sailquik said..
I guess this means that there will be many enormous piles of old plastic windsurfers going into landfill now?

The old will not be competitive against the new so one of the big plus points for the whole idea of 'One Design' just went out the window.

Or will this just create a new sub class in Wally racing??

I haven't yet tried the new board but the class is considering ways to integrate the old ones. We could for example run a racing category for them, just as we run Lights, Heavies and Mediums. Even if 3/4 of the fleet went to the new boards, the "old board" class would often be as big as the entire nationals fleet of other windsurfer classes.

Yes, there will be some changes in the one design nature of the fleet for a while, but that's extremely common in all one design classes. Many of the most popular one designs, including Lasers, Laser Radials, Tasars and Hobies, have brought in more expensive updates. The new Laser topmast and the new sail are each more expensive than a new One Design board, whereas the "new" Tasar sails were about 3 1/2 times as expensive as a new One Design board.

Normally I oppose major changes to strict one designs but in this case, Johnsy is keeping the changeover price extremely low and the upsides are worth it. My wife and I probably have more highly competitive poly One Designs than anyone (we've got about 7 of them, including four that have come 1st or 2nd in nats) but the old boards will still be excellent for teaching, possibly extremely competitive for kids, and really don't owe anyone too much.

The funny thing is that some of the people who ignored the positives of having hundreds of existing boards are now complaining that they are now allegedly going to be obsolete!

For a moment, let's push this p!ssing contest over whether its a windSUP or not to one side and have a think about how to get families participating in windsurfing to ensure the future of the sport.

Back in the day Dag and Ballast tell me that wally's were for sale everywhere and they were very popular as a family toy and almost as popular as Jeff in speedos at Turner's Camp.

Fast forward to today and what is the new water toy that a lot of people have, that has now been ridiculously mass produced to point where they are cheap enough for families to be buying them from Anaconda and BCF at a price point in the hundreds of dollars and not thousands? .................. SUP's ............. that's what! The SUP market has entered the mainstream and is expanding rapidly and the price point to get in is dropping rapidly. Now imagine if these SUP companies installed a mast slot or insert and maybe a removable centre fin at minimal pricepoint. Imagine then what the effect may be on the participation in windsurfing if cheap, mass produced rigs were available and a family could go "back to the future" and have a cheap, durable family windsurfer again.

It doesn't matter whether the manufacturer is making a windsurfing board that can be paddled or a SUP that can be sailed, as long as it performs ok as either and is a lot of fun then it'll be better for the sport. The way I see it, while you clowns are carrying on like pork chops over whether a windsurfer LT is or isn't a windSUP, a fantastic opportunity to expand windsurfing into the mainstream again is going begging by simply marketing these things as a windsurfer that can be sailed by anyone in the family and if there's no wind, paddled by the family.

The disclaimer: I own a massive windSUP and frikkin love it and I don't even own a paddle. If it was 18 months ago when I bought my 11'6 BIC, if the new windsurfer LT was available, I'd have had a good hard look at buying it and wouldn't give a sh!t if someone called it a windSUP

So why have we had no Wally sailors racing in Brisbane on a regular basis, At RQ club racing is every Saturday during the season, but I can't ever remember having a Wally on the course.

Hopefully this new board gets more racers on the water

da vecta said..
Please everybody shoot me down with a high powered flame, but was an inflatable design trialled?

Start a new wally thread mate if you want to talk inflatables

Was that high powered enough?

Like sailquick said; Chris's answered it spot on once again, and albymongrel has adressed it well too. It's what it does for Windsurfing as in getting people back and new ones involved. It couldn't be more evident that it's working beautifuly already, and I quite like the fact that the nitt-witt's are helping too! Just look at how these few threads have bought out the passion. cammd it would be good to see a Wally fleet at RQ. I'd be willing, and I wonder if there'd be more. With the pace in direction that they seem to be taking, it could definately happen. Isn't that what it's all about?
The Banter is helping, I have sense of humor about it enough to wear the shirt around the course in front of KA360 so he can read the word LOSER on the back.
I love it!!!!

kato said..

