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Video - Longboards can still be exciting.
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Longboards are great! Even old lonboards. Why? because in the real world we do not get 20mph. average wind. The average person sailing lakes, bays etc. gets 2- 20 mph winds. Try sailing your shortboard in 4-18 mph. Not Fun. A longboard , mine is an"88 F2 Strato handles the widest range of winds, except for +35 mph. I have been out on days where the forecast was fo 20-30 only to get there to discover 10-15. What to do? Sail a longboard and wait for the wind to pick up. When it does your longboard can handle the 30+mph winds and get you back to the beach to grab a short board and small sail. If the wind dies to less than 5, you can also easily get home. Pack a paddle just in case. Nothing compares.

Durable? Plenty of old,+ 20 year longboards out there in great condition available for a song. I just got mine for $150.00. The origional owner never put the footstraps on it or harness lines. It is nearly new condition

Live somewhere where it is consistantly windy? get a short board. For the rest uf us who have to deal with inconsistant, fickle ,shifting and dying wind, longboards rule! Oh I also have 4 shortboards ranging from 145 L. to 75L.

I love longboards! Even very old ones.
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Slinky... very well said. You covered key points... I agree.
Greg Smile
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Isobars mentioned –
“Greg, you should get to the Gorge more often. Its season is comparable to, maybe longer than, the Bay's; it probably gets more uv (at least east of HR); and it probably gets stronger winds more often.”

Yes, Mike… I should get down there more often Smile
And yes, I agree with your points.
But… I was trying to give zirtaeb some support about his posts… “that so many boards break and wear out so fast in the Bay area”.

And, what I meant about a longer season in San Fran than Hood River… is just that for the recreational sailor who might only like sailing in decently warm weather… SF has more months of warm weather than HR does. Certainly… a hard-core windsurfer with lots of good neoprene, will sail year round at both places (but the HR guy will need more neo. than the SF guy).
So… that’s all I meant by SF having a longer sailing season.
And on the UV subject… Yes, I’m sure that Roosevelt, gets more UV than the Bay area. Then again, there’s still the “sailing season length” issue for the SF sailor. If the SF guy sails more months, cause the avg temp is warmer… then he might get more UV?
Wind strength – Yes, I would think the summer wind avg for HR is higher than SF.
But… those guys do get many WINDY days. Certainly way more than most major metropolitan cites in the country.
And again, sailing in saltwater from sandy beaches (like Crissy) is way harder on gear (especially raceboards with all their components) than, the freshwater Gorge… that has almost no sand beaches.

Anyway.... thanks Mike for the good points.
Greg Smile
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DelCarpenter



Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 499
Location: Cedar Falls, IA

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SPQR, in answer to your questions: I switched from racing a 91 Mistral Equipe XR in the Open class to the Kona One Design class to: 1. get a board that was more stable for me, 2. get into the only class where the allowable sail size is dependent on the weight range the sailor fits in, 3. get away from equipment wars & equipment decisions, and 4. get the more level playing field of a one design class.

The step tail and width of the Kona One Design does work so it readily gets up on a plane sooner than my Equipe did, is much more controllable for me at speed, and I'm much less likely to fall while trying to jibe whatever the speed.

I've had some personal issues with not understanding well enough exactly how much batten tension is required and what a properly adjusted Kona sail looks like on shore. So my sail rigging hurt my racing performance. But I like knowing my competitors can't hide behind more expensive or even just different equipment. And I really like not needing to take 3 boards & 6 or more full rigs to an event to be sure I'll be competitive. (My racing is generally in the midwest where the May & September events might have 20-30 mph slalom racing on one day & 6 to 15 mph course racing the other day.)

The EVA deck covering can get scraped or gouged by my rough handling and had some of that when I bought it used. I haven't notice any other durability issues. My 2006 or 2007 Kona was used as a racing charter in FL for several years before I bought it in Feb. 2011. I expect the Kona which is about 34 lbs at 350 cm will be more durable than the 91 Equipe XR at 28 lbs & 372 cm. I'm very happy with my switch to the Kona One Design.
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parabuteo



Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's nice to see interest in raceboards.

WINDSURFER Fleet 18 will be racing
every Tuesday, starting April 2. First of 3-4 races starts
6pm at Ryan Park, Foster City, Ca.
Any raceboard sail combo is welcome,
Most of us are on Mistral Superlight 2's,
and a few Superlight 1's...pizza & beer
at Waterfront Pizza Foster City afterwards.
.....y'all invited.....
Fun time, loose with the rules, we are here
for a good time around the bouys.

Mike H
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SPQR



Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 274

PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Del for your response, I love my shortboards, but have been thinking about longboards for the last couple of years for lighter days here in the SF Bay Area. Maybe because I surf longboards so often. Nonetheless, great information here, and for those like myself who started on the standard Windsurfers back in the late 70's this is like "back to the future." Great stoke!
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gurgle… thanks for the great comments.

