What kind of equipment do the top freestyle guys use during
practice and in World Cup competitions? How do they tune
their equipment? What kind of thoughts do they have regarding
tuning and the development of new equipment? How much are
they involved in this development? Is the kit they use relevant
to competent sailors who want to start learning some moves?
In windy El Yaque we spoke to Ricardo
Campello, current freestyle world champion,
about his freestyle set up.
How does your kit sail?
What all the top freestyle guys want is to have fun,
and have easy kit to practice on. This is how the kit
sails, and I think this is the same as normal sailors
want their kit to sail.
In El Yaque you always use a particular board
and sail. Is that your favourite combination?
No, you might think that, but it’s not so. The wind
here in El Yaque is perfect most of the time for my
Neil Pryde Expression custom 5.0 and the JP
Freestyle 100, so that’s what I use. At night I will
leave that equipment at the hire center and it will be
there until the next session.
And your JP Freestyle 100 is better then all the
custom-made shapes that are available to you?
Yes, in as far as that the production board’s shape
is perfect for me, but the weight isn’t close enough
to the prototype I use.
I had the pleasure to use your equipment and I
have to say it, it was awesome! The individual rig
and board components are perfectly adjusted
and balanced with each other. It was noticeable
that in low to middle winds range (for a 5.0m sail)
you have to shift to the front part of the board in
order to get the best board tuning. And now I see
you with a 5.0 in winds below 12knots.
That’s correct. Sometimes the winds look stronger
than they really are, so I take out the 5.0m, which is a
bit too small, instead of a larger sail. I don’t have any
stickers on the 5.2. If I were sailing around and my
sponsors were to see that I would be in big trouble!
Underpowered sailing is pretty impressive on
your freestyle board; it seems to glide through
lulls really well. The boom feels really high
though; did you copy that from your team
colleague Jason Polakow?
You’d think that, but what Jason needs for riding the
waves doesn’t have anything to do with freestyle
moves. I just like this height because it’s more
comfortable even when just windsurfing in straight
lines. I windsurf with 28” harness lines. I think a
higher boom gives more control when doing the
freestyle moves and that’s really it.
And when do you use your JP custom-made
boards? After all, they seem to get a bit dusty
just lying around the center not getting used!
I use the board prototypes just before and during
the world cup competitions. I need these things for
the contests themselves! I don’t want to break them
practicing moves on them.
What’s the difference between the production
boards and your large custom-made board?
The production 100L board is more stable (Ricardo
falls off the chair as it breaks). That is, I can practice
new moves without constantly having to concentrate
on the landing. The board holds up all my moves,
unlike this chair. But seriously, I haven’t broken a
standard board in ages even though I am on the
water all day, every day, giving it 100%. When I am
out there, then I always push it and go the limit.
And in any case, the production board gives me
what I expect from a board. It basically is “my
shape” and compared to the prototypes it slides
even a bit better. The proto with a lower weight has
better glide characteristics and in contests I can do
my moves even faster and higher. Or, to describe it
differently, I can do the moves more explosively.
Your 5.0m custom Expression sail seems to be
the only one you ever use here at El Yaque.
It’s my favorite sail size, because it’s not too big and
not too small and because this size often feels so
powerful. And, it’s light in weight and good in every
aspect for maneuvers. The only reason that it’s not
in series is that it is not part of the Expression line. I
use the entire sail line from 6.9m down to 4.2m, with
custom Expressions down to 3.3m, the really small
sizes just get used in Gran Canaria and the really
big Expressions perhaps in Bonaire.
I haven’t used other sails from Neil Pryde because
the Expressions are perfect for me, even when
wavesailing. I have a 5.7 made of super light carbon
that might come into series next year. I use the sail
sizes 6.1/6.5/6.9 only in World Cup competition, and
the 5.0 here at El Yaque when the winds are F4-6.
And in most cases I just keep surfing even when the
wind eases up.
How many boards do you hide behind the
surfstation?
Well, first of all the production JP 100 and 91
freestyle boards, and also some custom freestyle
boards, 105, 95, 85 and, uh, I have to think…three,
no four JP Custom Waveboards. I’ve got two for
sideshore conditions and two for side-on-shore
conditions. I use the larger board with 5.3 and
smaller; the smaller board with a 5.0 and smaller.
Once a year I get a new JP production boards and
twice a year I get new custom boards. I can say that
I have a lot of equipment, but in order to have fun
and practice here at El Yaque, I only need one
board and two sails.
The extra boards are just to make sure I have
exactly the right kit for competitions.
Fins?
I only use two fins when freestyling! I’m using MFC
ones as you can see. Not long ago I sawed off
some freestyle fins in order to get better settings. I
really should look after my fins more though.
The former world champion Björn Dunkerbeck
had huge teams that developed new material for
him. And with two titles now you don’t think it
necessary to test new material?
Well, a little bit at least. The experiences with
custom sails and boards flow into the evaluations
for the production equipment.
Speaking of awesome freestyle windsurfing, what
are your favorite new moves?
Hey, wow, just yesterday I landed my first switchstance-
shaka! I can do this one now windsurfing out
against the choppy water. I practiced this move with
Gollito a few times further out.
One last question concerning your “equipment”:
Rumours have it that you have “big wheels” on
your pick-up, because your buddy Cheo had
some before you.
No way, I got those wheels because I think they are
fresh and not because Cheo has some. I choose
my own equipment, not copy others!
1 Mayıs 2009 Cuma
Cambridge University Windsurfing Club
The Cambridge “Springfield” windsurfing event
kicked off with the usual bang and a night of
partying at Churchill College. Congrats to Imperial
College who were so keen to arrive they turned up
before the Cambridge crew. Put student windsurfers
together in a room with a charity fashion show and
sell them wine at £3.20 a bottle and you can
imagine the carnage that ensued.
Despite all odds, everyone turned up at Grafham
Water and was rigged and ready to go by eleven.
Unpacking kit in the snow has to be one of those
things you don’t do too often (yet alone 2 weekends
in a row!). Respect to beginners who spent far more
time in the water than the advanced fleet.
No more touching the buoys meant a break for the
traditional slalom and in with the GPS units, kindly
provided by Navman Sport tools. Scores were
based on individual best speeds only. Top speeds
were being hit all day despite dubious wind
conditions. Top sailor in the Techno speed
challenge was Crispy(Cam) with 19knts, with Dylan
Watt(Soton) and Ed(Cam) in joint second. Joanna
took third overall and first lady. The home built
Techno hydrofoil overtook the rest, but unfortunately
wasn’t caught on GPS.
General frivolity continued with curry and a party at
Jesus College. The Simpson’s theme prompted the
generous adornment of yellow face paint, blue hair
dye and green glow sticks. It wasn’t long before the
face paint had been redistributed and everyone was
covered in glowing goo. No one can remember who
won the boat race (although I’m sure it was
Imperial), but I think we can assume that a good
time was had by all.
Punting on Sunday morning was of course
compulsory. Sheepish looks from those who
remember the previous nights activities and
hangovers all round. Bridge jumping on your first
punting trip is a must and in true windsurfing style
it was done naked. Tom from Nottingham – you
have a nice bum.
Bacon was needed before anyone could face the
reservoir in the afternoon and the water was
braved by those too hardcore to submit to the
Saturday top speeds. Awesome prizes were
dished out by event sponsors Riks windsurfing
and everyone went home happy!
kicked off with the usual bang and a night of
partying at Churchill College. Congrats to Imperial
College who were so keen to arrive they turned up
before the Cambridge crew. Put student windsurfers
together in a room with a charity fashion show and
sell them wine at £3.20 a bottle and you can
imagine the carnage that ensued.
Despite all odds, everyone turned up at Grafham
Water and was rigged and ready to go by eleven.
Unpacking kit in the snow has to be one of those
things you don’t do too often (yet alone 2 weekends
in a row!). Respect to beginners who spent far more
time in the water than the advanced fleet.
No more touching the buoys meant a break for the
traditional slalom and in with the GPS units, kindly
provided by Navman Sport tools. Scores were
based on individual best speeds only. Top speeds
were being hit all day despite dubious wind
conditions. Top sailor in the Techno speed
challenge was Crispy(Cam) with 19knts, with Dylan
Watt(Soton) and Ed(Cam) in joint second. Joanna
took third overall and first lady. The home built
Techno hydrofoil overtook the rest, but unfortunately
wasn’t caught on GPS.
General frivolity continued with curry and a party at
Jesus College. The Simpson’s theme prompted the
generous adornment of yellow face paint, blue hair
dye and green glow sticks. It wasn’t long before the
face paint had been redistributed and everyone was
covered in glowing goo. No one can remember who
won the boat race (although I’m sure it was
Imperial), but I think we can assume that a good
time was had by all.
Punting on Sunday morning was of course
compulsory. Sheepish looks from those who
remember the previous nights activities and
hangovers all round. Bridge jumping on your first
punting trip is a must and in true windsurfing style
it was done naked. Tom from Nottingham – you
have a nice bum.
Bacon was needed before anyone could face the
reservoir in the afternoon and the water was
braved by those too hardcore to submit to the
Saturday top speeds. Awesome prizes were
dished out by event sponsors Riks windsurfing
and everyone went home happy!
Liverpool University Windsurfing Club
People started arriving fairly early from the
pilgrimage north, even Southampton arrived
relatively early, and were clearly the most
intoxicated. Sign up was brief with a free event
easyrig for all, and plenty of drinking.
Saturday morning was a cold start, 2 days of snow
was still lying in drifts around the lake. This didn’t
stop the racing for advanced and intermediates
starting with gusto, with tuition for the beginners.
The wind was marginal planning for division 1, on
Technos and Tushingham Express 7.5s. Despite the
cold, the sun stayed out all day to keep the worst of
the bite off the northwesterly wind. After wrapping up
the day with an exciting ‘race off’ for the Intermediate
crown, we decamped back to hosts’ houses to ‘doll’
up in Willy Wonka fancy dress theme.
The SWA has a legendary status for totally
outrageous costumes, constructed from little more
than cardboard boxes and duck tape. Liverpool was
no exception, with Oompa-loompas and students
packed into giant chocolate wrappers. After dinner,
the windsurfers went for a chocolate fountain
dessert, ending the night in the Blue Angel club, the
local for the LUWC crew. A special word should go
to Chloe, our illustrious president, for safeguarding
relations with Tushingham and Starboard for the
imminent future.
Sunday morning was a rather belated start but gave
advent to the disappearance of the snow, and some
WIND!!! Rigging began with a rather faulting
enthusiasm as people prepared for the freestyle and
speed competitions. People also had a chance for a
spot of free sailing, with loads of awesome,
spanking new demo kit kindly looked after by Martin
from Tushingham and Starboard, and advice from
the resident guru ‘Big Mike’. The freestyle began
with some ‘new skool’ gecko tricks, and as the wind
began to freshen, plenty of planning flicky spinny
manoeuvres. A short pause was allowed prior to the
final as a huge front appeared on the horizon.
As the wind freshened the sailors hit the water,
performing some spine wrenching manoeuvres, a
huge hit with the watching spectators.
The speed sailing wasn’t quite as successful with
the top speed of the weekend; 14.5 knots, less than
half of last year, yet well deserved considering the
conditions. With the sailing all done, the wind finally
gave up the ghost just as the prizes were being
presented. These included two wetsuits from
Typhoon; a quiver bag, deck plate and mast foot
from Tushy; and hoodys and t-shirts from 604
distributions and SAS.
The whole weekend was a huge success and
helped raise money for Surfers Against Sewage,
and was completely carbon neutral. A big thanks
goes out to all our helpers, Neil from Surf-Tech and
all our sponsors.
pilgrimage north, even Southampton arrived
relatively early, and were clearly the most
intoxicated. Sign up was brief with a free event
easyrig for all, and plenty of drinking.
Saturday morning was a cold start, 2 days of snow
was still lying in drifts around the lake. This didn’t
stop the racing for advanced and intermediates
starting with gusto, with tuition for the beginners.
The wind was marginal planning for division 1, on
Technos and Tushingham Express 7.5s. Despite the
cold, the sun stayed out all day to keep the worst of
the bite off the northwesterly wind. After wrapping up
the day with an exciting ‘race off’ for the Intermediate
crown, we decamped back to hosts’ houses to ‘doll’
up in Willy Wonka fancy dress theme.
The SWA has a legendary status for totally
outrageous costumes, constructed from little more
than cardboard boxes and duck tape. Liverpool was
no exception, with Oompa-loompas and students
packed into giant chocolate wrappers. After dinner,
the windsurfers went for a chocolate fountain
dessert, ending the night in the Blue Angel club, the
local for the LUWC crew. A special word should go
to Chloe, our illustrious president, for safeguarding
relations with Tushingham and Starboard for the
imminent future.
Sunday morning was a rather belated start but gave
advent to the disappearance of the snow, and some
WIND!!! Rigging began with a rather faulting
enthusiasm as people prepared for the freestyle and
speed competitions. People also had a chance for a
spot of free sailing, with loads of awesome,
spanking new demo kit kindly looked after by Martin
from Tushingham and Starboard, and advice from
the resident guru ‘Big Mike’. The freestyle began
with some ‘new skool’ gecko tricks, and as the wind
began to freshen, plenty of planning flicky spinny
manoeuvres. A short pause was allowed prior to the
final as a huge front appeared on the horizon.
As the wind freshened the sailors hit the water,
performing some spine wrenching manoeuvres, a
huge hit with the watching spectators.
The speed sailing wasn’t quite as successful with
the top speed of the weekend; 14.5 knots, less than
half of last year, yet well deserved considering the
conditions. With the sailing all done, the wind finally
gave up the ghost just as the prizes were being
presented. These included two wetsuits from
Typhoon; a quiver bag, deck plate and mast foot
from Tushy; and hoodys and t-shirts from 604
distributions and SAS.
The whole weekend was a huge success and
helped raise money for Surfers Against Sewage,
and was completely carbon neutral. A big thanks
goes out to all our helpers, Neil from Surf-Tech and
all our sponsors.
RUTH ELLIOTT interview
BACKGROUND
Where’s home?
I am currently living in Rhosneigr, North Wales, its cool, and
I’m only 5 minutes from the beach so no stressing over if it
is windy, I can just look out the window!
At what age did you first windsurf?
19
Where did you learn?
I was working at sailing schools teaching dinghy sailing
and decided it wasn’t that interesting sailing round in circles
for hours to see who came first. So whilst working at
Pitsford Reservoir, Northampton, I got the basic windsurfing
triangle under my belt. I go back there every Christmas to
see my family and get to chat to some inland gromits who
are always lovely to me.
Did you have lessons or were you self-taught?
I’m mostly self-taught in that I’ve never had any specific
lessons, but saying that I’ve had a huge amount of help on
the way from other instructors, sailors and friends (thanks).
I tend to only listen to people who I think look good on the
water, and since I sail with some of the best in Rhossy,
there’s quite a lot of choice.
COMPETING
At what age did you start competing?
22.
What were your initial impressions of competition?
Competition is great as it makes you try stuff you wouldn’t
normally do, and subsequently learn more…. only problem
is it makes me incredibly nervous! I couldn’t beach start in
my first heat I was so paranoid about people on the beach
watching me.
Which circuits are you competing in today?
UKWA Wave and Freestyle and I also entered my first PWA
competition this year
Have you noticed a change in the standard of competition?
The women’s competition has really improved the last 2
years which is fantastic, and you can’t hold back any more
and play it safe in heats. You just have to go for it
regardless of the risks.
What do you think the future holds?
I’m going to compete on the PWA Wave and Super cross
circuit this year for the first time. I love gales and big waves,
and my 3.4m is one of my favourite sails, so competing in
the Canaries is perfect for me.
RESULTS
What are your results to date?
1st Tiree Triple Crown 2005
1st British Indoor 2004 and 2005
1st British Wave 2004
2nd Triple Crown 2003 and 2004
Dominican Republic Slalom Champ 2000
(my first competition)
Which are the most prominent and memorable for you?
The first year of the boat show, the atmosphere between
the competitors and in the crowd was amazing. It was a
fantastic feeling to win in front of such a crowd and be
interviewed by the BBC for national TV…. oh yeah, and I
really liked the prize money!
Who has influenced/inspired you in your progress?
It’s great seeing the other women on the water and sailing
with them inspires me to try to stay one-step ahead.
SPONSORSHIP
Who are your sponsors?
Fanatic, Simmer Sails, Techno limits, Sportsresource.org,
Funsport (Rhosneigr), Sola.
How did their support come about?
Bucky at Funsport is one of my best mates and he just likes
to see people sailing at Rhossie whatever the weather. The
Goya support came through Bucky too. They (Goya) were
looking for someone to ride their kit at Rhossie and Bucky
pointed them in my direction … which was nice!
In what way do they aid you in your campaign?
Bucky at Funsport is my official cuppa’s sponsor. Fanatic
lends me some great boards. Simmer have given me all the
sails I could ever need and all in beautiful bright red. Chris
at Sola provides me with a set of wetsuits each year to
keep me toasty warm.
How did you finance the expense of competition prior
to sponsorship?
Sponsorship makes life easier but doesn’t really pay any
expenses. Therefore, until I meet a rich prince (who is
hopefully away on business a lot) I’m left with working. I’m
currently with the Environment Agency and wander the
Welsh countryside filling sample bottles with water.
LIFESTYLE
How often do you sail and where, when not at events?
I sail every time it’s windy and sometimes just when there’s
a little breeze in the air (as long as the sun is out). I mostly
sail at Rhosneigr and Plas Menai on the Menai Straits. I
love the wave sailing in Cape Town and the Canaries are
great as they’re cheap, close and super windy.
Do you train with anyone else on the water?
We’ve got a fantastic crowd in Rhossy, with Phil Horrocks,
Brother Dave, Bucky (Funsport owner), Janine (will be
famous once Harty’s looping videos out), Proffitt, Gopher,
Jamie, Chris… like I said there’s a really good crowd.
Do you train in any other way other than sailing?
Football, I love it…I’m not that talented but it’s great fun,
and my fitness has improved with it, I play most non-windy
Sundays for the local team Llangefni Ladies.
What are you doing whilst not on the water?
Mostly work unfortunately to earn money to go away and
pay for kit. Also, I’m studying with the Open University for
my degree which after 7 long years I may actually achieve
next year some time. I’m usually a good girl but when a few
low pressures systems come in I’m easily distracted from
studying and get myself down to the beach.
AMBITIONS
Which events do you see yourself competing in in
the future?
I would love to compete in the PWA wave event in Pozo,
and if I ever learn how to sail Starboard tack again I’d love
to do an event in Maui. Also fancy playing in the Ladies
Welsh Cup Final… but not sure I can bring myself to go to
footy training when it’s windy though.
What is your ultimate goal in the sport?
To be able to travel and sail as much as possible.
Obviously, it would be nice to take down one of the
Morenos or Jaggi in a comp, but I might need a bit of luck
to achieve that (like they break both legs and lose all their
kit at sea in the first minute of the heat). But if you don’t
dream…
What is the next step for you to take to achieve it?
I need to sail as much as possible so I can kick some arse
on the water. I may get more attention from finally doing the
bikini photo shoot, but I’ve never managed to keep one on
while sailing.
What advice do you have for people that wish to follow in
your footsteps?
Chocolate is good for you…
IN BRIEF
Full name: Ruth Elliott
Date of Birth:
18th July 1978
Place of Birth:
Kettering, Northants
Height: 5.8
Status: Single (but if he
brings me a present back
from Maui I may change
my mind)
Sail Number: K696
Favourite manoeuvre:
Wave riding
Favourite sailing location: Rhosneigr
Biggest influences/inspirations: Karin Jaggi for her
Shakkas this summer
Largest day ever sailed: Platboom, Cape Town
Favourite meal: Strawberries and cream...
Last book you read: Michael Palin – Around the World in
80 days
Last movie you saw: The Aviator, it was rubbish...
Car you would like to own: Metallic purple Japanese
Bongo passion wagon, pimped up to the max
Place you would most like to live: I love living in North
Wales, but if I could get the RAF boys at Rhossy to fly me
out to windy locations every day that would be perfect.