Chris 249 said..

kato said..
I don't mind sailing my OD and it's great fun with a proper modern sail. BUT isn't this like racing old cars and pretending your representing the best that your sport can offer. .
There's no point for me to race on this board as a light weight will win and in stronger stuff I'll take a race board thanks

Nope, it's more like racing Supercars instead of Formula One, or racing carts instead of cars. There are many, many bits of gear used in sporting competitions that are highly restricted.

As another comparison - a Tour de France road racing bicycle is highly restricted in design and goes 40kmh slower than an unrestricted racing bicycle, and about 10% slower than the fastest bikes allowed in the Tour. The bike I ride to work is probably actually faster than the one that was mostly used to win the Tour last year.

Similarly, a Laser dinghy is dramatically slower than a Moth foiler, but more people race the Laser and it is the Olympic class.

I don't know how heavy you are, but the top heavyweights normally finish about 4th or 5th out of 40 overall in One Design races. Normally the overall standings go something like lightweights 1,2, then it's pretty well mixed. For example, looking at overall results I can find easily, after Day 1 a few years ago the top 12 included 4 mediumweights (including the overall leader, who is normally a Heavy) and 2 Heavies. So the good heavies normally beat lightweights. As someone who sailed Raceboards and One Designs, I actually found the One Designs to probably be less weight sensitive.

Supercars use the best equipment and tech available within a design framework

For a windsurfer that might mean carbon fibre, battened cammed sail..... oh raceboard.

Supercars only use "the best" in selected areas and only within a very rigid design framework that makes them much slower than F1. Raceboards also only use "the best" within a design framework - the class bans ultralight boards, custom boards, etc. All restrictions are just drawing a line in the sand, there is no one line that is good and one line that is bad.

Secondly, who defines "the best"? For some of the sailing I do, a short batten sail is "the best" for me. For other sailing I do, a full batten sail is "the best". There is no single "best equipment". For the sailing I did today, a One Design is better for me than one of my Raceboards. After all, if being newer and faster in some conditions is "better" then a kitefoiler, Formula or slalom board is "better" than a Raceboard.

Thirdly, the one design classes are the most popular in sailing because they work so well. The world's biggest classes include the Opti, Laser, Radial, Hobie 16, and Techno. Unless we are going to be so incredibly and insanely arrogant as to claim that all the people who sail such classes are morons, we have to accept that strict one design classes with limited tech have a lot of appeal for very good reasons.

I bought my first Raceboard in 1982-3 (before the name even existed), did well in them, and still have four of them. My major One Design rival has also won Raceboard nationals. We love our Raceboards and we are not ignorant fools when we choose to also sail One Designs - we just happen to like different boards in different ways. If you don't like the One Design, please just ignore it rather than knock it.

Paddles B'mere said..
For a moment, let's push this p!ssing contest over whether its a windSUP or not to one side and have a think about how to get families participating in windsurfing to ensure the future of the sport.

Back in the day Dag and Ballast tell me that wally's were for sale everywhere and they were very popular as a family toy and almost as popular as Jeff in speedos at Turner's Camp.

Fast forward to today and what is the new water toy that a lot of people have, that has now been ridiculously mass produced to point where they are cheap enough for families to be buying them from Anaconda and BCF at a price point in the hundreds of dollars and not thousands? .................. SUP's ............. that's what! The SUP market has entered the mainstream and is expanding rapidly and the price point to get in is dropping rapidly. Now imagine if these SUP companies installed a mast slot or insert and maybe a removable centre fin at minimal pricepoint. Imagine then what the effect may be on the participation in windsurfing if cheap, mass produced rigs were available and a family could go "back to the future" and have a cheap, durable family windsurfer again.

