DSK wrote in message ...
I think you'll find sailboards can't keep up on a proper course, they
are damn fast on a reach and not in any other direction.


brian wrote:
Andy,
there's this race in San Francisco, USA. It's between two bridges,
dead downwind. Anything powered by wind can enter. Kite boarders,
18ft skiffs, windsurfers. 2002 Kite boarder won, followed by a
windsurfer 2nd, followed by an 18ft skiff. 2003 Windsurfer won,
followed by an 18ft skiff.

I saw part of this race, and it looked to me like the windsurfer was going
much faster in spurts but the skiff was keeping up. The final result was
that the 'board won by about 30 seconds.

In general I think Andy's remark is accurate, windsurfers are very very
fast reching, but they are not much (if any) faster around a regular race
course... especially windward/leeward...

So, fact is, the Windsurfer wins the leeward leg of the regular/proper
windward/leeward course with a 30 second spurt. Still won that leg
though.



The skiffs do ok upwind but are still behind the windsurfer at the
upwind mark.
I proved that to myself today. There was some racing today on
Biscyane Bay.
420s, 29ers. I let the 29ers clear there start line. I sailed after
them on my windsurfer. Upwind downwind course proper. When I rounded
the upwind mark ahead of them, I waited till they rounded and passed
me, then I started for the downwind, past them all and was first to
the downwind.

Sorry, a 29er is hardly in the same league with the 18-footer skiffs.
Shucks, a lowly Johnson 18 will beat a 29er all day every day, and it
doesn't even have a trap.

I've beaten windsurfers around triangular courses in a Laser 2 and in a
470, and while I never raced one formally in the Johnson 18 we often pass
them when doing casual sprints.

Yes your right I'm sure there are faster non-displacement monos
around. But they had a course set and were out there racin so I went
out and joined them.

First year I had my Foumula Board I riged and went out and tried racin
the Tornado's in the Rolex Olympic Class Regatta on Biscayne Bay. I
wasn't even close.
Now I have some better equipment, a bit more skill, and can tune the
stuff better for the conditions.
Had the chance to do a side by side with a couple of Tornados out
tuning last month. It was no problem to pull away from them this
time. But this wasn't a race.


AC boats would win the upwind in less then 10 knots. 10knots the
windsurfer would be waiting at the mark for the AC boat.

It's possible, depending on the conditions and the board & the boardsailor.
Wouldn't a chop slow down the windurfer, too?

Steep chop like on Biscayne Bay does slow the windsurfer down. Still
not slower than the sailboat.

In any event, remarks like mine are not going to go over well on the
windsurfer group where people say things like "a Lechner (ie very old heavy
windsurfer) will smoke any regular sailboat" which is laughable.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

What we need here is a challange.
I challange any wind powered craft to prevail over a Formula
Windsurfer and competant sailor in a series of four Regattas on a
regular/proper windward/leeward course. Wind min. of 10 knots.

The yacht and sailing clubs down in the Coconut Grove might go for
this.

whonositflosit
Fesstoosn- Brian