Alastair IRL-250

Mistral 2012

2011-12-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

Not long now till the new 2012 Mistral Boards will be available in Europe, Check them out :-))

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 6 Dungarven, County Waterford, Ireland 26th November

2011-12-02T10:42:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately for me my back injury flared up again in October so that has kept me off the water since the middle of October but last weekend was the last round of this years Irish National Speedsailing Championships. We watched the forecast all week and Dungarven was the only location showing a decent forecast of winds gusting up to 35 knots, but only for Saturday so the call was made to run this round as a 1 day event and the call went out to meet at the usual spot by the church at Dungarven.

As money is tight for me i couldn't afford to pay for accommodation so i decided to drive over from Kerry on Saturday morning, planning to leave at 5am to get there in plenty of time for the briefing but when i went out to start my van, it wouldn't start so not really the best start of the day for me. After waiting for a couple of hours for the AA, they got the van started for me and i eventually got underway at 7am. Arriving at Dungarven around 10.30am i was disappointed to again see little to no wind when it was howling elsewhere. Never the less i decided to get my Mistral Screamer 95 ready (which is currently my biggest board until my 2012 Mistral's arrive) with a 36cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa Fin & Starboard iSonic W53 Speed Special with 25cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and rigged my 6.4m, 7.3m & 8.3m KA Koncepts so i was ready if the wind picked up.

Just after mid day the first signs appeared that the wind was picking up and with most people planing on 7-8m sails in the gusts the call was made to measure the event on a 10 second average of your 5 best 10 second runs because of the gusty conditions, so i got into my wetsuit and grabbed my Mistral Screamer 95 and 7.3m KA Koncept and hit the water. I became apparent very quickly that it was very gusty with massive holes in the wind and i was struggling to get going. I was also suffering with my back so made the decision not to use my 8.3m in case i hurt it further. I got a few runs in, but nothing special as i was underpowered so i asked one of my friends, Brian Doyle if i could borrow his iSonic 111 so i had a bit of float to help me get going in the lulls and put my 42cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin into it and went back out with my 7.3m KA Koncept. Before i got my deal with Mistral my own iSonic 111 was my go to board in conditions just like this and i found no problem at all getting it going with the extra volume as the lulls were so big but my back was really hurting now but i still managed to get in enough runs to get a result which i was happy with as i could hardly move my back.

Unfortunately i only managed to finish 8th overall and 5th Master but considering i went against my physios orders to compete as i had to do so to get a result otherwise i would have dropped down the rankings, i am still in 4th position overall with just the 2 GPS rounds left to run until the end of the year so i am hoping that my physio can work her magic and get my back sorted so i can get another Speedsailing session in before the end of the year. For me this year my back has hampered me competing and also kept me off the water at times which has annoyed me so i am hoping once and for all i can get it fixed.

For Sale

2011-11-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

It's now time replace my sails so my current quiver of 2010 KA Koncepts (8.3m, 7.3m, 6.4m & 5.7m) will be available for sale in late December/Early January when my new sails arrive. I have updated my For Sale section here http://irl-250.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-sale.html or you can click the For Sale box on the right hand side of the page and all sails can be seen here in County Kerry, Ireland and i can supply further pictures upon request. I can accept a deposit for any of these sails to secure the sail when they become available for sale in late December/Early January.

I also have available for sale a 6.4m KA Kult (Freeride/Bump & Jump/Wave Sail), a 10.5m Demon Design VG5 Raceboard Sail with 580cm North Viper 100% Carbon Mast and some wave fins and these are all available for sale now.

I can deliver the sails to any of the Irish Speed and Slalom events or i can arrange postage/shipping at the buyers cost.

As always i can do a bit of a discount if you buy more than one sail from me so let me know if you might be interested in anything i have for sale

Invited To Become An Author on www.speedsurfingblog.com

2011-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Erik Loots contacted me and asked if i would like to become an Author on his website www.speedsurfingblog.com and i happily accepted his invitation. I have followed the Speedsurfingblog for a few years now and i find that there is alot of very useful information for speed sailing on the site and it's also a great source of all the latest speed sailing news.

My own blog here is only a few years old and i am honored that Erik has been following my own blog posts and feels that i can provide a useful contribution to his own website. I hope that in the coming future you will find what i post to the Speedsurfingblog informative and useful and that you continue to follow my news updates here.

See you on the water :-))

New Sponsor

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to announce that for 2012 i will be riding Mistral Speed and Slalom boards. When i first started racing back in the late 80's Mistral were the boards that everyone wanted to ride and now with the legendary Anders Bringdal at the helm the will certainly regain that legendary status in the coming years. To be part of this is awesome and i will be getting my boards through Wind & Wave in Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland. See you on the water :-))

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 5 Ladies Island, County Wexford & Dungarven, County Waterford, Ireland 8th & 9th October

2011-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the late post as i have been away for a few weeks and this is the first chance i had had to write this. Earlier this month the call was made with the current forecasts that Round 5 of the Irish Speedsailing Championships would be run at 2 different locations. As Ladies Island had the best forecast of 15 to 20 knots for Saturday the first day was run there and then with the forecasted 30 knot SW winds for Dungarven we would run the second days competition there.

I made my way over to Ladies Island on Saturday morning getting there mid morning leaving Kerry at 5am. On arrival i was disappointed to see little to no wind but with the forecast due to pick up i decided to get ready my Starboard iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX Fin and rig my 7.3m KA Koncept and wait for the wind to pick up. Due to the forecast showing marginal winds quite a few competitors decided not to travel down and wait for Sunday which turned out to be a mistake as after about an hour the wind picked up to over our 18 knot wind minimum so it was game on and official racing was called by the race officer. I quickly got ready and then hit the water and had a great time and despite the very gusty conditions and big chop i managed a 29.6 knot peak which gave a 3rd place for the day and in a decent position to get a good place for the event. I was also starting to feel more at ease in the chop after having some pretty big crashes in similar conditions over the past few years.

After everyone had packed up we decided to head over to Dungarven so we didn't have a big drive in the morning and booked into the Park Hotel and after some food and a few pints got to bed reasonably early to get ready for the forecasted winds the following day.

When i woke i was disappointed to yet again see the forecast was wrong and the was hardly any wind so i had a leisurely breakfast and headed down to the beach to see what was happening. Everyone had come down today and most were gutted to hear there was more wind yesterday but it is a 2 day event so not turning up for one of the days is always a risk. After a few hours the wind started to pick up so i decided to get ready my Starboard iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX Fin and rig my 7.3m KA Koncept. Also if the wind was to pick up to what was forecasted i also got ready my Starboard iSonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed fin and Starboard iSonic W53 Speed Special With 25cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and rigged my 6.4m KA Koncept. After quickly getting into my wetsuit i got out on the water but there was massive holes in the wind making any decent speeds hard to achieve and after a couple of hours the wind dropped off so i headed in. I was disappointed to hear the round was called official which in my opinion was no where near our average wind minimum and considering how gusty and holey the wind was should really have been a fun day but that's the luck of the draw and i reluctantly went with the decision.

After 2 days competition i finished 5th overall and 4th Master which keeps me on track to achieve a top 3 position in the overall rankings for the year and i can't wait for the last event in November where i will be using my new sponsors boards for the first time in a competition. See you next month

2012 KA Sail Range

2011-09-27T05:45:00.001-07:00

The new 2012 KA Sail sail range has just been released and the sails look awesome. Peter Weitenberg, Jesper Orth, Martin Love and Andrew McDougall have done a great job this year improving the already great KA Sail range and have a new sail range available this year, the Killer which is a sail suited to Onshore and Cross Onshore conditions so expect this sail to excel in the conditions we find here in Europe and fits nicely into the Wave Sail Range alongside the Kaos, KA's down the line wave sail and the Kult, KA's bump and jump sail which heavier riders such as my self find perfect for use in waves due to it's extra power compared to the other 2 wave sail ranges. This year the Kult has been geared a little more towards the freeride aspect of the sail but will still excel in waves if you want a sail that does it all.

The Koyote continues to be the choice for people wanting a fast easy to use sail, being based on the awesome Koncept sail range but is a easy, comfortable and forgiving sail range perfect for freeride sailors but is still a seriously fast sail, having topped 40 knots on numerous occasions.

The KA Race has been improved yet again and will be the weapon of choice for Slalom and Formula sailors out there. The low end of the sail has been improved and now has a bigger wind range in each size with less drag. Expect to see Jesper Orth doing well on the PWA tour and Chris Bond doing well on the UKWA Formula circuit this year using this sail.

Finally the new Koncept, my favorite sail in the range looks stunning and i can't wait to get my hands on it. Look at the overall top 5 on www.gps-speedsurfing and you will see the Koncept holds 3 of these places as well as being the current GPSSS World Record Holder proving this to be the weapon of choice for Speed Sailing. This year the sails have a slightly lower aspect resulting in a more balanced foil. A constant yet extremely defined power dynamic has been built into the sails and any tendency to oversheet and stall the sail has been eliminated. This excellent sail has been improved yet again and is now better than ever.

I will have the KA Kult, Kaos and Koncept available for demo here in Ireland so if you want to try them give me a shout and you can see further information on the KA Sail range here

See you on the water

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 4 Dollymount Beach & Burrow Beach, Dublin, Ireland 17th & 18th September

2011-09-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

After the disappointment of having to cancel the first 3 rounds of this years Speedsailing championship we were delighted to finally get a decent forecast and the call was made to call a notice of race late Thursday Evening. As the forecast showed Westerly winds on Saturday and North Westerly winds on Sunday the call was made to run Saturdays competition at Dollymount Beach, County Dublin and Sundays competition at Burrow Beach, County Dublin. I for one couldn't wait until Sunday as Burrow Beach is my favorite spot to speed sail in Ireland.

I left home in Kerry late on Friday night stopping half way on my way to Dublin for a sleep and then carried on first thing Saturday morning arriving at Dollymount beach just after 10am. It was clear that the winds were very light and with the forecast due to pick up i decided to rig up anyway. I decided that i would use my Starboard iSonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin, Starboard iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX Fin and Starboard iSonic 144 with 48cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin to cover me for all conditions and rig my 7.3m & 8.3m KA Koncept's and wait for the wind to pick up. Around lunchtime the wind picked up to around 14-15 knots so the call was made to run a fun competition till the wind picked up and most people headed out on the water. Personally i decided to hang on and save my strength in case the wind showed up. Later that afternoon the wind got up to about 20 knots so i quickly got into my wetsuit and was about to head out when as soon as the wind had come it dropped off again which was disappointing but decided to head out anyway and grabbed my 8.3m KA Koncept and Starboard iSonic 144 and hit the water. It was very gusty with massive holes in the wind and after spending most of the time slogging around and only getting a couple of runs in i decided to head in and wait for tomorrow.

That night i headed over to Malahide to an excellent B & B i have used in the past, got some food and an early night ready for the early start the following day. As low tide was just after 9am the call was made to meet at the beach at 7am to make the most of the time when we would have the sandbar exposed as this gets covered over at high tide. Here at Burrow Beach the optimal wind direction is a North easterly where you can sail within a meter of the longer sandbar that runs from east to west but today in the North Westerly wind direction the sandbar to the East that runs from North East to South West can be sailed, although not as long so you can't get a decent 500m run in so the call was made to measure just a 10 second average to make it easier for the competitors to achieve decent speeds.

I got there just before 7am and as there wasn't alot of wind but it was due to pick up i would get ready my Starboard iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui ZX Fin and Starboard iSonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Delta Speed Fin and rig my 7.3m and 8.3m KA Koncept and got into my wetsuit. Not long after 8am the wind picked up to over 20 knots so it was game on and official racing was definitely on. I decided to initially as it was gusty and a few people were finding it hard to get going i would get a couple of quick runs in on my Starboard iSonic 111 so grabbed that and my 7.3m KA Koncept and hit the water. I did my first run and was stoked to see at the end of it a PB on this combo of 34.4 knots and then got a couple of runs around 32 knots before switching to my Starboard iSonic 86 with the same sail after about an hour. I then spent rest of the session searching the biggest gusts to get some decent 10 second speeds and got another run over 34 knots which was again another PB on the combo i was on and the rest over 30 knots so i knew coming of the water i had a decent 10 second average. looking around at everyone else with big smiles on their faces i wasn't the only one having a great time and i called it a day just after 12.

I managed to finish the day with a peak speed of 34.4 knots and a 10 second max speed of 33 knots which was enough for me to finish 3rd Overall and my first ever podium position at a speed event. I hadn't expected to finish in this position and was ecstatic with my achievement and it leaves me in a good chance of achieving my goal of finishing in the top 3 of the 2011 Irish Speedsailing Championship's at the end of the year. The result leaves me 3 place overall in the 2011 rankings at the moment and I've just got to make sure i achieve good results at the remaining two events and i should achieve my goal. See you all at the next event next month :-))

For Sale

2011-09-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Due to a upcoming change in my Board sponsor i now have for sale my current quiver of Starboard iSonic's (W49, W53, 86, 111, 144), Starboard 12'6" Cruiser Sup and Starboard Evo 100 Wave Board. I have now updated my For Sale section here http://irl-250.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-sale.html or you can click the For Sale box to the right of this post and all the boards can be see here in County Kerry and i can supply further pictures upon request.

The boards can be delivered to any of the Irish Speed and Slalom events and i can also arrange shipping through my shop sponsor Wind & Wave at the cost to the buyer. I will also be going to Weymouth Speed Week in the UK so can deliver the boards to there or a location en route which can be arranged.

I can also do a bit of a discount if you buy more than one board from me so if you are interested let me know.

UKWA Inlands Round 5 Oxford Sailing Club, Farmoor Reservoir, Oxford, UK June 10th & 11th 2011

2011-09-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

I arrived late afternoon after my drive from West Kirby and after helping the organizers shift some of the boats around to make room for the racers that would be attending the weekend i checked the forecast and decided that with the winds showing anything from 8-35 knots plus i would rig my 10.5m Raceboard sail, 9.5m KA Koncept and 8.3m KA Koncept so i wouldn't have to rush around in the morning and i then got some food and got an early night ready for the weekend's racing.

I got up pretty early on Saturday as i had to fit a new mast track to my Starboard Phantom 380 Race that i broke earlier in the week and got myself ready for the first race. As it was forecast to pick up i decided to play it safe and took out my 8.3m KA Koncept on my Phantom for the first race which wasn't a good decision as i was massively underpowered and couldn't keep up with the rest of the fleet. For the second race i didn't really have time to get a bigger sail and as the wind picked up slightly and i was alright in the gusts i decided to keep using the 8.3m till we stopped for lunch. I did a bit better in this race but was still underpowered so when the wind dropped after lunch and we went back on the water for the 3rd race i grabbed my 9.5m KA Koncept. This wasn't a great decision either as the forecasted wind finally showed up and was now gusting up to 25-30 knots so i was now massively overpowered in the gusts so i struggled round the course till the finish and decided that as there was to be a quick break after the next race i would keep the 9.5m as i was still alright in the lulls. As i got to the windward mark in the 4th race a massive gust came through the course, which i found out later to be 35 knots plus i got catapulted and the mast hit my the thumb on my right hand pinning it between the mast and the board and felt like i had possibly broken it so i retired from the race and got some ice on my hand and called it a day as i couldn't grip anything with my right hand. After a great Barbecue organized by the club and a few beers i fell into bed exhausted around 10pm and had a decent sleep ready for the next day.

When i woke my hand was still hurting and i was unable to grip that well with my right hand, but after looking at the event results and the overall rankings i needed to complete at least a couple for races to get into the top 10 for the year and as i couldn't finish 9th i decided i would do enough to secure 10th for the year and then call it a day. As it was as windy as the previous afternoon i grabbed my 8.3m KA Koncept and Phantom and hit the water and completed the 2 races i needed to before lunch and after a quick check of the current overall rankings i was stoked to see i was in 10th position with no chance of the person in 11th catching me so i called it a day and packed up my gear. At the start of the year it was my main goal to achieve a top 10 finish and to have finally achieved it meant alot to me after the effort and money spent this year to get to all the events.

Unfortunately as i am still out of work and unless i can get myself a new job i will be unable to do any events next year and improve on my overall ranking as i have done since finishing 17th last year. If i can gain some interest though i plan to hopefully organize an event in Ireland so if you want to do some longboard racing in Ireland give me a shout.

West Kirby, Merseyside, UK 7th & 8th September 2011

2011-09-15T06:30:00.001-07:00

I arrived up at West Kirby from Southend just after Midnight and checked out the conditions by the lake to see if i could park the van there but there was no chance of that with the van rocking in the wind when i parked up so i retreated to Morrison's Supermarket car park to get a bit of cover so i could have a decent nights sleep. I got up reasonably early to see Farrell O'Shea and Stuart Trunkfield already there getting in some runs down the wall. It was looking like 5.7m weather for me and as mine was out of action i decided to wait till the wind was forecast to drop a little to head out so went of the Morison's to get some breakfast.

