next day I was on the water doing a test run using my MS-2 8.0 cambered sail in the very light winds at Baie d' Urfé. The board floats better than my BIC but I find it almost floats too much i.e. too floaty. It makes me think of other BICs that I have tested/tried. The new BICs float like a fishing bobber. It was difficult with small waves straight on and from the side $%^& I had put the fin in the midlle and the " mast track" at the back. But I forgot to lock the mast track $%^& * ($%^& * ( Almost flew into the water %^& * ( Did not use the harness in these weak winds.               However, definitely had fun.

La prochaine fois ca va être avec des vents plus forts !!!
Next time I will go in "bigger" winds !!!

Les caractéristiques du planche ??

Longeur : 380 cm
Largeur:     67 cm
Volume:   250 litres
Poids:     13.5 kilos
Dérive:      70  cm

actuellement j'ai découvert que les mesures sont moins que indiqué ici. J'ai un chat/"cat" qui est plus avant le "mega cat" avec "juste" 210 litres and largeur de 66 cm. Le longeur est 374 cm et le derive est mesuré à 63 cm. Je ne suis pas sure du poid !!

Board characteristics??
Length:  374 cm
Width:     66 cm
Volume: 210 litres
Weight:  between 13.2 and 16.6 kilos
"Keel":     63 cm measured
Fin:          12 inches/ 30 cm
Box:         A-box

The board goes VERY well upwind (like most longboards) and planes in lighter winds than I thought.

La planche va bien "upwind" et va "planer" dans les vents plus legères que j'ai pensé !!!

Voilà qu'est-e que j'ai écrit dans ma journal...hier le 30 septembre 2011

By the time I got back and was ready to go , the wind had dropped and everyone was getting off the water. Including the kite surfers. So, I went out on the water ALONE and PLANED with my MS-2 8-oh !!!  Some people commented on the Fanatic Ultra before i started:) They said they just donut make them like that any more. Even Helmut is talking about getting a longboard now !!

The above in italics is from my journal entry of 30SEPT2011.  The only issues I have now with the board now are - need to change footstraps and the deck is slippery - needs reDek !!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://windsurfraceboard.blogspot.com/2011/09/raceboard-would-championship-2011.html 

RACEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2011

The youth fleet´s top 3 board and sail setup was,

# 1 ESP 1, Fanatic Mega Cat, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 m2 and Loft sails 8.5

# 2 FIN 5,  SB Phantom Race 380, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 and Severne Raceboard 8.5

# 3 FRA 259, Fanatic Mega Cat, Neil Pryde RS:X 8.5 and Bic OD 8.5  

The ultimate raceboards were and are now all 380s like the Mega CAT, Phantom, Exocet, F2 Race 
NEXT STEP - gotta get me ona those  380's !!! 

During my first experiences with the Ultra-CAT, which i will call U-CAT from now on,  i felt that the board did not turn as tight as i would have liked. This was with tacks since gybes/jibes were NOT attempted. At first I thought a longer or bigger fin might help. However, some readings showed that fin placement played an important role in this... The further up the fin, the more "turny" it would become and "less control". The further back and it is to be somewhat more traction and perhaps even faster, butt less "turny". I had put the fin in the middle. Before I purchase a new fin that will cost as much as the board, i will do some experiments with moving the fin forward some ...
One place that does carry US box fins up to 40 + cm is gsport. Have written them to see availability and shipping !! 

On the longboard forum they are calling the Mega Cat fins trim box - thought the Ultra Cat was US box !!
Some US box seem to have an additional "fin" at the bottom/top. What's that all about ?? Will have to check the fin box on the U-CAT now $%^&*( 
Here's that Mega Cat fin discussion -

http://www.lbwindsurfing.com/board/rigging-fine-tuning/lightwind-fin-for-a-mega-cat-1191

FFF vs BFF and "is windsurfing losing popularity"

Recently on iwindsurf i posted the question whether it was okay to ride with just the front foot in the straps. I have a phobia of getting stuck in the straps. The answer was clear - DONUT do this %^&*( However, this generated a HUGE discussion {AGAIN} on front foot first/ FFF versus back foot first BFF.

