Sick session by Twan Verseput

www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=user&val=281250&uid=3923&spotid=1745

Bloody impressive. If you are a big strong talented sailor with big @#$%^& you can go fast on big gear. The reality is hardly any of the board is in the water it,s sailing of the tail so put a small fin in one and you can go fast if you can stop it taking off. I saw Spotti do something like 43 knots on his Mistral 82 wide.

Amazing

Great effort by Twan. Also fantastic to see just how fast modern large slalom kit can go when top riders like Twan commit themselves to the job at hand.

This is an interesting one as smaller riders simply cannot go as fast on bigger kit. As I am "only" 182 long and when fit around 80 kilo, I am more interested in the difference in speed between the guys who won the day (both lighter riders) and Twan (and I know Twan would have been faster himself on pure speedgear of course so kudos to him for his choice). Generally speaking I can see a favourable development towards lighter riders being able to adjust the kit to their weight and truly be competitive.

It's getting more and more easy to choose smaller gear in super light winds for given sizes as sails are getting more powerful AND foregiving per size and given fins do not ask anymore for manhandling the gear (the Tribal Sym Speed being an excellent example). This is the only route for lighter riders against the Giants still in charge of the overall year ranking.

On fixed courses, especially on the tighter ones, weight and length is still a huge advantage. On broader courses the difference gets less and less pronounced each year. On open courses and places where you have to slingshot I feel smaller riders can even benefit if they pay attention and not focus too much on what the Giants are using.

In person I don't like the big kit, simply because I want to have the gliding sensation a smaller board gives. This is what got me hooked to this crazy sport in the first place. However fast modern slalomgear can be it just doesn't appeal to me that much. This apart from the fact that riding big gear is simply the first step to acknowledge upfront you will lose the day against those who are simply taller and heavier.

Seeing this kind of speeds brings mixed emotions to me. We once were stuck in a ratrace for the smallest gear. Now the trend continues towards the opposite route, mostly to get going as quick as possible after a gybe. I will put my personal focus on supporting development for more average weight and length riders, fully acknowledging the fact I have got personal vested interests for doing so :-)...again, this takes nothing away from the effort by Twan as the speed he set is sick.

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Kwibai said..
I am more interested in the difference in speed between the guys who won the day (both lighter riders) and Twan

Can you tell us who went faster, and how fast? On www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=forum&forum=2&val=132671 Twan was about 2 knots faster than the next guy posting from this spot (who had set a 2 second PB that's just 0.13 knots below Twan's PB).

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boardsurfr said..

Kwibai said..
I am more interested in the difference in speed between the guys who won the day (both lighter riders) and Twan

Can you tell us who went faster, and how fast? On www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=forum&forum=2&val=132671 Twan was about 2 knots faster than the next guy posting from this spot (who had set a 2 second PB that's just 0.13 knots below Twan's PB).

You're referring to another session in which Twan used a smaller board. The session this topic is referring too is the following:

www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=forum&forum=2&val=133246

Again, nothing to hold back ANY credits from Twan's efforts. I just felt like pointing out some things. We've got a giant in our midst that sometimes uses 8.4 when others are on 5.7.

To me the focus on large kit which has gotten common only shows people don't truly realize the extreme difference between the monsters of speed and the mortals who theoretically also could go blistering fast but sometimes like to point towards the fact they are lighter and thus can not go as quick. I feel that's a shame. What's good for Twan and can be done by him, isn't good and can't be done by a potentially equally talented lighter rider if he copy pastes what guys like Twan are doing.

This session indeed shows big kit can be blistering fast, but still the smaller kit is more efficient and could and should be made even more efficient to ensure the speed aspect of our sport opens up to all who love the adrenaline rush and want to be competitive.

A lighter rider can be competitive. If I am not mistaken so far only KA offers the possibility for lighter riders to go for sizes suitable for their wieght and (lack of) length which is needed as leverage to hold the larger sails and glue the tailend of the board just enough to the water not to fly away in the gusts. There are sessions in which large riders are using 7.0-7.7 and a lighter rider on 5.7 can win. Why bother using a 5.2 in conditions in which gusts are peaking 20 knots above a session described above. Why? Because no one can go smaller as focus has totally shifted from small to large to extremely large. If lighter riders are being offered the possibility to rethink and, more important increase fun as smaller sails are often not only faster for them but also less physical, the sport can and will change for the good.