When i got back the wind had dropped a bit to around 20-25 knots so i decided to rig my Starboard iSonic W53 Speed Special with 23cm KA Starboard Asymmetric Speed Fin and 6.4m KA Koncept, got changed and hit the water. It was pretty gusty but the 6.4m was feeling just right in terms of power and after a while on the water. It was also not that broad so you had to bear off into the middle about two thirds of the way down the wall and eventually i started edging closer to my GPS Max Speed PB with a 35.28 knot run. My next run was the exact same speed and i was starting to wonder if i was ever going to break my old PB old 35.86 but i didn't have long to wait as i locked onto a decent gust on my next run and was stoked to see a new PB on my GPS at the end of the run of 36.2 knots. I know it's not that much of an increase but i know now it's only a matter of time that i break 40 given the right conditions. After a little bit longer on the water i called it a day as i was getting tired so i packed up and went of in search of food.

I found a great place called The Moby Dick not far from West Kirby Marine Lake that does a great carvery for 5.99 and you can pretty much pile your plate full of food so it's a great meal after a long session on the water. After some food a few pints i parked the van back down in Morrison's Car Park and got some sleep ready for the next day.

On Thursday when i woke the wind had dropped right off so i went back to the Marine lake and parked up the van ready just to relax and chill out for the day and rest my body but around lunchtime the wind picked up to 20 knots so i quickly rigged my Starboard iSonic 86 with Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and 7.3m KA Koncept and got changed. Just as i was about to head out the wind started to drop so i quickly got my iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX Fin and went out. I only got 2 runs down the wall before the wind dropped right off and after slogging around for an hour i called it a day, packed up and chilled out for a bit. Later that evening i went over to Slinky's which is run by Tristan Haskin's (Owner of www.gps-speed.co.uk) parents and had a few pints before heading of to bed to get a decent nights sleep to get ready for the drive to Farmoor the following day where i would be competing at Round 5 of the UKWA Inland championships.

Southend, Essex, UK 6th September 2011

2011-09-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

After driving from Weymouth yesterday evening and sleeping overnight in the van just by the rigging spot on Southend Sea Front i was hoping after a great session at Weymouth yesterday i was hoping that today would be the same and looking at the forecast of gusts up to and over 40 knots i also hoped to break a few of my GPS records.

When i got up it was great to see a few of the top UK Speedsailors here coming from all over the UK and after some breakfast i decided to rig my Starboard iSonic W53 Speed Special with 25cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and 5.7m KA Koncept. The decision to rig here is made hard by the fact that where you are sailing so far from the rigging spot so whatever you rig is what you have to sail that session. After getting changed into my wetsuit i made the long walk which is about a mile out to the channel across the mud and was pretty tiring walking into 30-40 knots of wind and once out to the channel i had to have a rest and watched a few of the guys going down the course to see which route they were taking as i knew there is some shallow spots that i definitely didn't want to hit.

My first run down the course was a bit cautious, just feeling my way down so i had an idea of the line to take but i still managed a 35.1 knots peak which i was happy with and hoping that today was my day to break 40 knots. Setting myself up for my second run i sailed upwind to the sand bar and bore off but after about 5-10 seconds into my run, a massive gust hit forcing me to sheet out as i got lifted by the gust which caused the nose to lift out of the water just as i was going over a bit of chop, which in turn caused me to spin out as the fin lost grip. I tried to hold it and re-correct the spin out but before i knew it the leeward rail tripped which me catapulting into the sail. I felt something give in the crash which i initially thought was the mast and was happy when i came to my senses and saw the mast was in one piece but this was short lived until i saw the panel i had just gone through in the bottom of may sail. I think it was my knee which caused this but i can't be sure as it happened so fast but for me that was the end of the session so i derigged and started the long walk back to the rigging spot.

I was pretty disappointed as i knew i could have gone faster but glad at the same time i hadn't hurt myself. Still always nice to try out new spots and i can see now why alot of people rate Southend so highly and hopefully i will get to sail here again sometime. After looking at the forecast the call was made to make the long drive up to West Kirby for my 3rd days speedsailing in a row.

Weymouth, Dorset, UK 5th September 2011

2011-09-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of sailing updates as i have been off the water since my last event at Rutland in July due to me breaking my big toe in my Left foot and the delay in getting this post up as i have been very busy since getting back to Ireland on Tuesday morning.

Last week i went across to the UK which as luck would have it i timed perfectly with some decent wind so i decided to visit some of the best speed spots the UK has to offer. As the forecast was looking great for Portland on Monday i decided to head there first. Many of you will know the speed strip along Chesil beach is a historic Speedsailing location that has seen many speed records set here in the past and also the location for the epic Weymouth Speedweek that i attend every year.

I arrived at Weymouth on Sunday night and decided to base myself at the Ferrybridge Car Park at the Weymouth end of Chesil Beach as this gives good access to the Speed Course. When i woke on Monday Morning it was blowing around 20-25 knots with it forecasting to pick up so after some breakfast i rigged up my Starboard iSonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and 5.7m KA Koncept got into my wetsuit and went out on the water. Unfortunately the wind was very gusty with massive lulls in the wind and although i managed to get going and got one run down the course i was unable to get going on the way back and spent the next hour up to my waist in water only getting going on the odd gust so i decided to head in and get a bit of lunch.

Rather than waste the session i decided rig my Starboard iSonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX Fin and 6.4m KA Koncept after lunch and went back on the water and although the 6.4m was a bit big for me in the gusts it was perfect in the lulls and i had a great session on the water in the sun and managed a peak speed of 28 knots. After having a bit of a rest and packing up my gear i checked the Forecast for the following day and although the Forecast was looking great for Portland i decided tomorrow was the day i would try Southend for the first time as i knew i would regret not doing so if i didn't go

For Sale

2011-08-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

I've just updated my for sale list here :-

Alastair IRL-250: For Sale

or click on the For Sale link to the right of this post.

let me know if you are interested in anything

2012 Starboard Phantom Race 377

2011-08-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

The first details have been released of the new 2012 Starboard Phantom Race 377 and it definitely looks different to the current 2011 model which you can see from the picture and video below. Can't wait to try it out and see how different it is

Phantom Race 377 Prototype from Remi Vila on Vimeo.

2012 Starboard iSonic's, iSonic Speed Specials & Ultrasonic

2011-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Checkout the new 2012 Starboard iSonic's, iSonic speed's & Ultrasonic

The board sizes are the same as the previous year but the iSonic's have all had slight tweaks:-

The rail thickness has been reduced in the nose which helps improve control
The deep deck concave has been moved forward to help make jibing easier
New pinched in tail outline make the board feel freer & new tail cutouts reduce the wetted area for improved speed &
The iSonic 117 wide features new heel extensions for improved leverage

Checkout all the details below and the video with the new iSonic in action

The 2012 iSonic Speed Specials look to be the same shapes as last year with the only difference being they have new strap insert positions giving two extra narrow stance options and they also only have 1 row per strap instead of two with reduces the weight. I think you'll agree with me they look great and hopefully i will be able to find some money so i can add the W58 to my speedboard quiver :-))

The Ultrasonic is the light wind cousin of the iSonic family and is designed for pure light wind planning performance without the need for the use of Formula Equipment. Haven't tried one yet but i hope to do so soon and see how it compares to my iSonic 144

2012 Starboard Wave Boards

2011-08-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

The new 2012 Starboard wave boards have been released and they look awesome :-)

Check out the pics below with details of the Kode, Quad, Evo and Flare and further info can be found on the Starboard website here http://www.star-board.com/2012/news_events/read.php?post_name=starboards-2012-kode-quad-evo-and-flare

UKWA Inlands Round 4 Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, UK June 23rd/24th 2011

2011-07-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

After sailing at West Kirby on Tuesday 19th i headed up to the North East where i had an job interview on Thursday so stayed with my Sister before heading down to Rutland Water on Friday morning where i was going to be competing at the 4th Round of the UKWA Inlands at Rutland water on the 23rd and 24th. I arrived down at Rutland around mid day and i decided to rig what i needed for the weekend so i wasn't rushing around on Saturday morning so i got my Starboard Phantom 380 Race with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin and rigged my 10.5m Raceboard Sail, 9.5m KA Koncept and 8.3m KA Koncept as i wasn't taking any chances with the last 2 events being so windy. Afterwards i got the barbecue together, had some food before heading to the local pub to have a few pints before getting an early night.

I awoke early on Saturday, checked the forecast which was showing 6-18 knots for the day from the North West and registered for the event. Just after 10 we were called onto the water and had 2 races before lunch in winds around 6 knots gusting up to 14-15knots so i grabbed my 10.5m and hit the water. The racing was tough as there was massive wind shifts of 45-90 degrees and i was particularly finding the shifts tough to read as in the previous event. I would find that i was getting headed by a wind shift so i would tack off and then get headed again so unless it was a massive wind shift i decided not to play the shifts. When i got in for lunch i was finding my neck all the way to my shoulder really painful with the deltoid muscle really tight and i couldn't move my neck to look over my shoulder when looking to tack off on a lay line to a mark in the second race so got one of the other competitors, Keith Atkinson who is a personal trainer to have a look at it and he said in was strained and in spasm so he massaged the muscle to free it up a bit and i sat out the next 2 races (which i would use for my disguard's) and see if i was able to get out for the last race of the day. Luckily the pain subsided a bit with the help of some pain killers and the muscle although still sore and painful freed up a bit so i decided to get out for the last race of the day which was a tower dash between the two concrete towers in the lake. The wind had picked up and was gusting upto 18-20 knots so i changed down to my 9.5m KA Koncept and went onto the water. This race was great fun with a massive upwind leg fully powered up to the first tower and then a big downwind leg to the second tower, then back to the finish by Whitwell. I took it easy so i didn't hurt my shoulder more but on one of the broad reaches on the downwind leg i managed a 25 knot peak on the phantom which for me is new PB max speed so was stoked with that. After a barbecue and a few beers it was an early night for all so we were fresh for racing the next day.

On Sunday the wind was a little lighter, around 5 knots gusting 12 knots and again very shifty so i grabbed my 10.5m and Phantom and went out on the water. My shoulder was still sore but was able to get out on the water so i grabbed my 10.5m Raceboard sail and Phantom and went out on the water and we had 2 races before lunch. It was hard again with the wind shifts so i stuck with the same decision as the day before and not play the shifts unless they were massive. After lunch we had another 2 races in the testing conditions before the race officer called it a day and i for one was happy with that so i was able to give my shoulder a rest.

I finished the event 25th Overall, 1st Overall in the Raceboard Unlimited fleet and 5th master which leaves me 6th overall, 3rd Master and 1st Overall in the Raceboard Unlimited Fleet in the 2011 Inland Ranking if my calculations are correct and also means i have won the Raceboard Unlimited fleet for the year and on course to achieve my goal of finishing in the top 10 for the year.

West Kirby, Merseyside, UK 19th July 2011

2011-07-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up but i only just got back to Ireland on Tuesday after spending a week in the Uk with no internet access and had loads of things that needed doing once i got back so have been busy all week.

On Tuesday 19th July i travelled across to the UK early as i was competing at Rutland water the following weekend (23rd & 24th) hoping to catch the back end of the storm that hit West Kirby over the weekend. I was gutted i couldn't make it across sooner and missed the best of the wind but couldn't justify the extra cost i was quoted on Saturday with Stena Line, 460 euros compared to 296 euros i paid with Nutt Travel on Monday and also the extra cost of a couple of extra nights accommodation which i couldn't really afford to pay.

I arrived at West Kirby around mid day to find the wind 14 knots gusting 24 knots from the North West so i decided to use my Starboard iSonic W53 Speed Special with 25cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and 6.4m KA Koncept, got into my wetsuit and hit the water. It was also the first opportunity to try out the 6.4m on my new 460 KA 100% Carbon RDM Mast since i got the mast earlier this year. Because of the wind direction it made the sailing down the wall very hard due to it being very broad, around 130 - 140 degrees and on my first couple of runs i was running out of power on my speedboard after about 50-100 meters so went back in and got my Starboard iSonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin and went back out and with the extra volume and tail width in the 86 it made getting down the wall easier. Unfortunately now the wind was getting very gusty with big holes in the wind so there was alot of waiting for the gusts to get down the wall and then once sailing down the wall you had a big rolling chop near the end so it made sailing really tricky and hard to get any decent speeds but i still managed a couple runs with a max speed of close to 32 knots. Around 4-5pm the wind started to back of and i was spending alot of time up to my waist in water so i decided to call it a day and get a welcome warm shower.

The 460 RDM mast worked very well in the sail compared to my 460 KA 100% Carbon SDM mast with the sail reacting well in the gusts and the sail felt lighter with less of a swing weight so for me the new mast worked very well and i can highly recommend trying the RDM mast in your own Koncept. Hopefully i will get another chance to sail West Kirby soon and get on my smaller speed boards and have a decent crack at 40 knots

Alteration To The Racking In My Van

2011-07-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

After sleeping in the van for a few events I decided to change the interior racking slightly to incorporate a bed as the existing layout didn't give me much space and and any longer than a few days spent on the van was uncomfortable. I kept the existing bench I put in for my old bed as this will be useful for storage. and as you can see from the next few pictures I put in a vertical section of 2 x 2 in the middle of the old racks so I was able to get enough space to build a base for a bed. I also added a rack higher up to utilise the space at the top of the van interior more.

The only downside of this is I sacrificed the racks that were for my wave boards and sup but these can fit in loose if I'm heading to the beach and I don't need to sleep in the van. Give me a shout if you want any other info if your doing your own van. The van is definitely more comfortable to sleep in now :-D

Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland Saturday 2nd July 2011

2011-07-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 2nd July as there was no wind over in Cork a few of the lads decided to come over to Kerry to sail and as Ventry near to Dingle was showing the best forecast the decision was made to meet up there. Ventry is a awesome spot with a bid sandy beach and big bay for sailing in and if you ever get the chance to visit this part of the world check it out.

I got there around mid day and there was around 9-10 knots I rigged up my Starboard Phantom 380 Race with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin with 10.5m Raceboard sail, got into my wetsuit and went out on the water. Almost as soon as i got on the water the wind picked up to around 13-14 knots so I headed in and rigged up my 9.5m KA Koncept and went back out.

I have been waiting for the chance to use the 9.5m Koncept on my Phantom for a while now to see what it would be like and when powered up works very well on the Phantom, providing loads of power on all points of sail and feels awesome off the wind. When I find similar conditions in the UKWA events in the future I will definitely be pulling this out the quiver bag to race on and it will be good change down sail from my light wind Raceboard sail, a 10.5m Demon VG5 in planning conditions.

I had a great cruise round the bay in the sunshine and came of the water happy that I made the drive over and got the chance to sail in this stunning location and thanks to Brian Doyle for taking the photo :-))

East Ferry, County Cork, Ireland Saturday 25th June 2011

2011-07-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend i had originally made the decision to head to Dungarven as the forecast was showing 25-35 knots SW -WSW winds so i drove up on Friday night and after a couple of pints in the Park Hotel i retired to my van in the car park to get a decent nights sleep. As high tide was mid day the speed strip was only sailable until around11am so I got up at 7am and drove over to the speed strip only to be greeted by little to no wind :-(( so yet again it was a wasted drive over.

Not long after i arrived a few of the local lads turned up and were just as gutted as me about the conditions so after a bit of waiting we decided to relocate to a spot in Cork Harbour called East Ferry which took about an hour to get over to. On arrival there there wasn't alot of wind, around 8-14 knots so I rigged up my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin and 8.3m KA Koncept, got into my wetsuit and hit the water.

Not long after getting on the water the wind dropped off and I was just slogging around off the plane so I decided to head in and hung around to see if the wind would pick up but apart from a few gusts coming through the wind never did pick up so I packed up and headed back to Kerry. Gutted the forecast for Dungarven never showed up because it could have been epic there but at least i got some time on the water.

West Kirby, Merseyside, UK Monday 13th June 2011

2011-06-19T13:14:00.001-07:00

On my way back to Ireland the forecast was looking great for West Kirby so i decided to re book my ferry to a later sailing and drove up to West Kirby on Sunday evening to sleep there overnight and be ready for a full days sailing on Monday. When i woke up on Monday morning the forecasted wind wasn't there so i went to get some breakfast and wait and see what the wind was going to do. West Kirby is a spot i have always wanted to sail at and finally on one of my trips to the UK there was some wind forecasted from the right direction.

Around 11am the wind started to pick up and was averaging 14-15 knots so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 with 38cm Vector Fins Maui Rockit fin and 7.3m KA Koncept, got into my wetsuit and hit the water. On my first run down the wall i was nicely powered up so i decided to head straight in and got my I Sonic 86 with 29cm Vector Fins Maui Delta Speed fin and went back out with the same 7.3m KA Koncept and for the next 3-4 hours i had great fun seeing how close i could get to the wall until i had to come of the water and pack up to leave and catch my ferry.

