K 998 Technique Series

A little introduction

In this series of articles I am going to go through what I think are some of the most important skills to be successful within your windsurfing career. It doesn’t matter whether you are wanting to race or just blast at your local spot, hopefully I can help you with your progression!

About me:

I am 17 years old and am from Mersea Island on the east coast of Essex. I got into windsurfing about 7 years ago and have never looked back. Right from the start I have been doing bits of competition, from throwing tantrums at my local Team 15 racing to travelling around the country competing within the BSA slalom Series. I started racing on Techno’s at Team 15 and the eastern Zone Squad, which is a great way to get into windsurfing and develop your skills. However I soon became too old and too big for this so went into Slalom! Two Years ago I started the slalom circuit and I have worked my way up through the fleets, and am moving into the pro’s this season.

Gybing with Jack!!

Gybing is possibly the biggest and most important skills in our sport. Whether you race longboards on lakes or are wave riding at Jaws you are always going to have to gybe!

When I learnt to windsurf being able to gybe well always seemed out of reach. I’d look out and see people doing all sorts of gybes; carve gybes, duck gybes, flare gybes, slam gybes, laydown gybes, so many gybes I didn’t know which to learn. If you are in this situation then read on, and if you’re not then read on as you might be able to pick up some helpful tips!

In this article I am going to go through the basics of the carve gybe, nothing fancy just my key points of the manoeuvre.

Point 1: Be comfortable and go fast

• When approaching a gybe or learning to gybe how comfortable you are is key. If you are thinking hard about the gybe, you really don’t want to be worried about being out of control on the entry. If you are struggling to feel comfortable when going fast then it might be worth moving your mast track forward a bit, lowering your boom or trying a smaller fin. When I race being comfortable it even more important as it means I can push the board faster into the gybes meaning that I come out faster.

Point 2: Bear off and Get low

• As you approach the gybe bear away and drop your body low. This will accelerate the board making the rig feel lighter and increasing control. This also puts you in a much better position to move your back hand down the boom and unhook. When approaching the mark in a race everything happens very fast so the being in a strong position is important.

Point 3: Bend your knees

• It is very rare that you will sail on perfectly flat water so bending your knees is a must! You wouldn’t cycle down a mountain without suspension because the bumps you make you fall off. The same applies to the gybe, in which your knees are your suspension! This also lowers your centre of gravity increasing your balance.

Point 4: Lean into the turn and open the sail

• After stepping across the board with your back foot and bending your knees you have to start the arc of the turn. You do this by leaning into the centre of the turn, much like how you would lean into the turn on a bike. I remember a lot of my first gybes resulted in me falling off the back due to me leaning back and the board leaving me behind! Also don’t try to do any fancy laydown gybes; these are often done by the pros just for show, recreationally they are no faster! So as you are going round your gybe open the sail to keep the power and speed going. In a race it is better to get round the mark fast and as comfortably as possible, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!

Point 5: Keep your head up

• Keeping your head up is vital so that you can see. Being able to see what is coming allows your body to adjust to whatever is coming. Also if you look down then your weight is transferred down and you are likely to stop.  Therefore looking out the gybe to where you are going is key. When going around the gybe mark in a race you have to constantly on the lookout to see where the other competitors are and to find the best line to take.

Point 6: Don’t hold on too long!

• When you are just coming past downwind and entering the new broard reach slide your front hand close to the mast and let go of the back hand to flip the rig. Often with bigger sails if you hold on too long your backhand can become too powered up and it will pull you round the front. In a race it’s often best to stay on the board!!

Racing is not for everyone but it is a great way to learn and really improve your skills fast. I compete on the BSA Slalom series which is made up of three fleets; Masterblaster which is perfect for getting into racing. This involves a race from the beach out to one mark and back again. Amateur, which is a downwind slalom course and a brilliant stepping stone to Pro. Pro is, again, on a downwind slalom course and full on racing with the best guys in the country. All this may sound serious but it is a hugely relaxed atmosphere and everyone is very inviting and easy to talk to. If you haven’t yet it is well worth a go!

So to sum everything up just remember:

• Comfort
• Get low
• Bent Knees
• Lean in
• Head up
• Let go!

Hopefully with these key points your gybing should be a success!!

