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Windsurfing

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Windsurfing is an enjoyment sport usually connected with beautiful scenery. The surroundings is
also a challenge for windsurfers; sometimes such challenge that some forms of windsurfing can be
counted among adrenalin sports. Enjoyment is brought also by the mere movement in the open air and
mastering the technical device which moves on the water surface quite quickly, if compared with
other water sports, efficiently and environment-friendly. If compared with the majority of other
sports, in windsurfing, there are bigger differences in levels and requirements. On the basic level
and in suitable conditions, it can be learned in several days; moreover, to a good extent of
safety. However, other levels and new challenges follow. And there is a large number of levels up
to the level of mastering a heavy ocean.
Windsurfing is also quite internally structured not only in the sense of levels but also in
favoring optimum conditions and equipment. On the one hand, there are fans of sliding in as soft
wind as possible who can master really big sails; and on the other hand, there are lovers of strong
wind and waves with as small board as possible and with small maneuverable sails.
Performance is determined by movement abilities and skills and knowledge and it is often affected
or multiplied by equipment. Movement abilities include mainly facile and partly strength and
strength-endurance abilities. Knowledge must cover materials and also technical and tactical
aspects as well as meteorology. Due to such large number of factors, relative safety and not great
demands on locomotive apparatus, windsurfing is a sport which can be done for many years, without
decline in motivation and in which age differences do not necessarily play an important role.

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* First attempts to design a vessel driven by wind but not steered by a rudder but rather by
turning the sail were carried out by an American Newman Darby as early as in the late 1940s. He
equipped his vessel with a joint which made it possible to connect the sail to the body in a
moveable way. And it is such a flexible joint which is the technical basis of windsurfing. * In the
late 1963, Newman Darby designed and constructed a testing board with a wide hull and quadrangular
sail with an apex at the bottom controlled by the mast and boom. The mast and simple boom were
connected in the right angle to form a cross and connected to the board with a moveable joint
(bottom left). In 1965, he could perform first maneuvers and he succeeded in sliding the board. He
even started to manufacture and sell his product. * However, engineer Jim Drake and IT analytic
Hoyle Schweitzer are considered to be the inventors of the windsurf. Both of them were surfers on
breakers and their initial aim was to create a possibility to move the board independently from the
waves. In 1967, Jim Drake designed a new prototype of a board with sail with a triangular sail and
drop-shaped boom and most importantly with a moveable joint which controlled the sail by raking the
mast and thus by changing the center of gravity of the sail. Subsequently, he had his invention
patented. The patent was then bought by Hoyle Schweitzer. Right in the following year, the first
windsurfing regatta was organized by Los Angeles. * Then, windsurfing started to develop quite
quickly. At first in the USA, mainly in the Hawaii where there are outstanding conditions for
windsurfing. The first windsurfers were usually experienced in classic surfing. Windsurfing got to
Europe in 1971. In 1973, a Dutch company called Nijver – dal Ten Cate bought the license from Hoyle
Schweitzer and American producers and started mass production. Just in 1976, it produced 15
thousand units called Ten Cate Windsurfing. However, the demand was still greater than the offer.
At that time, large amount of materials was “homemade”. * As early as in the late 1972, there was
the first competition in Europe which took place close to the Sylt Island in Germany. In 1974, the
International Windsurfing Association, IWA, was founded in the USA where the first World
Championship was held. In 1975, another World Championship in windsurfing took place in France; 212
competitors participated. The number of both international and local competitions was growing. They
followed the rules of circuit yachting. The board for competitions was flat, nearly 4 meters long
with a big fin and mainly with the ability to tack.
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* Mainly in ocean regions, windsurfers dared to sail in still stronger wind and bigger waves. There
were enhancements such as storm sail, storm fin, harness, more skegs and in the end also
footstraps. In the Hawaii, Mike Waltze placed a windsurfing sail on a short surf board without a
fin thus designing the first special windsurf for waves and forming a new discipline called Wave. A
short board was first called Sinker but later, in Europe, it started to be called Funboard. There
were greater demands on suitable conditions for such boards and on their control but they were
balanced with the pleasure of quick sliding and the possibility to perform a large number of
maneuvers, turns and jumps. The whole range of these tricks was performed at the 1976 World
Championship in the Bahamas by thirteen-year-old Robby Naish who became supposedly the most famous
surfer in the history (bottom left). In the following year, there was an Open Category in the World
Championship. In 1982, the speed limit of 50 kph was exceeded. In 1983, World Cup professional
series was first organized with Robby Naish having become the first professional World Champion.
Due to great development, windsurfing has been recognized as an independent boat category by the
International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) thus opening the way to the Olympic program. It was first
included in the program in 1984 in Los Angeles. However, at that time the outdated Windglider
slider was approved as a monotype for the Olympics. The first Olympic winner was a Dutch, Stephan
van den Berg. Even the monotype for the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, displacement Lechner board, was
designed for circuits and was not suitable for strong wind. At that time, professionals in PWA
raced in much more demanding conditions and different disciplines – course, slalom and mainly Wave.
* In 1980s, short boards with small displacement (so-called new wave) started to be popular also in
Europe. However, most European regions are far from having ideal conditions which are to be found
e.g. in the Hawaii or other top regions. New types of boards were much more demanding in the area
of the windsurfers’ technique, their motor abilities and mainly sufficient power of the wind
(bottom center). Most inland lakes, reservoirs or ponds ceased to be suitable for such new
requirements. Windsurfers started to travel to places with good conditions, however, at the turn of
1980s and 1990s, the interest in windsurfing declined. It was also caused by the impossibility to
produce “homemade” materials any more. In the 1996 Olympics, a new monotype was used – Raceboard
Mistral One Design which remained the Olympics class until the 2004 Olympics (bottom right).
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mod_board_and_sail_600 dahab-windsurf-LR Naish01