Parents’ occupations: Social Workers
Brothers or sisters? One of 5 (1 boy and 4 girls; he loves
it so don’t feel sorry for him)
Partying factor: 2 (I love drinking and dancing the night
away, I’m just useless at both)
Most valuable possession: My little 69l Fanatic Newwave,
she’s gorgeous
Where’s home?
I am currently living in Rhosneigr, North Wales, its cool, and
I’m only 5 minutes from the beach so no stressing over if it
is windy, I can just look out the window!
At what age did you first windsurf?
19
Where did you learn?
I was working at sailing schools teaching dinghy sailing
and decided it wasn’t that interesting sailing round in circles
for hours to see who came first. So whilst working at
Pitsford Reservoir, Northampton, I got the basic windsurfing
triangle under my belt. I go back there every Christmas to
see my family and get to chat to some inland gromits who
are always lovely to me.
Did you have lessons or were you self-taught?
I’m mostly self-taught in that I’ve never had any specific
lessons, but saying that I’ve had a huge amount of help on
the way from other instructors, sailors and friends (thanks).
I tend to only listen to people who I think look good on the
water, and since I sail with some of the best in Rhossy,
there’s quite a lot of choice.
COMPETING
At what age did you start competing?
22.
What were your initial impressions of competition?
Competition is great as it makes you try stuff you wouldn’t
normally do, and subsequently learn more…. only problem
is it makes me incredibly nervous! I couldn’t beach start in
my first heat I was so paranoid about people on the beach
watching me.
Which circuits are you competing in today?
UKWA Wave and Freestyle and I also entered my first PWA
competition this year
Have you noticed a change in the standard of competition?
The women’s competition has really improved the last 2
years which is fantastic, and you can’t hold back any more
and play it safe in heats. You just have to go for it
regardless of the risks.
What do you think the future holds?
I’m going to compete on the PWA Wave and Super cross
circuit this year for the first time. I love gales and big waves,
and my 3.4m is one of my favourite sails, so competing in
the Canaries is perfect for me.
RESULTS
What are your results to date?
1st Tiree Triple Crown 2005
1st British Indoor 2004 and 2005
1st British Wave 2004
2nd Triple Crown 2003 and 2004
Dominican Republic Slalom Champ 2000
(my first competition)
Which are the most prominent and memorable for you?
The first year of the boat show, the atmosphere between
the competitors and in the crowd was amazing. It was a
fantastic feeling to win in front of such a crowd and be
interviewed by the BBC for national TV…. oh yeah, and I
really liked the prize money!
Who has influenced/inspired you in your progress?
It’s great seeing the other women on the water and sailing
with them inspires me to try to stay one-step ahead.
SPONSORSHIP
Who are your sponsors?
Fanatic, Simmer Sails, Techno limits, Sportsresource.org,
Funsport (Rhosneigr), Sola.
How did their support come about?
Bucky at Funsport is one of my best mates and he just likes
to see people sailing at Rhossie whatever the weather. The
Goya support came through Bucky too. They (Goya) were
looking for someone to ride their kit at Rhossie and Bucky
pointed them in my direction … which was nice!
In what way do they aid you in your campaign?
Bucky at Funsport is my official cuppa’s sponsor. Fanatic
lends me some great boards. Simmer have given me all the
sails I could ever need and all in beautiful bright red. Chris
at Sola provides me with a set of wetsuits each year to
keep me toasty warm.
How did you finance the expense of competition prior
to sponsorship?
Sponsorship makes life easier but doesn’t really pay any
expenses. Therefore, until I meet a rich prince (who is
hopefully away on business a lot) I’m left with working. I’m
currently with the Environment Agency and wander the
Welsh countryside filling sample bottles with water.
LIFESTYLE
How often do you sail and where, when not at events?
I sail every time it’s windy and sometimes just when there’s
a little breeze in the air (as long as the sun is out). I mostly
sail at Rhosneigr and Plas Menai on the Menai Straits. I
love the wave sailing in Cape Town and the Canaries are
great as they’re cheap, close and super windy.
Do you train with anyone else on the water?
We’ve got a fantastic crowd in Rhossy, with Phil Horrocks,
Brother Dave, Bucky (Funsport owner), Janine (will be
famous once Harty’s looping videos out), Proffitt, Gopher,
Jamie, Chris… like I said there’s a really good crowd.
Do you train in any other way other than sailing?
Football, I love it…I’m not that talented but it’s great fun,
and my fitness has improved with it, I play most non-windy
Sundays for the local team Llangefni Ladies.
What are you doing whilst not on the water?
Mostly work unfortunately to earn money to go away and
pay for kit. Also, I’m studying with the Open University for
my degree which after 7 long years I may actually achieve
next year some time. I’m usually a good girl but when a few
low pressures systems come in I’m easily distracted from
studying and get myself down to the beach.
AMBITIONS
Which events do you see yourself competing in in
the future?
I would love to compete in the PWA wave event in Pozo,
and if I ever learn how to sail Starboard tack again I’d love
to do an event in Maui. Also fancy playing in the Ladies
Welsh Cup Final… but not sure I can bring myself to go to
footy training when it’s windy though.
What is your ultimate goal in the sport?
To be able to travel and sail as much as possible.
Obviously, it would be nice to take down one of the
Morenos or Jaggi in a comp, but I might need a bit of luck
to achieve that (like they break both legs and lose all their
kit at sea in the first minute of the heat). But if you don’t
dream…
What is the next step for you to take to achieve it?
I need to sail as much as possible so I can kick some arse
on the water. I may get more attention from finally doing the
bikini photo shoot, but I’ve never managed to keep one on
while sailing.
What advice do you have for people that wish to follow in
your footsteps?
Chocolate is good for you…
IN BRIEF
Full name: Ruth Elliott
Date of Birth:
18th July 1978
Place of Birth:
Kettering, Northants
Height: 5.8
Status: Single (but if he
brings me a present back
from Maui I may change
my mind)
Sail Number: K696
Favourite manoeuvre:
Wave riding
Favourite sailing location: Rhosneigr
Biggest influences/inspirations: Karin Jaggi for her
Shakkas this summer
Largest day ever sailed: Platboom, Cape Town
Favourite meal: Strawberries and cream...
Last book you read: Michael Palin – Around the World in
80 days
Last movie you saw: The Aviator, it was rubbish...
Car you would like to own: Metallic purple Japanese
Bongo passion wagon, pimped up to the max
Place you would most like to live: I love living in North
Wales, but if I could get the RAF boys at Rhossy to fly me
out to windy locations every day that would be perfect.
Parents’ occupations: Social Workers
Brothers or sisters? One of 5 (1 boy and 4 girls; he loves
it so don’t feel sorry for him)
Partying factor: 2 (I love drinking and dancing the night
away, I’m just useless at both)
Most valuable possession: My little 69l Fanatic Newwave,
she’s gorgeous
QUIVERACK LAUNCHES Q-POD PROTOTYPE
South Coast manufacturers of the famous QUIVERACK extreme
sports roofbox, ActionVan, are launching their long awaited new
model, codenamed Q-Pod, in May. The prototype is currently
under construction in their workshops near Chichester. Pictured is
the Quiverack Q-Pod model prior to mould making.
Quiverack was established some 13 years ago and was bought
last year by the extreme sports van conversion company
ActionVan (www.ActionVan.biz) who made plans to develop the
next generation of GRP roofboxes. After teething problems last
summer during the development of the first prototype ActionVan
took on the manufacture themselves. Company director Drew
Wood commented “we are confident we have got the
manufacturing process just right in order to avoid any
compromise on quality while producing a cost effective product
for the market”.
The new roof box will replace the old versions and has been
created to house current mast and board sizes. Its new side
opening door allows the roof box to be opened while the boards
are attached. It will be primarily constructed in GRP but the
development has included exotic materials such as carbon and
Kevlar. A carbon version is planned for later in the year. All
versions will have option of colour coding to your vehicle. Prices
will range from £700 - £950 with a winter sports model due
Autumn.
sports roofbox, ActionVan, are launching their long awaited new
model, codenamed Q-Pod, in May. The prototype is currently
under construction in their workshops near Chichester. Pictured is
the Quiverack Q-Pod model prior to mould making.
Quiverack was established some 13 years ago and was bought
last year by the extreme sports van conversion company
ActionVan (www.ActionVan.biz) who made plans to develop the
next generation of GRP roofboxes. After teething problems last
summer during the development of the first prototype ActionVan
took on the manufacture themselves. Company director Drew
Wood commented “we are confident we have got the
manufacturing process just right in order to avoid any
compromise on quality while producing a cost effective product
for the market”.
The new roof box will replace the old versions and has been
created to house current mast and board sizes. Its new side
opening door allows the roof box to be opened while the boards
are attached. It will be primarily constructed in GRP but the
development has included exotic materials such as carbon and
Kevlar. A carbon version is planned for later in the year. All
versions will have option of colour coding to your vehicle. Prices
will range from £700 - £950 with a winter sports model due
Autumn.
KOMBAT AND ACID
The Kombats are cross-over
convertible boards, designed as a
one-board solution for wave-riding,
dynamic freeriding, and freestyling.
They’re intended to appeal to
advanced windsurfers who ride
waves when the conditions are
right and who like to blast around
at speed or freestyle when the
conditions are flatter. The Kombat’s
domed deck, multiple insert
positions, extra long fin box, and
two interchangeable fins allow
tuning to be optimized between
freeriding and waveriding. The
latest Kombats have faster
rockerlines and a flat-vee
configuration adapted to the
stretched Evo outlines. The result,
claims Starboard is a lighter, faster
and crisper feel to the board. Three
sizes are offered; 86 (241 x 59
cms.), 96(244 x 62 cms.) and 106
(245 x 65.5cms). All three are
offered with Drake Freeride fins in a
US box which is extra long for
more flexible trimming. Pure Acid is
a classic wave board designed for
those who like a fast and precise
wave riding style with a direct
carving feel. While they suit a
narrower range of conditions, the
Acids are optimised for pure
sideshore wave riding. This year,
the all new line of Pure Acids were
developed with Kevin Pritchard (for
the 80 and 86 sizes) and with Levi
Siver (for the 73 size). The new 80
and 86 are slightly wider for more
versatility and to cover a wider
wind range.
The 73 is based on the acclaimed
2005 Acid 70, but with an outline
between an Evo and an Acid.
Extra wide and round, the Pure
Acid 73 has a flowing character like
the Evo but with greater speed from
its fast rocker.
Tushingham Sails are the importers.
convertible boards, designed as a
one-board solution for wave-riding,
dynamic freeriding, and freestyling.
They’re intended to appeal to
advanced windsurfers who ride
waves when the conditions are
right and who like to blast around
at speed or freestyle when the
conditions are flatter. The Kombat’s
domed deck, multiple insert
positions, extra long fin box, and
two interchangeable fins allow
tuning to be optimized between
freeriding and waveriding. The
latest Kombats have faster
rockerlines and a flat-vee
configuration adapted to the
stretched Evo outlines. The result,
claims Starboard is a lighter, faster
and crisper feel to the board. Three
sizes are offered; 86 (241 x 59
cms.), 96(244 x 62 cms.) and 106
(245 x 65.5cms). All three are
offered with Drake Freeride fins in a
US box which is extra long for
more flexible trimming. Pure Acid is
a classic wave board designed for
those who like a fast and precise
wave riding style with a direct
carving feel. While they suit a
narrower range of conditions, the
Acids are optimised for pure
sideshore wave riding. This year,
the all new line of Pure Acids were
developed with Kevin Pritchard (for
the 80 and 86 sizes) and with Levi
Siver (for the 73 size). The new 80
and 86 are slightly wider for more
versatility and to cover a wider
wind range.
The 73 is based on the acclaimed
2005 Acid 70, but with an outline
between an Evo and an Acid.
Extra wide and round, the Pure
Acid 73 has a flowing character like
the Evo but with greater speed from
its fast rocker.
Tushingham Sails are the importers.
extra performance from your fin
If you’re looking for some extra performance from your fin or just replacing a chipped one that you managed to rip off on a sand bar or reef, the new Select range might just have the very thing. The Select range has been recently released and has over twenty different fin lines in the range. They will fit
Standard US, Powerbox, or standard and deep Tuttle boxes which are now being seen fitted to more boards as slalom boards become more common place again. Select fins are imported by Total Option. Select have been in the windsurfing business for many years and this marks their 20th collection and as you can see from their clever bit of morphing, they are available for all of the main windsurfing disciplines.
Standard US, Powerbox, or standard and deep Tuttle boxes which are now being seen fitted to more boards as slalom boards become more common place again. Select fins are imported by Total Option. Select have been in the windsurfing business for many years and this marks their 20th collection and as you can see from their clever bit of morphing, they are available for all of the main windsurfing disciplines.
F2 Missile XS
The new F2 Missile XS claims to be
the lightest production
board in existence. It
weighs under 4 kilos and
has more than a passing
similarity to Finian
Maynard’s and Karin
Jaggis’s speed board. In
fact F2 say that the rocker
line and outline are direct
copies of the custom
boards used by the pair in
the World record runs. The board also has similar double concaves and boxy
rails, which allow easier starting of this very low volume board, like the
originals. The rest of the spec pretty well sums up the uses of the board. It’s
made in carbon sandwich, hence the lack of weight, measures 223 x 43 cms
and has a volume of 54 litres. The fin range is 22 to 28 cms in a Tuttle box
and the intended sail range is 4.5 to 6.4 square metres. The new 2007 model
has been rushed out in time for the opening of the Canal at Sts. Marie de la
Mer, France and the start of the next record breaking attempts – remember
the goal is fifty knots plus. A larger version available in July will have air pipes
like the F2 SX and adjustable cut-outs.
www.604distribution.com
the lightest production
board in existence. It
weighs under 4 kilos and
has more than a passing
similarity to Finian
Maynard’s and Karin
Jaggis’s speed board. In
fact F2 say that the rocker
line and outline are direct
copies of the custom
boards used by the pair in
the World record runs. The board also has similar double concaves and boxy
rails, which allow easier starting of this very low volume board, like the
originals. The rest of the spec pretty well sums up the uses of the board. It’s
made in carbon sandwich, hence the lack of weight, measures 223 x 43 cms
and has a volume of 54 litres. The fin range is 22 to 28 cms in a Tuttle box
and the intended sail range is 4.5 to 6.4 square metres. The new 2007 model
has been rushed out in time for the opening of the Canal at Sts. Marie de la
Mer, France and the start of the next record breaking attempts – remember
the goal is fifty knots plus. A larger version available in July will have air pipes
like the F2 SX and adjustable cut-outs.
www.604distribution.com
new PWA rules
The new PWA rules for racing mean that production race sails have to
be registered at the start of the coming season.
Neil Pryde recently released their latest evolution of the RS series of
racing sails, the RS6. The sail features an entirely new design layout,
with improved luff sleeve design and batten layout, which Neil Pryde
claim gives a more dynamic leach twist, creating a more stable and
forgiving sail. The RS6 has already dominated the 2005 Formula
Windsurfing World Championships, winning both the men’s and
women’s title.
Neil Pryde are about to launch a new freerace sail to sit between the
RS6 and the V8. More on this when we have it...
be registered at the start of the coming season.
Neil Pryde recently released their latest evolution of the RS series of
racing sails, the RS6. The sail features an entirely new design layout,
with improved luff sleeve design and batten layout, which Neil Pryde
claim gives a more dynamic leach twist, creating a more stable and
forgiving sail. The RS6 has already dominated the 2005 Formula
Windsurfing World Championships, winning both the men’s and
women’s title.
Neil Pryde are about to launch a new freerace sail to sit between the
RS6 and the V8. More on this when we have it...
Fanatic new raceboards
Fanatic have just released details of two new raceboards, one aimed at
slalom, the other at speed. Shaped by Sebastian Wenzel, the Falcon Slalom
80 is a 55cm wide high wind slalom design for the most challenging slalom
conditions, while the Falcon Speed is a dedicated 48cm wide speed board
for both flat and choppy water speed runs.
The Falcon Slalom 80 and Falcon Speed are “early release” models for the
2006/7 line and will stay within the Fanatic line-up for 18 months until
September 2007. Both shapes are also registered and eligible for use in
PWA, ISA and ISAF events as fully registered production boards.
The boards will be available in the shops around May/June and online on
www.fanatic.com around mid May. 604 Distribution
slalom, the other at speed. Shaped by Sebastian Wenzel, the Falcon Slalom
80 is a 55cm wide high wind slalom design for the most challenging slalom
conditions, while the Falcon Speed is a dedicated 48cm wide speed board
for both flat and choppy water speed runs.
The Falcon Slalom 80 and Falcon Speed are “early release” models for the
2006/7 line and will stay within the Fanatic line-up for 18 months until
September 2007. Both shapes are also registered and eligible for use in
PWA, ISA and ISAF events as fully registered production boards.
The boards will be available in the shops around May/June and online on
www.fanatic.com around mid May. 604 Distribution
Windtek windsurf school
Windtek windsurf school is based at the
new Olympic sailing academy in
Weymouth. With consistent wind, some
of the flattest, fastest, sea sailing in the
UK and waves close at hand Weymouth
is a windsurfer’s paradise. The school
has highly experienced instructors who
are on hand to ensure your first steps are
painless and enjoyable or to coach you
on the finer points of more advanced
manoeuvres using modern coaching
techniques and video feedback. Utilising
brand new kit from F2, Mistral, Fanatic
and North, lessons are fun yet
guaranteed to push you if you so desire.
All ages and abilities are catered for.
Individual bookings are welcomed or
groups such as stag parties and
corporate events can be customised to
your exact requirements. Kit hire is
available for all levels this year. Take out
one of their ready rigged sails and
boards and be confident that the safety
boat is on hand so you can sail with
confidence. Alternatively bring your own
kit and for a small charge they’ll provide
rescue cover.
Windtek Team 15 will be starting another
season after Easter, meeting on Tuesday
evenings. Demo day 3-4th of June with
Tushingham, Starboard, JP, F2,
Sailworks, Mistral, Fanatic, North and
other brands to be confirmed will all be
represented at this weekend of
entertainment. There will be free beginner
taster sessions available for the family,
advanced technique clinics, as well as
some fun racing and the chance to try
out the new Neil Pryde RSX and the F2
Lightning. For more info feel free to give
the guys a shout on 01305 787900 or
email info@windtek.co.uk
By the way the photo is of one of the
Windtek boys having fun. We think that
the hill in the background is not Portland
Heights, nor do we believe this is
Weymouth! Punta Preta perhaps?
new Olympic sailing academy in
Weymouth. With consistent wind, some
of the flattest, fastest, sea sailing in the
UK and waves close at hand Weymouth
is a windsurfer’s paradise. The school
has highly experienced instructors who
are on hand to ensure your first steps are
painless and enjoyable or to coach you
on the finer points of more advanced
manoeuvres using modern coaching
techniques and video feedback. Utilising
brand new kit from F2, Mistral, Fanatic
and North, lessons are fun yet
guaranteed to push you if you so desire.
All ages and abilities are catered for.
Individual bookings are welcomed or
groups such as stag parties and
corporate events can be customised to
your exact requirements. Kit hire is
available for all levels this year. Take out
one of their ready rigged sails and
boards and be confident that the safety
boat is on hand so you can sail with
confidence. Alternatively bring your own
kit and for a small charge they’ll provide
rescue cover.
Windtek Team 15 will be starting another
season after Easter, meeting on Tuesday
evenings. Demo day 3-4th of June with
Tushingham, Starboard, JP, F2,
Sailworks, Mistral, Fanatic, North and
other brands to be confirmed will all be
represented at this weekend of
entertainment. There will be free beginner
taster sessions available for the family,
advanced technique clinics, as well as
some fun racing and the chance to try
out the new Neil Pryde RSX and the F2
Lightning. For more info feel free to give
the guys a shout on 01305 787900 or
email info@windtek.co.uk
By the way the photo is of one of the
Windtek boys having fun. We think that
the hill in the background is not Portland
Heights, nor do we believe this is
Weymouth! Punta Preta perhaps?