I managed a 32 knot peak speed which considering the light winds i was happy with but after seeing the potential of this place for me i will definitely will be going back there on a decent forecast

UKWA Inlands Round 3, Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, UK June 11th/12th 2011

2011-06-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late update but been very busy since i got back to Ireland and this is the first chance i have write something about last weekends racing in the UK.

I went back across to the UK last weekend as it was Round 3 of the UKWA Inland Championships at Whitwell SC, Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, Epingham, Oakham, England. As with last year this event also included the Rutland Marathon. I decided this time to take an earlier ferry where i arrived in Hollyhead just after 1am and parked up to get some sleep. After a decent nights rest in the van i awoke at around 9am and continued onto Rutland getting there around mid afternoon. I reckon i'll do this from now on as driving through the night is alot more tiring. After catching up with everyone, getting some food and a few beers i got an early night to get a decent rest for the weekend ahead.

I awoke early on Saturday and checked the forecast which was showing anything from 4-33 knots so i got my Starboard Phantom 380 Race ready and rigged up my 10.5m Raceboard Sail, 9.5m Raceboard Sail & 8.3m KA Koncept, registered and waited to be called out on the water. Not long after 10am we were called out so i grabbed my Phantom and 10.5m and had 2 races in shifty winds of around 10 knots. I was finding the conditions hard due to winds shifting around so much and every time i got headed and tacked of the wind shifted again so decided in the end not to play the wind shifts in the end. We went in for a quick lunch and another briefing to let us know the course for the marathon and then were sent out for another race which would be run back to back with the marathon. On my way back in from the 3rd race the wind had started to pick up more and i was finding the 10.5m too big so went in to change down to my 9.5m for the marathon and went back out. From nowhere just after the start of the marathon the wind picked up to 25 knots plus and on the first leg upwind i couldn't even sheet the sail is as i was massively overpowered so i decided to retire which i was pretty gutted about but as i have a bad back i didn't want to damage it anymore but full respect to the guys that made it round which wasn't that many as over half the fleet retired just like me, i'll definitely get round next year. After a Barbeque and a few beers i had an early night to get ready for the next day.

On Sunday the wind was around 10 knots gusting over 30 knots which made for interesting racing. and we were called out onto the water as soon as the race crew got the course laid. I decided to use my 8.3m KA Koncept as i wanted to be in control in the gusts and went out on the water and we had 4 tough races in the testing conditions. It was hard work getting upwind but off the wind was fun and recorded a speed of 21 knots 165 degrees off the wind almost on a run so it was great fun as well. I know 21 knots doesn't sound like alot but that far off the wind on a board 380cm long is a pretty good achievement. Just after 3pm the race crew called it a day which everyone was happy about as we were all knackered and hopefully after 2 windy events there will be more windy events this year.

I managed to finish 24th overall, 4th master and 1st in the Raceboard Unlimited Fleet which leaves me 4th overall, 2nd Master and 1st in the Raceboard Unlimited Fleet in the 2011 Inland Ranking which i am really stoked with as my goal for this year was to break into the top 10 or be close to that at the end of year so hopefully i can dig deep and get decent results in the next two events and finish the year achieving my goal

UKWA Inlands Round 2, Derwent Reservoir, UK May 14th/15th 2011

2011-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend i traveled over to the UK for round 2 of the UKWA Inland Championships which was held in the North East of England. For me this was a return to a location i used to compete at as a youth in the North East Windsurfing Series so i couldn't wait to get there. After another long journey through the night i got up to Derwent early evening and after some food on the barbecue and a few beers i got an early night to get ready for the weekends racing.

I awoke on Saturday Morning to be greeted by winds of 15 knots gusting up to 35 knots so i decided to rig up my 9.5m Raceboard sail, 8.3m KA Koncept and got my Starboard Phantom 380 ready and waited for the start of the first race. The race crew made the call to get us out on the water for the first race so i grabbed my 8.3m and Starboard Phantom 380 and hit the water. It soon became apparent to me that i was massively overpowered and i couldn't even hold the sail going upwind making sailing round the course that was laid impossible for me so i sailed around opposite the sailing club and decided to not to do the first race. I wasn't the only one who had this idea and only 2 people made it round so i wasn't the only one finding the conditions difficult. Not too long after the race finished the race crew postponed the racing for the day due to too much wind so we all decided to get our smaller kit on the water and go free sailing. I rigged up my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 27cm Vector Fins Maui Delta Speed Fin and my new 2011 5.0m KA Koncept and went out on the water. The wind was very gusty with massive holes in the wind so half the time i was massively underpowered but the new sail is awsome, very light in my hands and so stable in the gusts and i can't wait to get it on a speed strip and see the speed potential of the sail. I didn't stay out long as i didn't want to tire myself out for racing the following day so packed up for the day, had a barbecue and a few beers and had an early night to be ready for the following days racing.

On Sunday morning it wasn't as windy as the previous day, around 10 knots gusting 26 knots but the race crew took full advantage of the wind and called us straight onto the water. I decided to again use my 8.3m KA Koncept as i would be unable to hold down the 9.5m in the gusts and went out on the water. The 8.3m was perfect in the gusts but a little underpowered in the lulls and I was finding the going tough as i am not used to the Starboard Phantom 380 in this wind strength but with every race i was getting more used to how the board was handling but unfortunately my back was feeling the strain and starting to hurt so had to sit out some of the races but in total 5 races were completed during the day and for me it was some of the most enjoyable racing i have done in the past couple of years. Looking around you could see everyone was knackered but all had big smiles on their faces so they were enjoying it as much as me.

I managed to finish 6th overall, 2nd Master and 1st overall in the Raceboard Unlimited fleet so for me it was a solid result towards my Inland Series ranking and i am now hoping that the rest of the events get some decent wind and can't wait for the next round at Rutland Water. Also i'm gonna have to get out in strong winds on my Starboard Phantom 380 rather than grabbing the speed kit so next time it's windy i will be alot more used to the kit.

Derrymore Strand Sunday 1st May 2011

2011-05-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Finally some wind showed up on Sunday and as it was from an Easterly direction a few friends told me there was hardly anything in Castlegreggory so i went over to Derrymore Strand. I have never sailed here before and it seams that in an Easterly the wind gets funneled and accelerated through the valleys nearby which is very similar what happens at Gowlane in Brandon Bay where the wind is normally stronger than other local spots.

Just after i arrived the wind dropped off a bit to around 12-14 knots so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector fins Maui Canefire fin and my new 9.5m KA Koncept and got into my wetsuit. It was the first time i had used the sail and again KA Sails have made this amazing sail better. For such a big sail it feels light in my hands, stable and the cams rotate smoothly and will be a great light wind sail for me this year.

Had a nice session on the water before heading in after a couple of hours and it was so nice to finally get back onto the smaller boards after the extended windless spell we have just experienced. No GPS track this time as i forgot to charge them :-(( but all the guys that sailed here today now know that in an easterly this is definitely the best spot in Tralee Bay

New Sponsor

2011-04-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that through Thain Leisure in the UK i will be sponsored by Curve Surf Products. Curve Surf Products are an Innovative Surf Travel Gear company from New Zealand that produce a complete surf system comprising of 11 unique and innovative surfing hardware accessories.

I will be using the Curve Waterman Hydration Backpack to provide me with much needed hydration on the water when competing in the UKWA Raceboard series and Irish National Speedsailing Championships.

Round Hayling, Hayling Island, UK 22nd April 2011

2011-04-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

On Thursday 21st April i headed down to Hayling Island as i was going to do the Round Hayling on Friday arriving at Hayling Island Sailing Club early evening. The Round Hayling is a race i have always wanted to do since it was massive 20 years ago so i was stoked to finally get the chance to take part. After a few drinks with friends in the bar i got an early night to get a decent sleep ahead of the Round Hayling. I woke up pretty early and after a great breakfast i checked the latest forecast which was 4-9 knots so i rigged up my 10.5m Raceboard sail as i would need it in the light winds i would find and my Starboard Phantom 380 Race and waited for the start of the race at 2pm.

At 2 pm we all gathered which was around 100 windsurfers on the beach just by the race tower of Hayling Island Sailing Club and when the gun went it was a mass beach start and we all headed downwind towards Northney Marina and Langstone Bridge. As we were going with the tide we made it down to the marina pretty quickly and turned west towards Langstone bridge and at this point i reckon i was somewhere between 20th and 30th place so right on pace for my goal of finishing in the top 30. Now i heard stories about this part of the race and thought i would be pretty hard but on approach all i needed to do was grab the uphaul, drop the rig to the water and drift through under the bridge. Once i got to the other side i uphauled the sail and made my way upwind to the Ferryboat Inn at the entrance to Langstone Harbour. Rather than pinching upwind like everyone else i decided to free the board off the wind a bit for more speed as i was pretty powered at this point, railing the board with ease but once i got into the middle of the Harbour i got caught in the current and had to tack back into the shallows in the east of the Harbour and lost about 10-15 places here but gained some of them back by the time i had got through the entrance to the Harbour and headed east along the sea front.

At this point the wind went more easterly and dropped off to around 3-4 knots making it hard going beating upwind along the beach but i carried on hoping the wind would pick up. I got about two thirds up the beach to just by the Coastguard tower, which is around 2 miles from the finish when the wind dropped off completely to nothing which made the organizers finish the event there as with the tide now coming out of Chichester Harbour by the Sailing Club it would be impossible to make headway against it with the lack of wind. At that point i reckon i was somewhere around 35-40 position so i was pretty gutted i couldn't finish but hopefully i will get a chance next year to make it round the Island.

Minnis Bay, Kent, UK 19th April 2011

2011-04-28T05:13:00.000-07:00

As i was doing the Round Hayling on Friday 22nd i stayed in the UK after round 1 of the UKWA inlands at Pitsford and stayed with friends in Kent. On Tuesday 19th April i met up with one of my sponsors, David Gollick of windsurfingfins.co.uk at Minnis Bay about 4 miles west of Margate in Kent for a sail. The wind was dead offshore and there wasn't too much wind, around 5-7 knots so i decided to head out on my 10.5m Raceboard Sail and Starboard Phantom 380 race for a bit of practice ahead of the Round Hayling on Friday. I didn't really spend much time on the water but it was nice to get out and stretch out the muscles before heading in to relax on the beach in the sun before heading out for a meal and a few drinks with friends in Ramsgate that evening

UKWA Inlands Round 1, Pitsford Reservoir, UK April 16th/17th 2011

2011-04-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late update but i'm only just back from the UK and had limited access to the net while i was there so was unable to update my blog until now.

It doesn't seam that long since the UKWA inland series finished last year and it was time again for me to make the long trek across the Irish Sea to the UK to compete at the first round of the UKWA Inland Championships. I arrived late Friday night and after some food had an early night so i could get a decent nights sleep to prepare myself for the weekends racing.

I got up early Saturday morning to be greeted by little to no wind but regardless i got my gear together and rigged up my 9.5m Raceboard Sail, 10.5 Raceboard Sail and got my Starboard Phantom 380 Race ready and waited for the start of the first race. Late in the afternoon we were all called out to race so i grabbed my 10.5m Raceboard Sail and Phantom and headed out on the water but it was really testing conditions, about 3-6 knots with wind shifts of up to 90-100 degrees which meant most of us actually managed to make the 1st windward mark on 1 tack and the downwind run was more of a broad reach so the race was finished when we got back to the windward mark which we again made on 1 tack. That was it for the day as the wind dropped right off so we packed up, had a Barbeque and a few drinks then went to bed hoping there would be more wind the following day.

We all awoke to a bit more wind than the previous morning but still not enough to race so we waited around until called on the water just before lunchtime for the second race. I again grabbed the 10.5m and Phantom and went out on the water. The wind was alot more consistent in direction and around 6-7 knots so i was hoping the wind would stick around or the rest of the day but unfortunately not long after the start of the second race the wind dropped off to around 3-4 knots and when we finished we were sent in to wait to see if the wind picked up again but it never did so as there was only 2 races completed and 3 needed for an official result that was it for the event and it would not count towards the overall ranking unfortunately.

I finished 2nd place in the Raceboard unlimited fleet and 5th master which was the same result here last year. Just hoping now that we get some wind at Derwent for the next round and i can get a decent result towards my UKWA Inland Ranking

New Sails Ready For Action

2011-04-05T14:29:00.001-07:00

2011 9.5m KA Koncept

2011 5.0m KA Koncept

2011 5.8m KA Kult

Yesterday my new sails and masts arrived :-) so i got them stickered up and rigged them today to see what they looked like. My 2010 Koncept's (5.7m, 6.4m, 7.3m, 8.3m) and my KA Kaos and Kult wave sails (4.2m, 4.7m, 5.3m, 5.7m, 6.4m) didn't get alot of use with a couple of the sizes used only a few times due to the lack of wind last year and the injury's i suffered so i decided to hang onto them for another year so this year the decision was to only change over a few sizes.

As my 5.7 Kaos was a 2007 model i decided to swap it for a 5.8m Kult which has a bit more power suits my weight better than the Kaos. I prefer to feel a bit of power in my back hand on my larger wave sails where the power of the Kaos is more on and off. I do love the Kaos in the smaller sizes but the Kult suits my wave quiver better in the larger sizes and this year the red/black is a great colour combo. The Kult is also a great bump and jump sail.

I changed my 2008 5.0m KA Koncept to a 2011 model as the new Koncept's are lighter and more powerful. A big change for me this year is this 5.0m and my 2010 5.7m & 6.4m will be rigged on RDM masts. A few of the KA team riders have found the RDM masts to work better in the smaller Koncept sizes so i decided to give them a try and see if this gives me that little bit of extra performance i am looking for to break 40 knots. The sail definitely feels lighter in the hands so i'm expecting big things from this sail which i hope will be my favorite size just like my old 5.0m. Check out the for sale section for my 2008 5.0m which is now for sale.

Finally i have changed my 2009 9.0 KA Race to the 9.5m Koncept. I found the 9.0m Race to be heavy and i hurt my back a few times when uphauling the sail when the wide luff tube filled with water so i have gone back to the Koncept in this size as it is a lighter more manageable sail for me while my back continues to give me grief. It also has a shorter boom than the KA Race which should help me when overpowered . The black/white colour scheme is perfect for me as a Newcastle United fan ;-)

Can't wait to get them on the water and once i have i will let you know what they are like. As always they are also available for demo so let me know if you want to try them or come and find me at the beach.

Dungarven, Ireland Friday April 1st 2011

2011-04-05T03:32:00.000-07:00

I'd been watching the forecast all week for Dungarven and on Thursday evening it was still forecasting winds gusting over 40 knots from the South West i decided i would head over. As low tide was at 11.40 it was going to be a morning session to mid afternoon as you really only have decent flat water conditions for 3 hours after low tide so i got up at 5am and left Kerry arriving at Dungarven just after 9am. When i arrived the wind was alot more west than forecast making the speed strip pretty much unsailable as it was way too broad and also the wind was around 15 knots. I decided to wait a while and see what the wind was going to do before deciding what to rig. After about an hour the wind started swinging to the South with the wind direction now S - SSW and picked up to about 18-20 knots but gusting up to 35knots.

With such big gusts equipment choice was going to be hard to choose where i would need a 7.3m in the lulls and 5.7m in the gusts so i decided to rig up 2 sets of equipment and use boards with a bit more volume to get through the lulls than being hammered in the gusts on my 7.3m , my Starboard I Sonic Speed Special W53 with 25cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin with my 5.7m KA Koncept and my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 29cm Vector Maui Fins Delta Speed Fin with my 6.4m KA Koncept and got into my wetsuit. The wind was still the same so i grabbed my I Sonic 86 and 6.4m and went out on the water. This proved to be a good choice but i was still underpowered in the lulls and stacked in the gusts but it's still better to have both than be only underpowered or overpowered all the time.

The new Delta Speed fins from Vector are awsome :-). This was the first chance i had to us them since i got the fins earlier this year and once up to speed they provide loads of lift to get upwind and then once off the wind don't overpower the board at all and you can push against the fin with confidence that it will not loose grip. Can't wait to get to try the smaller sizes if the performance of the 29cm is anything to go by.

Unfortunately the wind direction was pretty square to the speed strip all day so only managed around 28 knots on my GPS but it was great to finally get some speedsailing in and blow of the cobwebs. Here's hoping that the wind is now finally back for a while so i can start to get decent speedsailing sessions in

My Van Converted To Carry All My Windsurfing Equipment

2011-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

In the middle of last year i managed to get my first van :-) as my Ford Escort estate was becoming too small to transport all my gear to the beach. I managed to pick up a 1998 Long Wheel Base Hi Top Peugeot Boxer Van. I decided early in my search that the van i was looking for had to be a long wheel base so i could fit everything in easily and a Hi Top so you can stand up easily inside the van when getting changed so it was a bonus that i found the exact size van i was looking for. It was also ply lined so this would cut down on the cost of materials needed to convert the interior. Since i got the van though it has constantly been in use either travelling to events or transporting bikes for my dad's bike restoration company so i haven't had the chance to finish the interior and as it wasn't needed for anything this week and the current spell of lack of wind i decided to get it finished.