It doesn't matter whether the manufacturer is making a windsurfing board that can be paddled or a SUP that can be sailed, as long as it performs ok as either and is a lot of fun then it'll be better for the sport. The way I see it, while you clowns are carrying on like pork chops over whether a windsurfer LT is or isn't a windSUP, a fantastic opportunity to expand windsurfing into the mainstream again is going begging by simply marketing these things as a windsurfer that can be sailed by anyone in the family and if there's no wind, paddled by the family.

The disclaimer: I own a massive windSUP and frikkin love it and I don't even own a paddle. If it was 18 months ago when I bought my 11'6 BIC, if the new windsurfer LT was available, I'd have had a good hard look at buying it and wouldn't give a sh!t if someone called it a windSUP

Paddles, I agree with almost all of that, but surely you can also understand that it's a bit annoying when some arrogant ****wit is slinging **** around like 360 is. I'll try to ignore the troll from now on.

It's going to be funny when it becomes a youth board

So how much does a new Wally cost?

Orange Whip said..
So how much does a new Wally cost?

Stuff all mate. Anyone at all can have an entire complete rig delivered to major capital city's, depot to depot for $2000. Brisbane depot is at Darra, and you're ready to race.
The special offer to existing One Design sailors is on offer up to the 2019 National's for board only $750.
This one's from Greg Johns today;
Windsurfer LT Update 4

Events:

I have just spoken to Bruce Wylie today about the progress of the project.

Cobra is about to produce a third mould to try to keep up with the growing demand. Edoardo in Italy has just ordered 250 boards.

Below is information about events in Italy, I am sure the Italians will help out with charter boards. In September Windsurfing Japan will be running a regatta, I will chase up details.

In December there will be a regatta at Pattaya, in Thailand, I will chase up details.

In January the Australian Nationals will most probably be held in Sydney around the Australia Day weekend.

Availability.

We have now orders for 92 boards.

The June shipment is sold out, in fact over ordered.

I have ordered 50 more for September so if I don't order more by the morning of April 16th there are only 8 available.

We will have to order for September 1st delivery by April 16th.

So we are asking for orders along with a $50.00 deposit by April 16th to secure your special offer board and to help us to determine the demand for the September shipment.

Email to me at wwindgen@bigpond.net.au for more details.

After that we will be ordering on June 14th for a late October delivery.

Deposits.

Thanks for those who responded for my call for their deposits. There are a few not yet forth coming bout so get onto it or get bumped from a June to September delivery
So get on to it.

Clarifications.

Unlike the prototypes which some of you got to sail, there will be no raised rail pad, this is because it was about 50/50 like /dislike and it complicated production and the costs.

Some of you have never owned a modern board. The screw in front of the mast track is a breather hole - most modern styrenne foam core boards have it. It is there for to equalise pressure if the board heats up or is taken on a plane.

Screw it down tight and don't touch it unless you decide to leave it in a car on a hot day or fly with it. Never , have it open , when the board is wet or in a wet board bag as the water will be sucked into the board.

The CB insert has a hole in it, if you want to have the CB non removable reverse the plate and put the pivot point in the hole, some schools will take this option for security.

Below are some pictures - there will be available a smaller plastic CB which does not project about the deck and a cover for schools.

There is also a cover plate with a hand hold for Stand Up Surfing.

Best regards,

Greg Johns

KA360 said..
OK Dag, Tour De France and Supercar fans.......

New Wally LT Racing Edition T-Shirt

Interesting apt T shirt from someone who uses "KA" in their moniker.

KA360 said..
OK Dag, Tour De France and Supercar fans.......

New Wally LT Racing Edition T-Shirt

Great shirt! I'd proudly wear it! Xxl please

Gestalt said

there is a demo on next sat at bribie. Ring Caloundra wind and surf for details.

Advertise it in the local paper a couple of days before, that worked a treat for the Discover Windsurfing day

You must be disappointed with the growth of the Windsurfer LT.
Japan has a big market you can tap into with your T Shirts.
maybe do one in the rainbow colours .