In your earlier reply to this thread, you noted that…
In my video, I say that (at 200#)… I don’t have much time in the “back footstraps” of my raceboard. And you mention that you (at 180#) get to spend a decent amount of time in the straps of your KonaOne (a very good board that I like, by the way). There are several reasons for this (you touched on a couple).
The KonaOne is not (by definition) a “raceboard”. I mean, yes of course you can race them… you can race anything. And… the “One Design KonaOne race series” is one of the best things going in world-wide windsurfing now, for several years.
But the board design is more of a “fun-board” shape… and, it doesn’t have 2 sets of footstraps… or an adjustable mast-track. Leaving those things off… makes it a slightly lower performance board to sail… and saves: weight, complexity and COST.
The KonaOne’s design (except for it’s “step-tail”)… is very similar to my ’91 Bic Lambada in length, width, volume and over-all shape (no, not the same… just similar). F2, Fanatic and Mistral all made boards of this similar design as well.
Anyway, my Lambada ALSO HAS only one set of straps, like the Kona. And they’re mounted in approx. the middle (between) where the two sets of straps would go on a raceboard. The Kona’s one set of straps, is located in the same way.
So, the reasons that I don’t have as much time in the back straps of my raceboard, as you do on your Kona (in no particular order).
When… it’s moderate to high winds I usually sail one of my shortboards. I usually only sail my longboards/raceboards when it’s light to marginal winds. Since about the early 90’s, all raceboard’s have had 2 sets of straps: the forward upwind (or “beating”) straps… and the back “reaching straps”.
At my weight, if I’m using a BIG sail, I can get in the forward straps in marginal winds, quite a bit. But the reaching straps are so far back... that at my weight… I can never get in them, unless I’m going shortboard speeds (fast). But I almost never do this, because if it’s that windy… then, I sail one of my shortboards.
You… can get in the “one set of straps” that come on a Kona, because: they’re located much farther forward, and the board is wider there, and you’re lighter. In light to marginal winds, every 20 lbs between sailors is very important. Anyway, I can also get in the one set of straps in my Lambada, earlier than the back straps of my raceboard. Because they’re more forward (just like your Kona).. and the board is wider there (so it supports my weight at a lower speed).
So yes, because of the different design goals for those two hull designs… the straps on the Kona would be easier to get into, than the back straps on a raceboard.
BUT… you or I, can get into the front upwind straps on a raceboard, before we could get into the Kona straps… again, because of where they’re located.
Greg -
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Del... thanks.. and great info in both your posts here !!

And thanks for asking. And yes I should try to sail out in front of the Seattle skyline and make a video this summer.
The problem will be to get a blue sky day, WITH whitecaps... cause that doesn't happen much here. Because... if, most people don't want to see a raceboard planing in one direction for a few minutes (even if you put cool music to it)... they're SURE not wanting to see a raceboard sub-planing on a pretty day, just to see a nice city skyline Smile
Greg -
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

And Gurgle… on your other good question –
Yes… like you, I wish Bic would’ve upgraded the centerboard to carbon in ’92 just like Mistral, F2 and Fanatic did. They would NOT have had to change the shape (which was good) or the CB well/cassette… but just change the CB itself. But, they didn’t.
(Those carbon CB’s were very expensive.)

Very cool... Ha-ha… If you have the 1st Mikey Eskimo graphic. I think you have a 1990 board. Is yours the yellow to pink fade… with the “secret agent and go-go dancer” graphic?
Or it might be ’91 or ’92 if you have the graphic with fighter jets and compass looking graphics.

Anyway, if your mast-track corroded out and failed… do you sail in saltwater?
Yes, it should be rinsed, if you sail in salt. Then it should last for a LONG time Smile

And finboxes… yeah you have the one they used for ’89 – ’91.
For ’92 – ’94… they changed to the through-the-deck “trim-box”… which was better than the basic box. And these boards came with very expensive and hi-quality G-10 fins.
Anyway, you have the initial box with the basic fin (it’s an OK “shape” but it’s made out of black plastic).
Regarding your finbox maintenance question – If I were you, I’d do nothing. Unless you’re sailing in saltwater… then I’d take the fin out, once in a while. And then clean the fin base and the box. In saltwater, after all these years… you’ll get corrosion. If you’re sailing in freshwater, there’s no reason to remove it (I don’t).
Greg -
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GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Greg. ... All my long boarding is in the sea, in a full range of wind conditions. For example, I have a favourite Scottish West Coast island (on nodding terms with the local seals and seagulls Laughing ) which I regularly circle, taking anything from 3 to 7 hours.

It is 10 miles long and about a mile wide, with mountains along its length, and tide races and reefs around the pointy bits. It stretches out from the mainland at 45 degrees, with a half mile reefy, strong tidal race gap seperating it from the mainland. The problem is knowing what size sail to rig in any given wind strength and direction, since, owing to the mountains, sailing conditions will vary from practically nothing, to full on wind funnel gale! Also, whatever direction the wind, beating legs will be inevitable.

I tackled it once (Bamba) on a strong wind day, with a 5.0 sail, and suffered some real pain! Wink At the far end of the island I had to beat up against a white capping viscious tide race swelly chop and funelling near gale, while avoiding lurking bits of reef, while armstretchingly overpowered. Almost in tears. I'll tell ya! (Boring indeed, NOT!)

Yes, my board is the first of the second batch of Eskimo graphics, with the black plastic race fin, and non through the board alloy fin box. Considering the stresses it has taken over many years and very many miles, I'm impressed with Mr. Bic. (Well done sir ...even if you are a Froggie!)

And thanks to all who keep up the long board stoke. We KNOW it makes sense!!
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