Used sail sale
Prices for Used Sails
12.2 Tush formula 03 £99
11.5 Tush formula 03 £99
11.5 Gaastra Nitro3 03 £99
10.0 Arrows Dragster 03 £99
9.8 Pryde RS 00 £99
9.7 Arrows T-Force 01 £99
9.6 Tush Formula 03 £99
9.5 Sailworks Retro 01 £99
9.1 Arrows Duell 99 £49
8.6 Arrows Dragster 03 £99
8.5 Severne C2 04 £149
8.3 Gaastra Swift 05 £175
8.2 Arrows T-Force 01 £99
8.0 Pryde V8 00 £49
7.8 North Crossfire 03 £99
7.5 Pryde Solo 05 £199
7.5 Severne C2 04 £149
7.3 North Trans Am 01 £99
7.0 Severne NCX 04 £149
7.0 Arrows Dragster 03 £129
7.0 Arrows Blast 03 £129
6.9 Arrows Burner 02 £99
6.5 Tush Heckler 01 £89
6.5 Gaastra Matrix 05 £179
6.4 Severne S2 04 £149
6.4 Gaastra Remedy 06 £249
6.0 Gaastra Remedy 05 £189
6.0 Gaastra Pilot 05 £149
6.0 Gaastra Echo 05 £179
6.0 Arrows Trixx 02 £99
5.8 Arrows Zest 03 £99
5.7 Severne S1 wave 04 £129
5.3 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
5.2 Arrows Trixx 03 £99
5.0 North Superstar 04 £149
5.0 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
5.0 Gaastra Manic 04 £159
5.0 Arrows Impact 03 £99
4.7 Space Dog 03 £69
4.7 Arrows Aeriel 01 £69
4.7 Arrows Aeriel 03 £99
4.7 Arrows Impact 03 £99
4.5 Gaastra Poison 04 £159
4.5 Severne Blade 04 £149
4.5 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.4 Arrows Impact 02 £89
4.4 Arrows Aeriel 02 £89
4.2 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.2 Ezzy Transformer 01 £89
4.0 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.0 Gaastra Poison 04 £129
4.0 Arrows Zest 03 £99
4.0 Arrows Impact 03 £99
3.7 Pryde Zone 01 £99
3.5 Ezzy Wave 00 £99
3.5 North Voodoo 03 £129
12.2 Tush formula 03 £99
11.5 Tush formula 03 £99
11.5 Gaastra Nitro3 03 £99
10.0 Arrows Dragster 03 £99
9.8 Pryde RS 00 £99
9.7 Arrows T-Force 01 £99
9.6 Tush Formula 03 £99
9.5 Sailworks Retro 01 £99
9.1 Arrows Duell 99 £49
8.6 Arrows Dragster 03 £99
8.5 Severne C2 04 £149
8.3 Gaastra Swift 05 £175
8.2 Arrows T-Force 01 £99
8.0 Pryde V8 00 £49
7.8 North Crossfire 03 £99
7.5 Pryde Solo 05 £199
7.5 Severne C2 04 £149
7.3 North Trans Am 01 £99
7.0 Severne NCX 04 £149
7.0 Arrows Dragster 03 £129
7.0 Arrows Blast 03 £129
6.9 Arrows Burner 02 £99
6.5 Tush Heckler 01 £89
6.5 Gaastra Matrix 05 £179
6.4 Severne S2 04 £149
6.4 Gaastra Remedy 06 £249
6.0 Gaastra Remedy 05 £189
6.0 Gaastra Pilot 05 £149
6.0 Gaastra Echo 05 £179
6.0 Arrows Trixx 02 £99
5.8 Arrows Zest 03 £99
5.7 Severne S1 wave 04 £129
5.3 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
5.2 Arrows Trixx 03 £99
5.0 North Superstar 04 £149
5.0 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
5.0 Gaastra Manic 04 £159
5.0 Arrows Impact 03 £99
4.7 Space Dog 03 £69
4.7 Arrows Aeriel 01 £69
4.7 Arrows Aeriel 03 £99
4.7 Arrows Impact 03 £99
4.5 Gaastra Poison 04 £159
4.5 Severne Blade 04 £149
4.5 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.4 Arrows Impact 02 £89
4.4 Arrows Aeriel 02 £89
4.2 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.2 Ezzy Transformer 01 £89
4.0 Gaastra Manic 05 £189
4.0 Gaastra Poison 04 £129
4.0 Arrows Zest 03 £99
4.0 Arrows Impact 03 £99
3.7 Pryde Zone 01 £99
3.5 Ezzy Wave 00 £99
3.5 North Voodoo 03 £129
SUITS SPECIAL OFFERS
We spotted some special offers for surfers.
NEIL PRYDE
E3 5000, FLUID WELD,
5/3 MENS & LADIES
£239.95
SOLA
FIRE LADIES 5/3
BACKUP SYSTEM
£139.99
NEIL PRYDE
DRY ZIP 4000
MESH 5/3 STEAMER
MENS & LADIES
£249.95
GUL
LIQUID SEAM 5/3
STEAMER BACK UP
SYSTEM
£170.00
O’NEILL
PSYCHO I, 5/3 FLUID
SEAM BACK UP SYSTEM
DURABLE
£199
SOLA
ENERGY 5/3
BLINDSTICHED
STEAMER
£99
O’NEILL
EPIC 5/3 BLINDSTICHED
STEAMER
MENS & LADIES
£119.95
NEIL PRYDE
‘04 2000 SHORT ARM
3/2 MENS & LADIES
was £89.95 now £49
GUL
LIQUID SEAM DRY ZIP
STEAMER,
MESH, 5/3
was £249.95
now £199
NEIL PRYDE
E3 5000, FLUID WELD,
5/3 MENS & LADIES
£239.95
SOLA
FIRE LADIES 5/3
BACKUP SYSTEM
£139.99
NEIL PRYDE
DRY ZIP 4000
MESH 5/3 STEAMER
MENS & LADIES
£249.95
GUL
LIQUID SEAM 5/3
STEAMER BACK UP
SYSTEM
£170.00
O’NEILL
PSYCHO I, 5/3 FLUID
SEAM BACK UP SYSTEM
DURABLE
£199
SOLA
ENERGY 5/3
BLINDSTICHED
STEAMER
£99
O’NEILL
EPIC 5/3 BLINDSTICHED
STEAMER
MENS & LADIES
£119.95
NEIL PRYDE
‘04 2000 SHORT ARM
3/2 MENS & LADIES
was £89.95 now £49
GUL
LIQUID SEAM DRY ZIP
STEAMER,
MESH, 5/3
was £249.95
now £199
BOARD BAGS AND QUIVER BAGS
Block Bag Roller
New ‘widestyle’ rig
bag, semi rigid, fits
up to 6 sails,
3 booms, 3 masts:
£79.95
Pat Love ONE SHOT BAG, Fits
one board up to 250cm, long
upto 3 sails two masts and a
boom all in one bag, 15mm
padding with 25mm in nose and
tail area, long shoulder straps
£99.95
Vario Quiver, fits 4 sails, 2
masts, H/D zips,
tensioning straps & carry
handles, H/D denier: £39.95
Double, 250cm long, 270cm double
board bag. 25mm padded sidewall,
50mm padding in nose and tail,
board seperator, carrying handles:
£139.95 or with wheels £159.95
Tanker, 270cm long, takes 2
boards, sails, mast, boom, the
ultimate airline bag. 25mm padded
sidewall, 50mm padding in nose
and tail, board seperator, carrying
handles:
£159.95 or with wheels £179.95
8mm padded, 12mm Nose and tail
with Zip Protection:
from £49.95
Roller Master semi ridged bag fits 5
sails, 3 masts in individual sleeves,
padded base, anti crush design, H/D
denier, shoulder & carry straps:
£69.95 or with wheels £79.95
New ‘widestyle’ rig
bag, semi rigid, fits
up to 6 sails,
3 booms, 3 masts:
£79.95
Pat Love ONE SHOT BAG, Fits
one board up to 250cm, long
upto 3 sails two masts and a
boom all in one bag, 15mm
padding with 25mm in nose and
tail area, long shoulder straps
£99.95
Vario Quiver, fits 4 sails, 2
masts, H/D zips,
tensioning straps & carry
handles, H/D denier: £39.95
Double, 250cm long, 270cm double
board bag. 25mm padded sidewall,
50mm padding in nose and tail,
board seperator, carrying handles:
£139.95 or with wheels £159.95
Tanker, 270cm long, takes 2
boards, sails, mast, boom, the
ultimate airline bag. 25mm padded
sidewall, 50mm padding in nose
and tail, board seperator, carrying
handles:
£159.95 or with wheels £179.95
8mm padded, 12mm Nose and tail
with Zip Protection:
from £49.95
Roller Master semi ridged bag fits 5
sails, 3 masts in individual sleeves,
padded base, anti crush design, H/D
denier, shoulder & carry straps:
£69.95 or with wheels £79.95
SAIL CLEARANCE LIST
SIZE BRAND MODEL YEAR RRP SALE
2.9 NEIL PRYDE CORE 2004 £335.00 £229.00
2.9 GAASTRA MANIC 2003 £299.00 £179.00
3.5 TUSHINGHAM STORM 2005 £249.00 £199.00
4.2 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £362.00 £253.00
4.2 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £363.00 £290.00
4.2 NORTH INSTINCT 2004 £335.00 £235.00
4.5 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £365.00 £255.00
4.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £205.00 £164.00
4.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £244.00 £195.00
4.5 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £359.00 £250.00
4.5 NORTH SUPERSTAR 2005 £359.00 £287.00
4.7 NEIL PRYDE COMBAT 2005 £405.00 £324.00
4.7 ARROWS IMPACT 2005 £299.00 £239.00
4.7 NORTH SUPERSTAR 2005 £369.00 £295.00
4.7 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £365.00 £255.00
4.7 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £369.00 £295.00
4.7 GAASTARA MANIC 2004 £369.00 £258.00
4.7 NORTH INSTINCT 2005 £345.00 £276.00
4.75 TUSHINGHAM STROM 2005 £275.00 £220.00
5.0 ARROWS FLIGHT 2005 £289.00 £230.00
5.0 GAASTRA MANIC 2005 £379.00 £303.00
5.0 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £375.00 £262.00
5.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £249.00 £199.00
5.25 TUSH STORM 2005 £189.00 £230.00
5.4 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £186.00 £309.00
5.4 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £159.00 £250.00
5.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £225.00 £180.00
5.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £257.00 £205.00
5.75 TUSH STORM 2005 £299.00 £239.00
5.75 TUSH STORM 2005 £299.00 £239.00
5.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
5.9 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £329.00 £230.00
6.0 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.0 NEIL PRYDE SOLO 2005 £325.00 £260.00
6.0 GAASTRA ECHO 2005 £368.00 £294.00
6.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £261.00 £208.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £285.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £235.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £225.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £235.00 £188.00
6.2 NEIL PRYDE SEARCH 2005 £365.00 £292.00
6.2 NEIL PRYDE SABER 2004 £349.00 £244.00
6.3 GAASTRA PULSE 2003 £335.00 £198.00
6.4 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £339.00 £237.00
6.4 ARROWS TRIXX 2003 £309.00 £185.00
6.4 NORTH DISCO 2005 £365.00 £292.00
6.4 NORTH DISCO 2003 £350.00 £210.00
6.5 TUSH STORM 2005 £319.00 £255.00
6.5 TUSH T-BIRD II 2005 £295.00 £236.00
6.5 NEIL PRYDE SOLO 2005 £335.00 £268.00
6.5 NEIL PRYDE EXPRESSION 2005 £349.00 £275.00
6.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.6 NORTH NATURAL 2005 £315.00 £252.00
6.6 GAASTRA GRIND 2002 £355.00 £178.00
6.7 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.7 GAASTRA PULSE 2003 £339.00 £199.00
6.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
6.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
6.8 GAASTRA SWIFT 2005 £340.00 £272.00
6.9 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £349.00 £244.00
6.9 GAASTRA REMEDY 2005 £402.00 £322.00
7.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2004 £315.00 £220.00
7.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £316.00 £253.00
7.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £279.00 £195.00
7.0 GAASTRA CHARGER 2003 £259.00 £155.00
7.0 GAASTRA CHARGER 2002 £279.00 £139.00
7.0 NORTH NATURAL 2005 £325.00 £260.00
7.0 SEVERNE S2 2004 £385.00 £270.00
7.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £277.00 £220.00
7.5 NEIL PRYDE V8 2005 £419.00 £335.00
7.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £284.00 £225.00
7.5 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £325.00 £260.00
7.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £259.00 £205.00
7.5 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 NEIL PRYDE V6 2005 £425.00 £340.00
7.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 GAASTRA MATRIX 2004 £325.00 £227.00
7.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
7.8 TUSH LIGHTNING 2005 £349.00 £279.00
7.9 NEIL PRYDE DIABLO 2002 £370.00 £185.00
8.0 NEIL PRYDE V6 2005 £435.00 £348.00
8.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £334.00 £265.00
8.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2003 £325.00 £195.00
8.0 GAASTRA GTR 2002 £355.00 £177.00
8.0 GAASTRA GTR 200 £355.00 £178.00
8.2 NORTH CROSSRIDE 200 £395.00 £316.00
8.5 SEVERNE C2 200 £465.00 £289.00
8.5 TUSH LIGHTNING 200 £375.00 £300.00
9.4 TUSH LIGHTNING 200 £375.00 £300.00
8.0 TUSH THUNDERBIRD 200 £339.00 £270.00
2.9 NEIL PRYDE CORE 2004 £335.00 £229.00
2.9 GAASTRA MANIC 2003 £299.00 £179.00
3.5 TUSHINGHAM STORM 2005 £249.00 £199.00
4.2 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £362.00 £253.00
4.2 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £363.00 £290.00
4.2 NORTH INSTINCT 2004 £335.00 £235.00
4.5 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £365.00 £255.00
4.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £205.00 £164.00
4.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £244.00 £195.00
4.5 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £359.00 £250.00
4.5 NORTH SUPERSTAR 2005 £359.00 £287.00
4.7 NEIL PRYDE COMBAT 2005 £405.00 £324.00
4.7 ARROWS IMPACT 2005 £299.00 £239.00
4.7 NORTH SUPERSTAR 2005 £369.00 £295.00
4.7 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £365.00 £255.00
4.7 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £369.00 £295.00
4.7 GAASTARA MANIC 2004 £369.00 £258.00
4.7 NORTH INSTINCT 2005 £345.00 £276.00
4.75 TUSHINGHAM STROM 2005 £275.00 £220.00
5.0 ARROWS FLIGHT 2005 £289.00 £230.00
5.0 GAASTRA MANIC 2005 £379.00 £303.00
5.0 GAASTRA MANIC 2004 £375.00 £262.00
5.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £249.00 £199.00
5.25 TUSH STORM 2005 £189.00 £230.00
5.4 GAASTRA POISON 2005 £186.00 £309.00
5.4 GAASTRA POISON 2004 £159.00 £250.00
5.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £225.00 £180.00
5.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £257.00 £205.00
5.75 TUSH STORM 2005 £299.00 £239.00
5.75 TUSH STORM 2005 £299.00 £239.00
5.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
5.9 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £329.00 £230.00
6.0 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.0 NEIL PRYDE SOLO 2005 £325.00 £260.00
6.0 GAASTRA ECHO 2005 £368.00 £294.00
6.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £261.00 £208.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £285.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £235.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £225.00 £188.00
6.0 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £235.00 £188.00
6.2 NEIL PRYDE SEARCH 2005 £365.00 £292.00
6.2 NEIL PRYDE SABER 2004 £349.00 £244.00
6.3 GAASTRA PULSE 2003 £335.00 £198.00
6.4 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £339.00 £237.00
6.4 ARROWS TRIXX 2003 £309.00 £185.00
6.4 NORTH DISCO 2005 £365.00 £292.00
6.4 NORTH DISCO 2003 £350.00 £210.00
6.5 TUSH STORM 2005 £319.00 £255.00
6.5 TUSH T-BIRD II 2005 £295.00 £236.00
6.5 NEIL PRYDE SOLO 2005 £335.00 £268.00
6.5 NEIL PRYDE EXPRESSION 2005 £349.00 £275.00
6.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.6 NORTH NATURAL 2005 £315.00 £252.00
6.6 GAASTRA GRIND 2002 £355.00 £178.00
6.7 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £270.00 £189.00
6.7 GAASTRA PULSE 2003 £339.00 £199.00
6.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
6.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
6.8 GAASTRA SWIFT 2005 £340.00 £272.00
6.9 NEIL PRYDE JET 2004 £349.00 £244.00
6.9 GAASTRA REMEDY 2005 £402.00 £322.00
7.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2004 £315.00 £220.00
7.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £316.00 £253.00
7.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £279.00 £195.00
7.0 GAASTRA CHARGER 2003 £259.00 £155.00
7.0 GAASTRA CHARGER 2002 £279.00 £139.00
7.0 NORTH NATURAL 2005 £325.00 £260.00
7.0 SEVERNE S2 2004 £385.00 £270.00
7.0 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £277.00 £220.00
7.5 NEIL PRYDE V8 2005 £419.00 £335.00
7.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2005 £284.00 £225.00
7.5 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £325.00 £260.00
7.5 ARROWS CRAZE 2005 £259.00 £205.00
7.5 SEVERNE POWERDRIVE 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 NEIL PRYDE V6 2005 £425.00 £340.00
7.5 GAASTRA PILOT 2004 £285.00 £199.00
7.5 GAASTRA MATRIX 2004 £325.00 £227.00
7.8 SPACEDOG SPEEDSTER 2005 - £150.00
7.8 TUSH LIGHTNING 2005 £349.00 £279.00
7.9 NEIL PRYDE DIABLO 2002 £370.00 £185.00
8.0 NEIL PRYDE V6 2005 £435.00 £348.00
8.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2005 £334.00 £265.00
8.0 GAASTRA MATRIX 2003 £325.00 £195.00
8.0 GAASTRA GTR 2002 £355.00 £177.00
8.0 GAASTRA GTR 200 £355.00 £178.00
8.2 NORTH CROSSRIDE 200 £395.00 £316.00
8.5 SEVERNE C2 200 £465.00 £289.00
8.5 TUSH LIGHTNING 200 £375.00 £300.00
9.4 TUSH LIGHTNING 200 £375.00 £300.00
8.0 TUSH THUNDERBIRD 200 £339.00 £270.00
test of slalom kit
test of slalom kit brings to
the forefront of people’s minds various
suppressed dreams and desires…for
example going at mach-10 on your
windsurf kit head to head with Dave
White and beating him in front of an
adoring crowd…or more likely
hammering into gybes on slalom kit and
pulling off flawless lay down gybes
where you exit with flames coming out of
the back of your board! Whatever your
dream, Jim Collis will offer some simple
technical tips on how to achieve the
latter of these two hedonistic desires;
the slalom or ‘lay down’ gybe.
KIT
The best thing about using slalom kit is that it goes
fast. Combined with the well-known fact that to
produce a good carve gybe you must have plenty of
speed on the entry, things are already looking good
for anyone wanting to improve their gybes when
using slalom kit. The other thing about slalom kit,
which unfortunately puts this first plus point about
speed into your gybes rather in the shade, is that to
really get the most out of a slalom board you must
sail with a lot of power, and generally being ‘on the
edge’ and overpowered is pretty much a ‘must’.
When equated to gybing this can be viewed as a
slight drawback…desperately trying to keep
everything under control so as to produce a smooth
carving arc when it all feels like it wants to take off…
This is where the ‘lay down’ technique for a gybe
comes in useful, or more to the point, comes into its
own.