Jack Trollope – K 998

(North/Fanatic/Spartan)

A gruelling bank holiday weekend concluded in sunshine for Round 2 of the 18ft Skiff Grand Prix yesterday.  Eight teams raced for the Holt Challenge plate in cold, wet and windy conditions for the most part.  Team Pica, the defending holders of the trophy, were given more to think about with new challenge coming from a variety of directions in the form of teams Ronstan and team LED.

Sunday saw very similar conditions to Saturday with teams making the trip over to the race area east of Hillhead.  With the North easterly coming off the mainland, the course was relatively flat but gusty.  Crew work had clearly settled down after the first day of racing as five different teams posted a top three result.  Steve McLean and his team on LED looked like they had found a new gear, giving Pica some unexpected pressure and forcing an error resulting in a clear lead for LED down the last run.  A late gybe for LED and wind shift resulted in Pica squeezing through to a controversial 1st place on the finish with boats neck and neck through the line.  LED made their way back to the beach following technical issues.  In the 2nd race of the day it  was the Kiddle brothers with new crew Oscar Mead on Gill in 3rd, Ronstan in 2nd that joined Pica in the top spots with Ronstan clearly showing they had the potential to challenge Pica’s lead.  This proved true as it all came together for team Ronstan in the last race on Sunday when they posted their first win, pushing Pica into 2nd with Young & Reckless in 3rd.  Gill beating Mark Watts’ Aftica to 4th Place.  As the teams packed up for the day the sun finally broke through proving a welcome glimpse of spring weather.  Teams converged in Hamble for food and drinks before the final day of racing.

The hope that the bright skies of Sunday afternoon would continue into Monday quickly evaporated as teams woke to a wet and windy Monday morning. At least it was above 10 degrees Celsius.  The breeze forecast continued to strengthen and fleet according chose opted for small rigs.  The Race course was set in the Hill Head area with a start in around 16 gusting 19 knots.  The first lap saw Ronstan take the lead with Pica picking the shifts as the wind clocked round to the south finally pulling them ahead of Ronstan to get the first win of the day.  Third Carsington, fourth Young & Reckless.  The breeze settling down to a southerly and the rain finally stopped, all was set for what was to be the final race.  With a short start line it was always going to be busy.  Caringston was forced over early by Pica at the committee boat end whilst the rest of the fleet were away clear.   Ronstan, Pica and LED all showed good speed but it was Ronstan that took early advantage and stayed ahead to post there 2nd race win of the regatta with Pica in 2nd, LED in 3rd and Caringston in 4th.

Despite taking their 2nd event win of the 2012 Grand Prix Pica (Stewart Mears, Tristan Hutt & Jamie Mears) were finally put under pressure having to count a 2nd place in their usual string of firsts.  2nd place went to new arrivals, Loch Lomond team Ronstan (Cammy Steele, John Annan & Craig Hepplewaite) putting in an impressive performance to take a very convincing 2nd place.  The 3rd podium position goes to Team Young &  Reckless (Mark Kudlinski, Miguel Andrew and Tom Hill) who’s winter training and consistent effort during the event assured their first podium position in the UK Grand Prix.  The next four places all included at least one race position in top 3 showing how close and mixed the racing is becoming on the UK Grand Prix

The prize giving at the Calshot Activity Centre bar concluded a fantastic weekend of racing before teams departed for the 1st event of the European Grand Prix in Balaton, Hungary, which starts on Thursday.  We wish all teams the best for the European Grand Prix and look forward to their return for the third UK event on the 1st & 2nd September in Sandbanks, Poole, before the Nationals and last event of the UK & European Grand Prixs in Plymouth on the 28th/29th/30th Sept.

Many thanks to the Calshot Activity Centre, Principle Race Officer Ed Browne, his Race Management and Safety teams as well as event sponsors DRisk and Hyde Sails.

Photos – Tom Barnett (wavephotography.co.uk), Declan O’Riordan, Eddie Aldridge
Class Sponsors – Blue Sheets Marine Directory, Spartan Wetsuits, Ovington Boats and Action Cameras
Event sponsors – DRisk Risk Management Software and Hyde Sails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NDDLKW7Y_8&feature=youtu.be

Results after 8 races Skiff

Ben

Ben Clothier
ben.clothier@uk18footer.org
+44 7901551538

www.uk18footer.org
www.youtube.com/uk18footers
Results after 8 races Skiff

The jewel in the SWA crown, the BUCS Championships,  which is the final event in the SWA series, took place at Calshot Activity Centre on the weekend of the 21^st and 22^nd of April 2012.

