the big board discussion: what goes upwind better?

[Toby]

welcome!

Why is the stance so narrow?

I know from surfboard racers, that they step out of the back strap to stand more in the middle of the board...

[icurumba]

very interesting. On the spleen type board you say spoiler? is this an additional nose flap (extra scoop) on one end or both ends. I agree these boards go well upwind,..but downwind is tough. Setting it up mutant style (with nose scoop at one end) could be a fast upwind/downwind board.

[icurumba]

Kitesurfing Denmark, your pics just came up on my machine,..boards look great,..now I understand your spoiler. Looks fast!

[Toby]

interesting for sure!

I just interviewed the racers here in Portugal...I will upload it soon, and that will be interesting to listen to!

We all learned a lot, but still don't have answers to what is a winning gear!

Off to Fuerte soon, where some speed guys are waiting to race, so these results will be very interesting too!

[Kitesurfing Denmark]

Kitesurfing Denmark, your pics just came up on my machine,..boards look great,..now I understand your spoiler. Looks fast!

Until now we have only experimented with twintip boards. For "standard" twintip boards Spleene Door is the best upwind going board we have sailed on yet. But in wawes it is very difficult to go downwind fast. The fronttip of the board goes into the waves and you crash! Therefore we have made the modification with the spoilers, to prevent this. The board wil works its way out of the wave again, because of the spoiler.

As you can see from the pictures we have also cut some of the board in both ends. When you are going upwind this part of the board has no effect, but going downwind it eysier holding the board like at Speedboat on the wather (keep the nose up). If the board is very wide at the tips, this will be more and more difficult as faster you sail.

The changes I have made on the Spleene Door 64 you can see here:

http://www.surfsurf.dk/Spleenecostum/Sp ... costum.htm

We are still experimenting. Today I have change the hadlegrap out with a extra foodstrap, and will try to use it both upwind and downwind. I do not know if it works yet.

The two boards on the pictures are until know the two wining boards in Denmark, but we have also some guys using directionals, and they are doing good to.

I thing the dicetional have some advanges in courses at open see were the waves are big, and specially if the course is long. In smaller waves and smaller courses, with a lot of "turns"? the twintip perhaps is better.

BR
Steffen

[Toby]

thx for the info Steffen!

Today I have change the hadlegrap out with a extra foodstrap

I have this in mind since yesterday! Please let me know asap if this helps to go upwind better.
I will also try this in Fuerte, since I need better upwind performance to have any chance against the better guys...so any hint is needed

I will let you know about my experience, once I tested it!

[KillaHz]

Hands down, Neptune Quad Race. Everyone who's been racing in SF Bay series for the last three seasons uses them and if you're not on one, you really don't stand a chance. There is one custom twin-tipper that does alright.

These boards are designed to go upwind at a steeper angle than any twin tip could dream of. Some of the top pros in the world were here for the nationals last week and they put in orders after trying them out.

A thruster gives you a little advantage over a twin tip but not much. Quad is the way to go.

If you're not on one when this racing gets real, you don't stand a chance.

Check them out at http://www.wowkite.com

Just an avid fan of the boards who's seen a lot of racing. Don't work for Jeff just a big fan of his work.

GB

[Toby]

just this far away shot?

[KillaHz]

just this far away shot?

What would you like to see? I'll let Jeff know and I'm sure we could get the photos posted here.

I have Jeff working on a new race design for me and I can shoot some photos of it when I get it...should be about two weeks. Something like 6 out of the top ten guys at the Nationals were on Jeff's boards. Most competetive racers who were not placed orders immediately after. Jeff is currently leading the Thursday Night race series in San Francisco.

As many top pros ordered boards from Jeff after the Nationals, I'm sure they will start showing up at the PKRA course race events and you will see for yourself how they perform.

GB

[Toby]

I think the only American is Dave Tyburski at the last PKRA course race event in Germany. So I don't think I will see it.

Maybe a close up would be nice to see.

Thanks
Toby