The Dutch Crew Hit La Franqui

The Dutch Speedsailing crew and a couple of Belgians recently went down to La Franqui in the South Of France and posted some massive speeds that send them to the top of the GPS-Speedsurfing rankings for the year and one of them posted a 40knot + Nautical mile. Big respect guys you all deserved your PB's and i hope to get down there one day. Check out the speeds recorded and 3 videos of the day below

Starboard Photoshoot 2010

Checkout the photoshoot for the 2011 Starboard board range featuring all the top riders on the Starboard international team

Starboard Photoshoot Maui 2010 from Johannes Neumann on Vimeo.

July Issue Of Windsurfer International

Checkout the latest issue of Windsurfer International

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/21a07a22

New Starboard Slotbox

Check out the new fin box from Starboard below

New 2011 Starboard Wave Boards

Today is the day the new 2011 Starboard wave boards have been released and they do look amazing.

First is the Quad IQ which is available in 5 sizes - 74 liters, 77 liters, 82 liters, 87 liters and 92 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website

Introducing the new Quad IQ: the first adaptable multi-fin wave board. A board with five integrated fin settings to match every wave and all wind conditions.

Onshore setting: maximum drive, lots of grip and extra upwind power. Great for onshore jumps too. The back fin adjusts forwards to loosen up the board, or backwards to stabilize the board.



Sideshore setting: Smoother arc through the turns with controlled power for precise maneuvering. Adjust the back fins forwards or backwards to fine-tune between looseness and stability.



Skate setting: the choice for fast, powerful waves and a skatey feel. The twin fin setting allows the tail to breakout for top turn slashes and takas.



Scott McKercher: "What's really cool is that you've now got a board that is adaptable to the conditions that are right for where you live, as well as where you want to travel. If I'm at home sailing Margaret River, Australia or going up or down the coast looking for quality waves, I change between the Sideshore and Skate settings, depending on how the conditions or the type of turns I'm wanting to achieve. With the Sideshore setting, I love the connected, gripping, driving sensation. They provide the ultimate power gouges, whilst still providing the ability to waft the fins when you smack a section. But if I'm wanting to get more rotational in my connection with the lip, I'd change it to the Skate set up, which transforms the board completely. I don't go to Sylt in Germany anymore these days, but if I was, then I'd convert to the Onshore setting t o make it easier to get out, make it upwind and get better backside riding."

Jaeger Stone: "In bigger conditions, I use the Quad IQ with the Sideshore settings. This setting gives me confidence and the ability to do big turns. Onshore is the set up I like to use in small, windy conditions. It gives the board a very quick and whippy feel, allowing you to get more turns out of every wave. Using the board in Skate setting was my favourite because it has speed and drive, but also an element of release that I really like. I can use this board in a wide range of conditions. My favourite is sideshore winds with 2-4ft waves".

Sven Akerboom: "When the wind is side off shore and the waves are fast, my favorite position is the Skate set up. The Skate set up gives me a lot of speed and moveabilty. The breakout of the tail on the top turn makes your sailing feel radical. For more sideshore conditions, I use the Sideshore setting. I also move the back fins fully forward in the Slotbox. This gives the best of both Worlds (Twin and Quad): tight turns and the speed of the twin, with the drive of the quad, the connected feel of the quad all the way on the face of the wave and the possibility to break out the tail on the top turn like a twin. By moving the back fins forward the board, it loosens up the board and that is what I like!"

Tiesda You: "The Quad IQ is the first smart board that with integrated adaptability. It has the capability to make the most of any condition. I like the Onshore setting in most conditions because it makes waveriding easier. If it gets windier or if the wave gets faster, I change to the Skate setting."

New Slot Box: the new box system fundamental to the IQ concept. The Slot box is designed to be extra light, weighing 70% lighter than a US box. It has 3cm of adjustment room and current US based fins can also be cut to fit. The custom-manufactured bolts fit the same screwdriver as your footstraps, making them effective against sand, keeping the system simple and hassle-free. Construction: WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option; Wood - extra light, rigid and with the test team's favourite feel; See the Technology page for more details. Shape: Forward Vee that spirals into reduced vee between the feet and ending in a monoconcave in the tail. The forward vee increases the engaging rail's angle of attack when the board is carving, which creates extra drive into the turn. The monoconcave channels the water through the tail and allows for a flatter rocker for more speed and quicker planing. The tail rocker has extra tail kick to keep the board free and loose. Rails are soft and rounded like surfboards - keeps the ride flowing and smooth. Fittings: Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't. New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators. Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength New Starboard Slot Box fin system New Fluorescent yellow touches

Next is the Evo IQ which is available in 4 sizes - 71 liters, 76liters, 81liters and 86 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website.