My first job in the interior was to remove the plywood of the walls of the van so i could insulate the walls. I also decided the wooden floor was in a pretty sorry state so this was removed to be replaced. I got some 12mm Plywood from the local hardware store and using the old floor as a template cut the new plywood so it would fit the floor of the van and installed the new floor. I then got some rolls of loft insulation and fitted these to the walls of the van and reinstalled the old plywood walls that i removed. The main reason i insulated the walls was to reduce a bit of road noise but also help keep the heat in the inside of the van as i intended to sleep in the van at events to help reduce costs. I then got some linoleum used for floors in houses to cover the floor to help keep water of the wood and make it easier to clean. The linoleum i got looks like metal checker plate which has fooled alot of people into thinking i have put a metal floor into the van and i think it looks really cool in the van. As there was no panels on the inside of the doors i made some from 6mm Plywood and installed these on the doors of the van

For the racks for my board i decided to use lengths of 2" x 2" which i got from the local hardware store. First i installed 4 lengths vertically with a brace inbetween them for strength and i then installed 4 lengths horizontally for the racks i will put my boards on. These racks can be removed when i am using the van to transport bikes.

I decided to utilize some space near the back of the van for storing my mast extensions. I got some tool clips, attached these to the wall of the van at the back of the van so i have easy access to them

On the opposite side i decided to utilize the space there for storing my deck plates and got some 6mm Plywood and cut some slots into it for storing my deck plates

As the van is wide enough for me to sleep width-ways without my head or feet touching the sides i decided to use what space was left in the van and build a base for a bed with a shelf underneath for storage. I got some 2" x 2" lengths of wood from the hardware shop and first built the frame for the bed. I have made sure there is a cut out in the frame so i have space to get changed in the van. I will make up another section of MDF on a frame to support it to fill up this gap to put a mattress on when i want to sleep in the van.

And then i installed this into the van, securing it by screwing it the the floor and walls and made the shelf and top from 12mm MDF. On the shelf you can see the two 12" sub woofers for my sound system.

As you can see from the next photo's with all my kit in i can carry everything i have to the beach now and will not have to pick and choose what i take anymore. This will also be great when going away on road trips as you never know what you will need.

You can see in the next picture the cut out in the shelf so i have space to get changed in the van.

Finally as i love my music when i am driving and i will be doing alot of miles travelling to and from events i made sure the sound system was up to scratch by installing a Pioneer Head unit with 2 Pioneer 6 1/2" three way speakers in the front and 2 Pioneer 6 x 9" three way speakers in the back with two JBL 12" sub woofers connected to a JBL amplifier for plenty of bass.

I hope someone can use some of my ideas when converting their own windsurfing vans and if you need any advice please get in touch

Paddy's Day Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland Thursday 17th March 2011

2011-03-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

On Paddy's day last week my sponsor Wind & Wave held an open day and fun Slalom/Speed event so i made the long trip up from Kerry to help out. I left at 5am and got up just after 10am and on arrival there was hardly any wind. Now i had been keeping an eye on the forecast all week and there wasn't much forecast but i made the trip anyway.

After a few hours the wind started to pick up so i decided to get out on my Starboard Phantom and 9.5m Raceboard sail and go for a cruise round the Estuary at Malahide for a couple of hours and get some practice in ready for the upcoming UKWA Inland Series. Not long after i had got on the water the wind started to drop off but i stayed out there in case it picked up and i had a great light wind session coming off the water knackered. The great thing about the phantom is you can get to enjoy light winds again when otherwise you would be sitting on the beach complaining there was no wind.

It was a shame the wind didn't cooperate and give us some decent wind but everyone had a great time and i eventually got back down to Kerry around 11pm absolutely knackered after a great trip up to Malahide and hopefully it won't be too long before i can get back up there.

Scraggane, Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland 13th March 2011

2011-03-18T03:25:00.000-07:00

Not been on the water this year so far due to having to work when it has been windy (Never nice and annoying) and another winter as cold as last years so it was nice to see the forecast was finally showing some wind and reasonably mild temperatures last weekend so i decided to head over to Brandon bay on Sunday. I checked out the bay for an hour first to see if there was enough wind to get out on the wave kit but it was pretty marginal and not enough for me so i went round to Scraggane. When i got there it looked like there was more wind so decided to get out on the Slalom kit. It was blowing from the North so not as warm as i'd hoped for and with the Northerly swell there was rolling swell and Chop in the bay at Scraggane with breaking surf close to the beach. Now after experiencing the conditions at Port St Louis last year these sort on conditions are what i need to practice in so wasted no time in getting ready. A quick check on the wind meter showed 15-18 knots so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 with 40cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin with my 7.3m KA Koncept, got my wetsuit on an hit the water.

Had a nice session on the water with peak speeds around 26 knots in the big chop but there was loads of buoys back in the bay for lobster pots with ropes trailing from them and most of the time you don't see them till it's too late so after one too many close calls i headed back in

Nice to get back on the water though and hoping this year gets more wind than last year

New Speed Fins

2011-03-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

I received my new speed fins from Vector Fins Maui. They are a new fin line called the Delta Speed and differ alot from normal speed fins in the fact they are alot wider in the base so have more fin area. This is turn should mean i can use a smaller fin than i normally would. I decided to first order a 25cm, 27cm & 29cm as i wanted some different fins for light winds than my EX Speeds on my Starboard I Sonic 86 and W 53 Speed Special. I will be ordering some smaller Delta Speed's later in the year but if you want to try the fins out let me know or come and find me at the beach. They are now also in stock at http://windsurfingfins.co.uk/ or you can order them direct at http://vectorfins.com/

For 2011 the European Speed Champion will be decided by the Euro Tour

2011-03-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have just seen this information below that some of this years European Speed Events have been confirmed. Please see below the press release with the confirmed events. I will definitely be trying to get to Weymouth Speedweek but not sure what other events i can get to

In previous years the European speedsailing champions have been decided by a one off event. But this year the International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC) has responded to requests for a tour which decides the winner.

The participating national championships will be the hosts for the events which will be held all over Europe enabling participants where ever possible to drive to events and avoid the ever increasing difficulties of flying with windsurfing kit.

The king and queen of European speed will be decided by the riders best results from three events of the tour, if a points tie exists then the fastest speeds will decide.

The newly appointed tour manager Pete Davis said “ This change has come about from requests from our riders for more high profile events in Europe that don’t necessarily have big money prizes but offer good level of competition at great venues and it avoids the responsibility and demand on one event deciding the winner. Places for international riders will be limited so book early to avoid disappointment”

The current European Champions Andrea Baldini from Italy and Zara Davis from Great Britain have already committed to the tour and are looking forward to defending their titles against the world’s best.

The Speed World Championship venue is being planned later in the year to the decide the world Champions but the location is still to be decided upon so keep up to date on www.speedworldcup.com or register for email updates.

Provisional Calendar for the European Speed Tour

Country - Belgium, Dates - 17th to 22nd April, Venue - Gruissan, France, Contact - patrick.vanhoof@skynet.be

Country - Sweden, Dates - 2nd to 6th June, Venue - Klagshamn, Sweden, Contact - http://svfspeedcup.blogspot.com/

Country - Germany, Dates - 3rd to 10th Sept, Venue - Fehmarn, Contact - Germany vds@speedsurfen.de or www.speedwindsurfen.de

Country - United Kingdom, Dates - 15th to 21st Oct, Venue - Weymouth, UK, Contact - www.Speedsailing.com

Country - France, Dates - Oct Date TBC Port St Louis, Venue - France, Contact - marionraisi@juiceevent.com

Country - Greece, Dates - TBC

Country - Spain, Dates - TBC

Country - Italy, Dates - TBC

Events I Plan To Compete In This Year

2011-03-02T16:38:00.001-08:00

Well it's now the time of the year that i start to make plans at what events i can get to over the coming year. Money is very tight for me this year so i'm not sure if i will get to any others Speed World Cup events other that Weymouth Speed Week so it's likely i will not have a great World Ranking come the end of the year. Hopefully if the phone calls i have made this week about work as an Electrician in the UK pan out then i should be able to get some money together but until i get the news i have been successful in my job application then Speed World Cup events will unfortunately for me be put on hold.

With this in mind i have planned to do the UKWA Inland series again to try to improve my results from last year and will again compete in the Irish Speedsailing Series and also go to Weymouth Speedweek again. Not sure if i will get to it but hopefully i can do the Round Hayling Marathon this year but that depends on the forecast as it is the day before one of the Irish Speed events.

The events i plan to go to this year are:-

MARCH

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 2

(26th to 27th March 2011)

APRIL

UKWA Inland Series Round 1, Pitsford Reservoir, Northamptonshire, England

(16th to 17th April 2011)

Round Hayling Marathon, Hayling Island, Hampshire, England

(22nd April 2011)

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 3

(23rd to 24th April 2011)

MAY

UKWA Inland Series Round 2, Derwent Reservoir, County Durham, England

(14th to 15th May 2011)

JUNE

UKWA Inland Series Round 3, Rutland Reservoir, Leicestershire, England

(11th to 12th June 2011)

JULY

UKWA Inland Series Round 4, Rutland Reservoir, Leicestershire, England

(23rd to 24th July 2011)

SEPTEMBER

UKWA Inland Series Round 5, Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, England

(10th to 11th September 2011)

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 4

(17th to 18th September 2011)

OCTOBER

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 5

(8th to 9th October 2011)

Weymouth Speedweek, Weymouth, Dorset, England

(15th to 21st October 2011)

NOVEMBER

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 6

(19th to 20th November 2011)

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 6 (Roll Over Option)

(26th to 27th November 2011)

As per previous Irish Speedsailing Championships the event locations are picked on the Thursday before the event with the location having the best forecast chosen to hold the event. Regular updates are made on the Irish Speedsailing Championships Facebook page and website.

I will also have KA sails available for demo at all the events i will be attending. Come and find me at the beach, look out for the KA Flags

My New SUP

2011-03-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well I've taken the plunge and bought my first SUP, a 12'6" Starboard Cruiser. The coast near where i'm living in Kerry is perfect for Surfing and Supping and as the start of the year has been just like last year with hardly any wind i wanted to get something to work on my fitness and take advantage of the great waves in the light winds when there is not enough for my wave board. Had it out a few times already and it's a great board for learning the basics. Got the whole package (Sup, Board Bag, Carbon Paddle, Paddle Bag and Leash) for a great price from a guy in england

Not too much else to report as i have been working all the hours i can and saving up for my new KA Sails i have on order so not had too much spare time to get out and when i have been able to the wind hasn't cooperated :-(( so haven't been able to get out windsurfing but hopefully now the days are getting longer i should be able to get out in the evenings after work.

European Speed Championship Tour

2011-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

New rules have been set up for this year Speed Championships

Windsurfing European Speed Championship Tour 2011

For 2011 the European Speed Champions will be decided from the results from participating National events.
Criteria for Tour

• Based on the results of accepted European National championships.
• The Male and Female competitors’ tour winners will be crowned the European Champions.
• The best of three results to count for the ranking, if a tie exists, then the riders fastest speed will decide.
• All events to count as a factor of one.
• Additional prize money and timing systems will be used by organisers to encourage higher profile sailors.
• Before an event is accepted as a counting round of the tour the local organiser must agree to accept minimum standards of speed competition.

ET Minimum Standards
 Fixed course over a minimum distance of 250 m with starting gates
 Accurate timing system, Navi GPS and GPS results pro as minimum standard
 Minimum speed of 28 knots achieved at least 3 times by 20% of the whole fleet, to qualify as a counting round.
 Event to run for a minimum of 5 Days on a fixed date
 A minimum of 2 months notice of event with published NOR and confirmation of entry by organisers one month before.
 Competitors have to be fully paid up members of the ISWC to get a European tour championship ranking. This does not exclude them from their National championship as long as they are members of their National association.
 Off shore course wherever possible
 Includes a Junior Fleet where ever possible
 Encourage festival style with clinics etc if possible
The Countries that have agreed so far to the standards and wish to take part are Belgium, Sweden, UK and Germany. Dates and details to follow.
Invitations have been sent to Spain, France, Austria, Holland and Ireland who have shown an interest in being included. European Riders who wish their nation to be included please contact your national speed championship organisers and ask them to contact us.

Not sure what events i can get to this year but i'll try to get to at least one

New Sponsor

2011-01-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone :-)) Hope you all have a windy year.

Not much been happening here in Ireland as there has either been little or no wind or sub zero temperatures so all i have been doing is checking over all my kit and getting it ready for the new season.

One bit of good news i received this week is i have acquired a new sponsor, Windsurfingfins.co.uk which is a dedicated windsurfing fin website run by David Gollick in the UK. This is a pretty unique shop as there is no other dedicated fin shop in the world that stocks fins from most of the fin manufacturers out there. He caters for the recreational weekend windsurfer right through to the professional windsurfers with all windsurfing disciplines covered from wave and freeride, Slalom, Speed and Formula fins available from his shop.

Check out his website www.windsurfingfins.co.uk and if you need any advice on what style of fin you need or the right size fin please get in contact and i can advise you the best fin to buy

Tiesda You's I Sonic Design Sketches

2010-12-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

Found this on Starboard's website explaining some of the design concept's on the new I Sonic Slalom and Speed boards

Before the year's development begins, Starboards design team discusses the different concepts to build and test. Tiesda You illustrates the theory behind some of the design concepts that were tested successfully and then carried over into the 2011 range of iSonics

"A deep deck concave offers three benefits. Firstly, by lowering the mast base, the moment created by the side-ways force of the mast base is reduced as the distance from the load to the point of pivot is smaller. It's easier to imagine the opposite. Consider a very, very thick board: the sideways force from the mast base will roll the board over more easily. This is desirable in raceboards like the Phantom Race and the Serenity, but slalom boards like to have as much control as possible. Secondly, the centre of gravity is lower. Any millimeter lower contributes to improved control and the rider will enjoy a more responsive board. Like the first benefit, it's a matter of moments and leverage as the ratio between the rider's controlling leverage over the board and the board's leverage on the rider becomes greater. Thirdly, the deep deck concave helps to break down the flow of air over the deck surface. Like a plane wing, the upper surface sucks the board upwards. With reduced suction effect, the board remains under control more easily."

"The harder rail edges help to release the water more cleanly. Again, it's easier to imagine the opposite: with round rails and without edges, the water likes to stick to the rails and will require more energy to release from the board. This energy is wasted."

"The harder rail edges can be achieved by removing material (thus keeping the wetted-surface area's width the same), or by adding material (thus increasing the wetted-surface area's width). There's quite a complex relationship between the wetted-surface area's aspect ratio and the range of use of a board. We have some extensive empirical data from years of testing the principle. It's extremely difficult to devise a mathematical model to predict the best aspect ratio for a given board, so we many of our prototypes are built to find the optimum ratio for each iSonic. In general, the wider the wetted-surface area can be, the shorter it will become to create an equal amount of lift. Like slalom fins, a high-aspect ratio is desirable as it's ultimately more efficient."

Speed World Cup Ranking 2010

2010-12-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Speed World Cup rankings for 2010 have been released and i have finished 69th overall for the year. I had thought after the disastrous event i had in France i had finished further down the rankings so i was happy to find out that i had only dropped 20 places from 49th where i was ranked before the French Speed event. The full rankings are on the Speed World Cup website which you can see by following the link below:-

http://www.speedworldcup.com/images/stories/documents/rankings/rankings%202010%20iswc%20men.pdf?phpM

The PWA Dilemma - Choosing three I Sonics

2010-11-29T06:26:00.000-08:00

Just found this on the Starboard website. Gives you an insight into what the top PWA pro's will be registering as their 3 slalom boards for the upcoming PWA season

The new 2011 iSonics are ready to be ridden hard by you, our customers. As far as the boards are concerned, they are ready get you over the finish line first, but there is a tough choice every slalom rider in the PWA will have to face: Because PWA rules clearly state that a rider is only allowed to compete on three board sizes per season.

The big dog is enjoying his iSonic

At Starboard we have a vast array of different sized people, different levels, different heights, weights, and styles. So naturally, we try to leverage our racing team efforts to ensure that there is a perfect board for everyone. So from slalom giants like Bjorn Dunkerbeck, to the lightest racers like Wilhelm Schurmann, Starboard's iSonic range offers extreme performance for everyone. We spoke to those team riders who have already made their choice to see what iSonic boards they are going to pick and why. For instance, Cyril Moussilmani, who is one of the tallest riders on the Starboard team is going with the 127, the 107, and the 87.

