Longboards don't plane......

Our head instructor George would disagree as he puts the Hifly Motion through a nice carve jibe at full speed.

Cross Training

During Glenn's leg of Barbadothon 2006, days consisted of morning sail, chill out on beach with Dinah, afternoon sail, then evening surf session at South Point. Usually about 5-10 other people out, nice 2-4 ft. waves for some mellow longboard action as the sun sets.

Hardcore Award

We have been getting some great shots from some winter sailing sessions, the Lake Champlain guys have been getting out whenever they can, but.....

Mark Cann of Ontario, Canada get the nod for the most hardcore picture of the winter (so far.....keep the pics coming). I have sailed in snow, crunched a little ice on the shallow water to get out, had the water on my sail turn to ice, and generally froze to get a session. Evan has a great story of sitting on the nose of his board and sailing it across a pesky ice flow, however this shot of Mark pushing through this much ice just makes me cold just looking at it.

Barbadothon Part 4 starts Sunday

Silver Sands local Greg setting up for a bottom turn.
Another logo high day at Silver Sands reef. 2006 has been unreal!

Our endless summer continues on Sunday with Windsurfing Direct founder Mike heading back to Silver Sands Resort for a 10 day trip. Despite frustration with our new digital camera malfunctioning in February, the sailing was fantastic. 4.7 - 5.7 every day with head to logo high waves.

Mike was super stoked to nail some great down the line riding on the Fanatic NewWave 81 and FreeWave 88 (our new favorite board!). The 2006 Gaastra Manic quiver continues to impress as the best sails on the market every time we use them.

Warm Air and Warm Winds

Reports coming in today from VA and NC that the 2006 is well under way....air temps close to 80 in some spots of NC, and 20knots of wind.

Wonder if people in Hatteras are sailing? This is a satelite shot of the Outer Banks directly over head of the Canadian hole. Looks like there are a few sailors out!

Wonder why they call it Canadian Hole? The Canadian bit is that each spring hordes of sailors from Ontario and PQ flock to the warmer temps....but also look at the picture. When sand is needed for the beaches on the ocean side (to help build them back up after a storm), they will dredge sand out of the sound, and at one point did so directly in front of the launch site (the dark water). You go from about 3 feet of water to deep, and then back to 3 feet of water after about 200 years.

Express Progress

Is there a board that I can learn on, but still sail as I get better?

One of the best is the Bic Nova series, in either the 165 or 180. We have sailed the Nova in 2 knots and seen how stable it is, taught novices quickly and easily, but also blasted in winds up to 20-25 knots at impressive speeds. As well, if you need a board for light winds and a board for teaching on, the Nova series can kill two birds with one stone as it will handle up to 10m sails for light wind performance, as well let you teach your better half with ease (and comfort....the EVA deck is nice and plush)

If you want to fast track your progression, the Nova the sure way to do so.

Starting to look good!

Friday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the middle 60s.
Winds SW 15mph

Here's a nice forcast for the coming weekend in Cape Hatteras. Mid 60's and cruising on a 6.5 sounds pretty good right about now.

April Hatteras trips are coming up soon, and there are going to be a lot of forecasts just like this, plus many for warmer and windier!

Got Wind?

This shot was snapped by Amine Fadous after a Feb 17th session on Lake Champlain, VT. A freak bit of mild air and 30-40knots of wind got a few guys out on the water for a quick session....but from the other pictures he took it looks like they had to do a little ice dodging.

Weekend Inspiration

Take a gander at this for inspiration before you head out sailing on the weekend, or if winter still has you locked in, just kick back at watch and wish for summer.

Tiga team rider Yannick Anton decides to up the level for indoor sailing 10 fold. A single loop in perfect winds off a perfect wave can be tough enough....what makes this so impressive is that he throws a double, in fan driven indoor wind (read: gusty), off a man made jump. Crowd goes nuts, needless to say.

Click on http://www.pwa-worldtour.com/images/video/PWA_BoatShow_256.wmv and see for yourself.

What is the difference between a centerboard and a centerfin?

A centerboard is usually bigger than a centerfin.














A centerboard is adjustable. You can partially or fully retract a centerboard For light and variable wind this is a good advantage. A centerfin can be removed.

When the centerfin is removed you can fill the hole with a cap. This leaves the bottom of the board cleaner than a fully retracted centerboard. So the board will perform better in planing conditions.

Are you ready?

Did you buy an entry level package to start windsurfing and spent a fun filled summer or two learning the basics like rigging, jibing, tacking, and sailing up wind?

Likely you have noticed that there are times that the wind is to strong and it is hard to hold your sail up? Maybe the opposite and you find the wind to light and are wanting more power? Are your arms getting tired after sailing for a long time?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above, you are ready for your next step and really start experiencing the thrill of windsurfing.

Your first step should be to get a comfortable harness and harness lines and get comfortable to hooking in, hooking out, and sailing in the harness. This will extend your sailing session by taking the pull of the weight off your arms, and will really improve your speed as well.