TECHNIQUE
As most people are aware, the essence to gybing
stems from 3 things - looking in the right place
throughout the turn (Look into the turn, or
downwind, as you go into it and then look out of the
turn, or at the clew of the sail, as you exit),
constantly counterbalancing against the rig with
your body at any given point in the turn (i.e.
wherever the rig is your are not!), and finally
keeping a low body position (knees bent!)
throughout.
Gybing a 100-130 litre freeride board comfortably
powered on a 6m rig can be achieved very easily
without the sailor having to dramatically and
energetically position the rig or themselves.
However, when gybing slalom kit overpowered (or
pretty much any kit overpowered for that matter!),
although the 3 foundation stones for gybing don’t
actually change, there is a bit more input,
commitment and ‘energy’ required from the sailor to
de-power the sail and bring everything under
control during the turn.
This slightly more committed and ‘energetic’
approach manifests itself in the form of pushing the
straight front arm down to the water on the inside of
the turn when the sailor has started carving, whilst
the back hand (which, as with any good gybing
technique, should be positioned well down the
boom) naturally ends up pulling the clew up so that
the boom is pretty much parallel with the water.
This action effectively causes the sail to be oversheeted
and results in the disappearance of the
immense surge of power that is felt as you first bear
away into the turn; a welcome respite from feeling
maxxed out and just what the doctor ordered to
enable the board to be controlled effortlessly in the
carve. As the board is carved through the downwind
position the sailor then opens up the sail as with
any normal gybe, changes where they are looking
to the exit of the turn (or clew of the sail) and starts
the foot change and rig rotation as per normal.
Some critics might argue that this style of gybe is
very different from any other gybe as it breaks with
one of the 3 foundation stones of gybing;
counterbalance. In theory, as the rig is ‘laid’ down
into the inside of the gybe then both sailor and rig
are on the same side of the board – i.e. committed
to the carve – whereas on a normal gybe the sailor
and the rig are constantly opposing each others’
position; as the sailor moves over onto his/her back
foot to increase the carve so the rig is moved across
to the outside of the turn so as to counterbalance
the movement of the sailor (see main pic.).
In actual fact counterbalance is still key for the lay
down gybe. As the sailor lays the rig down into the
inside of the turn and at the same time commits
their weight onto the inside rail for the carve, the rig
is actually fractionally behind the sailor, who in turn
is still looking forwards into the turn and so whose
body is fractionally forwards of the rig. The result is
counterbalance – rig back, body forwards. And then
when the sailor starts to open the rig up in
preparation for the foot change and the rig rotation
so the usual counterbalance kicks in; the rig is
moved to the outside of the turn as the sailor
continues to angulate into the inside of the turn with
their head looking for the exit.
All in all, the key to a lay down gybe is commitment.
Looking into and out of the gybe, counterbalancing
throughout, and keeping low are still absolutely
crucial, but remember…you’re driving a Ferrari now
rather than a Ford Mondeo and so you must tame the
beast’s power and bring the kit under control by over
sheeting the sail during the carve; drop your front
hand down to the water and allow the back hand to
naturally pull the clew up behind you.
All that remains is to get out there and get amongst it!
the forefront of people’s minds various
suppressed dreams and desires…for
example going at mach-10 on your
windsurf kit head to head with Dave
White and beating him in front of an
adoring crowd…or more likely
hammering into gybes on slalom kit and
pulling off flawless lay down gybes
where you exit with flames coming out of
the back of your board! Whatever your
dream, Jim Collis will offer some simple
technical tips on how to achieve the
latter of these two hedonistic desires;
the slalom or ‘lay down’ gybe.
KIT
The best thing about using slalom kit is that it goes
fast. Combined with the well-known fact that to
produce a good carve gybe you must have plenty of
speed on the entry, things are already looking good
for anyone wanting to improve their gybes when
using slalom kit. The other thing about slalom kit,
which unfortunately puts this first plus point about
speed into your gybes rather in the shade, is that to
really get the most out of a slalom board you must
sail with a lot of power, and generally being ‘on the
edge’ and overpowered is pretty much a ‘must’.
When equated to gybing this can be viewed as a
slight drawback…desperately trying to keep
everything under control so as to produce a smooth
carving arc when it all feels like it wants to take off…
This is where the ‘lay down’ technique for a gybe
comes in useful, or more to the point, comes into its
own.
TECHNIQUE
As most people are aware, the essence to gybing
stems from 3 things - looking in the right place
throughout the turn (Look into the turn, or
downwind, as you go into it and then look out of the
turn, or at the clew of the sail, as you exit),
constantly counterbalancing against the rig with
your body at any given point in the turn (i.e.
wherever the rig is your are not!), and finally
keeping a low body position (knees bent!)
throughout.
Gybing a 100-130 litre freeride board comfortably
powered on a 6m rig can be achieved very easily
without the sailor having to dramatically and
energetically position the rig or themselves.
However, when gybing slalom kit overpowered (or
pretty much any kit overpowered for that matter!),
although the 3 foundation stones for gybing don’t
actually change, there is a bit more input,
commitment and ‘energy’ required from the sailor to
de-power the sail and bring everything under
control during the turn.
This slightly more committed and ‘energetic’
approach manifests itself in the form of pushing the
straight front arm down to the water on the inside of
the turn when the sailor has started carving, whilst
the back hand (which, as with any good gybing
technique, should be positioned well down the
boom) naturally ends up pulling the clew up so that
the boom is pretty much parallel with the water.
This action effectively causes the sail to be oversheeted
and results in the disappearance of the
immense surge of power that is felt as you first bear
away into the turn; a welcome respite from feeling
maxxed out and just what the doctor ordered to
enable the board to be controlled effortlessly in the
carve. As the board is carved through the downwind
position the sailor then opens up the sail as with
any normal gybe, changes where they are looking
to the exit of the turn (or clew of the sail) and starts
the foot change and rig rotation as per normal.
Some critics might argue that this style of gybe is
very different from any other gybe as it breaks with
one of the 3 foundation stones of gybing;
counterbalance. In theory, as the rig is ‘laid’ down
into the inside of the gybe then both sailor and rig
are on the same side of the board – i.e. committed
to the carve – whereas on a normal gybe the sailor
and the rig are constantly opposing each others’
position; as the sailor moves over onto his/her back
foot to increase the carve so the rig is moved across
to the outside of the turn so as to counterbalance
the movement of the sailor (see main pic.).
In actual fact counterbalance is still key for the lay
down gybe. As the sailor lays the rig down into the
inside of the turn and at the same time commits
their weight onto the inside rail for the carve, the rig
is actually fractionally behind the sailor, who in turn
is still looking forwards into the turn and so whose
body is fractionally forwards of the rig. The result is
counterbalance – rig back, body forwards. And then
when the sailor starts to open the rig up in
preparation for the foot change and the rig rotation
so the usual counterbalance kicks in; the rig is
moved to the outside of the turn as the sailor
continues to angulate into the inside of the turn with
their head looking for the exit.
All in all, the key to a lay down gybe is commitment.
Looking into and out of the gybe, counterbalancing
throughout, and keeping low are still absolutely
crucial, but remember…you’re driving a Ferrari now
rather than a Ford Mondeo and so you must tame the
beast’s power and bring the kit under control by over
sheeting the sail during the carve; drop your front
hand down to the water and allow the back hand to
naturally pull the clew up behind you.
All that remains is to get out there and get amongst it!
Windsurfing rig designer Barry Spanier
Windsurfing rig designer Barry Spanier has
come full circle. Back in the late 70s on the
island of Maui, he launched a sail brand that,
for a while, lay forgotten until a twist of fate
gave it the wake up call. Now Maui Sails
lives again and it’s even more active than it
was in its first incarnation.
Barry Spanier has been around windsurfing and
windsurfing rigs for longer than most. The Maui
Sails loft gave rise to a sail making partnership
with Jeff Bourne called ‘Spanier & Bourne’ which
was the cutting edge (excuse the pun) of sailmaking
at the time. It wasn’t very long before they were
attracting the attention of some of the big names. In
the days when windsurfing was big money, sail and
board brands had the spending power to put big
bucks into research and development. By the mideighties,
speed was dominant and the big thing was
breaking speed records. Everyone wanted to go
fast, faster than a catamaran named ‘Crossbow II’
which had held the World Speed Sailing record for a
little too long. At that time Barry was working with
Neil Pryde making sails for Patti Whitcomb, Fred
Heywood and other Pryde sponsored speed sailors.
The battle for speed supremacy was vital. ‘He who
goes fastest, sell most sails’ was the thinking and
the two lofts that were up against each other most
of all were Neil Pryde, with Barry Spanier and Maui
Sails, and Gaastra whose designers were Geoff
Magnum and Chuck Stahl of Magnum Force.
These guys would be shipped to Weymouth, put up
at the Portland Heights hotel, they’d have
Winnebagos on the beach and presumably every
facility they needed. It was as close to stardom as
you could hope for. But there was another issue
here. While Pryde supported the RAF (Rotating
Symmetrical Foil) or cam-less sail, Gaastra were
using camber inducers. That was the public view of
it. But it should be remembered that Gaastra also
owned the Camber patent which meant that all
other sail makers had to pay commission on their
use. If Pryde could prove that RAF sails were every
bit as fast if not faster than cambers, then they’d be
quids in. As it turned out, when the World Speed
sailing record did finally fall, it went to Frenchman
Pascal Maka at Sotavento who was sailing – yes,
you’ve guessed it - Gaastra.
After speed came Dunkerbeck for whom Barry
designed sails like the Combat Wave and the World
Cup Race ranges, which ensured Bjorn’s place on
the winner’s podium on a regular basis.
GAASTRA YEARS
When Spanier and Pryde parted, Barry ended up
with a bunch of top sailors working for the
‘opposition’. ‘The Team’, as it became known,
turned Gaastra’s middling fortunes into success.
After a few years Gaastra had made it’s comeback
and suddenly the Team was out in the cold again.
Their contract with Gaastra was reviewed, what
Team members saw being offered didn’t sit well so
they said ‘no thank you’ and left.
The question was what to do next. The Team was a
pretty unique phenomenon that combined design,
development, marketing, promotion as well as a
successful race team. About the only thing the Team
didn’t do was manufacture. So they were capable of
doing the whole job more or less but they were also
capable of taking over virtually completely.
Presumably other lofts look at the Team and thought
‘here’s a real opportunity for the tail to wag the dog’
and stayed well clear. So the Team’s options were
limited and in the end they decided to do the only
thing that they could and that was start their own
loft. Barry Spanier looked around and there was his
own brand, Maui Sails, right where he had left
it. It was time to start afresh. In conversation
with Mark Kasprowicz, Barry Spanier
explained that far from being easy, the Team
had to start from scratch.
We had nothing to start with. All the work we had
done had been for Gaastra. We had a joint
venture going with Gaastra so we were
responsible for product development, brand
management, the team, the promotion,
everything. The Team was responsible for that.
That was me and Matt and Kevin Pritchard, Scott
Fenton and Phil McGain. So the five of us had
taken over the management of Gaastra Sails with
Win Loc who were the manufacturers. When we
left we had nothing but some ideas and we had
to be different to what had gone before.
But there again you and the Team walked in
and the guys who were working there before
you were given their marching orders.
You could say there was a pattern. But we had
the team thing going way back while we were
still with Neil Pryde. The idea was that we would
use the Team to generate sponsorship.
BARRY SPANIER INTERVIEW
MAUI SAILS REVIVED
You know I’m sixty this year so I’m one of the older
guys in the windsurfing business. I sold my house
on Maui and made a lot of money on that and
bought a place in Oregon where my family lives. I
reckon I could have retired but team work is an
interesting thing. You get involved with people, you
work with them and they give you part of their lives
and you give them part of yours.
So when we left Gaastra we’d already being doing
just about everything in sail development and
marketing and it didn’t take us long to say ‘let’s do
Maui Sails’. Maui Sails had been around as a brand
since 1978. It hadn’t actually done much in
manufacture but there was a sign on the door over
Neil Pryde R&D. I didn’t work for Neil Pryde, I owned
Maui Sails who had a contract with Neil Pryde to do
their sail research and development. In the end
when Neil bought Spanier and Bourne sail makers
he made a really nice shop and after a few years he
took the original sail makers sign down and
replaced it with one which said ‘Neil Pryde Maui’
and that’s what it is now. Meanwhile Maui Sails just
sat there, a registered trade mark in Japan, Great
Britain, United States and I think Australia as well as
a few other places too. So it was a living brand it just
hadn’t been doing a lot apart from a few T-shirts.
If we hadn’t started the Maui Sails thing I might not
have stayed in the business. I’m working on two of
three interesting things and at one point even
considered going into ocean cruising as I did
before. In fact I have a part interest in a 42-foot
catamaran that I sail.
Over the years I have noticed that your interest
appears to be primarily focused on racing.
As the market is so freeride biased, is that a wise
thing to do?
Racing is the thing that is the most technically
challenging. It requires the highest development
levels. But I don’t care what sort of sail it is. Twist,
shape, distribution and rig tension – these are all
factors which determine a sail’s performance no
matter what kind of sail it is and you need to know
how to generate a good working shape.
Just because you’re designing a freeride sail rather
than a race sail it doesn’t mean that everything that
you’ve done before gets tossed out. You’re still
looking for the same proportionality, tension and
balance. Everybody says that developing race sails at
this time is out of focus but we have a development
routine. We work on wave sails from the middle
December until the beginning of April. From April to
July we work on freeride sails. Then starting June we
pick up on the race sails until it is time to produce.
There won’t be any radical changes and what you’re
really doing is changing something because of
something you learnt or something you’re trying to
achieve. So there’s not enough time to mess around.
Now it’s even more important to run to schedule as
we have to register race sails in January.
I’d say in the old days we’d work on race sails more.
More time on development and testing gave us a big
advantage on the race course. If you turned up for a
race with newly developed sails that gave you a real
advantage over the other guy.
OBSERVER
How do you evaluate design changes?
Mainly I watch. But changes these days are more
gradual – it’s more like refining designs. I think the
whole thing is still moving forward but as we learn
more about sail design, it’s become more gradual.
Fifteen years ago the situation was different. The
release of cheap carbon fibre from the space
industry made it possible to make lighter and stiffer
masts and booms. Along with that came high
downhaul tension and a lot of work on how the sail
breathes. So those were major changes but these
days I cannot see how any major quantum leaps will
take place. Back in the 90s we did a lot of work with
an aerospace company in California in
computational fluid dynamics and we developed a
really interesting way of turning photographs into the
three dimensional grids that you use to do analysis.
If it wasn’t so expensive to do that, we would use
those systems more today and then I am pretty
certain we’d see some big jumps. But the sport isn’t
big enough to support that kind of research. Even
the Americas Cup contestants cannot afford to do it.
But the thing that we did wasn’t all that complicated
but after all the number crunching and analysis, we
seemed to almost gain more by going out and
testing the sail on the water.
The sort of setup we’re looking at involves high
powered electronics on board the windsurfer as well
as on the shore, top level cameras and at least three
people operating that stuff. It’s about a fifty grand
outlay even before you’ve started. Then after a week
the data comes out of the computer and it shows
you the sail operating at a given moment. But in a
week you can learn a lot more by sailing the
prototypes, re-cutting, then evaluating by sailing it
again and so on. It’s more an incremental process
than anything else.
We’ve done computer analysis and we’ve learnt from
it but it’s not something I would do on a day to day
basis because it takes too much time, energy and
money compared to what you get from just going
sailing and just going sailing is a lot more fun.
I don’t know about other guys but I like to watch the
sail operating. I’ve been watching sails operate for
such a long time that maybe I see something that
other people don’t. I always listen to the sailor but
watching is the way that I refine the physical shape
of the sail so that there are no weird bumps in the
loaded form. You can take photographs of course
but here again you stop the motion of the sail in
time. Or you can use high quality video footage but
here again it all boils down to watching.
THE RETURN OF THE CAM
After a few years when the camber inducer was
totally out of fashion, we’ve come to a point
where recreational sails are being designed with
two or more cambers. How would you sum up
the differences between the no cam or RAF sail
and one with cambers?
They have different functions. If I were designing a
freeride sail that was being sailed in average
conditions, that sailor would love to have a
cambered sail because in the right conditions a
cambered sail is more stable, easier to handle. I also
understand why people love to have RAF sails -
when they gybe they neutralise, you can hold them
and they feather really nicely so they’re lighter to
use. But in the end when you sheet in the difference
between the two is going to be small. A RAF sail will
have 95% of the speed of a camber and in the end
that will be ironed out by sailor skills.
ACCURACY
You moved your manufacture from China, where
you were since early Neil Pryde days, to Sri
Lanka. Any reason for that?
One of the main differences with Maui Sails is the
way that they are made. Our facility has the best
accuracy and reproduction that I have seen
anywhere in the business. I haven’t been into some
lofts but I talk to people and know pretty much what
is going on. By cutting everything on a machine and
assembling everything on plotted templates you get
close on 100% accuracy of what your ideas are. We
hired someone with top CAD experience and now
every single piece of the sail comes straight out of
the machine and straight onto assembly. So there’s
no hand cutting, hand drawing or anything that can
cause inaccuracy. We know, in the past, there’s
been a lot of variation in the race sails because
people come up to us and said that their sail didn’t
look quite like their buddy’s or wasn’t as fast. We
know what is going on, we’re on the inside and
maybe one of the guys slipped with his razor or
maybe he cut a little chunk off because it didn’t
match. That’s production. But they don’t do that at
our production loft – that place is the tightest ship I
have ever know. And we like it in Sri Lanka, it’s
cleaner, beaches are nice, it’s a relaxed society, the
air is clean and the relationship with the staff is very
relaxed as well. So it’s a great place to manufacture.
CRYSTAL BALL TIME
If you were asked where you’d like Maui Sails to
be in say five years time, what would you say?
If you listen to us sitting around talking, we want to
be one of the top brands. There’s no reason why
that shouldn’t happen. When we moved into Gaastra
we weren’t that organised. They had just been into
their total flow thing, business wasn’t great. We
turned that around to the point that we sold twenty
four thousand sails and put Gaastra right into the
number two position of top selling sail brands. Now I
don’t see any reason why we can’t do exactly the
same with Maui Sails.
come full circle. Back in the late 70s on the
island of Maui, he launched a sail brand that,
for a while, lay forgotten until a twist of fate
gave it the wake up call. Now Maui Sails
lives again and it’s even more active than it
was in its first incarnation.
Barry Spanier has been around windsurfing and
windsurfing rigs for longer than most. The Maui
Sails loft gave rise to a sail making partnership
with Jeff Bourne called ‘Spanier & Bourne’ which
was the cutting edge (excuse the pun) of sailmaking
at the time. It wasn’t very long before they were
attracting the attention of some of the big names. In
the days when windsurfing was big money, sail and
board brands had the spending power to put big
bucks into research and development. By the mideighties,
speed was dominant and the big thing was
breaking speed records. Everyone wanted to go
fast, faster than a catamaran named ‘Crossbow II’
which had held the World Speed Sailing record for a
little too long. At that time Barry was working with
Neil Pryde making sails for Patti Whitcomb, Fred
Heywood and other Pryde sponsored speed sailors.
The battle for speed supremacy was vital. ‘He who
goes fastest, sell most sails’ was the thinking and
the two lofts that were up against each other most
of all were Neil Pryde, with Barry Spanier and Maui
Sails, and Gaastra whose designers were Geoff
Magnum and Chuck Stahl of Magnum Force.
These guys would be shipped to Weymouth, put up
at the Portland Heights hotel, they’d have
Winnebagos on the beach and presumably every
facility they needed. It was as close to stardom as
you could hope for. But there was another issue
here. While Pryde supported the RAF (Rotating
Symmetrical Foil) or cam-less sail, Gaastra were
using camber inducers. That was the public view of
it. But it should be remembered that Gaastra also
owned the Camber patent which meant that all
other sail makers had to pay commission on their
use. If Pryde could prove that RAF sails were every
bit as fast if not faster than cambers, then they’d be
quids in. As it turned out, when the World Speed
sailing record did finally fall, it went to Frenchman
Pascal Maka at Sotavento who was sailing – yes,
you’ve guessed it - Gaastra.