Racing a 117 iSonic

Cyril Moussilmani:

"For me this is the best 3-board quiver for PWA racing that I can pick. It covers all the gaps and although the choice of just 3 will always leave you a little hesitant, the other riders have to make the same choices, so in the end it's fair, equal and very good for the sport. I am looking forward to a new event on the PWA tour in Vietnam. Apparently it can get Pozo-windy out there, making my 87 the weapon of choice. I've used the 111 the most by far in 2010, and I find that one to be a big improvement over the 111 of last year. Under light-wind conditions, I'm confident the big 127 will deliver. I think we have what it takes to get the slalom world title."

Kevin testing a 117 Wood

Kevin Pritchard:

"I am having a hard time picking between the 117 wide and the 127 for my light wind board. Last year I loved my 131, but now with this new 117 wide, it could be a light wind dominator. I still need to cross my T's and dot my I's, but I think it could be the secret weapon for a guy my size. I am pretty much, middle of the road in the size of racers, and think that it will go pretty good. I am for sure going to take the 107 because that board is a workhorse, you can ride it with the 8.4 down to the 6.7, and still be flying around. For my small board, I might go back to the 87 as last year I took the 94. I liked it but I think if we have events in Vietnam, Pozo, and Fuerteventura, it could be more sensible to go smaller. With so many very effective boards in the range, choosing is tough."

Carrying an 97 to safety

Wilhelm Schurmann:

"I am definitely taking the 117 wide as my big board. I think it is going to be faster for me and will give me a chance against the bigger guys. I have not been competing too much on the PWA tour so I have the luxury of changing it up throughout the year. I still can only afford to carry around a couple of boards, so I am going to take the 117 wide, the 97, and the 80. With a quiver like that I am set."

Two boards for racing, and an additional freestyle quiver

Sarah-Quita:

"For me I only need two boards. I like the 107 and the 87 iSonics. That will get me out in any conditions. I really like the 87 because it gets going so fast. When I go cruising down the flat water in Aruba, the high speeds that I don't normally get just puts a smile on my face."

So talk to your local dealer, or better yet, go to a clinic or some event where you can try the latest iSonics. Going home with the iSonic that suits you and your racing style is jus so much more rewarding. Try them out, and we promise you won't be disappointed.

Burrow Beach, Dublin, Ireland Saturday 27th November 2010

2010-11-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

I again made the long trek up the Burrow Beach as there was 30 knot winds being forecast from the North East as i wanted to try and improve my GPS ranking for the Irish Speedsailing Championships. Low tide was at 8.30 so again it was an early start and when i woke up to leave at 3.30am it was -3 degrees which made me question what i was doing this for but the forecast was looking so good i decided to head up anyway. The drive up was interesting to say the least when not long after passing Portlaoise on the N7 it started to snow heavily which again made me question my sanity for wanting to windsurf in this but i pressed on as i had come this far. Eventually at 8am i arrived at Burrow Beach where the snow had disappeared :-) and to see Gildas Bechet and Oisin Van Gelderen already there and rigged so i checked the wind strength and as it as blowing 18-28 knots so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic W53 Speed Special with 28cm Vector Maui Fins Ex Speed fin and 6.4m KA Koncept and headed out on the water.

It was cold, around 2 degrees and past minus degrees in the wind chill so 5mm boots, 3mm Hat and palm less mitts were called into action for the first time this year and once on the water it really wasn't that cold. It was a great session with the water perfectly flat near the sand bar until the wind started dropping after a couple of hours so i decided to call it a day.

Getting a bit more used to the W53 now and it suited the 6.4m Perfectly. Managed to get a peak speed of 34.62 knots but just missed out on moving up a place on the 500m raking in the Irish Speedsailing Championships by 0.02 of a knot after recording a 32.4 knot 500m run which sucked a bit but still a good session on the water and hopefully will get more at Burrow Beach before the end of the year and see if i can improve my speeds to move up to 3rd overall for the end of year ranking.

Speed Classic, Port St Louis, France

2010-11-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

As you will have known reading on here i had my entry to the French Speed Classic in Port St Louis confirmed earlier this month so on the 12th of November myself and Steve Flannagan caught the ferry over to France from Ireland and traveled the 750 miles from Cherbourg to Port St Louis which took us 2 days to complete so arriving exhausted late afternoon on Sunday 14th November we checked into the house we were renting, had a quick rest and some food before getting an early night to try and catch up on some sleep.

We checked out the local area and relaxed on Monday 15th before heading down to the beach on the morning of the 16th to register. It quickly became apparent to me that the conditions were going to be too much for me with the winds averaging around 45 knots and gusting up to 65 knots and offshore so with my ongoing back problems this year i decided to give the day a miss. I was gutted with my decision as if my back was 100% i would have loved it out there but i really had to be sensible but full credit to the guys that did make it out. As the day went on though i wasn't the only one who didn't go out with some very good sailors also opting to stay on the beach.

The next 3 days from the 17th till the 19th there was little or no wind so it was more sightseeing so i took the opportunity to check out the famous canal at Saint Marie De La Maire and see where speed records have been broken.

On Saturday the winds switched 180 degrees so it was now dead onshore but also with this happening brought 3-4 meter waves making speed sailing hard work. Most people were reluctant to head out, again with some staying on the beach but i decided to give it a go. With the wind around 18 knots i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 and 40cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin for a bit of extra float to help me through the waves and 7.3m KA Koncept and headed out onto the water. I wasn't on the water long at all trying to get upwind i heard the ominous sound of a wave coming just upwind of me so i looked round to see a wave breaking above the height of my head and onto my kit, wiping me out in the process :-( I then spent the next 10 minutes trying to get back to the beach. Once on the beach i was gonna head back out but i saw i had broken a batten in my sail so i decided then to retire before i broke anything else. I was really gutted as i at least wanted to get one run today.

The last day brought similar conditions with the organizers deciding not to hold any competition that day so that was the end of the event and a pretty disastrous event for me but i will learn from it an try to make sure this doesn't happen again at future events.

Before the long trip back to Ireland myself and Steve traveled down the coast to check out Leucate and La Franqui which has had it's beach pretty destroyed by storms which was disappointing as i wanted to try out the spot which has been put on the map this year by the dutch sailors before deciding to have a quick sail at Port La Nouvelle. As the wind was around 25 knots with some lulls i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 34cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa Fin and 6.4m KA Koncept and headed out on the water. I only managed a couple of runs until the wind started to drop which considering we were the only 2 out and the wind offshore i decided to head in but in the short time i was out i still managed a 29.6 knot max speed. The spot is amazing with really flat water and if i'm definitely back in the area i will try to get back here for a longer session.

It took a bit longer to get back to Ireland, about 48 hours as we had a bit of a wait in Cherbourg which we made good use of by cleaning all the sand out of the van and getting some cheap wine :-)) but i wish the trip could have gone better for me but still nice to have a road trip and check out some new spots in a new country

Burrow Beach, Dublin, Ireland Tuesday 9th November 2010

2010-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

Haven't had the chance till now as i have been away for a few weeks but on the 9th of November the forecast was looking epic for Burrow beach with up to 35 knot winds being forecast from the North East which is the optimal direction for the location. As low tide was at 6am it meant an early start and i left Kerry at 3am, getting to Burrow Beach just after 7am and seeing the Steve Flannagan, Keith Gorman, Gildas Bechet, Oisin Van Gelderen and Garath Nihill were already getting rigged in the dark so i quickly had a look to see how windy it was. It was 28 knots gusting 35 knots so i decided to use my new Starboard I Sonic W53 Speed Special with 23cm KA Starboard Asymmetrical fin and 5.7m KA Koncept and quickly got changed.

At first light we all hit the water as we would only have just under 2 hours before the sandbar got covered over and everyone had a great session on the water. At times i was absolutely stacked and massively overpowered on my 5.7m and could have easily got away with my 5.0m but really just had to get on with it as i didn't have time to re rig another sail

I managed a peak speed of 35.18 knots, improve all my PB's for the year and move up to 4th position overall for the year from 7th in the Irish Speedsailing championships.

Loved using the new I Sonic W53 speed board for the first time. I bought it as i wanted a board to fill the gap between my I Sonic W49 and I Sonic 86 and this board does the job brilliantly as i was finding the 86 a bit to big at times but the W49 was too small is similar wind speeds when the 86 was feeling big. I also wanted a light wind speed board for flat water that would be quicker than the 86 which I've been using as my light wind speed board till now. Once i get the new W53 dialed it's gonna definitely be quicker than the 86 and hopefully help me to improve my speeds in lower wind strengths

Speed Classic, Port St Louis, France

2010-11-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

I am very happy that my entry has been confirmed for the Speed Classic in Port St Louis France this month from the 16th till the 21st. This has been confirmed as the last event on the speed world cup calendar and with a point factor of 3.5 being granted for the event a great chance for me to gain alot of points towards my final end of year Speed World Cup ranking as whatever points i gain from the event will be multiplied by 3.5.

You can check out my progress each day on the official website where you can follow the rounds live each day here http://www.mygeolive.com/geoPortal.aspx?pid=0&sid=ba7f96f6-273d-401b-9fad-0e9097b5dc46&lang=en

Scraggane, Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland 25th October 2010

2010-11-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

When i finally arrived back in Kerry after my trip to the UK for Weymouth Speed Week the forecast was showing 20-30 knots winds from the South East which is perfect for Scraggane in Castlegreggory as the wind is offshore and flattens of the water so you can get some pretty decent speeds here.

When i arrived it was only 12 knots gusting to 18 knots so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 with 40cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin and 7.3m KA Koncept. I also rigged up my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 34cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa fin with 6.4m KA Koncept in case the wind picked up and got into my wetsuit and went out on the water.

The wind was very gusty so hard to get any decent speeds but i managed a peak speed of nearly 28 knots which considering i was underpowered in the lulls was reasonably good and i had a good session on the water. After a while i decided to call it a day when the wind started dropping off which was a shame as i know i could have got speeds over 30 knots of the forecasted wind came through but still good to get out on the water.

Weymouth Speedweek, Portland, Dorset, UK and UKWA Inlands Round 5, Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, UK

2010-10-28T16:19:00.001-07:00

This is the first chance i have had since i got back to write this but i went across to the UK last week to compete in Weymouth Speedweek from the 16th till the 22nd of October. I traveled across to Weymouth with Steve Flannagan who was also going to be competing there. Once again Nutt Travel came up trumps with another cheap ferry ticket of £209 compared to Stena who wanted nearly £400 for exactly the same trip. If you are looking for cheap ferry travel give them a shout.

After a mammoth 16 hour journey which included my sat nav getting us lost a couple of times (bloody irish sat nav....lol) we arrived in Portland just in time for last orders for a much needed pint on Friday evening and then got to bed ready in time to get a decent sleep before the comp starting the next day. We once again stayed at Spindrift Cottage which at £285 for the week meant the weeks rent was cheap as this was split between 5 of us as 2 lads i know from the UK, Neil Hardwick and Gordon Roach were also sharing.

We got up early and made our way down to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy where Speedweek is always held and registered and then got rigged up ready for the competition starting that afternoon. The winds were light, about 8-12 knots from the North East so i rigged up my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin and 9.0m KA Race and got changed and waited for the course to open. Once the course was open i headed out but found it hard to get going and as the course was a fair bit upwind i wasn't making much headway as i was off the plane slogging most of the time so after an hour where i hardly got going at all i decided to call it a day and save my energy for the rest of the week. After the opening party and meal arranged for that evening i headed back to the house early as i had to be up early to travel to Rutland on Sunday.

I'd known for a couple of months now that the last UKWA Inland Championship event clashed with the opening weekend of Speedweek which was annoying as i needed a good result at Speedweek to get points towards my Speed World Cup Ranking and the longboard racing i have been doing this year was just for fun so when seeing the weekends forecast on Friday i decided Sunday would be the day i traveled up as there would be no wind in Weymouth on Sunday. I got up at 4am and arrived at Rutland to find out they had 4 decent races in similar winds to what we had a Weymouth which was annoying but as i had already made the decision not to come on Saturday i had to get on with what Sundays conditions would give. There wasn't any wind at all for most of the day but i was still ready with my Starboard Phantom and 9.5m XR Race rigged and ready when at 3.30pm when we were called onto the water for 1 race so at least the drive up wasn't wasted as i finished 1st overall in the Raceboard Unlimited Fleet for the event and did enough to finish 2nd in the Raceboard Unlimited Fleet for the year, 17th Overall and 4th Master which considering it's my first year back racing longboards in 20 years i am absolutely stoked with my final results this year. After another 4 hour drive back to Wemouth i arrived just after 10pm, had a couple of pints and got to bed early enough as i was wrecked from my early start.

On Monday the winds we got for the day were around 10-14 knots from the North West which meant the wind up near Ferrybridge where the start was was very shifty and Gusty. I decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 5ocm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin again as the bigger board would carry my through the lulls easier and make the slogg back upwind a bit easier with the extra volume and use my 8.3m KA Koncept as i prefer this sail over my KA Race as it's a bit more lighter in the hands and i prefer it in winds over 12 knots. We had a good days session on the water but the chop was making it interesting when sailing down the course as i was building in size the whole way down so the big slalom board was a bit hard to control but i had no choice as i needed the volume to get back up wind as i was off the plane most of the time due to the big holes in the wind. It was also a bit of a lottery heading towards the start line hoping you would get a gust of wind to get you going and this was to be the same for the rest of the week but i had fun day on the water managing peak speeds of just over 25 knots.

On Tuesday the wind was a bit stronger at 14-16 knots at the start of the day but again from the North West. The chop had also got bigger so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 with 42cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin as using my 144 would be suicide in the chop and my 8.3m KA koncept as the wind was gusty with big holes in the wind again. Towards the end of the day the wind was now gusting over 20 knots which was interesting hanging onto the 8.3m but you had the just grit the teeth and get on with it as you needed the bigger sail at the start of the course and getting upwind but i could have done with my 7.3m Koncept at the other end of the course. I decided to call it a day about half an hour before the course closed as i had a massive catapult where i banged my knee of my boom and was now finding the 8.3m way too big but i still managed a peak speed of 27 knots which considering how out of control i was most of the afternoon in the massive chop i was happy with. One thing i learned from today was that my crash from a year and a half ago is still playing on my mind as it happened in similar conditions and when the nose was catching i was backing off a bit so i know i could have probably gone quicker if i had pushed it a bit more so i will work on that from now one so i can go quicker in choppy conditions.

Wednesday and Thursday were light wind days with about 6-8 knots each day so i had a couple of sessions on my Starboard Phantom 380 Race and 10.5m Demon Design VG5 i bought so i am a bit more competitive in winds below 10 knots next year. The sail itself is very powerful and i had the board fully railing in the light conditions so i know it will give the power i need in the lighter stuff where my weight is a hindrance when most of the guys i compete against are a good 20 kg lighter than i am.

On Friday which was the last day we finally got winds from the west but not at the forecasted 20 knots unfortunately. We only got 10-14 knots so i used my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire Fin again with my KA Race 9.0m and only managed to get a couple of runs in as it was very hard to get going and the water was very shallow so my fin was catching all the time. I still managed a 24 knot peak which i was happy about as i was underpowered all the time.

That was it for Speedweek and i wished i could have got some decent winds from the right direction and showed how fast i know i am but you have to deal with what you get and i finished 35th overall in the Gold Fleet and i am now 49th overall in the Speed World Cup Rankings so i am pretty stoked about that. Just got to figure out now how to get to Port St Louis for the last event of the year and inprove my world ranking

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 5 Ladies Island 9th & 10th October

2010-10-15T01:11:00.000-07:00

With wind finally forecast the same weekend we had a Speedsailing event organised for we checked all the speedsailing locations in Ireland and decided that Ladies Island in County Wexford had the best forecast for the weekend but only on Sunday so we called the event for Sunday and had Saturday as a fun day to meet up, get the smaller kit tuned after it gathering dust in the garages all summer and have a bit of crack.

I drove up from Kerry on Saturday morning as i couldn't afford 2 nights accommodation and arrived at Ladies Island just after 9am. With the forecast now looking a lot better on Saturday (But we couldn't hold any official racing as it had already been decided that Sunday was the day for the official event) of 15-24 knots i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 36cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa fin and the Starboard I Sonic 101 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins Rockit Fin that i had borrowed for Weymouth Speed Week from my sponsor Wind & Wave to i could get the board dialed and rig up my 6.4m & 7.3m KA Koncept's. I used the I Sonic 86 with the 6.4m KA Koncept first but later in the day in the afternoon the wind dropped slightly so i then used the I Sonic 101 with 7.3m KA Koncept. After a good 4-5 hours on the water we all decided to pack up, head to the B&B, get a shower and head out and get some food. I managed to find a great B&B in Roslare Harbour called Padua B&B http://www.paduabandb.com/ where i got a twin room for 65 euro which is excellent value for a B&B so close to the Roslare ferry and i highly recommend staying there if you need somewhere to stay if catching the ferry.

