lakedynamis said..
RichardG, thank you! Do I get it right that nowadays LT stands more for a long board in general, and not that much for light technology? Which year was the Windsurfer LT created?

Sorry I think I already answered the first question.

It is speculation on my part, LT could stand for Longboard Terrific if that is what you want or desire since I am not aware of any published statement about the meaning of LT.

It could be Leggera Technologia in Italian or Light Technology in English or it might be another way of saying "LiTe" or "LighT" or "Lightened Technology". It might mean Windsurfer for LighTwinds getting windsurfers back on the water in LighT winds.

I think the LT was first manufactured in 2017 or 2018 with board number 1 coming off the production line in that year.

I believe it was designed in 2016-2017 by Australian Bruce Wylie, Chief Commercial Officer of Cobra.

See these sources: www.cobrainter.com/news/case-study/new-windsurfer-lt/

www.cobrainter.com/files/6015/4866/6309/Cobra-40YearsBook-56-59.pdf

Ok, I see. I got confused since I thought that the LT acronym was much older than 3 or 4 years, but you guys were using it to denote any modern long board.

I always thought LT meant low technology , only joking before everyone howls me down

Windsurfer LT by Thommen and Vandenberg:

sailboards.thommen1.com/?fbclid=IwAR18ChDi2R-XHH3Cin5EyxGdIwem2jXeBKYPDHHmh9T9CAjlQtDW56EI6Aw#Windsurfer-LT

KA360 said..

Along with the retro windsurfer LT ( Long in the Tooth ) in their range, Thommen will also be producing a cool old school Raceboard .

Looks good and cool. It's a pity that there is no fleet of raceboards in Perth so I can't see a market for this of any magnitude of the LT and this is why Thommen has the LT in his range. That said raceboards are faster and at least as fun as LT, just more expensive and complicated unless you buy old gear and refurbish it. In the final analysis LT is cheaper, quicker and easier to rig up and sail, more accessible and a lot of fun so I understand why LT is more popular. I'm going to stick to LT from now on and foil boards and not invest anymore money in raceboards. I will keep my Mistral Equipe 1.5 CHS 1993 as a fun alternative. Course racing in fleets is in LT and maybe just emerging for foils now in Perth and that is where it will stay for the moment.

MatStirl said.. sail an LT when it's under 15kts - including in surf and 100L when over. For my area covers 90% of conditions.

MatStirl's now famous video of LT surf sailing has him styling like Alex Knost. The LT is capable of being the light wind board in the surfsailors quiver.

cammd said..

MatStirl said..
Windsurfing manufacturers have zero clue in my opinion. They just make and market new stuff year on year that an increasingly small amount of us buy. Every manufacturer is pushing their own barrow and cant even make decent kids learner gear after all these years. My kids 3.5m sail is fully battened and flat as a tack - doesnt even pull them along. Kids learning need a light full sail and a centreboard.

Its scary (but good) that the most popular board around is a rehash of the first one design board from 40 years ago.

Less focus on high end gear and moves and more focus on versatile cheap gear = more people windsurfing.

I sail an LT when it's under 15kts - including in surf and 100L when over. For my area covers 90% of conditions.

Quite a few youth sailors getting into windsurfing during this pandemic. With no fleet racing on they are getting into recreational windsurfing. All appear to be buying cheap s/h performance stuff for their first kit, slalom and bump and jump boards, cambered sails etc. even old formula boards so they can get into foiling, they seem to progress so fast, one week they are using learner gear the next they are overtaking you on a beat up old slalom board.

Yes it is true young sailors progress fast and they are "lighter" than adults as they always have been. Young sailors after learning on one designs to water start in the 1980s converted gun surfboards into waveboards and went sailing. Nothing has changed just the equipment available and plentiful secondhand gear is available to them.

delmar71 said..
Just interrupting flow with a question: can someone point me to the instructions for centreboard modifications. I saw them a while back but didn't save. My bad.

Something to do with grinding out a triangle of the upper read edge, makes it easier to operate (I think?).

Cheers.

Join the Windsurfer discussions groups on facebook. I have only had my gasket flaps covered in sailcloth tape which frees them up and no other mods needed. Since Laurie didn't create a Windsurfer class division here, despite many requests, facebook is growing rapidly in that space globally and on Windsurfer LT Universe the topic of centreboard modifications is being discussed : www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10223973898875710&set=gm.1436910999826081&type=3&theater&ifg=1

RichardG said..

delmar71 said..
Just interrupting flow with a question: can someone point me to the instructions for centreboard modifications. I saw them a while back but didn't save. My bad.

Something to do with grinding out a triangle of the upper read edge, makes it easier to operate (I think?).

Cheers.

Join the Windsurfer discussions groups on facebook. I have only had my gasket flaps covered in sailcloth tape which frees them up and no other mods needed. Since Laurie didn't create a Windsurfer class division here, despite many requests, facebook is growing rapidly in that space globally and on Windsurfer LT Universe the topic of centreboard modifications is being discussed : www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10223973898875710&set=gm.1436910999826081&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Yeah on that, cheers. Just can't find where someone posted that pic of mod.

fjdoug said..

KA360 said..

Along with the retro windsurfer LT ( Long in the Tooth ) in their range, Thommen will also be producing a cool old school Raceboard .

this is the board i want

Me too

delmar71 said..

RichardG said..

delmar71 said..
Just interrupting flow with a question: can someone point me to the instructions for centreboard modifications. I saw them a while back but didn't save. My bad.

Something to do with grinding out a triangle of the upper read edge, makes it easier to operate (I think?).

Cheers.

Join the Windsurfer discussions groups on facebook. I have only had my gasket flaps covered in sailcloth tape which frees them up and no other mods needed. Since Laurie didn't create a Windsurfer class division here, despite many requests, facebook is growing rapidly in that space globally and on Windsurfer LT Universe the topic of centreboard modifications is being discussed : www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10223973898875710&set=gm.1436910999826081&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Yeah on that, cheers. Just can't find where someone posted that pic of mod.

Bradley Wilson of the US states on Windsurfer LT Universe: "This is what I've figured out thru trial and error on how to make the centerboard operate better...."

Flying Dutchman said..
Doing some organising around home and found this old photo from Manly Wharf early/mid 80s. My Dad was in the race and I was a young kid watching on.

Brilliant !

Who doesn't want the good ol' days back !

Simpler times

Comparing the Windsurfer LT price on the Windsurfer class website price list ($1999) :
windsurferclass.wordpress.com/2018/03/28/windsurfer-lt-update-2/

with current retail price ($2899):
www.windgenuity.com.au/brand/windsurfer/

what caused the big jump in price since 2018?

I believe the earlier price was a discounted introductory price and the AUD/USD exchange rate was more favourable to the importer back in 2018. The current price is free of discount and there is I understand a very small margin for retailers. I assume prices will increase again as seems to be the case with all windsurfing gear but the LT will still be a product people want. On the other hand a friend of mine in WA said: "Resin and plastics should be cheaper due to lower oil prices so price should come down.The opposite happened in 2009 so the manufacturers justified the price to double for windsurfing products".

Yep, I agree, 3k is pretty hard to come by these days, doesn't just fall out of your back pocket does it.

Not complaining, just saying.

Haven't seen any second hand ones yet, that's what I'll wait for, anyone seen any?