WindsurfingSA news

Many of you would have seen thisitem about Yachting SA’s BIC Techno Windsurfer Youth Coaching Program posted on our Seabreeze Forum, or if lucky, received an email about it. The date for registering interest has expired, but here’s a bit more about it.

• Aim of the program is to introduce the participants to high performance windsurfing.
• The Youth Coaching Program duration will be 12 weeks
• Every second weekend there will be a full day of training with a qualified coach.
• A Bic Techno or Niel Pryde RSX sailboard will be provided to all participants in the coaching program.
• Youth Windsurfing Program members will be responsible for maintaining the equipment in good racing condition.
• Participants will be encouraged to use the equipment supplied for practice in between the formal coaching sessions.
• Participants may represent SA in the Aust Youth Championship in Perth in Jan 2009

Cost: $350.00 per person. This fee covers the cost of coaching provided during the program.

Learning outcomes from the program

• Sailors will be able to sail a windward leeward course competently.
• Sailors will be able to rig and tune the equipment effectively.
• Sailors will be able to self rescue in the case of adverse conditions.
• Sailors will be able to windsurf in a range of conditions.

All youth sailors were invited to register their interest in joining the program. CLOSING DATE for applications is 22 MAY 2008

To register just send your sailing CV to:
BIC Techno Windsurfer Youth Coaching Program
c/- Yachting SA, 300 Morphett Street, Adelaide 5000 or
Email to: yacht_sa@bigpond.net.au

Any enquiries to: John at the Yachting SA office, Ph: 8410 2117
or Brendan Todd, SASI Sailing Program Coach, Ph: 0412597559 or 84166654
Email: todd.brendan@saugov.sa.gov.au  

About the time this was released, another program was launched in Queensland. The following is an edited excerpt from an email from Sean O’Brien Qld & PWA sailor.

Yachting Australia (YA) sent 2 or so Bic Techno kits up to Yachting Queensland (YQ) as these boards are doing the rounds around all the state sailing centres. Patrick Kotwall (who owns SurfConnect; wind/kite shop here in Brisbane) has now got involved and appointed as the Youth Coach in QLD. Patrick has a group of youths, age 14-18, who he sponsors through his shop who mostly wavesail or are just learning etc, but he’s got them interested in trying the Bic boards out and is organising a weekend shortly to get all the youths together to train and try out the new gear. At the moment this is completely independent of Windsurfing Queensland and is an initiative of the YA/YQ and Patrick. Patrick is hoping to kick off a Bic Techno Cup within Australia at some point, but I’m not sure exactly how many of these kits are available/in use within Australia just yet? Seems all positive.. On a side note, it’s great to “finally” see the YA doing something about windsurfing development because now that they’re not sending a man to the Olympics I can’t think of anyone who will be sailing RSX this season at all (or in the future) and that’s a sad state of affairs for a country that’s won quite a few windsurfing Olympic medals. 5/5/2008

Darrell Staight writes…

As a group our small One Design contingent has been rather dormant in the last month as a result of various work and social commitments. Nevertheless I’ve used the time to try out a few different locations by myself and try to come to grips with the new Kona.

As I type this, our submission is being processed by the Flinders Port Authority in the hope that we will have no further objections to windsurfers taking part in regattas on the Port River and specifically with the Port River Sailing Club. For those of you who didn’t know, after a very promising debut at the club some months ago, some took the opportunity to sight alleged problems in the past involving windsurfing and commercial shipping that operates in the area to veto our inclusing until such time as the Flinders Port Authority decreed otherwise. To this date I don’t know of any incidents that can actually be substantiated where this has actually happened. Nonetheless, in an effort to get off to a good start with all parties we decided to do things the right way and write to the Port Authority in the hope of getting a reference that would satisfy those who had concerns. I might add there is nothing preventing windsurfers from sailing on the Port River as things stand, but the Sailing Club don’t want us officially racing there until this can be sorted out with the Port Authority! Hopefully this issue can be put to rest shortly and we can continue to participate with the Port River Sailing Club where we feel we would fit in well.

I have tried out the Kona against the boats down there in non-official racing and in low winds it surprisingly compares favourably whilst not planing. Although not a high performance raceboard by any means it is encouraging to know that when it does finally blow down there and we finally have our One Design sails, I believe the board will turn a few heads. I honestly expected to be left for dead upwind by most of the decent keel boats but infact only the International Canoes and Catamarans were faster.

Last Sunday I tested Garden Island as a possible race site. Unfortunately the Kona has a 46 cm skeg and in low tide one can’t stray very far out of the channel without running aground. That meant that even in the Barker Inlet, one ends up having to turn so often whilst going upwind that it is not really a suitable site for what I had in mind. I also found the area to be more wind shadowed than I had expected and the final nail in the coffin is that in order to find any area of water suitable one has to travel well out of sight of the boat ramp and some distance down the Inlet and for the less experienced, I felt this was not such a safe place to race, particularly considering the strong current that is present there. You can certainly sail there if you know what you are doing, but you have to go looking for the wind and it’s not very satisfying, it’s very staccato when you finally get the breeze you are are rather isolated if you have any dramas. The Port River is a much more suitable flat water venue.

Today I went down to Somerton in the hope of joining in with the local Sailing Club there. For some reason they weren’t operating, but I set up anyway and for a brief few minutes sat back in the harness and enjoyed the steady ocean breeze as the Kona bounced along the top of the crystal clear water. I was really enjoying it and it couldn’t have been more than 12 knots… before the wind decided to disappear and not return! Nice spot Somerton, but whenever I go there there always seems to be an abundance of wind or none at all, so I’ve been a bit unlucky. I do know that the club there is definitely windsurfer friendly and years ago it was a regular race venue for boards. Quick easy access to the water is a definate plus, but being further down south it can be a bit far to travel if you live right out north.

Anyway that’s me for the moment. This posting is just to let you know that we haven’t disappeared or given up on regular meetings, just a bit busy in the last few weeks. I’m delighted to say that I continue to receive emails from keen sailors who want to join us and hopefully as a group we can look forward to regular meetings on weekends.

I plan to sail all the way through winter this year continuing to try new things, so feel free to contact me if you want to meet up. I’m hoping that by the time next summer comes we will have developed something much more concrete happening but it is encouraging that the momentum does seem to be gathering and the interest is definitely there.