After speed came Dunkerbeck for whom Barry
designed sails like the Combat Wave and the World
Cup Race ranges, which ensured Bjorn’s place on
the winner’s podium on a regular basis.
GAASTRA YEARS
When Spanier and Pryde parted, Barry ended up
with a bunch of top sailors working for the
‘opposition’. ‘The Team’, as it became known,
turned Gaastra’s middling fortunes into success.
After a few years Gaastra had made it’s comeback
and suddenly the Team was out in the cold again.
Their contract with Gaastra was reviewed, what
Team members saw being offered didn’t sit well so
they said ‘no thank you’ and left.
The question was what to do next. The Team was a
pretty unique phenomenon that combined design,
development, marketing, promotion as well as a
successful race team. About the only thing the Team
didn’t do was manufacture. So they were capable of
doing the whole job more or less but they were also
capable of taking over virtually completely.
Presumably other lofts look at the Team and thought
‘here’s a real opportunity for the tail to wag the dog’
and stayed well clear. So the Team’s options were
limited and in the end they decided to do the only
thing that they could and that was start their own
loft. Barry Spanier looked around and there was his
own brand, Maui Sails, right where he had left
it. It was time to start afresh. In conversation
with Mark Kasprowicz, Barry Spanier
explained that far from being easy, the Team
had to start from scratch.
We had nothing to start with. All the work we had
done had been for Gaastra. We had a joint
venture going with Gaastra so we were
responsible for product development, brand
management, the team, the promotion,
everything. The Team was responsible for that.
That was me and Matt and Kevin Pritchard, Scott
Fenton and Phil McGain. So the five of us had
taken over the management of Gaastra Sails with
Win Loc who were the manufacturers. When we
left we had nothing but some ideas and we had
to be different to what had gone before.
But there again you and the Team walked in
and the guys who were working there before
you were given their marching orders.
You could say there was a pattern. But we had
the team thing going way back while we were
still with Neil Pryde. The idea was that we would
use the Team to generate sponsorship.
BARRY SPANIER INTERVIEW
MAUI SAILS REVIVED
You know I’m sixty this year so I’m one of the older
guys in the windsurfing business. I sold my house
on Maui and made a lot of money on that and
bought a place in Oregon where my family lives. I
reckon I could have retired but team work is an
interesting thing. You get involved with people, you
work with them and they give you part of their lives
and you give them part of yours.
So when we left Gaastra we’d already being doing
just about everything in sail development and
marketing and it didn’t take us long to say ‘let’s do
Maui Sails’. Maui Sails had been around as a brand
since 1978. It hadn’t actually done much in
manufacture but there was a sign on the door over
Neil Pryde R&D. I didn’t work for Neil Pryde, I owned
Maui Sails who had a contract with Neil Pryde to do
their sail research and development. In the end
when Neil bought Spanier and Bourne sail makers
he made a really nice shop and after a few years he
took the original sail makers sign down and
replaced it with one which said ‘Neil Pryde Maui’
and that’s what it is now. Meanwhile Maui Sails just
sat there, a registered trade mark in Japan, Great
Britain, United States and I think Australia as well as
a few other places too. So it was a living brand it just
hadn’t been doing a lot apart from a few T-shirts.
If we hadn’t started the Maui Sails thing I might not
have stayed in the business. I’m working on two of
three interesting things and at one point even
considered going into ocean cruising as I did
before. In fact I have a part interest in a 42-foot
catamaran that I sail.
Over the years I have noticed that your interest
appears to be primarily focused on racing.
As the market is so freeride biased, is that a wise
thing to do?
Racing is the thing that is the most technically
challenging. It requires the highest development
levels. But I don’t care what sort of sail it is. Twist,
shape, distribution and rig tension – these are all
factors which determine a sail’s performance no
matter what kind of sail it is and you need to know
how to generate a good working shape.
Just because you’re designing a freeride sail rather
than a race sail it doesn’t mean that everything that
you’ve done before gets tossed out. You’re still
looking for the same proportionality, tension and
balance. Everybody says that developing race sails at
this time is out of focus but we have a development
routine. We work on wave sails from the middle
December until the beginning of April. From April to
July we work on freeride sails. Then starting June we
pick up on the race sails until it is time to produce.
There won’t be any radical changes and what you’re
really doing is changing something because of
something you learnt or something you’re trying to
achieve. So there’s not enough time to mess around.
Now it’s even more important to run to schedule as
we have to register race sails in January.
I’d say in the old days we’d work on race sails more.
More time on development and testing gave us a big
advantage on the race course. If you turned up for a
race with newly developed sails that gave you a real
advantage over the other guy.
OBSERVER
How do you evaluate design changes?
Mainly I watch. But changes these days are more
gradual – it’s more like refining designs. I think the
whole thing is still moving forward but as we learn
more about sail design, it’s become more gradual.
Fifteen years ago the situation was different. The
release of cheap carbon fibre from the space
industry made it possible to make lighter and stiffer
masts and booms. Along with that came high
downhaul tension and a lot of work on how the sail
breathes. So those were major changes but these
days I cannot see how any major quantum leaps will
take place. Back in the 90s we did a lot of work with
an aerospace company in California in
computational fluid dynamics and we developed a
really interesting way of turning photographs into the
three dimensional grids that you use to do analysis.
If it wasn’t so expensive to do that, we would use
those systems more today and then I am pretty
certain we’d see some big jumps. But the sport isn’t
big enough to support that kind of research. Even
the Americas Cup contestants cannot afford to do it.
But the thing that we did wasn’t all that complicated
but after all the number crunching and analysis, we
seemed to almost gain more by going out and
testing the sail on the water.
The sort of setup we’re looking at involves high
powered electronics on board the windsurfer as well
as on the shore, top level cameras and at least three
people operating that stuff. It’s about a fifty grand
outlay even before you’ve started. Then after a week
the data comes out of the computer and it shows
you the sail operating at a given moment. But in a
week you can learn a lot more by sailing the
prototypes, re-cutting, then evaluating by sailing it
again and so on. It’s more an incremental process
than anything else.
We’ve done computer analysis and we’ve learnt from
it but it’s not something I would do on a day to day
basis because it takes too much time, energy and
money compared to what you get from just going
sailing and just going sailing is a lot more fun.
I don’t know about other guys but I like to watch the
sail operating. I’ve been watching sails operate for
such a long time that maybe I see something that
other people don’t. I always listen to the sailor but
watching is the way that I refine the physical shape
of the sail so that there are no weird bumps in the
loaded form. You can take photographs of course
but here again you stop the motion of the sail in
time. Or you can use high quality video footage but
here again it all boils down to watching.
THE RETURN OF THE CAM
After a few years when the camber inducer was
totally out of fashion, we’ve come to a point
where recreational sails are being designed with
two or more cambers. How would you sum up
the differences between the no cam or RAF sail
and one with cambers?
They have different functions. If I were designing a
freeride sail that was being sailed in average
conditions, that sailor would love to have a
cambered sail because in the right conditions a
cambered sail is more stable, easier to handle. I also
understand why people love to have RAF sails -
when they gybe they neutralise, you can hold them
and they feather really nicely so they’re lighter to
use. But in the end when you sheet in the difference
between the two is going to be small. A RAF sail will
have 95% of the speed of a camber and in the end
that will be ironed out by sailor skills.
ACCURACY
You moved your manufacture from China, where
you were since early Neil Pryde days, to Sri
Lanka. Any reason for that?
One of the main differences with Maui Sails is the
way that they are made. Our facility has the best
accuracy and reproduction that I have seen
anywhere in the business. I haven’t been into some
lofts but I talk to people and know pretty much what
is going on. By cutting everything on a machine and
assembling everything on plotted templates you get
close on 100% accuracy of what your ideas are. We
hired someone with top CAD experience and now
every single piece of the sail comes straight out of
the machine and straight onto assembly. So there’s
no hand cutting, hand drawing or anything that can
cause inaccuracy. We know, in the past, there’s
been a lot of variation in the race sails because
people come up to us and said that their sail didn’t
look quite like their buddy’s or wasn’t as fast. We
know what is going on, we’re on the inside and
maybe one of the guys slipped with his razor or
maybe he cut a little chunk off because it didn’t
match. That’s production. But they don’t do that at
our production loft – that place is the tightest ship I
have ever know. And we like it in Sri Lanka, it’s
cleaner, beaches are nice, it’s a relaxed society, the
air is clean and the relationship with the staff is very
relaxed as well. So it’s a great place to manufacture.
CRYSTAL BALL TIME
If you were asked where you’d like Maui Sails to
be in say five years time, what would you say?
If you listen to us sitting around talking, we want to
be one of the top brands. There’s no reason why
that shouldn’t happen. When we moved into Gaastra
we weren’t that organised. They had just been into
their total flow thing, business wasn’t great. We
turned that around to the point that we sold twenty
four thousand sails and put Gaastra right into the
number two position of top selling sail brands. Now I
don’t see any reason why we can’t do exactly the
same with Maui Sails.
SUMMER WETSUITS
You’re at the beach, new kit, F5, sunshine, the
only thing that will stop you having a good day is
if you get cold. A good summer wetsuit is vital to
making the most of warm(ish) weather, and a good
one can find some use well into spring and autumn.
There are three main factors of a wetsuit to
consider: warmth, flexibility and durability. Wetsuit
companies search for and develop new kinds of
neoprene, aiming to get the best balance of these
properties in different areas of the suit. Finding the
correct suit is essentially choosing the balance of
these three factors to suit you.
Rather than just buying the first one you see in the
shop, here’s a guide on what to look for when
buying a wetsuit.
Neoprene
The first thing that’s immediately noticeable is the
types of neoprene used in the suit; is it mostly
single-lined neoprene (which is shiny) or doublelined
(fabric texture)? Single-lined neoprene, which
only has nylon on the inside, is warmer as water
runs off the smooth outside surface, reducing
windchill. Single-lined neoprene is also slightly more
flexible, but is susceptible to nicks and tears on
sharp objects. Double-lined neoprene has a thin
outer layer of nylon, which protects the neoprene
from damage and makes for a more durable suit.
However the nylon layer on the outside holds water,
increasing the wind chill effect, especially when out
of the water.
Modern suits often feature titanium-lined neoprene,
the metal layer is designed to reflect heat back
toward the wearer. Different manufacturers claim
different values for the heat-reflecting properties of
titanium, but it is recognised to produce a warmer
suit. It is difficult to tell which parts of a suit feature
titanium; tiny metal flakes can sometimes be seen
(this is a bad thing as the titanium should stay
inside the neoprene), but the information is often
contained in the guide attached to the suit.
Alongside the single and double lined forms of
neoprene, there are different grades of neoprene,
with different flexibility. The extremely stretchy types
are used sparingly in wetsuits, as they are easily
damaged by nicks, which will grow rapidly because
of the extreme stretch. Grabbing the suit and giving
it a good stretch is the best way to find out the
flexibility of the neoprene – the arms and legs will
typically be more flexible than the body of the suit.
High spec suits will use very soft, flexible neoprene
in high-stretch areas such as the neck and
shoulders for comfort. If a short zip has been used
to limit water ingress, then more high-stretch
neoprene will have been used to enable easy
access to the suit, which will reduce durability.
SUMMER WETSUITS 2006
Seals
Have a look at the back of the suit, where the zip is.
Some wetsuits use shorter zips, often with a
neoprene panel which sits behind the zip to block
water access, the drawback is that high-stretch
neoprene needs to be used to allow access to the
suit, which increases cost and reduces durability.
On the ankles, look for some form of adjustable
strap or high-stretch neoprene which will provide a
good seal.
Seams
Inspect the seams on the suit, on less expensive suits
flatlock stitching will be used, and a band of interlinked
thread can be seen on the outside of the suit. Because
the needle and thread penetrates straight through, the
seam will allow water to leak into the suit. The seams
are flat for comfort.
Higher spec suits use blindstitched seams, where no
thread can be seen on the outside of the suit. The
panels are glued together and a curved needle is used
to pass thread through the join. This avoids holes
penetrating all the way through the neoprene, and
prevents water from getting in.
Most wetsuit companies tape seams in areas where
extra strength is required. Look for a ~20mm wide line
of black nylon tape on the inside of the suit in high
stress areas such as the crotch and arm/body joint.
One of the latest developments in seam technology
is the liquid seam, where an advanced high-stretch
liquid (silicon-based urethene) sealant is applied to
the inside of the seam, to make it completely
watertight. An evolution of this concept, seen
exclusively on O’Neill’s Psycho II suit is the double
fluid seam weld, where the seam is devoid of any
stitching, but is sealed on both sides using a fluid
weld. This makes the suit completely watertight and
super flexible at the seam.
Other features
Pre-bent knees remove some neoprene from behind
the knee, to prevent bunching up and increasing
comfort. The suit should have some form of
kneepad, to protect the suit from nicks and
scratches in this vulnerable area. A reinforced
crotch resists abrasion from seat harnesses; useful
as water entering here is especially noticeable!
Fit
The most crucial factor to wetsuit warmth and
comfort is the fit. If it doesn’t fit then it doesn’t
matter how many snazzy features the suit has. If the
suit is too big, then water will get in at the seals and
fill the suit up. If the suit is too small but can still be
squeezed into, then too much stress will be put on
the seams and they will be slowly pulled apart,
gradually letting water in. Check the fit in the
following areas:
Chest: The suit should be relatively tight across the
chest, but it shouldn’t be difficult to breathe.
Shoulders: Full mobility in the shoulders is essential
in windsurfing; the wetsuit needs to be flexible
enough to waterstart with arms above the head.
Legs: The legs should be flexible enough to allow
easy movement, but still be relatively tight fitting for
warmth. Check the knee angle doesn’t cause too
much irritation with neoprene bunching up behind.
Arms: Upper arms in a windsurf-specific suit can be
cut quite loose, to allow the biceps to expand when
sailing. Adjustable arm seals on the short arm suit
should allow for any expansion.
Neck: The neck seal should be tight without causing
choking, and any velcro flaps need to be
comfortable and not rub against the skin.
What type of suit to go for?
Here are a few different cases when you might want
to veer toward a specific type of suit.
Winter suit is a dry zip seamer If the summer suit is
to be paired with a very warm, but slightly restrictive
cross shoulder dry zip winter suit, then get the
warmest summer suit out there, so that the winter
suit can be left behind as early in the season as
possible. Dry zip suits are very warm, so a good
summer suit will prevent overheating and
dehydration by wearing the hot winter suit in spring
and autumn.
Surfing as well If the suit is to be used for both
surfing and windsurfing, look for a suit with some
double lined material in the lower half of the suit.
Windsurf-specific suits are slightly different in cut to
surfing wetsuits, but not so drastically different that
one couldn’t be used for both sports.
Intermediate sailor If the suit is going to be worn
when uphauling, have a good look at the knee
pads, check they are solid enough and there isn’t
too much exposed stitching which will get damaged
on the rough non-slip deck surface.
Racing Look for the most flexible suit, to make
pumping as easy as possible.
BILLABONG FOIL
2/2mm
PRICE: £109.99
MATERIALS:
SF50 - 50% superflex
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued blindstitched
ZIP:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
SIZES:XS, S, MS, M, MT, LS, L,XL
FEATURES:
Seamless underarm
design, supratex
compression moulded
kneepads,
colours: Grey, blue
DISTRIBUTOR:
Billabong Europe
T: 02392 465 555
E:gemma@billabong.tm.
GUL DELTA
3/2mm SHORT ARM
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
Titanium 2, X-Flex
Neoprene with 100%
stretch panels
SEAMS:
Blindstitched with liquid
seam sealing
ZIP:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
SIZES:
S, MS, M, MT, ML, L, XL,
XXL
FEATURES:
Pro neck, DKS (Durable
Knee Skin), Colours:
Blk/Blk, Blk/Lime,
Blk/Electric Blue.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Gul international
T: 01208 262400
E: gul@gul.com
W: www.gul.com
GUL DELTA
LADIES 3/2mm SHORT ARM
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
Titanium 2, X-Flex
Neoprene with 100%
stretch panels
Seams:
Blindstitched with liquid
seam sealing
Zip:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
Sizes: 8, 10, 12, 12/14,
14, 16
Features:
Pro neck, DKS (Durable
Knee Skin), Colours:
Blk/Blk, Glacier/Grey.
Distributor:
Gul international
T: 01208 262400
E: gul@gul.com
W: www.gul.com
MAUI MAGIC MYSTIC
SHORTARM DL 4/3
PRICE: £139.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
YKK with Backup shield
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
harness non slip system,
extreme precurved
knees, aquaflush
legpanel, keypocket.
Also available in black
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
MAUI MAGIC VENOM
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £74.99
MATERIALS:
Duraflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
Flatstitched with twinlock
technology
ZIP:
Vertical YKK zipper
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
Sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
cross knees, keypocket,
velcro adjustable arm &
leg cuffs
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
ION QUANTUM
3/2mm STEAMER
PRICE: £169.00
MATERIALS:
C_Mesh, Smoothskin
and GravelSkin
SEAMS:
Fully Glued and
Blindstitched
ZIP:
SlipLoc Zipperpull
YKK Zip
SIZES:
46 - 106
FEATURES:
WaterGate panel plus
overhead panel behind
zip, Titanium metalite
glue, comes complete
with wetsuit bag/
change mat.
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
W: www.ion-wetsuits.com
MAUI MAGIC MATRIX
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £119.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
precurved knees,
keypocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE 5000 SERIES
SHORT SLEEVE 3/3
PRICE: £179.99
MATERIALS:
Entire suit from apex flex
neoprene with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Triple glued &
blindstitched seams with
liquid sealant
ZIP:
Vertical YKK, with E3
backup system
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:Embossed knee,
reinforced crotch,
removable ankle strap,
easy step in system, free
floating neck.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
ION LADIES JEWEL
STEAMER 3.5/2.5
PRICE: £129
MATERIALS:
C_Mesh, Smoothskin
and GravelSkin
SEAMS:
Fully glued and
blindstitched
ZIP:
SlipLoc Zipperpull YKK
Zip
SIZES:
36-44
FEATURES:
WaterGate panel behind
zip, Titanium Metalite
Glue, comes complete
with wetsuit bag/
change mat
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
W: www.ion-wetsuits.com
MAUI MAGIC SOURCE SHORTARM LADIES DL 3/2
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene, Flame
Skin Neoprene
Seams: Heat Sealed
Seams outside
Zip: YKK with Backup
shield
Sizes: XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL
Features: Active Arm
Construction, Water
Relieve Hole, Key pocket
inside, Cross Knees,
Aquaflush Leg Panel,
Velcro Adjustable Arm &
Leg Cuffs
Distributor: Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE NPX SERIES
SHORT SLEEVE 3/2
PRICE: £149.995
MATERIALS:
Upper body in power flex
stretch material with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
TPU knee, reinforced
crotch, shin pads,
armourtex lower leg
panels, aquablock water
repellent coating to
reduce wind chill.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
MAUI MAGIC MATRIX
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £119.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
precurved knees,
keypocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE 5000 SERIES SHORT SLEEVE 3/3
MATERIALS:
Entire suit from apex flex
neoprene with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Triple glued &
blindstitched seams with
liquid sealant
ZIP:
Vertical YKK, with E3
backup system
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
Embossed knee,
reinforced crotch,
removable ankle strap,
easy step in system, free
floating neck.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
NEIL PRYDE NPX SERIES SHORT SLEEVE 3/2
PRICE: £149.995
MATERIALS:
Upper body in power flex
stretch material with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
TPU knee, reinforced
crotch, shin pads,
armourtex lower leg
panels, aquablock water
repellent coating to
reduce wind chill.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
0,NEILL EVOLUTION CONVERTIBLE 3/2
PRICE: £180.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams with 100% fluid
seal.
