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Windsurfer LT vid Lightwind Fun-sailing, BIG sail :)
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gregnw44



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

PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:44 pm    Post subject: Windsurfer LT vid Lightwind Fun-sailing, BIG sail :) Reply with quote

11m Sail, Aerotech 4 cam Race
190lb/86kg Sailor
7-10 knot Wind
Windsurfer LT Race = 12'/366cm long - 29"/74cm wide - 229L vol - 15.5 kg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGp754VmVM

July 2021 Lake Washington in Seattle WA. At Sail Sand Point sailing center.
Thanks to windsurf bud Alan, for his time & expertise to produce this video! And to Ian for the drone skills!

I'm Greg (sailing) and here's my LONG review, video, and Race test of the new Windsurfer LT. It's mostly for longboard windsurf nerds & those shopping for a Windsurfer LT Smile
The W LT comes in 2 models: 'Race' or 'Club Freestyle'. The only difference is the DaggerBoard. I'm sailing the 'race' model - it has a big, stiff DB for stable uphauling, tacking & GREAT upwind sailing angles (like a raceboard). The 'club freestyle' costs less. And it has a little smaller & more basic DB than the race model. It works great for lighter sailors & the DB doesn't extend above the deck when retracted (the 'race' DB does). You can't however, use the 'club' model in One Design races.
The Windsurfer LT (LT = light = lighter than the original Windsurfer in the 70's-80's) is a modern all-round windsurf board that does everything a practical longboard should do. The hull has a smooth flat-ish bottom shape: great for lightwind glide, easy balancing & high wind planing.
Most people also get the Windsurfer LT sail rig. It has the One Design 5.7m sail (in lots of colors) with the mast, boom & base. The LT sail is small but powerful: a modern build, old school design, that's easy to rig & fun to use!

There's lots of world-wide interest in the W LT race kit. One reason is that 'Windsurfer LT One Design races' are being promoted in many places! There are small local race groups & big national competitions but ALL participants use the same Windsurfer LT race kit & 5.7m sail. The gear works in most all wind conditions & the racing is very exciting when it's windy! The W LT is also great for freestyle! The easy-to-use board & lightweight sail are perfect to learn old school tricks & new tricks as well. This vid is from the 2019 Windsurfer LT Italian Champs & shows both Freestyle & One Design Course Racing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUsYqUdG0vQ&t=0s

I started windsurfing regularly in 1981 and since 1987 have been teaching lessons & doing club-type racing. When sailing locally, I like to use BIG sails with enough power to support my weight in our typical light winds. It's FUN to sit back, relax in the harness & cruise around exploring: and a big sail gets the most speed from our light wind. It's great being on the water, enjoying the scenery, fresh air & exercise! Uphauling a BIG sail is not fun, haha, but I've practiced for years in these conditions & worked my way up to big sails gradually. (So, I only uphaul 1 or 2x each session:) Large sails also provide power to blast through ALL the chaotic summertime boat wakes!
With our typical 4-9 knot wind (& my 190lb) I rarely use the 5.7m LT sail unless I'm teaching or doing freestyle.

The LT is really versatile. You can sail it in most typical wind conditions, teach novices on it, do longboard freestyle & race it. You can explore marinas, round islands & travel long distances. It also works to take a little kid or a dog for a sailing ride Smile It's easy to use & modern. A novice could start with it & keep it forever, using it with no hassle whenever you want a fun trip around the bay!

The W LT works well with 3-12m size sails, & any type of sail: cam/no cam. It has a Powerbox finbox so you can try-out different fin types! Besides racing it in One Design events, you can use it in Open Class races & use any sail or fin you want! The deck-pad is nice & grippy, negating the need for footstraps 99% of the time. (But I wish they'd add nonskid to the bow & rails.) This versatile new board also makes a good SUP for those days with 0 wind.

Race test: I compared my Windsurfer LT (229L) & my 1994 Mistral Equipe XR (258L) in this year's May/June weekly windsurf Open Class race series. (The Equipe is a top-line raceboard with decades of winning results.) We raced 8 consecutive weeks in 3-13 knot wind. I'm no expert but always in the mix of top guys at our local races. Most folks use raceboards & 9-12m sails, but breezier days also had lighter guys on windfoils. I used my 11m race sail for all 20+ races this year, but the first 6 weeks sailed my Equipe & the last 2 weeks the LT. The results surprised me! There was no 'drop' when I changed from the Equipe to the LT.
Wow - Same beach, same 25 sailors, I used the same sail on both boards, same up/downwind course, same wind & water conditions - and my results were identical with the LT as the Equipe, over an 8 week span! 2nd place overall.
That's GREAT performance from an easy sailing longboard, that's also a good buy!
A pro, who's racing these boards in high wind might get different results. But for me racing locally, they were equal.

Conclusion - The W LT is a great board for new or experienced sailors who want to windsurf any day of the week!

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Greg
Longboarding since '81
Shortboarding since '84
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fanntom43



Joined: 14 Nov 2016
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:35 pm    Post subject: Windsurfer LT Reply with quote

I started on a Windsurfer OD in 83 - 25 boards later I'm back! I have balance, knee issues, etc. and don't want straps anymore. I find the WS LT fits my needs perfectly. I still have my Kona which was the perfect all round Florida board but just don't do any balls to the wall sailing anymore so I like not having to use straps! I use 5.8 to 9.0 Aerotech Freespeed, no cams, easy up haul. I sail in the Indian River and large inland central FL lakes. I'm approaching 79 and I'm having as much fun as I did 38 years ago! What the heck I might even consider racing again in the old farts class!!!
Very Happy
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PennyB



Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 49

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That looks like fun!! Great video!
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Windsurfer LT Reply with quote

You don't have to put them balls (you said it, not I Smile ) out to pasture just yet. My knee surgeon ordered me to avoid straps for a year, so with his permission I bought a strapless, light-air, windSUP designed for waves. The importer/dealer I bought it from said it would handle well enough up to maybe mid 20s (mph). It took me a whopping 2 or 3 sessions to adapt to strapless hooked-in sailing in the low 20s (5.7) w/thigh-high swell, and not many more to feel comfortable on a 3.2 in winds averaging in the low 30s with BIG swell.