The Evo IQ extends the adaptable wave board concept to include the famous flowing rides of the single fin Evos and the twin fin skatey style.

Supplied with a single fin and leaving the twin fin set ups as optional, the Evo IQs prioritise straight line speed and acceleration with a solid fin grip. On the wave face, it's all unmistakably Evo: A comfortable ride that makes wave riding easier. Flow through tight turns and project big aerials off the lip . Maximise wave-riding performance in the widest variety of wind and wave conditions.

Single fin setting: straightline speed priority with a solid fin grip. Classic Evo performance. Skate setting: For a more rail driven sensation where release of the tail is enhanced for new school sliding manoeuvres. Starboard's new Slot Box: the new box system fundamental to the Evo IQ concept. Starting from a clean sheet, the Slot box is 70% lighter than the US box. This allows for multiple fin box configurations without excessive weight penalty. The Slot Box 13 has 3cm of adjustment room and current US based fins can also be cut to fit. The custom-manufactured bolts fit the same screwdriver as your footstraps, making them effective against sand, keeping the system simple and hassle-free.

Construction: WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option; Wood - extra light, rigid and with the test team's favourite feel; Technora - light and stiff, and the best-priced option. See the Technology page for more details. Shape: Forward Vee that spirals into reduced vee between the feet and ending in a monoconcave through the tail. The forward V makes it easy to initiate a rail into a turn by helping to tip the forward rail down as you lean forward. This aides the use of the front foot for better drive. This then blends into a monoconcave tail which channels and accelerates the water through the back of the board. Thus creating curve on the rail for a loose feel when turning, yet allows for a flatter rocker down the middle of the board for more speed and quicker planing. Evo rails are soft and rounded like surfboards - keeps the ride flowing and smooth. Fittings: Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't. New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators. Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength New Starboard Slot Box fin system On the wave face, it's all unmistakably Evo - flow through tight turns and project big aerials off the lip.

And finally is the Kode which is available in 8 sizes - 68 liters, 74 liters, 80 liters, 86 liters, 94 liters, 103liters, 113 liters and 123 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website

The Kode: Wave freestyle machines mixing aggressive power with speed and maneuverability. From 68 litres up to 123 litres, the Kodes come in eight sizes that cover it all. So the question is no longer: What is the Kode? The question is: Which Kode?

The Kode 68 - The smallest Kode. Designed by Boujmaa Guilloul for his wave riding and bump n' jumping needs, covering Moroccan highwinds to Maui big waves, for riders from 60kg to 75kg. The Kode 68 mixes a compact outline into a gunny tail with soft, round rails. Blends flowing style with speed. A special stand-out in the Kode range.

The Kode 74 and 80 - the pure wave board classics in the range also offering highwind freestyle and highwind bump-n-jump performance. Fast, down-the-line shapes with gunny tails and fast rockerlines. These have been Kevin Pritchard's favourites amongst the Starboard range 3 years in a row. Choose between the 74 and the 80 depending on your body weight and sail size. The 74 shape remains unchanged. The new 80 shape has extra tail kick, for more maneuverability, a smoother, tighter top turn and a shortened nose, for a quicker response.

The Kode 86, 94 and 103 - the fifty-fifty blend between wave and freestyle. Always fast, always powerful and always aggressive, these Kodes have more width, more tail volume and more pop for full freestyling ability. New 94 and 103 shapes: thinner side profile for a lower centre of gravity that equals more control, more maneuverability and more responsiveness. New, narrower tails make for quicker turns. More rail volume in the tail gives more pop, more grip under your back foot, more riding comfort and make the jibes more forgiving.

The Kode 113 and 123 - the two largest boards that add freeride to the wave-freestyle equation. Blasting up and down the coast, carve tight jibes and throw in freestyle pops with light-wind wave riding rollers. Compact and fast, these Kodes have a wide wind range and can carry bigger sails. New for 2011:some extra rail volume was pumped into the tail to add early planing power, add more grip to your back foot and offer more forgiveness to the exit of a jibe: it's harder to stall it so that you can come out planing more easily.

The secret Kode Part 1: the Spiraling Vee bottom shape. Lots of Vee in the front of the board spirals into less vee between your feet. The vee in the front increases the engaging rail's angle of attack when the board is carving, which creates extra drive into the turn. This bottom shape also creates a high-flying lively ride that's pure joy. The secret Kode Part 2: extra thin rails in the mid-section of the board create extra bite into the water, giving the Kode's their aggressive touch. The SPONGE: The Kode 86, 94 and 103 also have a new pad design: 10mm of super soft SPONGE foam, pre-shaped and covered in fish-scale grooved EVA skin. The skin forms over the sponge and curves into the board's deck, giving a great feel of comfort and grip. Construction: WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option; Wood - extra light, rigid and with the team's favourite feel; Technora - light and stiff, and the best priced option. The 68, 74, 80, 86 and 94 models are beefed up to handle harder rides and bigger jumps. See the Technology page for more details. Fittings: Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, then helps to release when you wipeout. 10mm pre-shaped SPONGE underlay on the Kode 86, 94, 103. New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes innovative strap size adjustment indicators. Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption (Kode 76, 74, 80) Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength (Kode 76, 74, 80) New Fluorescent orange touches "From 68 litres up to 123 litres, the Kodes come in eight sizes that cover it all"