ZIP:Zen closure system
SIZES:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
RRP: £180.00
FEATURES:
Thermo/Glideskin shirt
convertible system,
firewall chest and lumbar
panels, minimal seam
design, plasma harness
anchors, knee and shin
plasma pads, detachable
ankle cinches, hidden
key pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:
wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL FLX CONVERTIBLE 3/2
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
3Q easy entry zip closure
SIZES:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
FEATURES:
TFX torso flex panel,
critically taped (CT) seam
junctions, plasma knee
pads, wear resistant DL
crotch, detachable ankle
cinches, hidden key
pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:
wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL PSYCHO I 3/2
PRICE: £180.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
Seams: Glued &
blindstitched seams with
exterior 100% fluid seal.
ZIP:
Zen closure system
SIZES:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
FEATURES:
Super seal glideskin
collar, firewall chest
panels, minimal seam
design, stitchless knee
protection, wind
resistant smooth skin
chest and back, plasma
interior wrist and ankle
seals, hidden key
pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL PSYCHO II 3/2
PRICE: £230.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
Seams:
Double fluid seam seal.
Zip:Zen closure system, with
pullover neck seal
Sizes:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
RRP: £230.00
Features:
Wind resistant
smoothskin chest and
back, super-minimal
seam design, stitchless
knee protection, plasma
interior wrist and ankle
seals, hidden key
pocket.
Distributor:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
PRO LIMIT ASSAULT SERIES STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
Airflex Skin neoprene/
ICE 2 Thermo neoprene/
G-Rex Skin neoprene
SEAMS:
Fully Glued and
Blindstitched
ZIP:
Short Zip with Waterblock
panel
SIZES:
XS – XXL
FEATURES:
Anti-Choke Collar,
Extended Cuffs, Velcro
Leg Cuffs, Union Knee
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:
info@604distribution.com
W: www.pro-limit.com
PRICE: £159.00
PRO LIMIT GLOBAL SERIES STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
PRICE: £139.00
MATERIALS:
Airflex Skin neoprene, GRex
Skin neoprene
SEAMS:
Fully glued and
blindstitched
ZIP:
Short Zip with Waterblock
panel
SIZES:
XS – XXL
RRP: £139
FEATURES:
Anti-Choke Collar,
Waterblock Zip,
Extended Cuffs, Velcro
Leg Cuffs, Dual Protex
Knee
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:
info@604distribution.com
W: www.pro-limit.com
PRO LIMIT PURE GIRL STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
PRICE: £139.00
MATERIALS:
Airflex Skin neoprene,
G-Rex Skin neoprene
SEAMS:
Fully glued and
blindstitched
ZIP:
Short Zip
SIZES:
XX – XXL
FEATURES:
Anti-Choke Collar, Short
Zip, Extended Cuffs,
Velcro Leg Cuffs, Dual
Protex Knee
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
SOLA INFERNO CONVERTIBLE 3x2mm
MATERIALS:
100% Mesh Titanium
neoprene.
SEAMS:
Glued and blindstitched
construction. Biaxial
stretch tape in critical
areas with dot patch
reinforcement.
ZIPS/FASTENINGS:
Standard Metal YKK zipper.
FEATURES:
100% stretch water
barrier with Lycra collar.
Anatomical pre-bent
design. Fused kneepad
system. Fully adjustable
ultra block collar system,
(zip lowered for extra
comfort) Anti-snag flex
fabrics, protecting suit
from Velcro damage.
SIZES AVAILABLE:
SML, MSM, MST, MED,
MLG, MLT, LGE, XLG, XXL
DISTRIBUTOR:
Sola Wetsuits Ltd
T: (01752) 854400
E: admin@sola.co.uk
SOLA FURY CONVERTIBLE 3x2mm
MATERIALS:
100% Super-stretch
throughout, using SS-1
foam.
SEAMS:
Glued and blindstitched
construction with full
liquid seams. Biaxial heat
tape in critical positions.
ZIPS/FASTENINGS:
Standard Metal YKK zipper.
FEATURES:
Total water barrier to
prevent flushing. Fused
kneepad construction.
Velcro repellent material.
Anatomical pre-bent
design. Glideskin O-ring
seals on arms.
Smoothskin collar.
SIZES AVAILABLE:
SML, MSM, MST, MED,
MLG, MLT, LGE, XLG, XXL
DISTRIBUTOR:
Sola Wetsuits Ltd
T: (01752) 854400
E: admin@sola.co.uk
W: www.sola.co.u
only thing that will stop you having a good day is
if you get cold. A good summer wetsuit is vital to
making the most of warm(ish) weather, and a good
one can find some use well into spring and autumn.
There are three main factors of a wetsuit to
consider: warmth, flexibility and durability. Wetsuit
companies search for and develop new kinds of
neoprene, aiming to get the best balance of these
properties in different areas of the suit. Finding the
correct suit is essentially choosing the balance of
these three factors to suit you.
Rather than just buying the first one you see in the
shop, here’s a guide on what to look for when
buying a wetsuit.
Neoprene
The first thing that’s immediately noticeable is the
types of neoprene used in the suit; is it mostly
single-lined neoprene (which is shiny) or doublelined
(fabric texture)? Single-lined neoprene, which
only has nylon on the inside, is warmer as water
runs off the smooth outside surface, reducing
windchill. Single-lined neoprene is also slightly more
flexible, but is susceptible to nicks and tears on
sharp objects. Double-lined neoprene has a thin
outer layer of nylon, which protects the neoprene
from damage and makes for a more durable suit.
However the nylon layer on the outside holds water,
increasing the wind chill effect, especially when out
of the water.
Modern suits often feature titanium-lined neoprene,
the metal layer is designed to reflect heat back
toward the wearer. Different manufacturers claim
different values for the heat-reflecting properties of
titanium, but it is recognised to produce a warmer
suit. It is difficult to tell which parts of a suit feature
titanium; tiny metal flakes can sometimes be seen
(this is a bad thing as the titanium should stay
inside the neoprene), but the information is often
contained in the guide attached to the suit.
Alongside the single and double lined forms of
neoprene, there are different grades of neoprene,
with different flexibility. The extremely stretchy types
are used sparingly in wetsuits, as they are easily
damaged by nicks, which will grow rapidly because
of the extreme stretch. Grabbing the suit and giving
it a good stretch is the best way to find out the
flexibility of the neoprene – the arms and legs will
typically be more flexible than the body of the suit.
High spec suits will use very soft, flexible neoprene
in high-stretch areas such as the neck and
shoulders for comfort. If a short zip has been used
to limit water ingress, then more high-stretch
neoprene will have been used to enable easy
access to the suit, which will reduce durability.
SUMMER WETSUITS 2006
Seals
Have a look at the back of the suit, where the zip is.
Some wetsuits use shorter zips, often with a
neoprene panel which sits behind the zip to block
water access, the drawback is that high-stretch
neoprene needs to be used to allow access to the
suit, which increases cost and reduces durability.
On the ankles, look for some form of adjustable
strap or high-stretch neoprene which will provide a
good seal.
Seams
Inspect the seams on the suit, on less expensive suits
flatlock stitching will be used, and a band of interlinked
thread can be seen on the outside of the suit. Because
the needle and thread penetrates straight through, the
seam will allow water to leak into the suit. The seams
are flat for comfort.
Higher spec suits use blindstitched seams, where no
thread can be seen on the outside of the suit. The
panels are glued together and a curved needle is used
to pass thread through the join. This avoids holes
penetrating all the way through the neoprene, and
prevents water from getting in.
Most wetsuit companies tape seams in areas where
extra strength is required. Look for a ~20mm wide line
of black nylon tape on the inside of the suit in high
stress areas such as the crotch and arm/body joint.
One of the latest developments in seam technology
is the liquid seam, where an advanced high-stretch
liquid (silicon-based urethene) sealant is applied to
the inside of the seam, to make it completely
watertight. An evolution of this concept, seen
exclusively on O’Neill’s Psycho II suit is the double
fluid seam weld, where the seam is devoid of any
stitching, but is sealed on both sides using a fluid
weld. This makes the suit completely watertight and
super flexible at the seam.
Other features
Pre-bent knees remove some neoprene from behind
the knee, to prevent bunching up and increasing
comfort. The suit should have some form of
kneepad, to protect the suit from nicks and
scratches in this vulnerable area. A reinforced
crotch resists abrasion from seat harnesses; useful
as water entering here is especially noticeable!
Fit
The most crucial factor to wetsuit warmth and
comfort is the fit. If it doesn’t fit then it doesn’t
matter how many snazzy features the suit has. If the
suit is too big, then water will get in at the seals and
fill the suit up. If the suit is too small but can still be
squeezed into, then too much stress will be put on
the seams and they will be slowly pulled apart,
gradually letting water in. Check the fit in the
following areas:
Chest: The suit should be relatively tight across the
chest, but it shouldn’t be difficult to breathe.
Shoulders: Full mobility in the shoulders is essential
in windsurfing; the wetsuit needs to be flexible
enough to waterstart with arms above the head.
Legs: The legs should be flexible enough to allow
easy movement, but still be relatively tight fitting for
warmth. Check the knee angle doesn’t cause too
much irritation with neoprene bunching up behind.
Arms: Upper arms in a windsurf-specific suit can be
cut quite loose, to allow the biceps to expand when
sailing. Adjustable arm seals on the short arm suit
should allow for any expansion.
Neck: The neck seal should be tight without causing
choking, and any velcro flaps need to be
comfortable and not rub against the skin.
What type of suit to go for?
Here are a few different cases when you might want
to veer toward a specific type of suit.
Winter suit is a dry zip seamer If the summer suit is
to be paired with a very warm, but slightly restrictive
cross shoulder dry zip winter suit, then get the
warmest summer suit out there, so that the winter
suit can be left behind as early in the season as
possible. Dry zip suits are very warm, so a good
summer suit will prevent overheating and
dehydration by wearing the hot winter suit in spring
and autumn.
Surfing as well If the suit is to be used for both
surfing and windsurfing, look for a suit with some
double lined material in the lower half of the suit.
Windsurf-specific suits are slightly different in cut to
surfing wetsuits, but not so drastically different that
one couldn’t be used for both sports.
Intermediate sailor If the suit is going to be worn
when uphauling, have a good look at the knee
pads, check they are solid enough and there isn’t
too much exposed stitching which will get damaged
on the rough non-slip deck surface.
Racing Look for the most flexible suit, to make
pumping as easy as possible.
BILLABONG FOIL
2/2mm
PRICE: £109.99
MATERIALS:
SF50 - 50% superflex
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued blindstitched
ZIP:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
SIZES:XS, S, MS, M, MT, LS, L,XL
FEATURES:
Seamless underarm
design, supratex
compression moulded
kneepads,
colours: Grey, blue
DISTRIBUTOR:
Billabong Europe
T: 02392 465 555
E:gemma@billabong.tm.
GUL DELTA
3/2mm SHORT ARM
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
Titanium 2, X-Flex
Neoprene with 100%
stretch panels
SEAMS:
Blindstitched with liquid
seam sealing
ZIP:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
SIZES:
S, MS, M, MT, ML, L, XL,
XXL
FEATURES:
Pro neck, DKS (Durable
Knee Skin), Colours:
Blk/Blk, Blk/Lime,
Blk/Electric Blue.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Gul international
T: 01208 262400
E: gul@gul.com
W: www.gul.com
GUL DELTA
LADIES 3/2mm SHORT ARM
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
Titanium 2, X-Flex
Neoprene with 100%
stretch panels
Seams:
Blindstitched with liquid
seam sealing
Zip:
Vertical with Gasket Seal
Sizes: 8, 10, 12, 12/14,
14, 16
Features:
Pro neck, DKS (Durable
Knee Skin), Colours:
Blk/Blk, Glacier/Grey.
Distributor:
Gul international
T: 01208 262400
E: gul@gul.com
W: www.gul.com
MAUI MAGIC MYSTIC
SHORTARM DL 4/3
PRICE: £139.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
YKK with Backup shield
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
harness non slip system,
extreme precurved
knees, aquaflush
legpanel, keypocket.
Also available in black
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
MAUI MAGIC VENOM
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £74.99
MATERIALS:
Duraflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
Flatstitched with twinlock
technology
ZIP:
Vertical YKK zipper
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
Sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
cross knees, keypocket,
velcro adjustable arm &
leg cuffs
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
ION QUANTUM
3/2mm STEAMER
PRICE: £169.00
MATERIALS:
C_Mesh, Smoothskin
and GravelSkin
SEAMS:
Fully Glued and
Blindstitched
ZIP:
SlipLoc Zipperpull
YKK Zip
SIZES:
46 - 106
FEATURES:
WaterGate panel plus
overhead panel behind
zip, Titanium metalite
glue, comes complete
with wetsuit bag/
change mat.
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
W: www.ion-wetsuits.com
MAUI MAGIC MATRIX
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £119.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
precurved knees,
keypocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE 5000 SERIES
SHORT SLEEVE 3/3
PRICE: £179.99
MATERIALS:
Entire suit from apex flex
neoprene with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Triple glued &
blindstitched seams with
liquid sealant
ZIP:
Vertical YKK, with E3
backup system
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:Embossed knee,
reinforced crotch,
removable ankle strap,
easy step in system, free
floating neck.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
ION LADIES JEWEL
STEAMER 3.5/2.5
PRICE: £129
MATERIALS:
C_Mesh, Smoothskin
and GravelSkin
SEAMS:
Fully glued and
blindstitched
ZIP:
SlipLoc Zipperpull YKK
Zip
SIZES:
36-44
FEATURES:
WaterGate panel behind
zip, Titanium Metalite
Glue, comes complete
with wetsuit bag/
change mat
DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
W: www.ion-wetsuits.com
MAUI MAGIC SOURCE SHORTARM LADIES DL 3/2
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene, Flame
Skin Neoprene
Seams: Heat Sealed
Seams outside
Zip: YKK with Backup
shield
Sizes: XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL
Features: Active Arm
Construction, Water
Relieve Hole, Key pocket
inside, Cross Knees,
Aquaflush Leg Panel,
Velcro Adjustable Arm &
Leg Cuffs
Distributor: Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE NPX SERIES
SHORT SLEEVE 3/2
PRICE: £149.995
MATERIALS:
Upper body in power flex
stretch material with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
TPU knee, reinforced
crotch, shin pads,
armourtex lower leg
panels, aquablock water
repellent coating to
reduce wind chill.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
MAUI MAGIC MATRIX
SHORTARM DL 3/2
PRICE: £119.99
MATERIALS:
TriSpan Neoprene,
Skyflex Neoprene
SEAMS:
3x glued & blindstitched
waterproof seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
XS-S-M-MT-L-LT-XL-XXL
FEATURES:
V-shape flexneck,
sandwich neck closure,
anatomical panel layout,
easy entry armcuffs,
precurved knees,
keypocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Maui Magic
T: 01376 345339
E: info@interfield.nl
W: www.mauimagic.com
NEIL PRYDE 5000 SERIES SHORT SLEEVE 3/3
MATERIALS:
Entire suit from apex flex
neoprene with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Triple glued &
blindstitched seams with
liquid sealant
ZIP:
Vertical YKK, with E3
backup system
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
Embossed knee,
reinforced crotch,
removable ankle strap,
easy step in system, free
floating neck.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
NEIL PRYDE NPX SERIES SHORT SLEEVE 3/2
PRICE: £149.995
MATERIALS:
Upper body in power flex
stretch material with FLX
zones.
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
Vertical YKK
SIZES:
Euro 48, 50, 52, 53, 94,
98, 106
FEATURES:
TPU knee, reinforced
crotch, shin pads,
armourtex lower leg
panels, aquablock water
repellent coating to
reduce wind chill.
DISTRIBUTOR:
Ultra sport
T: 0115 9731001
E:info@ultra.sporteu.com
W:www.neilprydewaterwear.com
0,NEILL EVOLUTION CONVERTIBLE 3/2
PRICE: £180.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams with 100% fluid
seal.
ZIP:Zen closure system
SIZES:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
RRP: £180.00
FEATURES:
Thermo/Glideskin shirt
convertible system,
firewall chest and lumbar
panels, minimal seam
design, plasma harness
anchors, knee and shin
plasma pads, detachable
ankle cinches, hidden
key pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:
wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL FLX CONVERTIBLE 3/2
PRICE: £130.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
SEAMS:
Glued & blindstitched
seams
ZIP:
3Q easy entry zip closure
SIZES:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
FEATURES:
TFX torso flex panel,
critically taped (CT) seam
junctions, plasma knee
pads, wear resistant DL
crotch, detachable ankle
cinches, hidden key
pocket.
DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:
wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL PSYCHO I 3/2
PRICE: £180.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
neoprene
Seams: Glued &
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ZIP:
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SIZES:
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FEATURES:
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chest and back, plasma
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DISTRIBUTOR:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
0,NEILL PSYCHO II 3/2
PRICE: £230.00
MATERIALS:
100% SL ultraflex superstretch
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Seams:
Double fluid seam seal.
Zip:Zen closure system, with
pullover neck seal
Sizes:
S-2XL,MS,MT,LS,LT,XLS
RRP: £230.00
Features:
Wind resistant
smoothskin chest and
back, super-minimal
seam design, stitchless
knee protection, plasma
interior wrist and ankle
seals, hidden key
pocket.
Distributor:
O’neill wetsuits limited
T: 01730 811460
E:wetsuits.uk@oneill.com
W: www.oneill.com
PRO LIMIT ASSAULT SERIES STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
Airflex Skin neoprene/
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DISTRIBUTOR:
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T: 01202 813413
E:
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W: www.pro-limit.com
PRICE: £159.00
PRO LIMIT GLOBAL SERIES STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
PRICE: £139.00
MATERIALS:
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RRP: £139
FEATURES:
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DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:
info@604distribution.com
W: www.pro-limit.com
PRO LIMIT PURE GIRL STEAMER SHORT ARM 3/2 SKIN
PRICE: £139.00
MATERIALS:
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DISTRIBUTOR:
604 distribution
T: 01202 813413
E:info@604distribution.com
SOLA INFERNO CONVERTIBLE 3x2mm
MATERIALS:
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SEAMS:
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SIZES AVAILABLE:
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MLG, MLT, LGE, XLG, XXL
DISTRIBUTOR:
Sola Wetsuits Ltd
T: (01752) 854400
E: admin@sola.co.uk
SOLA FURY CONVERTIBLE 3x2mm
MATERIALS:
100% Super-stretch
throughout, using SS-1
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ZIPS/FASTENINGS:
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FEATURES:
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SIZES AVAILABLE:
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DISTRIBUTOR:
Sola Wetsuits Ltd
T: (01752) 854400
E: admin@sola.co.uk
W: www.sola.co.u
Venting offsteam
Victorian Ventnor on the southern tip of
the Isle of Wight was the stage for the
latest Motley Crew escapade with Timo,
Hunty and JC in the thick of the action.
With south west winds gusting up to 30
knots, steep head-to-logo ramps and a
bone-crunching shore break, the
conditions were what the Motleys
would term ‘On like Donkey Kong!’
Word soon spread that the ‘Crew’
were in town and the island locals,
Scott Gardner, John Metcalfe and
Charlie Connelly were drawn
like magnets to see the Crew in
action firsthand..
We have been calling ourselves the Motley
Crew for the last five years and I though
it was about time that I checked out on
the net what the term actually means, hence the
above definition. So when I hear on the phone that
Timo and Hunty have just missed the 9am ferry I
can’t say that I am that surprised. Let’s set the
scene…it’s one of the best forecasts of the whole
autumn; force 6-7 southwest gales, a pumping
ground swell and wall-to-wall sunshine. I’d phoned
Timo at 7.30am for the call. We were either heading
down to Cornwall to visit Blacky (A trip that involved
eight hours of travel for yours truly) OR Timo and
Hunty were heading over to the Island to come sail
at Ventnor (15 mins from my front door but a five
hour round trip for them!) Guess which option I was
pushing for? After giving half an hour for Timo to
check every web cam west of London to check the
swell situation, I decided to take matters into my own
hands, and drive to Ventnor at 8am for a direct
waterfront report. As soon as I reached the hill
looking down on the beach I knew this was the day
for Ventnor. “George! It’s sick, the tides are perfect,
it’s already blowing 4.5m and the swell is cranking.