A larger or smaller sail an option that will increase your thrill factor, as well as time on the water. A larger sail can really power you up in lighter winds, while a smaller sail can help you make the most of the days that the wind is stronger. Most, if not all, windsurfers who sail in a variety of conditions have a few sails to choose from based on what the wind conditions are.

If you have learned the basics of the sport, the hardest part is behind you, and now you can really start to focus on the fun factor in terms of speed, planing, jumping, wave riding, or any other aspect you want.....however taking the next step with a harness and additional sails is like shifting your new sports car out of 1st gear and into 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th!

Memories

Here is a picture that Dinah snapped of me sailing Hookipa, Maui in the fall of 2005 Light winds, but nice waves.

Kevin and Matt Prichard was sailing this day, very impressive to see. My view was usually from the water looking up as I swam for me gear over and over again.









The warning sign for the shorebreak that you will see pretty much on every Maui beach. On a side note about shorebreak, a guy in Barbados told me that the most common injury for people in shore break is shoulder damage from sticking your arms out in front.

Learn to duck jibe, flaka, and loop in 30 seconds.....

....which is about how long it takes the read the instructions!

Visit our friends at www.fanatic.com to play their Super-X game, a nice way to get your daily windsurfing dose during the cooler months.

What does 40 knots look like?

Test Drive

Local sailor Gord Jones, who puts the hard in hard core with his 11 month sailing season, takes the 2006 Gaastra Manic 5.0 for a test drive in late Fall 2005.

What was the verdict? Well, since he bought it right on the spot, I would have to assume it was love at first sail.

Rigging a Gaastra Freetime Sail

Check to see that you have all the parts.







Roll your sail out with the front bottom corner upwind.

Insert your mast.







Hold the boom opening together helps as you feed the mast.







Make sure the mast tip is seated in the mast cap of the sail.






Check that the two parts of your mast are all the way together. Feel for a gap with your hands.

Set your mast extension.

The sail spec sheet at the tack should tell you how much you need.





Insert the extension and feed the downhaul line so that it runs smooth without crossing up.









Downhaul your sail and cleat the line.










Tension your battens.








Set your boom to the recommended length.


Attach your boom to the mast and clamp tight.







Feed the outhaul.







Cleat your outhaul.

Tie off the loose end.




Now you can tune your sail.


Trim the downhaul and outhaul so that the front of the sail is tight, and the leach of the sail is loose at the top with a little tension at the clew.

Here are some links to sail manufacturer rigging guides.

Gaastra Sailworks Severne

Think your tough?

Then lets see you try to break this.

In the past Euro Pin systems have had a tendency to have the pin shear off, leaving you hopefully not to far from shore trying to figure out what to do with your rig now that it isn't attached to your board.

The brain cells as Chinook have taken care of that once and for all with their new pin system. It is all cast from one solid piece of stainless steel, meaning that there is nothing threaded, screwed, or held together with locktite. So, unless you are regulary breaking stainless steel rods, this might just be the new mast base for you.

How do I install the vent screw in my new board?

If you have just unwrapped your new board in there is a hole in front of (or sometimes behind) the mast track, then likely in the mast track wrapped in plastic (or sometimes in the hardware pack) is a vent screw.

Not installing the vent screw in leaves you with a hole directly into the foam core of your board, and will result in your board taking on water if you go sailing. Taking the vent out when travelling by plane is mandatory so that the pressure inside and outside the baord can equalize. Not doing so will cause your board to inflate (lower air pressure outside, higher inside the board), which will all but ruin your board. Just remeber to put it back in once you land (See Ask Evan from Thursday, January 12, 2006 for more details on how to remember).

Your first step to install the screw is to take it out of the plastic wrap. Almost as important as the screw itself is the black gasket, just beneath the head. Without this, the screw won't effectively seal, and the risk of taking on water is high.

Put the screw into the hole, and thread it a couple of threads with your fingers, making sure not to cross thread the hole in the board.

For the final step, leave the torque wrench or power screwdriver in the garage, and simply screw the vent screw down until it is hand tight.

We knew they would be good.......

....but we didn't know they would be this good!

I snapped this picture of the 2006 Fanatic NewWave and FreeWaves in the fall when they arrived. We have put some pretty serious miles on the Freewave 98 and 88, and the New Wave 81 and all expectations have been shattered with these boards being put into the "best ever" category.

Mike is getting good sessions in Barbados on the Freewave 88 and has commented:

"....It is unreal! So fun in the waves, quick, loose, planes early, great for jumping and a dream to jibe. Sorry Glenn - I should have brought it down in January"

Sorry indeed, but given that the NewWave 81 was so snappy and lively feeling I don't feel to hard done by. However, don't think that these boards are slow wave boards, they little speedsters that give just as much performance in high wind bump and jump as they do in the waves.

When we have the chance to try and sail every board available, the boards that we choose to sail ourselves have to outshine the rest.....case in point, the 2006 Fanatics. Mike has a van load of them already, Glenn has a Skate 102 and New Wave 81 or 76 (can't decide...maybe I will collect the whole set!), and we have caught Evan gazing at them as well.

Barbado-thon Phase 3 picks up where Phase 1 and 2 left off.