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* Since mid-1990s, under the pressure of material producers, windsurfing has acquired a new image,
new styles and terms were spread in connection with a change in lifestyle and life philosophy.
Freeriding became the most frequent and spread style, i.e. free sailing for enjoyment. A new, and
much friendlier, material started to be produced for Freeriding (but not only for it). This
material pushed the boundaries and broadened the possibilities for fans of windsurfing. Similarly,
Freestyle became a manifestation of life philosophy. Freestyle includes some aspects similar to
freestyle snowboarding. * Since 1998, WS Freestyle has made its way among competition disciplines.
In 1999, a new era of short wide course boards started. Due to this, interest in this beautiful
sport increased again. Earlier Course Races started to be scheduled for this new category of boards
wide up to one meter with longer skegs and large and efficient sail called Formula Windsurfing
(middle and bottom left). Boards of this category are able to slide thus reaching higher speed even
in a relatively soft wind. A still new category which appeared in 2005, RS:X Windsurfing Class,
which became the new official category for the following there Olympic Games (bottom right) has
similar characteristics. However, the best professional windsurfers do not usually participate in
WS.
RS:X Windsurfing Class: Olympic style 755818e1_nordicformula
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•Until today, Wave has remained the most demanding discipline of windsurfing. Competitions take
place only in the most demanding regions. The performance is judged subjectively by a team of
referees and mainly the incredibly high jumps with difficult tricks on high breaking ocean waves
reach the limit of human possibilities. Even for many outstanding surfers, windsurfing in such
conditions is impossible. There are extreme requirements for equipment. The boards must be made of
materials of the highest quality and their displacement is between 70 and 100 liters. They are
often equipped with a higher number of short skegs. If compared with other WS disciplines, the
sails are small, not very much efficient but extremely reinforced and durable. The mast is of a
reduced diameter with thicker wall. Booms are short and extremely durable.
DD0J5675 robby naish boards-desktop-2012-04-24

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•A less demanding but very popular discipline, mainly among young windsurfers, is Freestyle. It is
a very popular and amusing form of competing which is sometimes more like a game. In Freestyle,
windsurfers present various tricks (non-sliding), turns (sliding) and jumps on relatively small
waves in quite soft wind (from approx. 8 meters per second). The performance is judged by a team of
referees according to a scale which assesses the difficulty of the trick and its performance. As
opposed to other WS disciplines, the race usually takes place close to the shore and there is
something going on all the time. There are fewer requirements for equipment than in Wave and other
professional disciplines. The boards are quite robust with displacement between 80 and 120 liters.
The mast is as short and light as possible; the boom is short. The upper part of the sail is
larger.
r526786601 647_custom_1 tavola-per-windsurf-freestyle-wave-210225

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The fastest (apart from special speed races) WS discipline, which is also very popular with
spectators and media, is Slalom. The race takes a number of laps on a relatively short track
delineated by two buoys. The track axis is vertical to the direction of the wind. The wind is of
middle intensity and the competitors choose the size of the board and the sail for individual races
depending on the speed of the wind at the particular moment. Wide and short boards made of high
quality materials have displacement between 80 and 130 liters (most frequently boards between 100
and 130 liters of displacement are used). The sails are of the most efficient type, which means
with a deeper profile, wide track, 8 spears and 4 cambers; the size ranging from 5 to 10 sq.
meters. Larger sail with respect to the given wind is usually selected than it would be required
when using ordinary WS equipment. There are only fast downwind turns (jibes) and in one course, the
competitors gain only what they lost during the turn. Slalom is very attractive for spectators
because knockout method is used from the beginning up to the finals and the tracks are well visible
from the shore. It is also attractive for many companies which produce boards as in this
discipline; even professional top windsurfers have to use boards from serial production. Similarly,
sails, masts and booms (always made of 100% carbon) are offered by companies. The largest sails and
masts for Slalom are equal to Formula Windsurfing class.
slalom start-44-e1278774343105 slalom_lead

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•Thank you for your attention.
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