The biggest brands in the Windsurf Industry, the top student windsurfers from across the UK and a lot of enthusiastic partygoers – a recipe for success!

Sam Sills flying along in the advanced racing

Having spent the week checking the forecast and preparing their fancy dress outfits, Friday couldn’t come quick enough for most. The vans stuffed with kit, packed cars and fully loaded mini buses invaded Calshot. Turning a blind eye to the weather, the students pitched their tents and got straight down to partying. The music pumped and the drinks flowed the way the SWA does best. The dance floor kept moving until the early hours.

Eager to get underway the students were roused early on Saturday morning, helped by some music and drinks from Red Bull. The day played host to the main event of the weekend, the individual racing. Students were divided into three categories; beginner, intermediate and advanced and briefed on the day’s events. The beginner racing took place in the safety and shelter of the lagoon and followed a straight forward across the wind format with competitors racing in heats to keep the carnage to a minimum. Phil and Danielle from GetWindsurfing.com provided some pre-race pointers and tips throughout the event. The atmosphere on the beginners’ beach was relaxed and the emphasis much more on getting people windsurfing than competition. The intermediates similarly raced using the across the wind format starting from the beach, with a restriction on sail size to a maximum of 6.5m. The high number of competitors made for a very competitive and close fought race and an entertaining gybe mark. The advanced sailors raced round a triangular course using a maximum sail size of 7.5m. The light winds in the morning and strong tide made this quite challenging for even the most experienced sailors, however the students showed their skill and navigated the course excellently, pumping hard to maximise their speed across the water. Krafty/Exocet and Ian from Boardwise were on hand for the weekend providing demo kit for competitors to use. Also demonstrating on the day were: Sam Ross from Tushingham/Starboard; Rich Marsh from Gaastra/Tabou/Powerex and Doug from RRD.

The Red Bull Tent

Beginner tuition by Danielle from GetWindsurfing.com

Doug from RRD setting up

Tabou brought along some colourful toys…and dinosurs haha

Rich from Mast High Ltd said: “I was downloading my pictures and … came across this gem which I personally feels sums up all the positive elements of what the SWA is about, and the hard work you and all the Presidents do to encourage support and attendance at each event”
Credit to Rich from Mast High Ltd. – Some credit must also go to the Hoff for his epic costume…

The intermediate beach, lining up for the start
Credit: Getwindsurfing.com

As the day progressed, the wind picked up. The beginners were able to show what they had learnt throughout their first year with the SWA coping admirably with the conditions. The intermediates applied all their harness and footstrap tuition and blasted out and back around their course. The advanced group raced shoulder to shoulder, at full speed, coping well as they flew flat out around the course, gliding over the increased chop and strong tide.

The days racing would decide who would become BUCS champion 2012 and also formed the round of the 2012 SWA Starboard/Tushingham/Spartan Race Series, so there was a lot to play for. So far, Louis Morris had been the dominant force on the race series, but on the day, several competitors looked very strong. For the girls, familiar faces at SWA events showed their strength; the Exeter girls Jo Wright, Kirsty O’Callaghan, Alex Powell and Rachael Ince set the pace.

First class Intermediate coaching with Phil from Getwindsurfing.com
Credit: Getwindsurfing.com

The Tushingham Van

The Boardwise demo van

The early(ish) start and good race-officering meant the racing was over by three, leaving time for those who still had some energy left to drop the racing gear and switch to freestyle. Generously, the fantastic rescue crews provided by Calshot, who had been fantastic in helping facilitate the racing, stayed out to provide cover for this as well. The rest of the attendees began preparing for the evening ahead with a BBQ on the beach and a few beers in the evening sun.

As the final few students dragged themselves out of the water and quickly showered, an array of fancy dress costumes began to appear across the campsite. The theme of the evening was ‘Party like it’s … ’ Each university picked an era in time to set the dress code, examples included the 60’s, Romans and The Future but, perhaps most impressive was UWE’s interpretation: the Age of Dinosaurs – some serious costume building had been done! The venue for the evening was the legendary party boat, as organised by Southampton uni. windsurf club. The boat docked at Calshot to pick up the students taking them out into the Solent with a bar, dance floor and DJ on board. The floating party was met with an equal amount of enthusiasm as the days racing and the dance floor was just as competitive. The dinosaurs, robots and hippies danced until the boat docked back at Calshot from where they immediately moved onto the after party until the early hours.