It felt great to get back in the straps the following season, but a) I had a blast on the WindSUP, it easily fit inside my Subaru with 2 other boards, I learned a LOT despite having WSed in the Gorge for 25 years, my knee never even noticed it (ACL + two plateau fractures), it would jump onto a plane even grossly underpowered with a piece of chop and a pump, I never needed anything bigger than a 6.2, it SUPed quite well, it works great under sail or (for seasoned wave sailors) paddle power in waves, and I didn't lose a season. BTW, we're the same age.) Win/win/win/win/win/win/win/win/win/win.

fanntom43 wrote:
don't do any balls to the wall sailing anymore so I like not having to use straps!
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gregnw44



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

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PennyB wrote:
That looks like fun!! Great video!


Thanks Penny !!!

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Greg
Longboarding since '81
Shortboarding since '84
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gregnw44



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

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fanntom & isobars - Yep, don't have to tell you guys, keep on SAILIN'... keep doing balance stuff... definitely good for maturing gracefully Smile

Regarding no footstraps on the new Windsurfer LT - I agree with the advantages you mention. And on a board like this (which will usually be sailed in lighter wind conditions) they're not really needed, & mostly get in the way.
I like straps on shortboards & foilboards cause they can help with control.
And even on longboards, if sailing in high wind & choppy water, straps can be useful... but the grippy deck pad on the LT works just fine for doing most things.

I sail my other 12' longboards like this one, that has footstraps... if I want to do some BIG jumps Smile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP_bIRODVmE

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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone remember the Fanatic Bat. I think it was 10'6" with a retractable center board. Maybe 160 volume. I learned harness, foot straps, water starts and planing turns on that board. It was so much fun back then. After a while I just left the center board at home. That was the hay day of windsurfing in So Cal. Lake Perris was the place to be. UCR had a windsurf club with racing every Thursday. Wine, beer and dogs well after dark. On weekends you needed to be on the beach at 8am to get a front row seat. Santa Anna winds brought out the best windsurfers around. Including the Pritchard family. Really good times. I have life long friends that still sail with me.
Anyway, like a bunch of us I am in my 70's. I still windsurf and foil. After watching that video maybe it time to go retro and get a long board again..Anyone have a Fanatic Bat for sale...just sayin
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joethewindsufa



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1190
Location: Montréal

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@gregnw44 one cannot give thumbs up to posts here
but I did give one to your LT with the 11m² Aerotech video

as you may know, I have a Mistral Equipe2 and LOVE it with sails 7-oh to 10m²
I was hoping SUPping and WindSUPs would bring longboards back
yet all I see here is the kite world and foiling expanding
in the words of Seinfeld,"NOT that there is anything wrong with that."

good winds y'all !!
joe windsurfer
nb you guys are making me feel young @ 63 lol
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gregnw44



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

PostPosted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NOVAAN wrote:
Anyone remember the Fanatic Bat. I think it was 10'6" with a retractable center board. Maybe 160 volume. I learned harness, foot straps, water starts and planing turns on that board. It was so much fun back then. After a while I just left the center board at home. That was the hay day of windsurfing in So Cal. Lake Perris was the place to be. UCR had a windsurf club with racing every Thursday. Wine, beer and dogs well after dark. On weekends you needed to be on the beach at 8am to get a front row seat. Santa Anna winds brought out the best windsurfers around. Including the Pritchard family. Really good times. I have life long friends that still sail with me.
Anyway, like a bunch of us I am in my 70's. I still windsurf and foil. After watching that video maybe it time to go retro and get a long board again..Anyone have a Fanatic Bat for sale...just sayin


Yep NOVAAN I absolutely remember the Fanatic Bat. It was in the Transition Board category. Small, sporty, longboards. I learned to waterstart in the Gorge on the Mistral equivalent model (and like yours, it had the daggerboard removed... and on this one, the slot on the bottom was duct-taped sealed). Anyway F2 & Bic also made boards in that category. Yeah those small transition longboards were great for very light folks, or for places with more moderate wind. But in 'light wind Seattle' we needed (& still need) BIG vol longboards... like 220 - 260L vol. (Except light weight guys are doing well on our breezy days with foil boards & 9m sails... like in the vid.)

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Longboarding since '81
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gregnw44



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

PostPosted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

joethewindsufa wrote:
@gregnw44 one cannot give thumbs up to posts here
but I did give one to your LT with the 11m² Aerotech video

as you may know, I have a Mistral Equipe2 and LOVE it with sails 7-oh to 10m²
I was hoping SUPping and WindSUPs would bring longboards back
yet all I see here is the kite world and foiling expanding
in the words of Seinfeld,"NOT that there is anything wrong with that."

good winds y'all !!
joe windsurfer
nb you guys are making me feel young @ 63 lol


Thanks Joe - Glad you liked the vid... and hope you're doing well Smile

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Longboarding since '81
Shortboarding since '84
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