For me it was clear quickly that the ideal STARTING point was -- get up to speed {not too much}, get in front strap, hook in and then get in back strap. Today they are up to page 9 - read for yourselves: http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23207&sid=8eb3c79ba7986bd4927f01cfcac18c5c

Just when i thought windsurfers were arguing only on this point just for arguments sake, i discovered another long winded discussion on the auzzie forum about whether windsurf popularity was declining.Well, they are up to page 16 %^&*(

It feels like kitesurfers log here just to give it to the windsurfers ...
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Is-windsurfing-popularity-still-declining

Some photos posted in the discussion are as follows:

obviously making fun of the polka dots and the "bra"
and this one ??

Dani posted some comments and my intention is NOT to re-hash the lengthy "discussion" from down under. What is sad is: equipment is definitely going up in $$$ now. Air Canada was threatening to no longer allow windsurf equipment for travellers - what, not heavy enuff 4 the size ? And the usual issues of storage, transport to the beach, expensive repairs, etc.

What i try to advocate locally is: perhaps it is time to go back to the longboards ? I hear KONAs are the rage in the US of A and i am SURE it is just a matter of time that we see them everywhere here. I brought my BIC Dufour down from the in-law's chalet and i use it more than 50 % of my outings. No longboard and i would be down to less than twenty (20) outings per summer season - just like all my local windsurf buddies %^&*(

In other words, lack of steady , "good" winds means NOT many outings. It is VERY difficult to be a weekend windsurf warrior locally %^&*()

Lost my weed fin #$%^&*()

Was perhaps too anxious to go out on the water %^&* Definitely remember hand tightening the powerboxed weed fin. Definitely remember tightening the vent plug and THINK i tightened the fin with the screw driver. I often have premonitions and somehow was feeling attached to the fin that day - like it was an old friend AND had thoughts of checking the fin each time i grazed a rock %^&*( Did i listen to my inklings - obviously NOT. When i hit a rock more solidly, i tried to go and learned what spin out is - the board just went sideways. Have i lost my fin ? YUP %^&*()

Thought perhaps it floated away and looked downstream - nothing. Swam in to shore and checked with another fin - yup, they sink %^&*() Tried to go back and find it - yeah right ... This is in the mucky local river where i swore i would NEVER go with my shortboard again. Again, yeah right %^&*()

Checked the web and people say things like - i have sailed 25 years and never lost a powerbox fin. Just want those people to know that that makes me feel a whole lot better and i hope you manage to lose a fin in your next session ... just kidding :)

I thought i had the pattern down and screwed up again %^&*() I have to learn to slow down and double check stuff. Especially vent plug and fin.

New rule - NO hand tightening the fin from now on %^&*()

just hope this has NEVER happened to you either and may it NEVER happen to you ...

the good news - i will purchase a Makani weed fin that covers 7.0 to 8.0 :)

thanx for the comments Dani - will hafta check you guys out in Cape Cod !!! :)
added the blog to my faves liste :)
AND NO more hand tightening does NOT imply power tools :)
ok ok - nor glue either - man oh man, one has to be careful what one "says" here :)
on one forum i wrote that i fell after hitting some rocks, butt was okay
someone responded - glad to know your butt was ok :)

BEES bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Last weekend in late summer 2011 we went to the apiary/bee place called Intermiel in Mirabel:  http://www.intermiel.com/index_an.shtml. The "animateur" , as he is called in French, is an entomologist and was VERY enthusiastic about the subject(s). He took us around the plant - starting with a small DVD on the history of the place, discussed some bee products, let himself get stung, showed some hives and then ended it with some lovely samples of hydromel, which is water with fermented honey - up to 14 % alcohol. Unfortunately I do not drink and could only smell the wonderful samples. They also now have apple cider and some ice wine.

For me the most interesting part was the bee by-products:

1) bee pollen: this is taken from the bees as they enter the hive. Obviously not all since the hive needs it as food. The collected pollen is cleaned and kept dry. It contains all the nutrients and minerals for bees AND humans. I purchased a small container and take about one teaspoon per day. It has helped my thinking, digestion and energy levels. Some people have side affects and I have had some muscle cramps. Apparently this has been around for centuries - is it a well kept secret ?