It's great the larger riders are being supported and the PWA takes care of that route, but don't think for a minute you need to be super tall and heavy to be fully competitive. Less sail area is less drag. the same goes for boards and fins. We as lighter riders just need to rethink and adjust our strategy. If so, we stand a chance in many cases.

Yep, I vary between 65kg and 70kg. I feel I'm getting too old to use a lot of weight.
My two 39kt runs were done on a 4.4 and 5.0 Koncept, I've managed 38s on 5.4 and 5.8 koncepts.

I know this isn't "blisteringly fast" but it isn't bad for an old fart. As kiwibai says the koncepts are light with a low centre of effort, this allows light weights to have controlled power.

One of the great things about the GPSTC is the 'Team' aspect. You need two sailors averages to score in a session. So the medium amd smaller guys get a looking, even on teams that have some of the bigger sailors, as support. Not just in the 2 sec and 5 x 10, but even more so in the other catagories which are more skills and strategy based, and sometimes not quite so reliant on outright top speed ability.

As a consequence, many of the Aussie teams have regular' jelly bean' getherers in the small/medium size range. As a further consequence of that, we get to see examples of the gear they use and how they set it up.

Also, when course are free, a big consequence and advantage of 'GPS', strategy become something smaller sailors can take advantage of as Kwibai very astutely points out.. If you put the thought in, and the effort into scouting and working out where the best spots are, or the best wind will be, even in a lake like Lake George, one can often find a way to keep up with the big guys, or at least keep them in sight.

I am sure many watcher of the GPSTC will quickly come up with a long list of small/medium size sailors, in all states, who fit this description.

Very good points about "going large". I thought that using the largest sail possible was a key for a long time, partly based on what I read, but reinforced by getting beaten by guys on larger sails a lot. Seeing the sailors, gear, and speeds from some of the GPS team sessions during our recent trip to Oz was quite an eye opener. When Stroppo beat everyone at Fangy's in January, he used a sail that was (relative to his size and weight) much smaller than what most others used. Another day, slowie (lighter and shorter than Stroppo) went faster than most (or all?) on a smaller sail, but huge board.

I can see the leverage advantage that height gives (thinking of Stretch here :-). I'm not so sure about the advantage of higher body weight. Quite possible that gear design is a big reason why smaller guys are often slower, with most race sails designed for tall and heavy sailors.

Very impressive to see! Smoking on that gear!!

But it's all possible! Right place right time? In tune with his gear? Water Conditions? Knowing the best area For optimum speeds and wind angles at a spot? Lots of variables....

For instance on Monday. Consistently windy here at port Sorell. All very close numbers. All on different gear. But clearly we're all in tune and know what works best for ourselves/size.

Myself and dad- 72-75kg 5.2/5m sails. 53L boards.
cookie a lot bigger than us (taller) 5.6m and 65-70ish liter board.

All within .3 of a knot, top speed for the day.

Yes!!!

Think out of the box like Slowie does in the example boardsurfr brought up. Go wild once and a while. Experiment with weird combo's like this giant board, small fin and small sail for the size Slowie dared to pick. I assume in his case conditions were technical and with his experience he knew what to pick.

Some settings simply don't work for the larger riders as they would feel off balance. Why bother following them? Because they are taller? Because the PWA races imprint a picture in our brain and make us believe a given combo is fastest as the likes of Antoine, Finian or Arnon are flying on it?

Stay realistisc. Think for yourself. Check the gear people of your size use in GPSTC or GP3S in given conditions. Try to learn about sail settings and adjust to those similar in size, to those who are succesfull in seemingly similar conditions as where you sail. That's the key to become a better gps windsurfer.

We collected massive amounts of data over the years. We share knowledge as a world wide community.

Apart from the comradery aspect sailquick describes and the fun one can derive from going for the different rankings within both systems, we all get free access to that knowledge. Use it and don't simply follow the giants as that's the first step taken to acknowledge your first loss. Focus on victory, first against yourself as you notice you will go faster AND derive more fun, then look up on the ladder and set realistisc goals.

I see many who get frustrated as after lots of sailingyears they were only looking at what the marketingmachine was telling them to believe. Think! And be ready to become a better sailor.