UWE before the boat party. Theme: Dinosaurs

The boat party

Next morning came all too quickly for many. The students, many still wearing their fancy dress, washed away the effects of last night’s party with some Red Bull and used a campfire-cooked breakfast to prepare themselves for the second day of competition. The Sunday’s events kicked off with the BUCS team racing forming the final round of the RRD Boardwise Team Racing Series.The familiar three-person inter-university relay team format from the rest of the series was used, racing on the RRD Fireraces kindly provided by Boardwise and RRD. The wind was light so the course was set in the lagoon to give the teams some shelter from the merciless tide. Thankfully, as the competition got underway the wind began to fill in. There were to be three races with each counting towards the teams’ overall position. After a slight course issue (Jony Price of Cardiff attaching himself to the gybe mark with his fin and dragging it back to the beach without realising thus violating the ISAF rule 31 ‘windsurfers may touch buoys but not hold on to them’) the first race was restarted. The racing, with the start, changeovers and finish all taking place on the beach right in front of the rambunctious spectators, was closely fought from beginning to end. Bristol uni had been on top for most of the SWA series so far but with BUCS medals up for grabs and plenty of uni. points to play for, this event had a lot riding on it. All competitors pumped furiously, trying to take full advantage of any gusts to push them up onto the plane and ahead of the rest of the fleet. The results of this close racing can be seen below.

SWA Nationals, by Duncan Dumbreck

The wind built and built, and by the afternoon, it was comfortable 5.5m weather, which made perfect conditions for the penultimate round of the North/Fanatic/Boardwise/Freestyle series. As the final round of this year’s extremely hotly contested series and with some awesome prizes up for grabs – first prize was a 2012 Fanatic Skate – there was a huge amount at stake. For the girls Jo Wright led the way, with some slick Downwind 360’s and sliding Vulcans. Matt ‘MC’ Yeates and Ollie Acton both pulled their fair share of sick switch moves and sliding freestyle including Spocks, Punetas and even Flaka Canabravas. Nicola Terenzi showed a true new level of freestyle amongst the SWA pulling a huge Toad, several Culos, high speed Shakas and other big switch moves. The crowd cheered for all the competitors and with a slick soundtrack provided by the Red Bull music van it was an awesome spectacle.

With the freestyle over, that was the end of the weekend’s competition. Many enjoyed the epic wind for another couple of hour’s free sailing, before heading off the water for the results and prize giving presentations.

‘MC’ Yeates in the Freestyle

Winners (clockwise from top left):
Louis Morris collects the RRD Fire Race Team Racing Prize sponsored by Boardwise and RRD for Bristol university.
BUCS Advanced Ladies (all from Exeter University).
BUCS Intermediate Ladies from Cardiff, Southampton and Exeter.
BUCS Team Racing Champions, Southampton Solent University.

Winners (clockwise from top left):
SWA Puravida Wave Trilogy. ‘MC’ Yeates wins a Puravida Custom Board and a Flymount.
The podium for the SWA Freestyle Series, Ollie Acton winning a 2012 Fanatic Skate
SWA Starboard/Tushing Club Race series, won by Liverpool, they won a Starboard Rio.
The top three of the SWA Overall Race Series sponsored by Starboard/Tusningham and Spartan, they are from Liverpool, Bristol and Exeter

Exeter girls making a clean sweep of the SWA Overall Combined Race, Freestyle and Womens Series sponsored by Tabou/Gaastra/Powerex, Flymount and Spartan.

The prize-giving done and dusted, an incredible amount having been handed out, the students said goodbye to each other feeling sad that the SWA year was at an end…

The university summer holidays, where many students will be heading off to Vass, El Medano and a huge number of other top windsurf spots, are the break for the SWA. We will be back in Autumn 2012 with the annual SWA Festival – Aussie Kiss 11.

Watch this space.

Special thanks must go to the safety crews captained by James Topping, BUCS, Southampton Windsurf Club and all of the SWA volunteers who helped run the event. Thanks to Calshot Activities Centre for putting up with us. This event and the SWA series has attracted huge support from the industry and the media (see below), so last and by no means least, we extend our thanks to them.