2) propolis: is a substance bees use to keep intruders out of the hive and when they do intrude, they kill them and cover them in this substance. Apparently it acts as a disinfectant and mummifying agent. When I cut myself windsurfing , the only treatments i used were water from the dirty river and some propolis ointment. I can tell you it did feel like it healed quickly with NO pain or infection. The cut was through the skin and healed to the point of being back on the water and windsurfing in less than one week. My wife purchased some propolis from Walmart, which comes from France and is taken internally.

Have also purchased propolis ointment now. This was what i tried when i cut my hand windsurfing. I felt it helped my hand cure quickly with NO infection. The cut went to the meat. Here is a pic of the ointment - my hand injury is posted in the new journal entry section :-) hand injury foto

3) royal jelly: is secreted from the glands of young bees for a certain amount of time ONLY and fed to the "babies"/pupa. This allows them to increase in growth exponentially. If more than usual is given, the individual bee becomes a queen !!! In other words, it is some kind of super booster. People take it for clarity of thinking and energy boosting as well. I have NOT tried this YET. {will post better pic when i get some :) } So, here is a pic that I took -- instructions say one to three teaspoons per day - check the size of the "tea spoon" :-)

The reason I write about these things here is: these are natural products that can be used by windsurfers - or anyone for that matter for the purposes described above.

Note: all these products do seem expensive !!
btw the chocolate and honey mixes are delicious AND sinful !!

Patrick Bergeron is coming to Montreal

The local windsurf club in Montreal is called APVM - l'Association de Planche à Voile à Montréal = The Windsurf Association of Montreal and have a website http://www.apvm.ca/evenement8.htm.

http://www.apvm.ca/evenement8.htm

The reason I give an extended url is the reason for this post. There is an event called Advanced Clinique. This is to be given by the infamous Patrick Bergeron for a limited number of people. Some training indoors and some on the water = weather permitting.

I have never personally met Pat, but we have chatted via e-mail and a buddy of mine was lucky enuff to get a good deal on one of his SW Retro sails - still in the bag !! ie NOT used.

So, if you are interested you better RUSH off and sign up !!! http://www.apvm.ca/inscription_avance.htm
http://www.apvm.ca/inscription_avance.htm 

Hurricane Irene

http://windandbigwaves.com/2011/08/29/hurricane-irene/

The storm came through NE USA and Eastern Canada on Sunday the 28th of August. In the morning I actually considered going to Vaudreuils since the wind was from the NE. However, the wind was picking up quickly and people on the quebecwind local website were already chatting about sails in the 4.x range and really small boards. OKAY, i am out of this picture !!!

On Monday, which happened to be a really beautiful sunny day with lite winds, I met a fellow who had gone to St-Zotique on Sunday in the post tropical storm from 8h00 until 12h00. He stopped cuz there was too much rain $%^& He DID admit that he was often "over" with his 3.x sail, there were dangerous moments AND he felt like he did NOT have fun !!! Yeah mann, it is HARD work !!!!

Winds apparently gusted as high as 40 mph where he was and 50 mph at Veaudreuils !!! Here is a histogram of the winds at Dorval areoport that day ...

Clique to enlarge

Then today, I happen upon some posts where a fellow windsurfer DIED on Long Island, NY, USA during the storm - DAMN $%^&*()

You can read about it here:  http://www.peconicpuffin.com

Unfortunately that is now the 2nd windsurfer to die within a driving radius in the last 2 months :(
Those are NOT good odds.
Please be careful my windsurf friends - it is unsure whether Joe was wearing a helmet or not and he was out in winds up to 50 mph !!!

Another REALLY sad day and soon there will be rules and police chasing windsurfers OFF the water :(

My condolences to the family and all who knew him personally !!!

Update: The service has passed => http://www.peconicpuffin.com

Looks like Hatteras has been battered as well - they cancelled the Wave Jam

Tabou Rocket

Note: This post seems to be very popular. As such, i have added videos from youtube and vimeo at the end of it :) ENJOY

Since I have an evaluation of the Rocket compared to the Fanatic Ray and Hawk, I have moved this post back to the top of this blog/website ...see the followup section further down if you have already seen the "intro".
btw i am surprised how many people were interested by this post as it was !!