A slow start to the day (plane out of Miami was 3 hours late, so into hotel at 2am), unpacking, getting groceries, finding where Glenn left my gear, setting up the 2 boards I brought down and rigging up the 5.3 Gaastra Manic.

Unbelievably, I finally got on the water - was immediately WAY overpowered on the 5.3. That woke me up in a hurry! While the wind was a little side off, the waves were unreal - straight on shore, clean, spread out, steep and quite vertical for big jumps - and no sizeable shore break. So back in to rig the 4.7 Manic and very nicely powered on the Fanatic NewWave 81.

The wind backed off a bit, then went more side and finally side on-shore, so ended up with the 5.3 on the 2006 Fanatic FreeWave 88 I brought down this trip - and it is unreal! So fun in the waves, quick, loose, planes early, great for jumping and a dream to jibe. Sorry Glenn - I should have brought it down in January. You could have used it tons with all the 5.7 and 5.3 days you had.

Have to download the pics from the downwind race out of Surfers Point to Silver Sands won by Trevor Hunt - after I go to the dinner and party this evening at Surfers Bay Beach Bar - a 5 minute walk from Silver Sands.

Yes, it's great to be back at Silver Sands!

How can you make windsurfing easier?

There are actually more things to make your windsurfing easier than you can shake a stick at. Here are a few of the most helpful ones (from top to bottom):

The Waterstarter - great to help learn waterstarts as it helps the clew float. Also makes waterstarting large sail in light winds easy.

The Deviator - protects the nose of your board during falls. Makes live easier for you as your board is on the water and not in the repair shop!

Easy Uphaul - for anyone who is using a harness, the bigger the sail the better. Just hook your spreader bar into the loop on the Easy Uphaul and lean back.

Rig Winch - the mack daddy of all downhaul tools. Just put it in your mast base and crank away.

Tug Cleat - small and simple. Just use the cleat to crip your downhaul rope and pull away.

Instructional DVD - your very own private lesson in your living room. Details analysis and lots of visuals help with entry level skills and beyond.

I just received my first new rig, but am not sure what everything is?

A great question, especially since for someone just starting the sport, all the parts may not be regognizable.

If you have ordered just a rig from us (ie Gaastra Pilot, Gaastra Freetime (pictured), you will have received (from left to right):

Boom - the large wishbone shaped piece that you hold onto. We make sure that the boom is properly sized to your sail.

Sail - Is delivered rolled up, which is how you will also store it. Will either be in a cloth bag, or a plastic bag.

Mast - Comes in two pieces, and is sized to fit you sail accordingly.

Uphaul Rope (far right, top left) - Stetchy bungee rope that you use to pull the sail out of the water.

DVD (far right, middle) - A guide to help you learn how to windsurfing *Note - the DVD is only included in our complete packages that include both rig and board.

Mast Base - Blue aluminum tube that is used to downhaul your sail with.

This is only checklist of the parts you will have received, and a more complete rigging guide will follow shortly.

Ripping Report

Barbados showed me her finest side over the past 12 days. Winds everyday of either 5.7 or 5.3 (FYI...the 2006 Gaastra Manics are as good as good can get) and head high waves that the Fanatic NewWave 81 was made to tear apart. The great thing about the waves in Barbados is there are huge rewards for going at the lip as hard as possible, but they are gentle waves over a pretty deep reef, so the punishment is minimal if you go down.

Great crew of both locals and foreigners on the water, great surfing, and great evenings out (note - no one should ever leave Barbados without having at least one dinner/several drinks at Surfers Bay), and just the most chilled out and welcoming sailing scene I have ever sailed in. It is almost as though someone put a "Check you ego here" sign at the airport, since local pros like Brian Talma mingle and sail with first timers.

Sadly, most of the action shots of the reef that we took didn't turn out that well, but here are a few pics from my phase of Barbado-thon 2006.....Mike kicks off phase 3 on the 11th!

Scoping out the conditions

Evening surf session at South Point

Timing the shore break (....why did Paddfield never carry my stuff into the water like he does for Sally in the picture below?)

Padders helps Sally deal with the shorebreak.

Wedding Day

A great trip to Barbados, sailing updates and pictures to come, but the big news from the trip as posted yesterday is that I am now married! We had a small ceremony just before sunset on the beach, just the two of us and reverend Jeffrey.

Thanks to everyone who has called, posted, or e-mailed their contgratulations, and as promised, here are a few pictures!

Glenn, Dinah, and Reverend Jeffrey at Foul Bay

Mrs. Dinah Morton

All smiles after the nerves of the ceremony calmed down

The only thing on the beach other than us was this fishing boat, which with Dinah's flowers made a nice picture

Getting ready to exchange rings

Glenn's Big News

The big news from Glenn's trip to Barbados wasn't that he scored the best 10 days of windsurfing he has ever experienced.

The big news wasn't that Glenn can now loop on port tack - just not as well as starboard tack.

No, the big news was Glenn marrying (or eloped with) long time girlfriend Dinah Wednesday, Feb.1 during a very private sunset ceremony on Long Beach! Knock me over with a feather.

Please join me in congratulating the happy couple and wishing them all the best.

Mike
PS - Glenn promises wedding pictures tomorrow.