The Exeter crew prepare for the epic boat party.

Here are some extra words from Sam Burnett the SWA Marketing Manager:

This year the industry has really risen to the challenge of supporting the next generation of windsurf enthusiasts.  We saw four new boards, two sails, loads of masts and booms, flymounts, loads of Spartan wetsuits, event tickets for Beach Break and the National Windsurf Festival, the list goes on.

It’s great to see the newer companies get onboard like Puravida, who are making a bespoke full carbon waveboard for our 2012 wave champ MC Yeates.  Last years headline wave sponsor was K3d who have once again been involved, offering affordable 100% carbon masts to the student populous, it’s really great to be on the forefront of breaking these newer brands into the industry.

The Relationship we have with all of our sponsors is excellent, but this year all hats go off to Starboard and Tushingham.  After meeting with Dave Hackford and Sam Ross to discuss the development and needs of student windsurfing, we came up with the winning formula of providing prizes to clubs which can be used for years to come by all of the members, rather than just providing prizes to already kitted out advanced guys.

Starboard and Tushingham provided a wealth of prizes to each of our core events this year (also Boardwise/Spartan) ensuring that everyone on the podium went home with something inspiring.  This continuous support came to a climax when I had the opportunity to unveil the overall series at the end of series prize giving.  No one knew about this rogue series and everyone went nuts for it.  Liverpool has been an excellent club this year, they don’t necessarily get first spot but overall they dominate on and off the water.  It was a privilege for the SWA to be able to tell these guys they were leaving Calshot with a £1300 Starboard Rio.  No doubt this board will see countless enthusiasts follow in their glorious footsteps in years to come. Bristol also get a prize for the whole uni, they get to show up to a lake and a wealth of Starboard Tushingham experience and kit all rigged and ready to go.  This makes it super easy for the club committees to get maximum people on the water.

Roadford

As part of winter training I have go with the south/south west zone squad to Roadford Lake in Devon. At our training weekend it was really windy and because of being a lake meant it was really gusty as well. As it was so windy we were only allowed in three groups which had about 6 or 7 people in each.

We were practicing carve gybes and with the amount of wind and the gust it was hard to do so at times. Both days most people dropped down sail size.

From the shore it didn’t seem as windy as it was, when we launched it seemed as light as five knots and when we got out there it got to 39 knots! When we were practicing our carve gybes we had to bouys that we gybed around each end. It was really good fun, even though some sails ended up with holes in them.

As we had three groups there were two on land doing theory which we went through rules, steps of a carve gybe and loads more.

At the end of the weekend the wind had dropped off a bit to let out everyone at once where we did as slalom race together. But where the wind had dropped of we could have all been on our normal sails as we would have gone a lot faster.

K-Monday – by Matt Cox

What could be a better break from revision for a-levels than 40knots at Kimmeridge?

Kimmeridge as I’m sure you know is one of the best wave sailing locations on the south coast, it generally isn’t busy and gets much cleaner waves than pretty much another beach around.  On Monday Kimmeridge had perfect small peeling waves in the bay and as you went further out they simply got bigger and better.

The Ledges seemed to be the better call for down the line fun than the bench.

Having only sailed Kimmeridge once before I hadn’t realized just how long a sail it is round to the Ledges, the first time I sailed out it took well over 10 minutes of hard beating upwind to get out of the bay and into the right position for the waves.

Once you (eventually) reach the ledges you discover that its not the easiest wave to catch and ride well. Its such dynamic wave that you have to in the right spot at the right time or you end up swimming after your kit whilst being washed closer and closer to those lovely looking boulders on the beach.

After I managed to catch up with my kit I decided that I would stick to sailing inside the bay and maybe have a couple of attempts at the illusive forward.

Having read every bit of advice and watched every you tube video on the subject as well as having a few attempts last year I was fairly confident that I understood what I was supposed to do but actually putting this into practice is another thing entirely.

The main thing I found when trying forwards is that (like all the guru’s say) if you hold on to the sail you physically cant land on your gear. All the bad things that can happen to you when looping involve not holding, so keep that grip nice and tight.

After getting chucked from my kit a couple of times and learning more and more about what I was supposed to do.  Later on after lots and lots of strange wipeouts and a couple of long swims I finally thought, ‘this is the one’ as I launched off the back of a small wave, lent forward and looked back. Two seconds later I was under the sail facing the same direction as before I jumped with the board still attached to my feet.