Well, I wrote to the infamous Matt Pritchard and yes, he would be able to supply a Rocket 125 directly to Canada. This is just amazing in terms of accessibility from an average joe windsurfer. If you are interested in purchasing a Rocket and live in North America , I suggest you contact Matt at this e-mail: matt@pritchardwindsurfing.com

Model	Volume	Length	Width	Weight	Box	Fin	Sails Size

Rocket 125

125

250

69

7.8

Power Box

FR 44

5.5 - 8.5

Why do I consider Tabou Rocket? Check out the mpora review:  http://boards.mpora.com/boards/freeride-boards-kit/tabou-rocket-125-gt-2008.html

and boardtests: http://boardtests.com/2011/03/tabou-rocket-125-ltd-preview-2011/



Here is the "teaser video" from Tabou in 2010. The 2011 version seems very muffled !!


Tabou Rocket 2010 from Tabou Boards on Vimeo.

In the 2011 WindsurfMag board tests one reviewer is quoted as saying of the Rocket 125: Sweet and very balanced performer! Great combination of comfort, speed, control, and ease of use. Felt very natural immediately with no need to "figure it out". Definitely a test favorite of mine in this size range. And James Douglass says: the Tabou Rockets 105, 125, and 145 get nearly unanimous praise.

 For those of you , who have not heard, Kevin Pritchard gave the kiters a piece of their own medicine when he sped past them recently in  a race where they offered to separate kiters n windsurfers and kiters said NON. Check his blog on my blog list at the right ...

Follow-up: One of the avid windsurfers with whom I "chat" quite a bit via e-mail was a big fan of Fanatic and Maui Sails. I purchased my TR-4 10-oh from him. He still is a big fan of Maui Sails. What was interesting was his evaluation of the Tabou Rocket 125 compared to some of his best Fanatic boards.

This is just one man's opinion, but it does make for interesting reading !!

There are always unwritten reasons for peoples opinions on boards and sails.  I have come to the opinion that a board/sail/fin/conditions/sailor weight/sailor skill/rigging setup/strap positions all have to be balanced to make a setup work for you.  no one can recommend sails and boards without knowing a lot of info about the sailor and conditions it will be used in.  I was finding that I was always using the ray 140 and the hawk 123 with my 7.5 switch in my given conditions.  I concluded that I needed the best 7.5 board I could find to fit my conditions and skills.  The ray was awesome but the sweet spot was an 8.5.  with the tr 8.4 and ray I was in love.  With the 7.5, I preferred to be on my hawk 123 (sweet spot is 7.0).  The hawk with the 7.5 was still a great board. The hawk with a 6.4 was a great board as well.  however, when I got 6.4 conditions, I wanted to be on a smaller board like my freewave.  There was to much overlap with the hawk and freewave.  The tabou kind of just fits my needs perfectly.  All boards have a sweet spot.  For the rocket 125 a 7.5 is the sweet spot.  My conditions here really are 7.5 (considered good wind for me) and 9.5 on the light winds days.  The drop from 9.5 to 7.5 is pretty easy.  I can plane the rocket/7.5 in 13 comfortably.  I can hold the 9.5 with gusts to 20 (averaging 15 or so).  This quiver just works.

That being said, the rocket is less lively than the hawk as the wind picks up.  The rocket is a lot more alive than the ray 140.  The rocket is so smooth that I get really comfortable and just have fun. The hawk had a tendency to get a little scary (for me and my skills) when the wind really got honking.  Some better riders may prefer the ride of the hawk.  I think the rocket 125 s the perfect blend of performance and easy sailing.  Not boring at all.  just easy to blast, easy to gybe.  The rocket is also super stable when not planing.  Probably closer to the stability of the ray then the hawk.  With the 7.5, the rocket planes almost as early as the ray with the 7.5.  it planes noticeably sooner than the hawk/7.5 combo.  The tabou is easier to pump onto plane.  It seems to glide better than the other two boards here.  The board is just perfect for me (and my skills, conditions, etc……………………..)

I was out last night on the rocket/switch 7.5 combo.  Winds were averaging 15/16 gust into the low/mid 20’s.  I could have easily planed up with a 6.4.  I never once considered coming in rig down.  The switch sails for me seem to have no upper limit.  They are steady as a rock and the center of effort never moves in the gusts at all.  I look forward to the gusts to just rip the board forward.  The rocket was just flying across the water with just the fin and a small piece of the tail in the water.  However, I was in total control.  The sail was stable.  The board was stable.  Everything just works with this setup.  The hawk would have been good as well.  just that the hawk would be more “alive” in these conditions.  I prefer the fun tabou to the more active hawk in these conditions. 