On Sunday morning after breakfast we all headed back to the beach around 9.30am to find the wind was only 10-15 knots but forecasted to get up to 18-25 so i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector Maui fins Canefire Fin, Starboard I Sonic 111 with 40cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin and Starboard I Sonic 86 with 36cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa fin and rig my 6.4m, 7.3m & 8.3m KA Koncept's. I got changed and headed out on the water after the briefing on my I Sonic 144 and 8.3m KA Koncept and got planing most of the time but there was big holes in the wind. After a couple of hours on the big kit the wind started to build as forecast so i switched to my I Sonic 111 with the 8.3m KA Koncept as the wind was now more constant and alot choppier so the 144 was bouncing around alot making it hard to control. After probably 1/2 an hour i was getting pretty overpowered on the 8.3m with the wind now a constant 18-20 knots so i switched to my 7.3m KA Koncept on the 111 and had another hour on the water before going in and having a break. After my break i took out the I Sonic 86 with the 7.3m KA Koncept and after a little while the wind started to gust up to 25 knots so the 7.3m was now a handful so i went in, switched the fin in the I Sonic 86 to a 32cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa fin and changed down to my 6.4m KA Koncept and went back out on the water. For me this was now my fastest kit combo of the day and after another hour i went in a decided to call it a day as i could hardly hold the boom anymore but it was great to see all the smiling exhausted faces on the beach after a great day on the water after so long without any decent wind.

I finished the day with a peak speed of 29.79 knots and 100m of 28.91 knots which meant i finished 4th overall and 1st Master for the event so i was stoked as this has now improved my Irish ranking to 5th overall and with 1 event left in the calender i have to finish 3rd overall or higher and improve my GPS 10 second average and 500m so i can achieve my goal of finishing in the top 3 in Ireland.

October Issue Of Windsurfer International

2010-10-13T02:12:00.001-07:00

Checkout the latest issue of Windsurfer International

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/85edfcee#/85edfcee/1

Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland Friday 24th Spetember 2010

2010-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday last week i drove up to Dublin from Kerry as the forecast was looking amazing for burrow beach with winds from the North East which is the perfect direction and 20 knots gusting up to 25 knots so i reckoned it was worth the drive up. I left Kerry at 3.30am and got there at 7am but as i was pretty tired i decided to have a quick sleep in the van before rigging up. I woke just after 8am and saw the wind was around 18 knots but a little bit gusty so i decided to rig my 6.4m KA Koncept and use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 32cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa Fin. I got changed quickly and got out on the water but as soon as i got out the wind went more Northerly and dropped :-( so i spent the next half an hour slogging around and i couldn't get going. As the tide was also nearly overlapping the sand bar there wasn't much point rigging a bigger sail as there would be no sand bar to keep the water flat for speedsailing i decided to head in, derig and head over to Malahide. Steve Flannagan had also arrived at this point after being stuck in traffic for 2 hours also decided to head over to Malahide with me.

Once we got there there wasn't much wind so we stopped in by Wind & Wave to see if any arrangements had been made for John's burial and wait and see if the wind would pick up. After a little while the wind picked back up to around 10 knots so myself and Steve went down to the sailing club and rigged up. I decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 144 with 50cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin and my 8.3m KA Koncept. I hadn't used this combo before so was interested to see what it was like. Once out on the water is was apparent that wind was very gusty and it was hard to get going but i still had just under an hour on the water until the wind dropped right off. I should really have been on my 9.0m KA Race but it was good to see what the low end performance of the 8.3m was like but i think that the 9.0m still has a place in my quiver in this wind strength as i would have got planing sooner on my 9.0m and been able to sail through the lulls easier as well.

I had a nice little session that helped me take my mind off what happed to John and at least my trip up wasn't wasted after not getting the forecasted wind at Burrow Beach

UKWA Cup 5, Christchurch, Dorset, UK

2010-09-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late update to my blog but since the death of my good friend John Kenny my mind has been on other things. On the weekend of the 18th and 19th of September i went across to the UK to take part in one of the UKWA Cup (coastal) events. I decided to get the morning ferry over from Roslare so left home at 3am to get over to catch ferry on time. I managed a few hours sleep on the ferry which was well needed and then carried on with my journey to Christchurch, stopping off on route to collect some new Chinook Mast extensions from Ed Britnell at K-Bay and finally arriving in Christchurch at 7pm.

I decided to rig up my 9.5m and get it ready for the next day so i wouldn't have to rig it the next morning and i would be able to relax instead of rushing around getting my equipment ready. Once that was done myself and a few of the other competitors walked up along the sea front to the local pub to have a few pints and catch up, get a pizza and then got back to the campsite reasonably early to get a good nights sleep ready for the next day.

I woke up the next morning but there was no wind so i went a registered and got my Starboard Phantom and XR Race 9.5m down to the beach ready for when the wind picked up which it was forecast to do and went to relax waiting for the wind to pick up. Just after lunch the wind started to fill in to 6-8 knots so we were called out onto the water for the first race. During this race the wind started to pick up a little bit more which i did prefer as i was able to get the board on the rail upwind which was making the racing a bit more fun. Once we had finished the first race the wind picked up again to around 10-15 knots but the sea was now getting very lumpy making the going tough for the second race and i was exhausted once i had finished so decided to sit out the next race and then made my way out for the 4th race but once out at the start line the wind was now dropping off and shifting around so the race crew made the call to finish racing for the day and we all headed in.

That evening it was back down to the pub for some freshly cooked fish and chips :-) and then i headed back early for some sleep as i was knackered and a few of the lads headed over to Bournemouth which i didn't really fancy. The next morning i woke up and my back had seized up and it was windier than the previous day so i made the decision to not go out unless the wind dropped of a bit as i didn't want to hurt my back any further as Speedweek is not too far away and didn't want to miss it due to injury. I was disappointed as racing longboards is a lot more fun in a decent wind and i had to be sensible in case my back got worse but the wind didn't drop so that was the end of the event for me.

I finished the event 1st overall in the Raceboard Unlimited fleet and 7th Master which i was happy with and hopefully i will be able to make it to Rutland for one of the days to compete in the last Inland event

RIP.....John Kenny

2010-09-26T03:54:00.001-07:00

I am still shocked that my good friend John Kenny passed away last week. The next time i turn up to go speed sailing and he will not be there giving me a kick up the arse cause i'm not sailing fast enough and not see him charging down the speed course usually setting the fastest runs of the day is going to be wierd. Whenever i sailed with him he was always pushing me to do better. He lived his life to the full, giving 100% in anything he did and the world will be a much smaller place without him in it and he will be missed by all who had the pleasure to know him. RIP...mate hope your getting 50 knot runs in up there

Dungarvan, Ireland Monday 13th September 2010

2010-09-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last week i headed over to Dungarven as the wind was forecasting 25-35 knots SW-WSW which is the perfect direction for the speed course. Unfortunately though when i got there at 1pm the wind was nowhere near that with the wind 6-8 knots with the very occasional 12 knot gust coming through. As the wind was due to pick up decided i would use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 32cm Vector Maui Fins SL9 Alfa fin and Starboard I Sonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins Rockit fin and rig my 6.4m and 7.3m KA Koncepts. I left my speedboards in the van and get them ready only if the wind picked up.

The wind looked like it was starting to pick up so i got changed and hit the water with my I Sonic 111 and 7.3m KA Koncept but couldn't get going so after slogging over to the speed strip i waited a while to see if the wind picked up, which it didn't so headed in, changed the 38cm fin to a 42cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin and rigged up my 8.3m KA Koncept and headed back out. I only got a couple of planing runs after that so after half an hour headed in and de rigged.

I really wish the forecast came through and i didn't get skunked but if i hadn't have driven over and the forecast came through i would have been more pissed off. May be one day we will get a decent day here and finally see the potential on Dungarven Speed Strip

UKWA Inlands Round 4, Oxford Sailing Club, Farmoor Reservoir, Farmoor, Oxford, UK

2010-09-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late update but i have been very busy since i got back from the UK where i was last weekend competing at Round 4 of the UKWA Inland Championships at Oxford Sailing Club, Farmoor Reservoir, Farmoor, Oxford, UK.

When i arrived in the UK i had to go to Hayling Island first to meet the KA Sails importer and then finally arrived in Farmoor after 24 hours of travelling at 8pm. I also had my new van with me so setting up camp took didn't long as i would be sleeping in the van for the weekend and would be a bit warmer than sleeping in a tent. For this event i had my new Starboard Phantom but also as KA Sails do not make a dedicated raceboard sail i had a 9.5m Tushingham XR Race to use so i would be competitive. I have tested all of my current KA Sails and they don't perform as well on a raceboard in under 8-10 knots of wind so i needed a sail that would give me the best performance in these conditions. Above 10-12 knots i will be on my current KA Sails as in this wind strength they have as good a performance if not better than alot of the dedicated raceboard sails out there. Once KA have a dedicated raceboard sail i will get that when it is available.

On Saturday morning i awoke to sunny weather which was nice but no wind. As i have been competing in the raceboard unlimited fleet this year i decided to stay in the same fleet, registered and went to get my gear ready. Just before 10 they decided to get us on the water so i headed out and we had 2 races before lunch. Both races were in light gusty winds with big wind shifts of 30-70 degrees which made the upwind legs hard. You would get headed, tack off to take advantage of the wind shift and straight away get headed again so playing the wind shifts was pointless and getting a good position after the upwind leg was a bit of a lottery. After lunch we had another race but the wind dropped during the race to almost nothing so we were kept on the water while the race crew waited to see if the wind picked up again. After about half an hour the wind picked up to around 6 knots so the class flag went up to signal that the start sequence was about to start and we had another race. Just before the end of this race my arms were starting to cramp with all the pumping i had been doing so i was glad to hear that this was the last race for the day.

On Sunday morning i woke up and my back was killing me so took a couple of painkillers and thankfully after a while it started to feel alright but i would have to give the pumping a miss for the day so hoped for a bit of wind. We got on the water just after 10 and had 2 races in light, gusty winds again with big wind shifts which made racing tough again and around 11.30 the wind dropped completely as some rain came through so we had an early lunch and wait for the wind to pick up. About 1 1/2 hours later the wind picked up to around 6-8 knots so we went back on the water and had another 3 races. The wind picked up a bit more which meant that my weight wasn't really a disadvantage anymore and i was enjoying the racing more. I wish it could have been full on planing conditions though as i was still underpowered going off the wind.

I headed back in absolutely wrecked and i finished the event 2nd overall in the raceboard unlimited fleet and 5th master. I'm also 16th overall in the Inland series now which considering this is my first year racing a longboard in 20 years has exceeded my expectations for the year. Depending on the forecast for the first 2 days at speedweek i might be able to make the last event at Whitwell as Round 5 of the Inland Championships clashes with Weymouth Speedweek but if there is decent wind forecast in Weymouth then my priority is competing in speedweek and to achieve a Speed World Cup ranking so if this is my last Inland event this year then i am happy with my overall performance in the series and look forward to next year where my goal will be to place higher up the fleet.

Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland Saturday 28th August 2010

2010-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday i headed up to Malahide just outside Dublin as my sponsor Wind & Wave was holding a fun day. I left Kerry early and got up to dublin around mid day and saw as i arrived that it was windy but first i had to have a chat with some of the speed sailors to sort out a few issues that have arisen with the Irish Speedsailing Series.

After that was all sorted out i checked out the conditions again and as it was around 12-14 knots gusting up to 18 knots i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic with 42cm Vector Maui Fins Canefire fin with my 7.3m KA Koncept and got changed and hit the water. As soon as i got out i realised the wind was very up and down and with the usual confused chop that Malahide gets it was hard to get any decent speed. It was also very hard to get going and i spent alot of time slogging around. It was my first time on the 7.3m and it feels alot lighter in the hands that the 08 Koncept's but doesn't feel as powerful which is due to the shorter boom i think. They also easier to lock in, in the gusts and when a gust hits you can feel the acceleration you gain from the gust.

I stayed out for a while until i started to get cramp in one of my calf's as i went to put my foot in the rear footstrap as i got pulled out of shape in a gust so headed in. When i got into the shore one of the lads noticed i had water in my aqua pack holding my GPS's and when i got them out of the pack i noticed one of them had water inside around the screen. I quickly put it over the heater to dry it out but it is still not switching on a few days later so it looks like it's fucked and i'll have to get a new one.

After this happened i have been given some advice from one of the guys on the seabreeze forums in Australia that they put the GPS's in zip lock bags and then put the bag inside a aqua pack and this saves the GPS's getting wet if the aqua pack fails. Wish i'd known that before but i'll definitely do that from now on. The thing that annoys me the most is that the instructions that come with the GT-31 state that the units are waterproof/water resistant to 1m if immersed in water when obviously they are not. If anyone uses the GT-31 with a aqua pack then use a zip lock bag as well to save the same thing from happening to you as for me that's £114 down the drain and i now have to buy a new GPS

2011 Starboard I Sonic Speed Boards

2010-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

The details of the new Starboard I Sonic Speed Specials have just been released and they look amazing. Loving the minimal look with no paint. Hopefully i can get some money together to get a W58 to go with the W44 & W49 I Sonic Speeds i already own :-)

The new iSonic Speed Specials: designed and developed by Björn Dunkerbeck, Carlos Sosa, Remi Vila, Tiesda You. The R&D team took the opportunity of having a clean sheet to focus on new shapes and a new dedicated speed-specific construction.

Shapes: the shapes of the new W44, W49 and W53 are Björn's exact custom replicas shaped by Carlos Sosa. These have evolved the last season to include deep deck concaves, benefitting with added control and improved aerodynamics. The W58 maintains its 2010 shape as it remains the top choice for all-round medium and light wind speed runs.

Technology: an all-new Speed Technology was also developed: a pure carbon construction with carbon overlapping rail wraps for total stiffness and an ultra-light paintless finish.

"The W53 is a great contest board when it is flat. You can use 7.8 down to 6.2. It's easy, it has great control and it is very, very fast. The W49 is good from 7.0 to 5.6. Faster and just as easy with the same levels of control. The W44 is the most fun to ride but it needs the most wind. Use it with sails 6.2 and down to 5.1. These boards have been developed over years and they are the fastest boards I got to date. Carlos Sosa and I have been working on speed boards together since 1986 and with great results. Try them out and windsurf faster than ever. Enjoy your speed sailing." Björn

iSonic Speed Special W44

Sails: 5.1 to 6.2
Ultra Flat water: 20cm fin
Flat water: 22cm fin
All-round conditions: 24cm fin
Choppy / light wind: 26cm fin

iSonic Speed Special W49

Sails: 5.6 to 7.0
Ultra Flat water: 22cm fin
Flat water: 24cm fin
All-round conditions: 26cm fin
Choppy / light wind: 28cm fin

iSonic Speed Special W53

Sails: 6.2 to 7.8
Ultra Flat water: 26cm fin
Flat water: 28cm fin
All-round conditions: 30cm fin
Choppy / light wind: 32cm fin

iSonic Speed Special W58

Sails: 5.8 to 8.0+
Ultra Flat water: 28cm fin
Flat water: 30cm fin
All-round conditions: 32cm fin
Choppy / light wind: 34cm fin

Fittings:

1) No-paint finish on the deck and rails - for minimum weight
2) Very deep deck concave - increases control, closes the gap between sail and deck
3) Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't.
4) Minimal pads = minimal weight
5) New Slick Straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators.

Fenit, County Kerry, Ireland 23rd August 2010

2010-08-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

Finally the wind came back :-))

I only had time for a quick session so i decided to head over to Fenit to coincide with the High Tide so i could sail in the estuary. On arriving it was looking windy, about 20 knots gusting up to 26 so i decided i would use my Starboard I Sonic 86 but as i was putting a fin in i managed to break the head of my screwdriver in the process damaging the head of the fin bolt. All the screw drivers i had left were smaller so i damaged the head even more trying to get the bolt out so as i couldn't get the fin attached to the board properly i decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 111 with 38cm Vector Maui Fins ZX fin and 6.4m KA Koncept.

As soon as i got on the water it became apparent that the windy was very gusty while massive holes and i was absolutely stacked in the gusts but at least it was windy. I spent the next hour having a great time realising how much i missed full power slalom sailing but the main drawback of the lack of wind is my sailing fitness has suffered so will have to work on the now as my forearm muscles were cramping up. The lightwind sailing helps with the fitness but nothing can simulate the work out your forearms get when sailing overpowered.

One thing i have realized about this location as i haven't sailed here much is the windier it gets the chopper it gets and wish i could have used my Starboard I Sonic 86 as the I Sonic 111 was a bit too big in the chop and gusts

All in all though it was great to see the wind back and to be sunny at the same time was awsome and i hope there is more sessions like this in the coming weeks

Sandy Bay, Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland 21st August 2010

2010-08-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

The forcast was for light winds in the morning with the wind increasing in the afternoon so i decided to head over to Castlegregory to meet some friends and get back out on the Phantom to continue getting used to the board.

