On old rotomouded fun board, slightly shorter (25cm?) than the old OD has turned up next door.

It is branded Windsurfer and Express. Funboard/Raceboard type shape with well defined quad concaves on the bottom. Retractable CB etc.

I had not even heard of such a model before. Does anyone have any information on this model? Years produced, Designer, Production numbers etc?











Whoops. This one is distorted as I tried to take panoramic shot amd moved camera too much. You get the general idea though.

Looks like a Bombora Capricorn. Perhaps with different decals for export, maybe to the US.

The "Windsurfer" brand did a few different models in the mid to late 80s. There was the Transformer wave board, and an epoxy slalom board too.

My guess is there was an arrangement with Bombora. Bombora made a board that was almost identical to the Windsurfer One Design (with a fully retracting alagier daggerboard, US fin box and sliding mast track). The Windsurfer Transformer was an awful lot like a Bombora Antartica.

The board in the photo looks identical to the Bombora Capricorn. I reckon what Anise says sounds right.

Clarence

I've got mags with ads for an Express, and in fact I've seen a couple for sale in Oz and wanted one for the grandkids! Windsurfer (USA) had a few such boards and I think the Express in the ads looks like a baby One Design. I can't remember the designer although I think it's mentioned in the ads.

The Express in the ads had nothing to do with Bombora; they were very different designs.

yep, just like Chris said ; here is an ad from US Windsurf 1984.
I reckon Anise is right and the Australian Express is a Bombora Capricorn and a bit later, at the time Windsurfer in Australia was Sailboards Australia as was Bombora.

Yes, The US advert. does not look close enough to be this board. The Bombora Capricorn looks closer.

I still have 2 of these boards lying around in South Africa. I had some of my best sailing days on these as a teenager. I learned to waterstart and gybe on these.

The're heavy, slam chop like you hit concrete (but with the weight you keep going), and for some reason the mast foot at some stage would slide forward in a gust - I could not tighten it enough when younger. I also got rid of the skeg early on - it interfered too much with waterstarting.

The bottom shape was different than the pictures though. The ones I have are completely flat area from the skeg to the bow, and have a single concave about 30cm wide from the skeg all the way to be tail. The board aft has a slight V shape (with the concave area cutting the point of the V).