Get your lazy arses over here. I’ll get Scott Gardner
on the blower to see if he’s up for it”.
Otherwise known as Gardinaire, (spoken with a hint
of a French accent) Scott is an island local through
and through. He owns the island’s premiere water
sports activity centre ‘Wight water’ and spends
every summer down the beach at Lake every day
supervising the operation. Half brother to Ross and
Arran Williams, Scott is an avid wave sailor and
competent surfer, especially in big and powerful
waves. Always armed with a one liner, his laddish
sense of humour and infectious personality make
him of the great characters to have along on a road
trip or big night out! Needless to say, when I
phoned Scottie was already on his way down about
to go sailing on his own. Another quick call and we
had John Metcalfe and Charlie Connelly to make up
our posse. With Timo and Hunty already en route I
knew this had the makings of an epic day...
one way or another!
MEANWHILE: TIMO AND HUNTY
ARE ON THE ROAD
HUNTY The Ventnor mission started for me at about
6.30 with a call to Mullet. My girlfriend really thinks
I’m completely insane getting up this early to go
sailing but hey, what can you do? We’re addicted!
Cornwall was probably apparently off! Two slices of
toast and numerous phone calls later, the decision
was finally made. We were off to the Isle of Wight!
Hurray! One thing that always annoys me about
going there is that I can see it from my front room as
it’s only four miles away, yet it takes three hours to
get there and apparently is the most expensive piece
of water in Europe per mile to cross! Luckily for us I
used my local contact, Tom Buggy, who managed to
help us out with a cheap ticket from the UKWA and
we were on our way… £36 return with the van. (By
the way Tom, I’ve still not paid you for it, thought it
would be funnier you reading it in the mag before
you remember.)
I had to do a car swap and jump in with Mullet at
Southampton, no easy thing to do as any form of
free parking there was virtually impossible,
especially with only 20 minutes until the ferry and
both us monkeys with out a penny on us! I ended up
just leaving my car in a random industrial estate in a
unit car park! I was expecting it to be towed when I
got back but it was too windy to care!
More phone calls on the ferry and general banter,
the Solent was absolutely howling on the way over
and it took forever, and the drive from Cowes to
Ventnor seemed to take ages, but we finally rocked
up at the beach around midday.
JC was not exaggerating… our first view from the hill
confirmed logo high waves and plenty of wind…
game on! I’ve never personally sailed here but
always remember the old shots of Ross throwing
wild forwards with all the houses in the background.
On closer inspection the swell was really macking.
Niton, which is another 10 miles around the coast,
must have been massive
TIMO MULLEN Being in the Motleys is just like
being in the Army, you have to be on constant red
alert, early morning drills and willing to risk your life
for the code of honour you have signed up to! This
Isle of Wight mission was pure textbook Motley, total
indecision, ferries missed and cars getting wheel
clamped! The one thing the Motleys never fail on
though is wind and waves, and today was no
exception. As always with windsurfing every minute
that you are sat in your car on the way to the beach is
a minute too long…so myself and Hunty rewrote the
Highway Code on the way from Cowes to Ventnor!
THE BOYS ARRIVE... TIME TO RIDE
HUNTY As I stepped out the car Scott “all round
tan” Gardner was just bottom turning on a pitching
logo high bowl. Judging by the way he attacked the
lip, he must have seen us turn up as he fully went for
it smacking it right between the chops as the left
and the right met. Somehow he floated along the
white water more like a surfer than a windsurfer
before gravity finally got the better of him and
sucked him in! He got totally nailed! Fair play, it was
the biggest hit I saw all day!
A rigging frenzy began, I was half way down the
beach with the 4.2 until Timo psyched me out with
the 4.7 pointing out we would need power to get
out. He was probably right but I was stacked out the
back and ridiculously overpowered in the jumps!
With all the water in the bay needing somewhere to
go the rip was horrendous, so any mistakes meant
you would get washed down towards the groyne at
the far end of the beach, and face the walk of doom
back to the upwind side. I would have tried
punching out from the downwind end but Scott
confirmed it was a suicide maneuver when I passed
him trudging back up with all his kit in tatters. When
you could line up the jumping was insane, but
getting the right ramp was really frustrating,
especially when trying to line up JC in the water. The
inside bowl packed a lot of punch and if you got in
the right place at the right time the lip was curling
over just asking to be smacked. I remember looking
at a few end bowls wishing I could 360! I just knew
Swifty would have been banging them out left right
and centre!
Mullet seemed to be struggling. Having hurt his
ankle in Australia he was holding back on the riding
and was obviously gutted. His foot was fine for
jumping however, and I saw him nail a few massive
jumps right in front of JC who really was dicing with
death in the rip. This chirped him up a bit, especially
when he found out we had all seen him nail a bone
dry forty-foot backie! “Scottie, Charlie and John
Metcalfe were all taking the place apart at their
home spot despite pretty treacherous sailing
conditions. Buggy got a few sick turns while I was
walking down the hill from the car park! Proper rail
to rail turns! Must be his new kit!!
TIMO MULLEN It was pumping! Scotty was already
out there nailing some solid smacks on the logo
high waves, I also saw him get severely punished by
one bone crusher of a wave, but inside I knew Scott
would have loved the trashing as he knew we were
all watching from the beach! I have sailed Ventnor a
couple of times before so I knew that this places
was pretty gnarly at this size. Basically the wave is
quite simply the shore break, and a logo high one at
that! I rigged a slightly bigger sail than was really
needed as the rip is so strong here you need it just
to get through the impact zone, plus I wanted to
boost some huge jumps and that extra .5m of sail
cloth might give me that few extra feet in the air. I
was pretty nervous on hitting some of the lips that
day as I had just returned from West Oz that week
where I twisted my foot in Gnarloo, it was still feeling
pretty weak so I was aiming more for rocket air
jumps than the pummelling I might get in the shore
break!
WATERSHOTS
It must have been six years ago when I last shot in
the water at Ventnor. It was a classic session with
Ventnor local Ross Williams where he had just
learned to forward and we managed to get some
really interesting shots of him upside down in front of
the back drop of the very picturesque Ventnor
seafront. Thinking back it was a pretty similar day,
big waves, a hellish rip and sketchy wind on the
inside. It was actually kind of dangerous swimming
out there with so much water pushing you
downwind. Once past the groyne at the end of the
beach there isn’t really anywhere to get back in, so
you have to be on full alert that you don’t drift too far
downwind once out the back. After a pretty hectic
swim out to the back of the waves, I finally managed
to find approximately the right spot to get some
shots (on the way out I kept looking back to see all
the boys in hysterics every time I got
pummelled…That’s mates for you!) I knew it wasn’t
going to be easy lining up because there was a hell of a lot of water moving
around. Despite some steep ramps setting up perfectly for rocket airs, the boys
were having trouble planning on the inside although I was not really sure why.
Out back of the waves it was solid 4.2m weather and the wind was blowing a tad
cross onshore so there was no real explanation why the wind should not be
cranking right into the beach. Maybe the Motleys were just not on it. After fifteen
minutes without a shot I was starting to think this whole palaver was an utter
waste of time. Just before I entered the water, another island local, Tom Buggy
had rocked up and was also in on the action to get some shots while I was out
there. Here’s where the story gets interesting…
At last a set and a gust rocker up in sync all the way to the inside, with Buggy
gunning out from the beach setting himself up for a back loop right in front of the
camera. I lined up for the shot through the lens of the camera totally unaware
that Timo was bearing down from way upwind charging full bore towards the
next ramp in the set. I followed Buggy sailing through the air, until out of the
corner of my eye I finally glimpsed Timo who was already on his way from what
must have been a huge back loop. As he floated down towards a textbook
landing Timo glanced over his shoulder to make sure I was snapping the money
shot. At that precise moment he realised that I had just been shooting Tom
Buggy and missed his move completely… a look of horror crept across his face.
To be honest I had not seen him coming at all but I knew Mullet would never
forgive me for missing the shot. The next thing I hear is Mullet yelling “Carter I
was 40 foot up” his face in a state of shock, disbelief and dare I say it… hatred!
I decided to keep my mouth shut and hope that sometime soon he would pull off
another decent stunt. If not I would never live this one down… the pressure was
on! With jumps hard to come by I was praying for at least one more decent ramp
to keep Timo from completely spitting the dummy. Each time he came past he
just looked in my direction, shaking his head in complete disgust. Missing the
shot of a big Motley stunt is unforgivable but to have been shooting another
sailor while it’s happening can only be considered sacrilege.
After a tense half hour where I knew a possible break
up of the Motleys was on the cards, the wind fully
kicked in, and at last the boys could start busting out
some stunts. Timo nailed a couple of big backies
right in front of the camera and suddenly I became
his best mate again…funny that! Hunty and
‘Gardinaire’ both pulled some decent stunts right in
front of the Ventnor back drop right before a dark
cloud finally meant the end of our window signalling
time for me to swim back through the death shore
dump. While I was out there, I had completely
forgotten about the rip or any dangers from the sea. I
think I would have rather drowned than upset Mullen!
TIMO MULLEN Any windsurfer in the world, pro or
otherwise, LOVES getting their photo taken, and I am no
exception to this rule! Now any one who has worked
with JC will tell you what a good photographer he is and
he rarely misses any big moves, but for some reason he
does have an uncanny knack of always missing my best
move of the day! I remember it was really hard to line up
with JC in the water; he was being constantly swept
away by the current so to hit the perfect ramp and have
JC just below you was really hard. Then I saw an insane
ramp, I was well powered up, it was wall to wall
sunshine, I hit the logo-high ramp at full speed, soaring
into the air into one of the highest back loops I have ever
landed, on the way down as I looked over my shoulder I
could see JC in the water with the camera pointed the
other way! What? I’ll kill him! How dare he even
consider taking a photo of anyone else, this is my party!
Just kidding, but I have to admit I was gutted. JC could
not even look me in the eye; he knew he was in trouble!
Fortunately the wind and waves improved considerably
so JC was able to redeem himself and snapped
some pretty awesome shots!
APRES SAIL:
LAGERS IN THE SPYGLASS
JC: LAST BLAST For some reason I felt guilty that
the boys had splashed out and come all the way
over for the day, so I offered to buy them dinner at
the Spyglass (An amazing pub right on the water at
the far end of the beach). Later that evening, I
realised what a blunder I had made. After all, they
had just scored an epic day on the water, while I had
either been stuck on the beach or risking life and
limb out in the water to take their photos. They had
laughed at me getting pummelled in the shore dump
and the Buggy incident was not really my fault. As I
am writing this, I find out they never even paid for
the bloody ferry! Now that is what I call Motley!
HUNTY The beer and the burger were well needed
as I’d only had two slices of toast and Timo a bowl
of cereal all day. JC had to leave the pub pretty
quick muttering something about the wife,
babysitting and aerobics.
After a race down all the back roads following
Charlie and John trying to make an earlier ferry,
(obviously this being a Motley trip) we missed it by
about 30 seconds! That meant another hour sitting
around. But at least when we made it back to
Southampton my car was still there. It was locked in
but I bumped it over the curb and was home free!
Day trip over… job done!
TIMO MULLEN Poor JC was feeling guilty, so much
so he treated myself and Hunty to a slap-up meal in
the local pub. It was quite a special day as myself,
Hunty, John, Charlie, Scott and JC would probably
not see each other for the rest of the winter so it
turned into a bit of a Last Supper. Classic tales of the
day were recounted with unofficial awards for best
wave going to Scott for his opening wave when we
first rocked up. In fact, everyone was sailing well that
day; John’s massive forwards, Charlie’s back loops,
Hunty’s tweaked aerials and Buggy’s sick gouges.
As with any typical Motley day it ended in disaster as
Hunty and myself missed the ferry by 30 seconds -
pure comedy!
the Isle of Wight was the stage for the
latest Motley Crew escapade with Timo,
Hunty and JC in the thick of the action.
With south west winds gusting up to 30
knots, steep head-to-logo ramps and a
bone-crunching shore break, the
conditions were what the Motleys
would term ‘On like Donkey Kong!’
Word soon spread that the ‘Crew’
were in town and the island locals,
Scott Gardner, John Metcalfe and
Charlie Connelly were drawn
like magnets to see the Crew in
action firsthand..
We have been calling ourselves the Motley
Crew for the last five years and I though
it was about time that I checked out on
the net what the term actually means, hence the
above definition. So when I hear on the phone that
Timo and Hunty have just missed the 9am ferry I
can’t say that I am that surprised. Let’s set the
scene…it’s one of the best forecasts of the whole
autumn; force 6-7 southwest gales, a pumping
ground swell and wall-to-wall sunshine. I’d phoned
Timo at 7.30am for the call. We were either heading
down to Cornwall to visit Blacky (A trip that involved
eight hours of travel for yours truly) OR Timo and
Hunty were heading over to the Island to come sail
at Ventnor (15 mins from my front door but a five
hour round trip for them!) Guess which option I was
pushing for? After giving half an hour for Timo to
check every web cam west of London to check the
swell situation, I decided to take matters into my own
hands, and drive to Ventnor at 8am for a direct
waterfront report. As soon as I reached the hill
looking down on the beach I knew this was the day
for Ventnor. “George! It’s sick, the tides are perfect,
it’s already blowing 4.5m and the swell is cranking.
Get your lazy arses over here. I’ll get Scott Gardner
on the blower to see if he’s up for it”.
Otherwise known as Gardinaire, (spoken with a hint
of a French accent) Scott is an island local through
and through. He owns the island’s premiere water
sports activity centre ‘Wight water’ and spends
every summer down the beach at Lake every day
supervising the operation. Half brother to Ross and
Arran Williams, Scott is an avid wave sailor and
competent surfer, especially in big and powerful
waves. Always armed with a one liner, his laddish
sense of humour and infectious personality make
him of the great characters to have along on a road
trip or big night out! Needless to say, when I
phoned Scottie was already on his way down about
to go sailing on his own. Another quick call and we
had John Metcalfe and Charlie Connelly to make up
our posse. With Timo and Hunty already en route I
knew this had the makings of an epic day...
one way or another!
MEANWHILE: TIMO AND HUNTY
ARE ON THE ROAD
HUNTY The Ventnor mission started for me at about
6.30 with a call to Mullet. My girlfriend really thinks
I’m completely insane getting up this early to go
sailing but hey, what can you do? We’re addicted!
Cornwall was probably apparently off! Two slices of
toast and numerous phone calls later, the decision
was finally made. We were off to the Isle of Wight!
Hurray! One thing that always annoys me about
going there is that I can see it from my front room as
it’s only four miles away, yet it takes three hours to
get there and apparently is the most expensive piece
of water in Europe per mile to cross! Luckily for us I
used my local contact, Tom Buggy, who managed to
help us out with a cheap ticket from the UKWA and
we were on our way… £36 return with the van. (By
the way Tom, I’ve still not paid you for it, thought it
would be funnier you reading it in the mag before
you remember.)
I had to do a car swap and jump in with Mullet at
Southampton, no easy thing to do as any form of
free parking there was virtually impossible,
especially with only 20 minutes until the ferry and
both us monkeys with out a penny on us! I ended up
just leaving my car in a random industrial estate in a
unit car park! I was expecting it to be towed when I
got back but it was too windy to care!
More phone calls on the ferry and general banter,
the Solent was absolutely howling on the way over
and it took forever, and the drive from Cowes to
Ventnor seemed to take ages, but we finally rocked
up at the beach around midday.
JC was not exaggerating… our first view from the hill
confirmed logo high waves and plenty of wind…
game on! I’ve never personally sailed here but
always remember the old shots of Ross throwing
wild forwards with all the houses in the background.
On closer inspection the swell was really macking.
Niton, which is another 10 miles around the coast,
must have been massive
TIMO MULLEN Being in the Motleys is just like
being in the Army, you have to be on constant red
alert, early morning drills and willing to risk your life
for the code of honour you have signed up to! This
Isle of Wight mission was pure textbook Motley, total
indecision, ferries missed and cars getting wheel
clamped! The one thing the Motleys never fail on
though is wind and waves, and today was no
exception. As always with windsurfing every minute
that you are sat in your car on the way to the beach is
a minute too long…so myself and Hunty rewrote the
Highway Code on the way from Cowes to Ventnor!
THE BOYS ARRIVE... TIME TO RIDE
HUNTY As I stepped out the car Scott “all round
tan” Gardner was just bottom turning on a pitching
logo high bowl. Judging by the way he attacked the
lip, he must have seen us turn up as he fully went for
it smacking it right between the chops as the left
and the right met. Somehow he floated along the
white water more like a surfer than a windsurfer
before gravity finally got the better of him and
sucked him in! He got totally nailed! Fair play, it was
the biggest hit I saw all day!
A rigging frenzy began, I was half way down the
beach with the 4.2 until Timo psyched me out with
the 4.7 pointing out we would need power to get
out. He was probably right but I was stacked out the
back and ridiculously overpowered in the jumps!
With all the water in the bay needing somewhere to
go the rip was horrendous, so any mistakes meant
you would get washed down towards the groyne at
the far end of the beach, and face the walk of doom
back to the upwind side. I would have tried
punching out from the downwind end but Scott
confirmed it was a suicide maneuver when I passed
him trudging back up with all his kit in tatters. When
you could line up the jumping was insane, but
getting the right ramp was really frustrating,
especially when trying to line up JC in the water. The
inside bowl packed a lot of punch and if you got in
the right place at the right time the lip was curling
over just asking to be smacked. I remember looking
at a few end bowls wishing I could 360! I just knew
Swifty would have been banging them out left right
and centre!
Mullet seemed to be struggling. Having hurt his
ankle in Australia he was holding back on the riding
and was obviously gutted. His foot was fine for
jumping however, and I saw him nail a few massive
jumps right in front of JC who really was dicing with
death in the rip. This chirped him up a bit, especially
when he found out we had all seen him nail a bone
dry forty-foot backie! “Scottie, Charlie and John
Metcalfe were all taking the place apart at their
home spot despite pretty treacherous sailing
conditions. Buggy got a few sick turns while I was
walking down the hill from the car park! Proper rail
to rail turns! Must be his new kit!!
TIMO MULLEN It was pumping! Scotty was already
out there nailing some solid smacks on the logo
high waves, I also saw him get severely punished by
one bone crusher of a wave, but inside I knew Scott
would have loved the trashing as he knew we were
all watching from the beach! I have sailed Ventnor a
couple of times before so I knew that this places
was pretty gnarly at this size. Basically the wave is
quite simply the shore break, and a logo high one at
that! I rigged a slightly bigger sail than was really
needed as the rip is so strong here you need it just
to get through the impact zone, plus I wanted to
boost some huge jumps and that extra .5m of sail
cloth might give me that few extra feet in the air. I
was pretty nervous on hitting some of the lips that
day as I had just returned from West Oz that week
where I twisted my foot in Gnarloo, it was still feeling
pretty weak so I was aiming more for rocket air
jumps than the pummelling I might get in the shore
break!
WATERSHOTS
It must have been six years ago when I last shot in
the water at Ventnor. It was a classic session with
Ventnor local Ross Williams where he had just
learned to forward and we managed to get some
really interesting shots of him upside down in front of
the back drop of the very picturesque Ventnor
seafront. Thinking back it was a pretty similar day,
big waves, a hellish rip and sketchy wind on the
inside. It was actually kind of dangerous swimming
out there with so much water pushing you
downwind. Once past the groyne at the end of the
beach there isn’t really anywhere to get back in, so
you have to be on full alert that you don’t drift too far
downwind once out the back. After a pretty hectic
swim out to the back of the waves, I finally managed
to find approximately the right spot to get some
shots (on the way out I kept looking back to see all
the boys in hysterics every time I got
pummelled…That’s mates for you!) I knew it wasn’t
going to be easy lining up because there was a hell of a lot of water moving
around. Despite some steep ramps setting up perfectly for rocket airs, the boys
were having trouble planning on the inside although I was not really sure why.