When i arrived at Sandy Bay it was raining and hardly any wind so i went up to Jamie Knox's shop to chill out for a while and wait and see what the wind would do. Not to soon afterwards the rain stopped and the sun came out with wind starting to pick up to about 8 knots so i headed back to Sandy Bay and rigged up my KA Race 9.0m and got the Starboard Phantom 380 ready, got changed and hit the water.

The wind was very gusty with massive holes in the wind but i still managed to get in to the back straps a few times and for about 10-20 minutes the wind picked up to about 12 knots and i managed a peak speed of 22.23 Knots which has incresed my personal best max speed on the board a little

I stayed out a bit longer until the wind started to drop so headed in but happy to get a session in a bit more wind to work on getting used to the board for my next UKWA event. The rest of the week is looking good for wind so fingers crossed the wind drought has ended and i can now get out on the smaller kit again.

2011 Starboard I Sonics

2010-08-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

The new 2011 Starboard I Sonics have just been released. The new boards look awsome, definitely gonna have to save some money to get a new I Sonic 137 to replace my I Sonic 144 and possibly a I Sonic 87 to replace my I Sonic 86

Since its introduction in 2006, each successive iSonic range brought with it two or three new upgrades, four at most. From 2010 to 2011 however, the latest iSonics boast no less than six upgrades over their predecessors.

This big jump was made possible by a new internal R&D methodology that allowed the team to start their research at an earlier stage than before. Remi Vila, new head of racing development at Starboard, partnered with Cyril Moussilmani, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Kevin Pritchard and Jimmy Diaz to kick-start the 2011 cycle with a strong influx of fresh energy and new ideas very early in the season. Add to this extended R&D time the experience of Tiesda You, Svein Rasmussen and Jim Drake, and the 2011 iSonics are born.

UPGRADE ONE: Harder rail edges in the tail
With harder rails, the board releases from the water cleaner and quicker: this increases top speed, enables quicker acceleration in gusts, improves earlier planing and improves the board's ability to maintain top speed in lulls. On sizes 80, 87, 90, 97, 107, 117, 117 Wide, 127 and 137, the planning surface is also wider and shorter than previously (higher aspect ratio planing surface): this improves bottom-end efficiency. With a harder release edge, the iSonics also gain more jibing power: the rails have the ability to store more energy as the racer enters a jibe that, a fraction of a second later, releases into more exit-speed.

UPGRADE TWO: Very Deep Deck Concaves
The 2011 iSonics have VERY deep deck concaves. By going so deep, the level of control is maximized. The pivot point between sail and board is kept as low as possible. The centre of gravity of the board is also lowered further to minimize undesired swing weight. These very deep deck concaves also break the aerodynamic suction effect that often lifts the nose out of control in high winds. Last but not least, the gap between the sail and deck is eliminated and the mast track can be moved back to improve top end speed without compromising control (mast tracks have been moved back 1.5cm in the 90, 97, 107, 117, 117 Wide, 127, 137 models). Note the very deep deck concaves require the boom to be set about 2 to 4cm higher than your normal setting.

UPGRADE THREE: Individual cutaway trimming
The planing surface tabs directly behind the back heel were individually tuned to carefully adjust the ride and trim of select iSonic models (97, 107, 117, 117 Wide, 127, 137). This individual tuning minimizes skin friction between board and water for more top end potential, increases the liveliness of the board and boosts acceleration, without breaching the limits of control if conditions get rougher.

UPGRADE FOUR: Paintless finish
Paint is eliminated from the deck and rails of the board to minimize weight of the iSonic WoodCarbon and Carbon models. A grey pigment is used instead, that provides UV protection and adds a textured finishing effect. Pad sizes were also minimized in a chase to eliminate every unnecessary gram of weight.

UPGRADE FIVE: Snug Strap Positioning
All the front footstrap plugs were narrowed down to have an aperture of 14.5cm, which is narrower than usual. The angle of the front strap was also turned to sit more square to the length-axis of the board. These two tweaks combine to give a very snug fit to the front foot, allowing the rider to adjust pitch and roll more effectively as the board reaches top speed.

UPGRADE SIX: new 80 concept and new 117 Wide concept
Two all new concepts are added to the iSonic collection. The iSonic 117 Wide is 80.5cm wide, filling a much needed niche between the 75cm and 85cm models. Based closely on the 85cm model, the 117 Wide has the lowest thickness-to-volume ratio, giving it a massive wind range. This ultra-slim shape is a clear new favourite and the board we most recommend as an upgrade to any slalom quiver. The iSonic 80 is a slimmer version of the iSonic 87, but this year the rail shapes were also thinned down. This improves high-wind control and further reduces bounce when jibing in choppy conditions. The new high-wind reference for light and medium weight racers.

Technology

All iSonics are available in Wood Technology. Wood offers the best ratio between light weight, comfort, control and stiffness. Ideal for all-round performance in all conditions, especially high wind.

The iSonic 90, 97 and 107 are available also in WoodCarbon that are lighter and stiffer for racers who want more bottom-end acceleration and sharper sensations. Ideal for medium wind conditions.

The iSonic 117, 117 Wide, 127 and 137 are available also in Carbon. Carbon Technology is Starboard's lightest and stiffest option, with the highest levels of bottom-end acceleration and the sharpest sensations: ideal for the medium to lightwind conditions. For more details on the constructions, see the Technology page.

Fittings:

No-paint finish on the deck and rails of all WoodCarbon and Carbon models - for minimum weight
Harder rail edges in the tail - more speed, acceleration and jibing power
Individually trimmed planing surface tabs (97, 107, 117, 117 Wide, 127, 137)
Snug Strap positioning - more effective pitch and roll control
Reduced amount of strap inserts - saves weight
Very deep deck concave - increases control, closes the gap between sail and deck
Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't.
Minimal pads = minimal weight
New Slick Straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators.

Upgrading from an older model?

Here's our recommended comparison between older versions of the iSonics and the newest edition:

iSonic 86 Slim - iSonic 80
iSonic 86 - iSonic 87
iSonic 94 - iSonic 90
iSonic 101 - iSonic 97
iSonic 111 - iSonic 107
iSonic 121 - iSonic 117 or iSonic 117 Wide
iSonic 131 - iSonic 117 Wide or iSonic 127
iSonic 144 - iSonic 137
iSonic 150 - Ultrasonic 147 (coming soon)

Wind & Wave Fun Day, Malahide,Co Dublin, Ireland

2010-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Next weekend on Saturday 28th August my sponsor Wind and Wave based in Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland is going to be holding a End Of Summer Fun Day & BBQ at Malahide Estuary.

In addition to the sailing and windsurfing sessions detailed below there will be full use of the Kayak's, Windsurfing Gear, Sup's and Sailing Boats throughout the day to whoever wants to give it a go.

The Center, Facilities & Gear at Wind & Wave will be available for anyone to use throughout the day all for a cover charge of just 5 Euro per person for the full day.

Now isn't that a cheap fun way to end your summer!!!

The plan for the day is as follows:-

Kick off on Saturday 28th at 10am

3 Sailing & 3 Windsurfing Sessions will be run throughout the day with fully qualified instructors providing tuition and coaching for every session.

Session Times:-

10.30am to 12.00pm

12.30pm to 2.00pm

2.30pm to 4.00pm

For windsurfing there will be a max of 7 people per class & Sailing has a max of 10 people so put your name down early to ensure your place is secure. Simply email killianmck@vodafone.ie or call 01 8451979 to book your spot.

All Kayak's and Sup's will be available throughout the day so it's a great opportunity to come down with the family and give it a go.

Then at 4.30pm the day will be finished with a fun race for all so all Windsurfers, Sailors, Kayakers and Sup's will race against each other in the Grand Finale!!!

The BBQ & Tuck Shop will be open all day on the deck to keep everyone fed & warmed up after your session on the water.

Everything will finish up at 5pm.

It will be a great day on the water so i hope to see you all there

The address for Wind & Wave is:-

Wind & Wave,

Fingal Sailing School,

Bissetts Strand,

Malahide,

Co Dublin.

Tel (00353)1 8451979

www.fingalsailingschool.ie

info@fingalsailingschool.ie

Bantry, County Cork, Ireland Saturday 14th August 2010

2010-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday i went over to Bantry, County Cork where the latest round of the Irish Slalom Series was being held. I got there a 9am to see there wasn't alot of wind. I decided to rig up my 9.0m KA Race and get my Starboard Phantom ready as the forcast for the day was for light winds from the North West. I had a few things that needed to sort out with my kit so when the fun races started i lent my Starboard Phantom to Steve Flannagan and my Lorch Formula Board to my KA Sails team mate Daniel Macaulay and Steve dominated all the races with Daniel not to far behind in 3rd place.

Just after lunch i decided to head out into Bantry Bay and have a cruise around. It was hard going in the strong current as i was heading upwind past Widdy Island and as i was getting near to rounding it the wind started to die off and as i would be out of the line of sight of the rescue crews and the possibility of getting stuck the other side if the wind dropped altogether i decided to head back to the event site.

I had a great time on the water and the more i sail the Phantom the more i like it. Also the scenery around the bay is stunning and if you ever get the chance to visit this part of Ireland do so as you will not regret that you came here.

Blithfield Reservoir, England Saturday 7th August 2010

2010-08-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

I was across in the UK on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th of August to collect some motorbikes for my sponsor MCPM and i had also arranged to coillect my new longboard, a Starboard Phantom 380 Race. As i had Saturday daytime free i met up with Jon White, a top UKWA raceboard sailor to test out my new Phantom at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire, England. When i arrived there wasn't alot of wind so i checked out Jon's new custom SD Race Sail that he was rigging up and soon the wind started picking up to about 6-7 knots so i got changed, rigged my 9.0m KA Race and headed out on the water.

My first impressions of the board was everything was so much easier to do and my 9.0m KA Race suited the board alot more than than my old raceboards which i was happy with. After a while the wind picked up for about 5 minutes to about 12-14 knots where i was able to get in the back straps and managed a peak speed of 21.24 knots which considering i was underpowered on my 9.0m wasn't too bad so i reckon i can get the board close to 30 knots in some decent wind.

After the wind dropped i stayed out for a bit longer but the wind was dropping right off so i headed in and hung around for a while to see what the wind was doing. The wind didn't pick up again so i packed up as i had a 150 mile drive to where i was collecting the next motorbike.

I am very happy i now have the Starboard Phantom 380 and now in the UKWA events i have a board i compete successfully on and i cant wait for the event in Farmoor, Oxford on September 4th and 5th

2011 KA Koncept and KA Koyote

2010-08-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just seen a sneek peek of the new 2011 KA Koncept and KA Koyote on the KA Sails website. They look awsome, loving the black and white colour scheme on the Koncept and can't wait to get my hands on them to try them out. Checkout the pictures below. As always if you are located in Ireland contact me if you want to try any of the sail ranges out. I have the KA Kaos, Kult, Race and Koncept available for demo

2011 KA Kult and Kaos

2010-08-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Just seen a sneek peek of the new 2011 KA Kult and KA Kaos on the KA Sails website. They look awsome, can't wait to get my hands on them to try them out. Checkout the pictures below and hopefully it wont be long until we see what the other sail ranges look like. As always if you are located in Ireland contact me if you want to try any of the sail ranges out. I have the KA Kaos, Kult, Race and Koncept available for demo

August Issue Of Windsurfer International

2010-08-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

Checkout the latest issue of Windsurfer International

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/46f9b869

2011 Starboard Quad IQ Fin Set Up

2010-08-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Just found this quick video that explains the different fin settings on the Starboard Quad

Philip Koster G-44 Double Forward Loop PWA Ferteventura 2010

2010-08-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just found this on You Tube. Awsome

New Starboard Phantom and Now I Have Got My New Raceboard My 2 Old Longboards Are Now For Sale

2010-08-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

I've managed to get myself a new Starboard Phantom Race 380 for a great price and i collect it this weekend.

As i now have the new raceboard my other 2 longboards are now for sale. They are:-

F2 lightning World Cup Edition (Comes with Boardbag, Carbon Daggerboard and Fin)

F2 380 Race (Comes with Wooden Daggerboard and Fin)

Let me know if you are interested in either of these boards. You can find further details and pictures of the boards here:-

http://irl-250.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-sale.html

The Dutch Crew Hit La Franqui

2010-07-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Dutch Speedsailing crew and a couple of Belgians recently went down to La Franqui in the South Of France and posted some massive speeds that send them to the top of the GPS-Speedsurfing rankings for the year and one of them posted a 40knot + Nautical mile. Big respect guys you all deserved your PB's and i hope to get down there one day. Check out the speeds recorded and 3 videos of the day below

Starboard Photoshoot 2010

2010-07-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

Checkout the photoshoot for the 2011 Starboard board range featuring all the top riders on the Starboard international team

Starboard Photoshoot Maui 2010 from Johannes Neumann on Vimeo.

July Issue Of Windsurfer International

2010-07-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

Checkout the latest issue of Windsurfer International

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/21a07a22

New Starboard Slotbox

2010-07-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the new fin box from Starboard below

New 2011 Starboard Wave Boards

2010-07-19T10:14:00.001-07:00

Today is the day the new 2011 Starboard wave boards have been released and they do look amazing.

First is the Quad IQ which is available in 5 sizes - 74 liters, 77 liters, 82 liters, 87 liters and 92 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website

Introducing the new Quad IQ: the first adaptable multi-fin wave board. A board with five integrated fin settings to match every wave and all wind conditions.

Onshore setting: maximum drive, lots of grip and extra upwind power. Great for onshore jumps too. The back fin adjusts forwards to loosen up the board, or backwards to stabilize the board.

Sideshore setting: Smoother arc through the turns with controlled power for precise maneuvering. Adjust the back fins forwards or backwards to fine-tune between looseness and stability.

Skate setting: the choice for fast, powerful waves and a skatey feel. The twin fin setting allows the tail to breakout for top turn slashes and takas.

Scott McKercher: "What's really cool is that you've now got a board that is adaptable to the conditions that are right for where you live, as well as where you want to travel. If I'm at home sailing Margaret River, Australia or going up or down the coast looking for quality waves, I change between the Sideshore and Skate settings, depending on how the conditions or the type of turns I'm wanting to achieve. With the Sideshore setting, I love the connected, gripping, driving sensation. They provide the ultimate power gouges, whilst still providing the ability to waft the fins when you smack a section. But if I'm wanting to get more rotational in my connection with the lip, I'd change it to the Skate set up, which transforms the board completely. I don't go to Sylt in Germany anymore these days, but if I was, then I'd convert to the Onshore setting t o make it easier to get out, make it upwind and get better backside riding."

Jaeger Stone: "In bigger conditions, I use the Quad IQ with the Sideshore settings. This setting gives me confidence and the ability to do big turns. Onshore is the set up I like to use in small, windy conditions. It gives the board a very quick and whippy feel, allowing you to get more turns out of every wave. Using the board in Skate setting was my favourite because it has speed and drive, but also an element of release that I really like. I can use this board in a wide range of conditions. My favourite is sideshore winds with 2-4ft waves".

Sven Akerboom: "When the wind is side off shore and the waves are fast, my favorite position is the Skate set up. The Skate set up gives me a lot of speed and moveabilty. The breakout of the tail on the top turn makes your sailing feel radical. For more sideshore conditions, I use the Sideshore setting. I also move the back fins fully forward in the Slotbox. This gives the best of both Worlds (Twin and Quad): tight turns and the speed of the twin, with the drive of the quad, the connected feel of the quad all the way on the face of the wave and the possibility to break out the tail on the top turn like a twin. By moving the back fins forward the board, it loosens up the board and that is what I like!"

Tiesda You: "The Quad IQ is the first smart board that with integrated adaptability. It has the capability to make the most of any condition. I like the Onshore setting in most conditions because it makes waveriding easier. If it gets windier or if the wave gets faster, I change to the Skate setting."

New Slot Box: the new box system fundamental to the IQ concept. The Slot box is designed to be extra light, weighing 70% lighter than a US box. It has 3cm of adjustment room and current US based fins can also be cut to fit. The custom-manufactured bolts fit the same screwdriver as your footstraps, making them effective against sand, keeping the system simple and hassle-free.

Construction: WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option; Wood - extra light, rigid and with the test team's favourite feel; See the Technology page for more details.

Shape: Forward Vee that spirals into reduced vee between the feet and ending in a monoconcave in the tail. The forward vee increases the engaging rail's angle of attack when the board is carving, which creates extra drive into the turn. The monoconcave channels the water through the tail and allows for a flatter rocker for more speed and quicker planing. The tail rocker has extra tail kick to keep the board free and loose. Rails are soft and rounded like surfboards - keeps the ride flowing and smooth.

Fittings:

Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't.
New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators.
Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption
Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength
New Starboard Slot Box fin system
New Fluorescent yellow touches

Next is the Evo IQ which is available in 4 sizes - 71 liters, 76liters, 81liters and 86 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website.

The Evo IQ extends the adaptable wave board concept to include the famous flowing rides of the single fin Evos and the twin fin skatey style.