Once I had realized what had just happened the emotion hit me and it was up there with the best moments of my life and probably something I will never forget…

Matt  Cox

NPL has performed tests for UK wetsuit manufacturer, Spartan, to help further their knowledge of how wetsuits keep people warm.

The Journey

In order to provide Spartan with the thermal performance data they needed, NPL decided to perform some initial laboratory-based tests on wetsuit samples, followed by some field-testing of wetsuits during proper use.

The laboratory tests involved measuring the thermal resistance of 4 samples of neoprene cut from a Spartan wetsuit. The four samples were different thicknesses, and their surface finish was either single or doubled lined. NPL’s specialised equipment, a piece of kit called a single-sided 305mm guarded hot plate, was used to measure the samples’ thermal resistance. This equipment holds the sample of neoprene horizontally inside a chamber, which is then heated from underneath. A detector at the top of the chamber, above the sample, measures how much heat has passed through the sample – this is the sample’s thermal resistance value. The results showed that the wetsuits’ surface finish had no bearing on how good an insulator it was.

Following the laboratory tests, the team performed some field tests in Clacton, on the Essex coast, far from the controlled laboratory environment of NPL’s Teddington site. Instead of using the lab-based guarded hot plate facility, the team used portable wireless sensors and a thermal camera.

Spartan’s Mark Minter and John Morgan, and pro-windsurfer Chris Murray donned their wetsuits and joined NPL’s Dr Richard Dudley and Dr Rob Simpson on a chilly day in March 2010 to test the wetsuits in their natural habitat – in the sea and on the beach.

Richard and Rob monitored Mark, John and Chris’ body temperatures throughout the trial using wireless temperature sensors taped under their right armpits.

The thermal camera was used to measure each man’s temperature, in his dry wetsuit, before entering the sea. The three men then spent up to two minutes in the sea, to simulate the short spells of time windsurfers typically spend in the sea, before being measured by the thermal camera again. The men then spent ~10 minutes exercising in the sea, to simulate the longer periods of time surfers and swimmers endure in the water. The fourth and final measurement of the day was taken of the men after they had been standing in their (wet) wetsuits in the cold breeze for ~10 minutes.

What was interesting about the difference between the laboratory and field tests was that, in the lab the wetsuits’ surface finish made no difference to how well it insulated against heat loss. But, in the field tests the surface finish had a measurable effect on how well the wetsuit kept its user warm. This difference is caused by wind wicking moisture (and therefore heat) away from the surface of the wetsuit via convection – or ‘wind chill’. The effect of wind chill has been recognised for some time, but measuring it in this way increases our understanding of it, and can help wetsuit manufacturers mitigate its effects.

The Impact

The potential impact of this collaborative research is wide-reaching.

In the short term, Spartan will be able to make better wetsuits, more efficiently. Which in turn will hopefully lead to improved customer-satisfaction.

In the longer term, if this work is extended to other wetsuit manufacturers and neoprene suppliers, it could have a huge social impact. Millions of people in the UK spend their leisure time enjoying activities that require wetsuits to brave the often chilly UK waters (such as surfers, scuba-divers, swimmers, tri-athletes, wind-surfers, sailors, kite-surfers etc). Improved wetsuit materials and construction could have a positive impact on these people, allowing them to spend more time in the water, and giving them the freedom to do their sport of choice in much colder conditions than they are currently comfortable doing.

Find out more about NPL’s thermal (link: http://www.npl.co.uk/engineering-measurements/thermal/) or materials (link: http://www.npl.co.uk/advanced-materials/) research

“With summer getting closer and the water temperature rising it is the perfect time of year to get into windsurfing! With this in mind and knowing that there are lots of children complaining about having nothing to do on our little island of Mersea, Spartan wetsuits decided they would organise a taster day on the beach to encourage the youth.

Being 17 and having grown up and learnt to windsurf on Mersea I have usually sailed with people of my parents’ age. However over the last couple of years the numbers of younger people learning to windsurf has grown on the island. This event with lots of people and with PWA freestyler Max Rowe to encourage and motivate them, was the perfect idea.

