Dear Brother,

I thought it would be me, but after a coupla months of perservering, couldn't handle the extreme nature of it so this is what I did to it:

seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=1825

A special thanx to Decrepit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I absolutely love it now, and my wife loves it more than me, excuse for another board?

Hi Guys

You can see from my number of posts that I'm a new comer to this forum but I am a windsurfer from way back and starting my comeback. Correct me if I'm wrong but to be a formula sailor you need a production board. I'm a sailmaker and boat builder and if I thought I could build my own board I could do a more than reasonable job but I'm buying one to stay in class. Are the rules different in Oz? Love to hear your comments......

from what i understand jethrow the answer is yes and no. i would also point out that i am not racing, but enjoying what the boards have to offer.

i you are wanting to compete in international events then yes, the board must be registered with the isaf. boards need to be production and have sold about 50 check out http://www.sailing.org/classes/measurementforms/2006/BoardRegistrationInstructionsRace+Formula.pdf

as for local and state comps, i think a blind eye may be used. you would need to check with whomever it is that you are going to race with. i think the important points are that the board is 95-100cm wide, holds a 70cm fin etc.

Hi Hardman..

like the look of the new formula/raceboard shapes. have a raceboard/onedesign background myself. totally agree about the fin depth problems. get that all the time in QLD, can be a real problem. i either head out in the open ocean or sail deep water if it is low tide. i tend to watch the tides just as much as the winds.

Jethrow...

I know that windsurfing Queenlsand allow the nxs formula boards to compete although they aren't isaf registered. i raced mine a few times a couple of years back and yancy races his still. peter who makes the boards also races them when he can.. most of the guys up here are happy to see new faces. so as long as your home made board was a formula design i don't believe they would have a problem. but you should talk to your local club anyways.... the odd thing is the change to boards like the f2 that hardman referred to. seems to be a full circle, raceboard/F42 was ditched to go to formula and now a class that is a morph of the two is happening. can make it very hard for your average joe to keep up with the costs.
Formula is responsible for most of the design changes to boards and sails that are used today. was a real turning point in the sport.

Hi Ducati,

my board is about 3 years old and was 270 long. all of the new nxs formula boards are now 235-240 long and after sailing them it was decided that my nose had to go.

what i have found is that the shorter formula boards are easier to pump onto the plane. this confuses me when i think of waterline length. but is definately the case. the negative side is that shortening the board makes it drop off the plane quicker in the lulls. (less air under the hull)

shortening the board has made a big difference to the amount of control i now have. the board is not as twitchy in the higher wind ranges. i guess there is less nose for the wind to affect and the pivot point of the board has changed.

as a side note. my board is a channel step bottom shape. i have also sailed the flat bottom versions. have always found the flat bottoms to plane a little earlier than the channel bottoms and the flat bottoms to be more twitchy in the higher winds.

you are on the money jethrow, if you want to compete at high levels then you should be getting a board that is an approved model.

i really don't agree with this concept philosophically, if a local board manufacturer can build a formula board that is within class then they should not be penillised because they haven't sold a certain number of boards. really means it is geared towards the big manufacturers. though that is a totally diferent debate.

i guess where i am coming from is that formula boards are not just suitable for racing. as a recreational board they are loads of fun. for people that live in 8-15knot marginal wind areas i don't believe there is anything better available besides kiting. they don't require 12m sails to be usefull. an 8.5m sail works a treat. and formula boards are very quick. for those that don't want to race but are looking for max exhilaration in light wind i see no better option. the boards can be bought second hand for $600 which is pretty cheap.

rant over. i fell better now.... happy sailing.

The way the international Formula board compliance rules are set out, it really appears they are trying to discourage the individual designers out there and therefore discourage people who want to make their own and get involved. I am yet to see any other open design class to have to go through this. As long as you stay within the dimensions of the class, you should be free to make and compete at all levels. Open it up and get more people involved. Are the big manufacturers really that worried to get beaten by some back yard design?

quote:

---

Originally posted by ducati

..why I reckon when I'm as old as Decrepit I'll be able to drive my wheel chair on board and still go for a sail.

---

I'm not quite that old yet, but I'll keep the thought in mind for when I am!!
Maybe I'd better start work on a wheel chair that floats, I'm bound to loose it overboard at some stage.

ducati, looks like we may be having some formula fun at the next windwanderders bbq.

Lfish, sorry you can't come. will be plenty more none the less.

just noticed qldsalty saying starboard are making a tendem.... yippeee.... they are a blast... i know where there is a custom built one on the sunny caost but not sure if it is sailable. anyone keen?

happy sailing.
gestalt.

Vando...mowing the lawn when thar's 8-12kn blowing AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH spew vomit

Well, I can be oficially counted as a formula sailor. I bought my board (production,of course) on Sunday and should be out there for the start of the summer series.