You read and read and read about opinions and conditions and size and weight, etc………………….
there is no perfect answer.   It has to fit the sailor.  
However, if you can get a ride on a new rocket, take it.  I really like it so far.

One other thing I forgot to mention about the boards.  Get the stiffest, lightest construction you can.  This has a lot of effect how a board feels.  The stiffer and lighter boards are easier to plane and ride than the heavier and slower reacting boards with the same shape. 

Cheers

Paul

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in other words, get the LTD version of the board, IF you can AND IF you have the skills !!!

these versions are more $$$ and more sensitive ie may need a nose job sooner than you think if you are still catapaulting all over the place ...

After REDSURBUS' comment, we communicated via e-mail and:

The only reason I posted that was because I bought a mistral SL 95 RD, which is  full carbon and light as a feather (no joke.....I worry about it getting blown away even in a f4) but took me a lot of sessions to get used to. You feel every bit of chop, especially in the muscles on the front of your legs near the bottom (the ones engaged when lifting your toes). In big swell its not a problem as the water is generally smoother, but in offshore wind about 100m out where it goes boxy it is hard work at first until you learn how to drive the board rather than being a passenger.

To get comfy on a board you just need a week of sessions on it, without a break! Then you will start to really know the board and what is easy, what needs more 'finesse'. For example my kode is a very easy going board in wood/carbon, It is very light all the same but I can sail for hours on it without a break now. The mistral took me a good few months of sessions through the winter (gaps too big between each session), as soon as the air warmed up and I got out on it regularly I became comfy on it......and then moved down to a tabou 74l......which is 20l less than my weight so a big jump but an easy one after the mistral.

I am by no means an experienced or good windsurfer, I have just been out a lot in the past 2-3 years so have learnt quite a lot. Portland Harbour is windy quite often, really safe as well so I can take more risks in terms of learning.

Take Care
Redsurfbus
http://www.redsurfbus.com/ 

Before I forget ... end of August 2011 I spoke with a fellow who surfs California and Montreal. He had some experience with JP, Fanatic Hawks and AHD Rebound. He said .. the JPs were NOT worth the extra money, Hawks could jibe on a dime and the AHD ate chop. He did not have any experience with the Tabou unfortunately. 

Here is a youtube of a fellow test driving his Tabou Rocket 135 !! 
 
Tabou Rocket 105 & 125 from youtube 

Tabou Rocket 125 with Ezzy 6.5


Windsurf 19 Jan 09 from rotorhead guy on Vimeo.

boardtests.com on 2011 Rocket 125 w/ Tushingham 6-oh

Dani Sfeir seems to be a speed "freak" who likes GPS and freerace equipment. He gave the Rocket 115 a 7/10 and the Ray 115 a 9/10 in the comments section. He gave a video link that shows the TR7 8.4 and Ray more than the Rocket 145. I have added the video here cuz I am also a Maui Sails fan :) The TR-7 is the first year Barry Spanier and company are using the clew cutout and the 8.4 also only requires a 460 mast now. This should make for a really light feeling and FAST 8.4. On the MS forum people seem to be raving about it. For others it means purchasing a 460 - for people like me :( I would like to try a RAY, but the issue for purchasing one is my fins are all powerfins and NOT tuttle :( For me the battle is Hawk vs Rocket. One friend has a Hawk 135 and another the Rocket 125. Only time will tell. Have found a local Tabou rider who sells the Rocket 125 at a very decent price - not the GT version... In any case... here is Dani's vid:


MauiSail TR7 XT 8.4, Fanatic Ray 115 LTD. from Dani S. on Vimeo.



The riggeek also seems to love his Tabou Rocket 140 as seen here:

http://www.riggeek.com/gear-head/2011-04-19-1

Apparently windsurfing magazine screwed up in their recent evaluation of the Rocket 145 {amongst others !!}: http://boardsurfr.blogspot.com/2011/06/windsurfing-magazine-board-test.html