We set up the tent at 11.30ish with big Spartan banners and North and Fanatic flags which could easily be seen from the road and water. Max arrived at 12.00 and got rigged up alongside me and a few of the other guys. Before we knew it parents and children of all ages were appearing, either wanting to try windsurfing or just watch. With the wind blowing nicely and with a few people already on the water it was time for me to get out there, closely followed by Max. I was just managing to get going on my big slalom kit but there wasn’t enough for Max on his freestyle kit. The wind gradually dropped until it was perfect for learning and the sun seemed to appear.  Lots of the beginners hit the water and were giving it their all, amazing most of us with their enthusiasm and natural ability. With some coaching and encouragement from Max, Mark and John from Spartan and all us other windsurfers, some guys who hadn’t even stepped on a board before were heading off out to sea causing their parents to panic on the beach!

With the sun still out and the afternoon growing old it was time for John to light the barbies! Sausages were cooked and were handed out to everyone on the beach, warming up their cold and tired bodies. While everyone was digging into the hot dogs Max headed out on to the water with a smaller sail on a big Fanatic beginner board and was showing off his light wind freestyle. He was closely followed by Rusty, an ex-professional windsurfer, who attempted to compete with Max with his old school moves, which still are very impressive today.

As the temperature started to drop and black skies came overhead the majority of people packed up and feeling very proud of themselves departed. However having seen forecasts for building wind a few of us held on.  Before we knew it a big front of wind came through allowing me to be fully powered on my 8.0 North Warp and Max able to plane and demonstrate his skill on his 4.7 North ID. Max, I and a few of the other youngsters had a really good half hour to end the day on a high!

After getting changed and packing up we headed to The Coast Inn, a pub/restaurant down the road, for a well-earned drink (well in my case a coke) to finish an awesome day!!”

Jack Trollope (K 998)

THANK YOU FOR THE WRITE UP JACK. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OUR GYBING WITH JACK SAGA.

NEXT EVENT WILL BE ARRANGED IN JUNE CONTACT US VIA FACE BOOK TO JOIN IN

In the first race  most teams had some time in the lead as others had a few swims, mainly due to the gusty conditions and rusty crew work.  Pica led for most of the course only to capsize on  the last downwind leg.  Carsington took their opportunity for a race win only to choke on the final gybe through the gate leaving the recovered Pica to take line honours. The breeze continued to build up to 20kts for race 2 and teams, particularly those that had made the big rig choice, became fatigued.  Hyde Sails managed to hook the windward mark resulting in some comical manoeuvres – see the video for the  full sequence http://youtu.be/d–FtI44Th0 , leading to an inevitable dunking.  As a result race 2 was an easier win for Pica.

The days sailing was relived in the club house bar with a debrief amongst teams followed by dinner laid on by Stone Sailing Clubs new kitchen facilities.  Eddie Aldridge organised a fascinating trip down memory lane with a talk by Ray and Alfie, who raced the first UK 18ft skiffs at Stone in the 70’s.  The slide show proved just how much the boats have changed over the years, whilst some similarities of skiff sailing and its characteristics were still clearly evident.

Although Sunday morning was forecast to have a fading light breeze the Stone SC Race Management team did a fantastic job to get a further 3 races away.  Race 1 started with a shifty first beat with lots of tacking through the middle of the course.  A long overdue but convincing win concluded race 1 for the ever improving Hyde team skippered by Jack Grogan with Sam Caslin and Mike Banks.  A team to watch at the next event when they will have their new boat.

The second race was set in a more consistent westerly breeze.  Young & Reckless reached the top mark in 3rd place, behind Pica and Hyde. The wind vanished, leaving them to the mercy of the tide which pushed them onto the mark allowing Carsington and HPF through. HPF sailed into a dead spot letting Young and Reckless through to fourth.  But In was the Pica who won with Hyde Sails in 2nd and Carsington in 3rd.

The Aftica team  in their older B18 showed fantastic pace off the line after a perfect start in race 3.  Good results will surely follow with their newer boat which is due to make an appearance this year.  But it is was Young & Reckless that finally showed there form to post a 2nd place with Pica taking another bullet.
Unsurprisingly the experienced team Pica, Stewart and Jamie Mears with Tristan Hutt,  dominated the first event with 4 of 5 race wins, but  the enthusiasm of newer teams combined with the friendly and helpful guidance of more experienced competitors, it now seems that many more boats are capable of a podium position on the UK Grand Prix.  The top positions may well become harder to defend later in the season.