Basic Speed Tuning

I found this very useful information how to set up your equipment for speedsailing. It is based on the recommendations from Kean Rogers, also know as Roo who lives in the Gorge, USA and is a very fast Speedsailor on how he sets up his own kit

Follow these steps:
1. Measure 30 cm in from the tail and measure the width of the board at this point.

2. Pick a fin with same depth as the width you measured and fit to the board. (start with a normal upright fin not a weedie).

3. Make sure the rear foot strap is mounted with the rear screw in line with the leading edge of the fin.

4. Set up the front foot strap by laying your arm on the board with the elbow bone in the middle of the rear strap and measure to the tip of your middle finger.

5. This point will be the middle of the front strap, mount the strap as close as possible to this position.Your board is now balanced to your body, the foot strap position will be different for each sailor.

Some boards don't have a good front strap position, in these cases putting the rear footstrap a bit forward helps. Between distance footstraps look for 36-40cm, 36cm for ultimate flat water speed till 40cm overpowered chop big slalom. A solution to put the straps back without an insert.



Once you've balanced your board it's time to look at your rig. If you've set your sail up using the recommended mast and according to the measurements on the sail then it will be easy to balance it out.

1. Take your fin out of the board and connect your sail to the board with the mast foot in the center of the mast track.

2. Stand the rig up and with the board on a flat surface, i.e. grass or your board bag for protection, stand on the board with your feet either side of the mast foot.

3. Move the boom until its around shoulder to chin height.

4. Lay the rig down and measure from the front of the mast at the boom to the clew eyelet.

5. Divide this distance by three and measure from the front of the mast at the boom back this distance.

6. This is where the center of you harness lines should be. Grip the boom here with both hands thumb to thumb either side of your measurement point and place the harness lines either side of your hands.

7. To get the right harness line length grab the boom in the center of the lines and adjust the lines until they are just touching your elbow bone.

8. Most sails have their max draft around 33% so this is a good balance point for most sails.

9. With the board and rig still connected, lay the board on its side and the rig on the ground, tilt the rig towards the back of the board until the gap is even between the foot of the sail and the deck of the board.

10. Your mast foot is in the right position if you take a line perpendicular to the board, i.e. at a 90 degree angle, from a point midway between the front and rear foot straps and it lines up with the center of the harness lines. If the center of the harness is too far forward move the mast foot back, if its too far back move it forward.

11. Put your fin in the board and go sail to see how it feels.

Now you have a reference point you can set the board at each time you sail, it makes it a lot easier to fine tune your equipment for optimum performance for the conditions.

Remember if you're not fast'you're last!

2011 Starboard I Sonic Super Speed Special

Found these pictures on www.windsurf-today.com of the new 2011 Starboard I Sonic Super Speed Special. Looks awsome in the wood carbon construction.

From the pictures it looks to have more footstrap positions than my own W44 Speed Special, looks like it's a little thinner in the tail and in front of the front footstraps has a concave in the deck so is thinner in the front





Not sure of the rest of the sizes but i think they will stay the same (W44, W49, W53 and W58) but if i find any other info i will let you all know. If the rest are anything like the prototypes i saw Bjorn Dunkerbeck had in Dungarven last year for the Speed World Cup Europeans then all the boards will have the concave in the nose of the board

New 2011 Starboard Quad IQ and Evo IQ

Just found a picture of the new 2011 Starboard Quad IQ and Evo IQ on the internet

I'm very happy the Evo has been resurrected as this has been one of my favorite boards over the years i have been windsurfing. From the pictures it looks like both boards are going to be convertibles, the Quad as both a Quad and Twin fin and the Evo as both a Twin and Single fin which is going to increase the range of conditions the boards can be used in.

Both boards are going to be available in the following sizes from the info i found:-

Starboard Quad IQ

74 liters, 77 liters, 82 liters, 87 liters and 92 liters

Starboard Evo IQ

71 liters, 76 liters, 81 liters and 86 liters

Not about the details of the Kode yet or if it is still available but once i know i'll post details here

Just have to save up some money now for a 71/76 liter Evo :-))

Example - Kickstarts (Official Video) (OUT NOW - AVAILABLE ON iTUNES)

This has got to be the best tune i have heard in a long time, Check it out :-)))