Supplied with a single fin and leaving the twin fin set ups as optional, the Evo IQs prioritise straight line speed and acceleration with a solid fin grip. On the wave face, it's all unmistakably Evo: A comfortable ride that makes wave riding easier. Flow through tight turns and project big aerials off the lip . Maximise wave-riding performance in the widest variety of wind and wave conditions.

Single fin setting: straightline speed priority with a solid fin grip. Classic Evo performance.

Skate setting: For a more rail driven sensation where release of the tail is enhanced for new school sliding manoeuvres.

Starboard's new Slot Box: the new box system fundamental to the Evo IQ concept. Starting from a clean sheet, the Slot box is 70% lighter than the US box. This allows for multiple fin box configurations without excessive weight penalty. The Slot Box 13 has 3cm of adjustment room and current US based fins can also be cut to fit. The custom-manufactured bolts fit the same screwdriver as your footstraps, making them effective against sand, keeping the system simple and hassle-free.

Construction:

WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option;
Wood - extra light, rigid and with the test team's favourite feel;
Technora - light and stiff, and the best-priced option. See the Technology page for more details.

Shape: Forward Vee that spirals into reduced vee between the feet and ending in a monoconcave through the tail. The forward V makes it easy to initiate a rail into a turn by helping to tip the forward rail down as you lean forward. This aides the use of the front foot for better drive. This then blends into a monoconcave tail which channels and accelerates the water through the back of the board. Thus creating curve on the rail for a loose feel when turning, yet allows for a flatter rocker down the middle of the board for more speed and quicker planing. Evo rails are soft and rounded like surfboards - keeps the ride flowing and smooth.

Fittings:

Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, helps to release when you don't.
New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes the convenient strap-size indicators.
Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption
Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength New Starboard Slot Box fin system On the wave face, it's all unmistakably Evo - flow through tight turns and project big aerials off the lip.

And finally is the Kode which is available in 8 sizes - 68 liters, 74 liters, 80 liters, 86 liters, 94 liters, 103liters, 113 liters and 123 liters. Here is the info from the Starboard website

The Kode: Wave freestyle machines mixing aggressive power with speed and maneuverability. From 68 litres up to 123 litres, the Kodes come in eight sizes that cover it all. So the question is no longer: What is the Kode? The question is: Which Kode?

The Kode 68 - The smallest Kode. Designed by Boujmaa Guilloul for his wave riding and bump n' jumping needs, covering Moroccan highwinds to Maui big waves, for riders from 60kg to 75kg. The Kode 68 mixes a compact outline into a gunny tail with soft, round rails. Blends flowing style with speed. A special stand-out in the Kode range.

The Kode 74 and 80 - the pure wave board classics in the range also offering highwind freestyle and highwind bump-n-jump performance. Fast, down-the-line shapes with gunny tails and fast rockerlines. These have been Kevin Pritchard's favourites amongst the Starboard range 3 years in a row. Choose between the 74 and the 80 depending on your body weight and sail size. The 74 shape remains unchanged. The new 80 shape has extra tail kick, for more maneuverability, a smoother, tighter top turn and a shortened nose, for a quicker response.

The Kode 86, 94 and 103 - the fifty-fifty blend between wave and freestyle. Always fast, always powerful and always aggressive, these Kodes have more width, more tail volume and more pop for full freestyling ability. New 94 and 103 shapes: thinner side profile for a lower centre of gravity that equals more control, more maneuverability and more responsiveness. New, narrower tails make for quicker turns. More rail volume in the tail gives more pop, more grip under your back foot, more riding comfort and make the jibes more forgiving.

The Kode 113 and 123 - the two largest boards that add freeride to the wave-freestyle equation. Blasting up and down the coast, carve tight jibes and throw in freestyle pops with light-wind wave riding rollers. Compact and fast, these Kodes have a wide wind range and can carry bigger sails. New for 2011:some extra rail volume was pumped into the tail to add early planing power, add more grip to your back foot and offer more forgiveness to the exit of a jibe: it's harder to stall it so that you can come out planing more easily.

The secret Kode Part 1: the Spiraling Vee bottom shape. Lots of Vee in the front of the board spirals into less vee between your feet. The vee in the front increases the engaging rail's angle of attack when the board is carving, which creates extra drive into the turn. This bottom shape also creates a high-flying lively ride that's pure joy.

The secret Kode Part 2: extra thin rails in the mid-section of the board create extra bite into the water, giving the Kode's their aggressive touch.

The SPONGE: The Kode 86, 94 and 103 also have a new pad design: 10mm of super soft SPONGE foam, pre-shaped and covered in fish-scale grooved EVA skin. The skin forms over the sponge and curves into the board's deck, giving a great feel of comfort and grip.

Construction:

WoodCarbon - the lightest, stiffest option;
Wood - extra light, rigid and with the team's favourite feel;
Technora - light and stiff, and the best priced option.

The 68, 74, 80, 86 and 94 models are beefed up to handle harder rides and bigger jumps. See the Technology page for more details.

Fittings:

Fish scale pad grooving - unidirectional traction. Grips when you need them to, then helps to release when you wipeout. 10mm pre-shaped SPONGE underlay on the Kode 86, 94, 103.
New Deluxe straps by Drake - includes innovative strap size adjustment indicators.
Heel Bumpers - for comfort and impact shock-absorption (Kode 76, 74, 80)
Double screws for the back footstrap - for extra strength (Kode 76, 74, 80)
New Fluorescent orange touches
"From 68 litres up to 123 litres, the Kodes come in eight sizes that cover it all"

Basic Speed Tuning

2010-07-17T08:08:00.001-07:00

I found this very useful information how to set up your equipment for speedsailing. It is based on the recommendations from Kean Rogers, also know as Roo who lives in the Gorge, USA and is a very fast Speedsailor on how he sets up his own kit

Follow these steps:
1. Measure 30 cm in from the tail and measure the width of the board at this point.

2. Pick a fin with same depth as the width you measured and fit to the board. (start with a normal upright fin not a weedie).

3. Make sure the rear foot strap is mounted with the rear screw in line with the leading edge of the fin.

4. Set up the front foot strap by laying your arm on the board with the elbow bone in the middle of the rear strap and measure to the tip of your middle finger.

5. This point will be the middle of the front strap, mount the strap as close as possible to this position.Your board is now balanced to your body, the foot strap position will be different for each sailor.

Some boards don't have a good front strap position, in these cases putting the rear footstrap a bit forward helps. Between distance footstraps look for 36-40cm, 36cm for ultimate flat water speed till 40cm overpowered chop big slalom. A solution to put the straps back without an insert.

Once you've balanced your board it's time to look at your rig. If you've set your sail up using the recommended mast and according to the measurements on the sail then it will be easy to balance it out.

1. Take your fin out of the board and connect your sail to the board with the mast foot in the center of the mast track.

2. Stand the rig up and with the board on a flat surface, i.e. grass or your board bag for protection, stand on the board with your feet either side of the mast foot.

3. Move the boom until its around shoulder to chin height.

4. Lay the rig down and measure from the front of the mast at the boom to the clew eyelet.

5. Divide this distance by three and measure from the front of the mast at the boom back this distance.

6. This is where the center of you harness lines should be. Grip the boom here with both hands thumb to thumb either side of your measurement point and place the harness lines either side of your hands.

7. To get the right harness line length grab the boom in the center of the lines and adjust the lines until they are just touching your elbow bone.

8. Most sails have their max draft around 33% so this is a good balance point for most sails.

9. With the board and rig still connected, lay the board on its side and the rig on the ground, tilt the rig towards the back of the board until the gap is even between the foot of the sail and the deck of the board.

10. Your mast foot is in the right position if you take a line perpendicular to the board, i.e. at a 90 degree angle, from a point midway between the front and rear foot straps and it lines up with the center of the harness lines. If the center of the harness is too far forward move the mast foot back, if its too far back move it forward.

11. Put your fin in the board and go sail to see how it feels.

Now you have a reference point you can set the board at each time you sail, it makes it a lot easier to fine tune your equipment for optimum performance for the conditions.

Remember if you're not fast'you're last!

2011 Starboard I Sonic Super Speed Special

2010-07-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Found these pictures on www.windsurf-today.com of the new 2011 Starboard I Sonic Super Speed Special. Looks awsome in the wood carbon construction.

From the pictures it looks to have more footstrap positions than my own W44 Speed Special, looks like it's a little thinner in the tail and in front of the front footstraps has a concave in the deck so is thinner in the front

Not sure of the rest of the sizes but i think they will stay the same (W44, W49, W53 and W58) but if i find any other info i will let you all know. If the rest are anything like the prototypes i saw Bjorn Dunkerbeck had in Dungarven last year for the Speed World Cup Europeans then all the boards will have the concave in the nose of the board

New 2011 Starboard Quad IQ and Evo IQ

2010-07-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Just found a picture of the new 2011 Starboard Quad IQ and Evo IQ on the internet

I'm very happy the Evo has been resurrected as this has been one of my favorite boards over the years i have been windsurfing. From the pictures it looks like both boards are going to be convertibles, the Quad as both a Quad and Twin fin and the Evo as both a Twin and Single fin which is going to increase the range of conditions the boards can be used in.

Both boards are going to be available in the following sizes from the info i found:-

Starboard Quad IQ

74 liters, 77 liters, 82 liters, 87 liters and 92 liters

Starboard Evo IQ

71 liters, 76 liters, 81 liters and 86 liters

Not about the details of the Kode yet or if it is still available but once i know i'll post details here

Just have to save up some money now for a 71/76 liter Evo :-))

Example - Kickstarts (Official Video) (OUT NOW - AVAILABLE ON iTUNES)

2010-07-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

This has got to be the best tune i have heard in a long time, Check it out :-)))

Quickly Go Mad

2010-06-23T03:19:00.000-07:00

With the weather this year being crap with no where near enough wind for Speedsailing i've forgotten what my Speed Sailing kit looks like so it's good to see a new Speedsailing DVD out. It's a DVD produced by the guys at Sandy Point in Australia. You can buy it here http://www.seabreeze.com.au/Shop/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=46

Checkout the preview on Vimeo below

Quickly Go Mad from drift media on Vimeo.

Excerpts from "Quickly Go Mad"- an upcoming speed sailing documentary which focuses on the Pit Crew and covers the "Speed Fortnight" held at Sandy Point in late September.

Quickly Go Mad is a locally produced DVD that is a must for anybody into speed sailing.

This video is a landmark in Australian windsurfing as it captures the spirit and character of these humble, yet world class windsurfers who are taking their bodies to the highest speeds possible on windsurfing gear.

A trully entertaining documentary, and an extras section featuring GoPro onboard footage of speed runs, and a few stacks.

For me, this video leaves me smiling every time as the passion of the people involved comes through.

Sail Numbers

2010-06-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to get any sail numbers then get in touch with Keith Atkinson in the UK on his website Kreative Designs http://www.kreative-uk.com/HOME.html

All the sail numbers he makes are professionally computer cut and comply with all international rules and regulations for all racing classes: Raceboard, RSX, Techno, Formula Racing and Formula Experience.

Numbers supplied come on a pre spaced strip that makes them easy to apply to sails and characters can be customised to any size or font that you require.

He can also make up vinyl stickers for sails or vans for any design you require : IE Sponsor Stickers so if you have anything you need don't hesitate to get in touch

UKWA Inlands Round 3, Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, UK

2010-06-20T14:35:00.001-07:00

As there has not been much windsurfing action in Ireland this year i headed across to the UK on the 12th and 13th of June to compete in Round 3 of the UKWA Inlands at Whitwell SC, Rutland Reservoir, Whitwell, Epingham, Oakham, England. This event at Rutland also included the Rutland Marathon which i was looking forward to taking part in as it is something i have wanted to do for a long time but never had the oportunity before.

I arrived at Rutland late afternoon on Friday after a 18 hour trip over from Ireland. I was also collecting my new raceboard at this event so went over to the shop to get it, a F2 380 Race in good condition so i now had a board to help me compete against the Phantoms. I then set up the tent and had a bit of food and a few beers, then headed to bed early to get a decent sleep for racing the following day.

I awoke to hot sunny weather :-) but not alot of wind :-( but knew with the heat there should be some wind at some point of the day so went and registered for the Raceboard Unlimited fleet again and get my gear ready. I rigged up my 9.8m KA Race and 8.3m KA Koncept and waited for the organizers to make a call and start the racing. After about an hour the wind filled in so i headed out on the water for the racing with my 9.8m KA Race and F2 380. We had 2 races before lunch in the testing conditions with the wind swinging so much you had to have abit of luck to get the laylines right and by lunch i was getting tired so was glad of the break. Straight after lunch we had one more race again in the testing conditions but this time i took out my 8.3m as it is a lighter sail and easier to pump and once the race was finished we all headed in.

Once on the beach the briefing was called for the Rutland Marathon so we memorized the course and headed out for the start of the race. Once the race got underway i realized that it was going to be an exhausting race as the wind had started to drop off to 3-5 knots but I managed to finish the Marathon in 2 hours and 15 minutes in 61st place out of 84 people who started so i was happy i got round and finished. We all then headed back in and settled down to watch the England - USA World Cup Game with free beer courtesy of Heineken UK but less said about the disastrous tournament that England had .

Again there was not alot of wind on Sunday morning and alot of the racers got caught off guard when racing got called just before lunch so we all headed out for 3 back to back races in light conditions again. I finished the event in 3rd Place in the Raceboard Unlimited fleet and 9th master which considering my weight disadvantage in the light winds wasn't to bad so i was happy enough with my results.

Hopefully i can make it back across in September for the next round.

Fermoyle, Brandon Bay, County Kerry Tuesday 27th April

2010-05-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday the forcast was good for Fermoyle again and there was no swell again so i headed down there to go Speedsailing. When i arrived the wind was very gusty with lulls of 10 knots and it was gusting up to 30 knots so i waited for a while to see if the wind would settle but it wouldn't so i decided to rig for the gusts and use a small sail as my 7.3m would be too big for me in the gusts and use a board with a bit of volume to get me through the lulls.

I decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 32cm SL9 Alfa fin and my 5.7m KA Koncept and once i had them rigged i got onto the water. I soon realised that i would have to wait for the gusts to come through to get going and only got a couple of runs in as it was very hard to get going in the gusts.

I finished up after a couple of hours after getting a max speed of 28.38 knots which i was dissapointed with as i know i can go much faster but after the lack of wind this winter i am out of practice and i am also not used to my new sails yet so the plan is to get alot more time on the water and get used to the small stuff again

Irish Speedsailing Championships Round 3 Brandon Bay 24th April

2010-04-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

After a long windless winter and the postponements of rounds 1 & 2 of the Irish Speedsailing Championships due to a lack of wind we were finally in luck with a good wind forecast for round 3 with a good wind forecast. The organisers were monitoring the forecast all week and with good winds on the cards for Ireland's West Coast it was decided to try out Brandon Bay in County Kerry. Brandon Bay is better known for it's world class waves but due to there being no swell and an offshore wind it becomes a 2-3 mile long speed course from Fermoyle to Stradbally. Fermoyle due to it's close proximity to the Connor Pass and it's unique thermal effects in a S-SW wind where the wind can easily be 2 forces stronger was to be the location for the weekends action.

We started off at Jamie Knox's Watersports Center for a quick briefing before driving over to Fermoyle. On arriving we were greeted with a 24 knot SW offshore wind so i decided to rig my 2010 6.4m KA Koncept and because it was gusty with some holes in the wind on the course decided to use my Starboard I Sonic 86 with 30cm Vector Fins Maui EX Speed fin. Before we got on the water the wind decided to play about and drop so we waited to see what would happen.

I decided that while the wind had dropped to go and scout out some of the nearby spots to see if any of them were working better but unfortunately they wern't so headed back to the beach to see the wind had picked back up and the lads were on the water posting some quick runs. I quickly got into my wetsuit and hit the water myself but the wind had shifted direction to S-SE so was alot gustier than earlier and i was struggling to get going on my small kit in the very gusty conditions. I eventually got going and as i was sailing down the course i had a pretty violent spinout where the whole board bounced out of the water and i wiped out. Unfortunately that was the only run i made as the wind dropped so i was unable to get any better speeds than the max speed of 25 knots in that run and that was it for the day as the wind never did pick back up. I was dissapointed that i wasn't able to clock a better speed but we have no control over what the wind does.

I finished 5th Overall and 3rd Master.

We finished off the day at Spillanes for a big feed and then held the prize giving in front of the incredible backdrop that Brandon Bay has to offer. Big thanks go to my sponsor Chinook for donating some prizes for the event and i hope to see you all at the next round in September.

Also big thanks for Claire Metcalfe for braving the rain on the beach to take the photo's

Please see the pictures below of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners

1st Place Gold Fleet Oisin Van Gelderan

2nd Place Gold Fleet Steve Flannagan

3rd Place Steve Williams