Retro Bic boards and some FNQ windsurfing history

As the Sandstone Point crew know, my wife Janet absolutely loves our old Bic Metal Rock, and can't be convinced to move to a newer type of board until she gets some good skills back. Coming back to the sport after >20 years, we can buy nice new modern sails and masts but we can't gybe properly! I've tried riding a couple of the newer boards, but I don't think I can sail well enough to appreciate their benefits, so we've kept persevering with the retro boards.

Anyway I've been riding Jeff's old Mistral Explosion or the Bic 105 Flow in stronger wind, but not making not much progress. The other day Janet convinced me to have a go on the old Metal Rock and wow, I instantly felt more comfortable and was pulling off about 75% of the gybes! Woo-hoo! I hadn't done much smiling before that.

We decided to get another Metal Rock, just to get more happy sailing time before we make a decision on modern board upgrades. Maybe in a year or so.

I drove across town to pick up a top condition Metal Rock for $100, including sails and rig which pretty much went straight in the bin.

Then couldn't resist driving up to the Sunny Coast to collect an Astro Rock, in perfect condition also for $100 - and surprisingly with a pretty decent fairly modern sail and 2 piece mast. This is the board that we rode almost all the time when we lived on Thursday Island way, way back in 1990.

There wasn't much grip on the deck of the Astro Rock so I dug out some of my model-glider making epoxy and rollered it and threw sugar all over it. Worked a treat!

So now we have 2 Metal Rocks and an Astro Rock. I can hear the groans of disgust from the gallery. Don't worry, we'll hopefully move into the 21st century sometime!

I dug out this article that I wrote about our time windsurfing on Thursday Island, and scanned it:

great article capturers the real windsurfing spirit, especially when your lucky or unlucky enough to be in a remote area...the nervousness and adrenaline of knowing your the only one out in pretty risky conditions (tides) and so remote is equal to wave sailing big breaks...the down side can be equally bad, least in the waves you know its over quickly, no drawn out end as you slowly get sucked out into the great blue!

I learnt pretty much solo for a few years in the Whitsundays, insane tides and often the only one out, the water taxi guys all knew me!...and sailing WA places like Ningaloo at day break in 25-30knts or Sharkbay in a massive offshore easterly...not radical sailing...but you're a long way away from the rest of the world and the water is 'alive' with animals....its an quite a surreal and scary feeling, Gnarloo is remote also, but normally quite a few there, so there are witnesses to your death!! Haha

Where as the others...just you and nature, next step Africa, or the sharks dinner table!, these sessions are the one that really stand out as special these days...the others just blur.. but those remote sessions...

Friday island sounded like a pretty good spot? re the retro boards, least those boards were tough back then, you needed that stuff when up against coral reefs and rocks, the new boards wouldn't last a minute...but the new stuff does sail heaps better..given your used to narrow, avoid going too wide on the new stuff and you will be fine.

I've ridden a BIC Metal Rock a few times and loved it, i think one if my mates still has it. If it still works for you keep riding it

Great article Andrew, good to see you finally tracked down some boards

But.......... The new stuff really is soooo much better in every way. Maybe not better than last years, but definitely much, much better than 20 years ago. If you seriously want to get into sailing again try some good, fairly cheap recent second hand gear.