Many thanks to Stone SC and our sponsors:

Class Sponsors – Blue Sheets Marine Directory, Spartan Wetsuits, Ovington Boats and Action Cameras
Event sponsors – TDR Computers, The Dinghy Chandlery and Hyde Sails

Overall Results (1 Discard):
Rank
Boat
SailNo
Club
HelmName
CrewName
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
Nett
1st
Pica
92
Stone SC
Jamie Mears
Stewart Mears / Tristan Hutt
1.0
1.0
(cancelled)
(2.0)
1.0
1.0
4.0
2nd
Hyde Sails
52
West Mersea YC
Jack Grogan
Mike Banks / Sam Caslin
3.0
(9.0 DNF)
(cancelled)
2.0
2.0
3.0
9.0
3rd
HPF
43
Hayling Island SC
Steve McLean
Nick Murray / Tom Bruton
2.0
2.0
(cancelled)
3.0
(5.0)
4.0
11.0
4th
Carsington
40
Carsington SC
Richard Allen
Richard Bland / Peter Shaw
4.0
(9.0 DNS)
(cancelled)
5.0
3.0
6.0
18.0
5th
Young & Reckless
30
Rutland SC
Tom Hill
Miguel Andrew / Mark Kudlinski
(9.0 DNS)
9.0 DNS
(cancelled)
4.0
4.0
2.0
19.0
6th
Aftica / Swordfish
16
Cardiff Bay Yacht Club
Mark Watts
Marcelle Newbauld / Alex Farr
7.0 DNF
(9.0 DNS)
(cancelled)
6.0
6.0
5.0
24.0

event Video footage

We have tested all materials with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and have reached some informed conclusions which we hope will be of interest and lay the very solid foundation behind our wetsuit development.

We have proven that double lined suits are much colder than Single lined or Mesh suits. A mesh suit will always allow the water to run off and prevent evaporation and wind chill. Whilst a double lined suit no matter how it is prepared will always suffer from the cooling effect. However, for the surfer on a glassy day with no wind then the double lined suit is as good as the mesh suit. Surfing tends to be much better when there is no wind, but as soon as you get up to just force 2 there is a huge difference in the performance of a single lined suit compared to the relative poor performance of the double lined suit.

We also looked at flush and disproved the ‘Old Wives Tail’ that a layer of water is required to make the suit work.  The NPL looked at this in detail and our conclusion was that each water flush burnt valuable energy so the less water that enters the suit the better. So here at Spartan we spend a lot of time designing suits that do not flush.

So the final part of the plan is to make the suits so comfortable that you can spend the whole day in the suit without rubbing, itching or restriction. We are all keen enthusiasts and spend a lot of time in our suits making sure that they are comfortable, we are often the instructors choice of wetsuit. An example of this planning would include the room we allow at the top of the bicep and along the forearm which is why we have worked so hard on our cuff system see http://www.spartanwetsuits.com/products/winter-range/reflex/

We design panels that offer protection and durability whilst allowing a very free movement. Our suits are known to last a very long time. It is very common to still see a 10 year old OTT. Today we use much softer materials and the suits will not last that long, we expect 5 years of regular use to be about right. I am wearing a 3 year old Reflex to see how long it lasts and it is still perfect. If you ever nick a mesh suit the repair is very simple and you can always call us on 01206 381 747 for advice.

Spartan ‘Warm to the Core’

Here is the convert 4/3 mesh suit. It still costs £149.50

Mens 4/3 Convertible

This is a true convertible, suits have tried to be all things before but with the suit thickness and proper arms that seal, this suit will change from a summer suit to a warm spring/autumn suit. With 4mm chest and back panel combined with 3 mm legs and 2mm arms this suit is really engineered so the warm panels are there when you need them and comfort and flexibility for the warmer days.

The Long John and Liberty Neoprene Top both amazing value and hard wearing

Long John from Spartan- ideal for all water sports. Dinghy sailing, canoe, paddle boarding, long board windsurfing

High quality comfortable neoprene
Velcro shoulder strap
Knee pads
Durable seat area – ideal for Dinghy or Canoe wear
Long John RRP £69.00

And we have plenty of shorties, rigging jackets and multi purpose suits.

Call 01206 381 747 for more information