Out back of the waves it was solid 4.2m weather and the wind was blowing a tad
cross onshore so there was no real explanation why the wind should not be
cranking right into the beach. Maybe the Motleys were just not on it. After fifteen
minutes without a shot I was starting to think this whole palaver was an utter
waste of time. Just before I entered the water, another island local, Tom Buggy
had rocked up and was also in on the action to get some shots while I was out
there. Here’s where the story gets interesting…
At last a set and a gust rocker up in sync all the way to the inside, with Buggy
gunning out from the beach setting himself up for a back loop right in front of the
camera. I lined up for the shot through the lens of the camera totally unaware
that Timo was bearing down from way upwind charging full bore towards the
next ramp in the set. I followed Buggy sailing through the air, until out of the
corner of my eye I finally glimpsed Timo who was already on his way from what
must have been a huge back loop. As he floated down towards a textbook
landing Timo glanced over his shoulder to make sure I was snapping the money
shot. At that precise moment he realised that I had just been shooting Tom
Buggy and missed his move completely… a look of horror crept across his face.
To be honest I had not seen him coming at all but I knew Mullet would never
forgive me for missing the shot. The next thing I hear is Mullet yelling “Carter I
was 40 foot up” his face in a state of shock, disbelief and dare I say it… hatred!
I decided to keep my mouth shut and hope that sometime soon he would pull off
another decent stunt. If not I would never live this one down… the pressure was
on! With jumps hard to come by I was praying for at least one more decent ramp
to keep Timo from completely spitting the dummy. Each time he came past he
just looked in my direction, shaking his head in complete disgust. Missing the
shot of a big Motley stunt is unforgivable but to have been shooting another
sailor while it’s happening can only be considered sacrilege.
After a tense half hour where I knew a possible break
up of the Motleys was on the cards, the wind fully
kicked in, and at last the boys could start busting out
some stunts. Timo nailed a couple of big backies
right in front of the camera and suddenly I became
his best mate again…funny that! Hunty and
‘Gardinaire’ both pulled some decent stunts right in
front of the Ventnor back drop right before a dark
cloud finally meant the end of our window signalling
time for me to swim back through the death shore
dump. While I was out there, I had completely
forgotten about the rip or any dangers from the sea. I
think I would have rather drowned than upset Mullen!
TIMO MULLEN Any windsurfer in the world, pro or
otherwise, LOVES getting their photo taken, and I am no
exception to this rule! Now any one who has worked
with JC will tell you what a good photographer he is and
he rarely misses any big moves, but for some reason he
does have an uncanny knack of always missing my best
move of the day! I remember it was really hard to line up
with JC in the water; he was being constantly swept
away by the current so to hit the perfect ramp and have
JC just below you was really hard. Then I saw an insane
ramp, I was well powered up, it was wall to wall
sunshine, I hit the logo-high ramp at full speed, soaring
into the air into one of the highest back loops I have ever
landed, on the way down as I looked over my shoulder I
could see JC in the water with the camera pointed the
other way! What? I’ll kill him! How dare he even
consider taking a photo of anyone else, this is my party!
Just kidding, but I have to admit I was gutted. JC could
not even look me in the eye; he knew he was in trouble!
Fortunately the wind and waves improved considerably
so JC was able to redeem himself and snapped
some pretty awesome shots!
APRES SAIL:
LAGERS IN THE SPYGLASS
JC: LAST BLAST For some reason I felt guilty that
the boys had splashed out and come all the way
over for the day, so I offered to buy them dinner at
the Spyglass (An amazing pub right on the water at
the far end of the beach). Later that evening, I
realised what a blunder I had made. After all, they
had just scored an epic day on the water, while I had
either been stuck on the beach or risking life and
limb out in the water to take their photos. They had
laughed at me getting pummelled in the shore dump
and the Buggy incident was not really my fault. As I
am writing this, I find out they never even paid for
the bloody ferry! Now that is what I call Motley!
HUNTY The beer and the burger were well needed
as I’d only had two slices of toast and Timo a bowl
of cereal all day. JC had to leave the pub pretty
quick muttering something about the wife,
babysitting and aerobics.
After a race down all the back roads following
Charlie and John trying to make an earlier ferry,
(obviously this being a Motley trip) we missed it by
about 30 seconds! That meant another hour sitting
around. But at least when we made it back to
Southampton my car was still there. It was locked in
but I bumped it over the curb and was home free!
Day trip over… job done!
TIMO MULLEN Poor JC was feeling guilty, so much
so he treated myself and Hunty to a slap-up meal in
the local pub. It was quite a special day as myself,
Hunty, John, Charlie, Scott and JC would probably
not see each other for the rest of the winter so it
turned into a bit of a Last Supper. Classic tales of the
day were recounted with unofficial awards for best
wave going to Scott for his opening wave when we
first rocked up. In fact, everyone was sailing well that
day; John’s massive forwards, Charlie’s back loops,
Hunty’s tweaked aerials and Buggy’s sick gouges.
As with any typical Motley day it ended in disaster as
Hunty and myself missed the ferry by 30 seconds -
pure comedy!
Mast debate
A question of stiffness?
The mast is one of the most important parts of the equipment
setup, affecting early planing, control and manoeuvrability of the
rig. The mast is so critical to the rig performance that sails are
designed around the curve of the mast, rather than the other way
round. Getting the “right” mast for the sail will unlock the
performance of the rig, giving potentially better performance in
all conditions, as well as increasing the range of the sail.
STIFFNESS
The main property of a mast is the stiffness,
which determines how much it bends when
downhaul is applied to the rig. All mast
manufacturers use the IMCS value to indicate
the stiffness of their masts; standard IMCS
values are shown in the table. In general, short
masts are softer than long masts. It is rare
though to find a modern mast that differs too
much in stiffness from the values shown in the
table. Although sail manufacturers recommend
a mast length and IMCS for each sail, it is
possible to use a shorter (and hence softer) mast by using an extra-long mast
extension, or longer (and hence stiffer) mast by lengthening the head strap.
Using a too long mast in a sail uses a stiffer IMCS value, and also sets the sail
on a thicker lower section of the mast, which is stiffer. This makes the mast
harder to deflect, both statically, so a stronger arm is required to reach the
recommended downhaul, and also dynamically, so the mast doesn’t bend
enough to allow the leach to spill wind in gusts and when hitting chop. This is a
nightmare to control, typically with small sails in gusty, rough conditions when
you might be tempted to use a 400cm instead of buying the recommended
370cm. Heavier sailors might handle the combination a little more comfortably,
as they tend to use a given sail size in stronger winds, so the extra stiffness in
the mast gives more tension in the leach. For lighter sailors the rig can feel
more like a solid door, with not enough flex to give a smooth ride.
Using a shorter mast with a long extension gives a softer spar in the sail, so the
tension in the sail is less. Downhaul tension to reach the spec value is less, and
the rig has a softer feel. Gusts cause the mast to bend more, so the leach twists
off and exhausts more. This suits lighter sailors, as well as the rig feeling softer;
less strength is required to apply downhaul tension. The twisting leach can
make the rig feel gutless for heavier sailors though, losing bottom end. Using a
long extension can cause other problems: extra leverage on the bottom of the
mast which can cause a breakage low down, the boom not setting on the
reinforced section which some lightweight masts have, and some rotation
problems with the bottom batten catching as the mast hasn’t tapered enough.
BEND CURVES
Although the IMCS value defines the stiffness of the mast, it has nothing to say
about the way the mast curves, whether the top or the bottom bends more or
less. Most modern masts are described as “constant curve” but the name is
misleading, the masts bend more at the thinner tip than at the thicker base.
Constant curve covers a range of average curves, the any mast with a tip%-
base% (see IMCS panel) in the range 10%-14% range can be described as
constant curve. Outside the constant curve range, masts can be described as
hard-top or flexi-top. Virtually all modern masts fit into the constant curve bend
range, with a degree of either flexi-top or hard top character.
Sail designers cut their luff curves with almost the exact opposite curvature to
that at the mast, the luff tube bends more at the bottom than the top, which
pretensions the bottom of the sail to give a stable lower sail. The upper luff tube
is set relatively straight, so that the upper mast is under less tension and will
bend off more to exhaust power when
a gusts hits. The matching of the luff
curve cut to the mast curve is the
most important part of sail design, if
the luff curve is right for the mast then
the sail will be at worst OK, but if the
luff curve is wrong then the sail will
always be a dog. Some sail makers
like their masts to flex off in the head
(Neil Pryde are an example of this
with their progressive flex masts, with
a tip%-base% just outside the
constant curve range), while other
prefer the whole mast to breathe
(Maui sails). Manufacturers try to get
uniform bend curves over their mast
ranges, but differences between
different lengths and even individual
masts mean that giving more than
the vaguest of guides to bend curves
is difficult.
Using a flexi-top type mast in a sail
designed for constant curve masts,
and vice-versa, will cause loss of
range, often at both the top and
bottom end, and can adversely effect
the feel and balance of the sail.
Tuning of outhaul and downhaul can
return much of the performance,
but the sail specifications printed on
the foot may not give the best set
and handling.
EXTENSIONS
Extensions at the bottom of the mast
should not affect the bend curve, as
the sails are designed around a mast
with extension. Some long carbon
extensions designed for formula rigs
state that they have the same bending
characteristics as carbon masts, but
the main worry with long extensions is
the leverage causing mast breakage,
rather than an adverse effect on the
bend curve of the mast.
Fixed length mast extensions (such as
North’s 50cm Carbon X.Tender,
pictured) are designed to fit into the
bottom of the mast to allow one mast
to cover a greater range of sail sizes.
Because of the snugly fitting ferrule,
they are not at as high risk of
breakage as long extensions. The
carbon construction bends along with
the mast, however, the shorter mast
plus extender combination is still
softer than a long mast, so will work
better for lighter sailors, or those who
want to buy a larger rig but don’t want
to splash the cash on a longer mast at
the same time. North say most of their
UK racers are happy with the
performance of the X.Tender and
shorter mast combo, so they don’t
need to cart as many masts around
with them.
RDMs
Because the stiffness of a cylinder is
proportional to the fourth power of the
diameter, slight variations in mast
taper have a great effect on the mast's
behaviour, an effect which is particular
noticeable for RDM masts. Previously,
some sail brands were claiming that
RDM masts would not work well in
their sails, as the bend curves were
not close enough to the bend curves
of the SDM masts that the sails were
designed around. If no changes are
made to the stiffness over the length,
then the reduced taper of an RDM
mast will give a bottom section which
deflects more relative to the top,
giving a hard-top bend curve. Two
previous RDM-doubters, North and
NP, have introduced new RDM masts
this year, which they claim reproduce
the bend curves of their SDM masts
exactly giving perfect compatibility
with their sails. Sails designed around
RDM masts are starting to appear,
Goya and Ezzy recommend their
ranges on RDM masts, but claim
SDM compatibility.
SUMMARY
Matching the sail to the mast allows
the sail’s full potential to be extracted.
Setting sails on the correct length and
stiffness mast is the most important
consideration, although the bend
curve can also have a large effect on
performance. This is most important
for racers, where a small advantage in
sail performance may give a huge
advantage around the course.
Freeride sailors may not regard
squeezing the last few drops of
performance out of their sails as that
important. However, some tweaking
during rigging can give decent
performance from the sail, provided
the mast bend isn’t too extreme.
Thanks to John at sailrepair.co.uk
for his contribution to this article.
1
2
3
4
SAILS ON THE “WRONG MASTS”
1 Here is a (custom)
sail cut around a
constant curve RDM
400cm mast. The owner
and designer of the sail
had broken two of the
RDMs, and replaced
them with a 2005
Gaastra RDM, which
was a slightly hard-top
in character*. It can be
seen that the leach is
too tight, but the lower
battens are rotated
nicely around the mast.
*Gaastra are using
constant curve masts for
2006, so would be more
compatible with the sail
shown in this example.
2 Rather than
accepting that the sail
doesn’t work with the
new mast and returning
it, the designer has
removed a sliver of
material (20mm at most)
from the luff panel,
giving a straighter luff
tube at the top. A little
(5mm) is also removed
from the luff panel at the
very bottom of the sail,
so that the battens are
not over-rotated.
3 The sail is now put
back together, and set
on the mast. There is
now a nice amount of
leach twist, but the sail
still has shape in the
bottom.
4 Setting the sail back
on a constant curve
mast results in too loose
a leach, and the sail
would be gutless.
We’re not advising
people to go out and
buy industrial sewing
machines and start
recutting their sails; if
you think the bend
curve of your masts do
not match your sails
then talk it over with
your local shop.
The mast is one of the most important parts of the equipment
setup, affecting early planing, control and manoeuvrability of the
rig. The mast is so critical to the rig performance that sails are
designed around the curve of the mast, rather than the other way
round. Getting the “right” mast for the sail will unlock the
performance of the rig, giving potentially better performance in
all conditions, as well as increasing the range of the sail.
STIFFNESS
The main property of a mast is the stiffness,
which determines how much it bends when
downhaul is applied to the rig. All mast
manufacturers use the IMCS value to indicate
the stiffness of their masts; standard IMCS
values are shown in the table. In general, short
masts are softer than long masts. It is rare
though to find a modern mast that differs too
much in stiffness from the values shown in the
table. Although sail manufacturers recommend
a mast length and IMCS for each sail, it is
possible to use a shorter (and hence softer) mast by using an extra-long mast
extension, or longer (and hence stiffer) mast by lengthening the head strap.
Using a too long mast in a sail uses a stiffer IMCS value, and also sets the sail
on a thicker lower section of the mast, which is stiffer. This makes the mast
harder to deflect, both statically, so a stronger arm is required to reach the
recommended downhaul, and also dynamically, so the mast doesn’t bend
enough to allow the leach to spill wind in gusts and when hitting chop. This is a
nightmare to control, typically with small sails in gusty, rough conditions when
you might be tempted to use a 400cm instead of buying the recommended
370cm. Heavier sailors might handle the combination a little more comfortably,
as they tend to use a given sail size in stronger winds, so the extra stiffness in
the mast gives more tension in the leach. For lighter sailors the rig can feel
more like a solid door, with not enough flex to give a smooth ride.
Using a shorter mast with a long extension gives a softer spar in the sail, so the
tension in the sail is less. Downhaul tension to reach the spec value is less, and
the rig has a softer feel. Gusts cause the mast to bend more, so the leach twists
off and exhausts more. This suits lighter sailors, as well as the rig feeling softer;
less strength is required to apply downhaul tension. The twisting leach can
make the rig feel gutless for heavier sailors though, losing bottom end. Using a
long extension can cause other problems: extra leverage on the bottom of the
mast which can cause a breakage low down, the boom not setting on the
reinforced section which some lightweight masts have, and some rotation
problems with the bottom batten catching as the mast hasn’t tapered enough.
BEND CURVES
Although the IMCS value defines the stiffness of the mast, it has nothing to say
about the way the mast curves, whether the top or the bottom bends more or
less. Most modern masts are described as “constant curve” but the name is
misleading, the masts bend more at the thinner tip than at the thicker base.
Constant curve covers a range of average curves, the any mast with a tip%-
base% (see IMCS panel) in the range 10%-14% range can be described as
constant curve. Outside the constant curve range, masts can be described as
hard-top or flexi-top. Virtually all modern masts fit into the constant curve bend
range, with a degree of either flexi-top or hard top character.
Sail designers cut their luff curves with almost the exact opposite curvature to
that at the mast, the luff tube bends more at the bottom than the top, which
pretensions the bottom of the sail to give a stable lower sail. The upper luff tube
is set relatively straight, so that the upper mast is under less tension and will
bend off more to exhaust power when
a gusts hits. The matching of the luff
curve cut to the mast curve is the
most important part of sail design, if
the luff curve is right for the mast then
the sail will be at worst OK, but if the
luff curve is wrong then the sail will
always be a dog. Some sail makers
like their masts to flex off in the head
(Neil Pryde are an example of this
with their progressive flex masts, with
a tip%-base% just outside the
constant curve range), while other
prefer the whole mast to breathe
(Maui sails). Manufacturers try to get
uniform bend curves over their mast
ranges, but differences between
different lengths and even individual
masts mean that giving more than
the vaguest of guides to bend curves
is difficult.
Using a flexi-top type mast in a sail
designed for constant curve masts,
and vice-versa, will cause loss of
range, often at both the top and
bottom end, and can adversely effect
the feel and balance of the sail.
Tuning of outhaul and downhaul can
return much of the performance,
but the sail specifications printed on
the foot may not give the best set
and handling.
EXTENSIONS
Extensions at the bottom of the mast
should not affect the bend curve, as
the sails are designed around a mast
with extension. Some long carbon
extensions designed for formula rigs
state that they have the same bending
characteristics as carbon masts, but
the main worry with long extensions is
the leverage causing mast breakage,
rather than an adverse effect on the
bend curve of the mast.
Fixed length mast extensions (such as
North’s 50cm Carbon X.Tender,
pictured) are designed to fit into the
bottom of the mast to allow one mast
to cover a greater range of sail sizes.
Because of the snugly fitting ferrule,
they are not at as high risk of
breakage as long extensions. The
carbon construction bends along with
the mast, however, the shorter mast
plus extender combination is still
softer than a long mast, so will work
better for lighter sailors, or those who
want to buy a larger rig but don’t want
to splash the cash on a longer mast at
the same time. North say most of their
UK racers are happy with the
performance of the X.Tender and
shorter mast combo, so they don’t
need to cart as many masts around
with them.
RDMs
Because the stiffness of a cylinder is
proportional to the fourth power of the
diameter, slight variations in mast
taper have a great effect on the mast's
behaviour, an effect which is particular
noticeable for RDM masts. Previously,
some sail brands were claiming that
RDM masts would not work well in
their sails, as the bend curves were
not close enough to the bend curves
of the SDM masts that the sails were
designed around. If no changes are
made to the stiffness over the length,
then the reduced taper of an RDM
mast will give a bottom section which
deflects more relative to the top,
giving a hard-top bend curve. Two
previous RDM-doubters, North and
NP, have introduced new RDM masts
this year, which they claim reproduce
the bend curves of their SDM masts
exactly giving perfect compatibility
with their sails. Sails designed around
RDM masts are starting to appear,
Goya and Ezzy recommend their
ranges on RDM masts, but claim
SDM compatibility.
SUMMARY
Matching the sail to the mast allows
the sail’s full potential to be extracted.
Setting sails on the correct length and
stiffness mast is the most important
consideration, although the bend
curve can also have a large effect on
performance. This is most important
for racers, where a small advantage in
sail performance may give a huge
advantage around the course.
Freeride sailors may not regard
squeezing the last few drops of
performance out of their sails as that
important. However, some tweaking
during rigging can give decent
performance from the sail, provided
the mast bend isn’t too extreme.
Thanks to John at sailrepair.co.uk
for his contribution to this article.
1
2
3
4
SAILS ON THE “WRONG MASTS”
1 Here is a (custom)
sail cut around a
constant curve RDM
400cm mast. The owner
and designer of the sail
had broken two of the
RDMs, and replaced
them with a 2005
Gaastra RDM, which
was a slightly hard-top
in character*. It can be
seen that the leach is
too tight, but the lower
battens are rotated
nicely around the mast.
*Gaastra are using
constant curve masts for
2006, so would be more
compatible with the sail
shown in this example.
2 Rather than
accepting that the sail
doesn’t work with the
new mast and returning
it, the designer has
removed a sliver of
material (20mm at most)
from the luff panel,
giving a straighter luff
tube at the top. A little
(5mm) is also removed
from the luff panel at the
very bottom of the sail,
so that the battens are
not over-rotated.
3 The sail is now put
back together, and set
on the mast. There is
now a nice amount of
leach twist, but the sail
still has shape in the
bottom.
4 Setting the sail back
on a constant curve
mast results in too loose
a leach, and the sail
would be gutless.
We’re not advising
people to go out and
buy industrial sewing
machines and start
recutting their sails; if
you think the bend
curve of your masts do
not match your sails
then talk it over with
your local shop.
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