It’s not just about the boards, but
- racing techniques
- the equipment
and lots of other interesting stuff

As part of Yachting Australia’s windsurfing development plan, Brendan Todd will conduct training for Bic Techno 293 and RSX pre Sail Brisbane and Sail Sydney.  After Sail Melbourne he will also have a training camp in Melbourne to build on what’s been learnt over the December racing period.  After Sail Melbourne will be a good time to assess skills and try some new things leading up to National’s both the OAMPS Australian Youth Championship and RSX and Techno Class Nationals later in the year in QLD  at RAYS.  
 
We have been able to bring Sail Melbourne into the fold and have BIC Techno 293 competing alongside other youth and junior classes in the mornings at the World Cup.  Now that all the Sail Down Under events will have both Youth and Senior class represented we should be able to make a good spectacle and have a more racing opportunities for developing sailors.
 
One-page flyer.
 
Let Brendan know in advance if your planning to come to any of these so that he can be sure to tell the clubs the numbers expected.
 
Good Sailing,
Brendan Todd
M: 0412 597 559
brendan.todd@sa.gov.au
http://www.recsport.sa.gov.au/sasi/sailing.html

The Original Windsurfer (Photo: Jean Souville)

It’s never really been out of use in Australia. The Australian manufacturer of the Windsurfer One Design (Windgenuity, Sydney) reports interest from Italy & USA. I have also received queries from these areas in the last few months. In the latest issue of Windsurfing (US), Winter 2009 (Aug), p46 states: The Original Windsurfer was the board that started it all – and now you may be able to by one. Ted Schweitzer, son of Original Windsurfer founders Hoyle and Diane Schweitzer, has plans to reintroduce the board to the US market. “I can’t believe how many people have expressed interest in ordering, sight and price unseen”, says Schweitzer.

Photo: Michael McGrath

Some of us can remember sailing the original craft – dacron sails, teak (square-ish to rounded) booms, and manual adjust centerboard (pictured top). Following the Perth worlds in 1985, a new board was introduced, and it’s still in production today. The new board (see right) has a shorter aluminium boom, retractable centreboard and mylar sail. For more info, see our windsurfer page.

1985 marks the beginning of the funboard era. About that time, alternative boards began to move into the Australian market. The longboard era lasted into the early 2000′s when Formula Windsurfing took over. Longboards, and the Windsurfer one-design are making a comeback as the noughties close…

What about wavesailing… that’s never gone out of fashion!

It’s not a time for the RSX fraternity to gloat, but to put more effort into growing the class. Does it exist only because it is the “Olympic Windsurfer”?

The FOD/FWOD is not dead-in-the-water, but needs the momentum of numbers, ISAF international class status and a strong following to be built ready for the next round of decision making.

The final decision for the 2016 Olympics is likely to be made in 2012, but FOD will need to have a noticable presence by late 2010 to be considered a serious contender. To be a serious contender, formula fleets should be mostly “One Design” (FOD) – state and national windsurfing bodies should encourage that scenario.

Or is a longboard still the best option??

Last minute lobbying with comments (Nov 2008):
Why FOD is right for 2012 (Ceri Williams)
Fact not Fiction (Allison Shreeve)

The longboard view:
The Longboard Windsurfing Journal

At this weeks ISAF meeting amongst the agenda items is a proposal to switch windsurfing boards for the 2012 London Olympic Games from the existing Neil Pryde RS:X to a new Starboard built Formula board.

Read more:
http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Not-time-to-change-Olympic-windsurfer-says-Pryde/50457 

See more @ http://windsurfingnz.org/node/1796

Previous Posts on this subject:
2008/09/15: Press release: Formula OD
2008/06/05: 2012 Olympic board – RSX or FWOD

Please leave a comment here.

RS:X Men
1. Tom Ashley (New Zealand)
2. Julien Bontemps (France)
3. Sharar Zubari (Israel)
4. Nick Dempsey (Great Britain)
No Australian entrant
Article: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/news/24796.php

The mark roundings are posted LIVE to the website.
http://www.sailing.org/olympics/resultscentre.php?raceid=42