I haven't spoken about the GPSTC in a long while, as I thought the new Admin needed clear air to establish themselves. Can I say the new admin have done a brilliant job, thankyou!! These are just my personal views, remembering the GPSTC belongs to all of us.

Time for a refresher and pep talk.The GPSTC idea came to me when I saw that on GPSSS a few Australian members had formed teams and were competing against each other in the hour category, and they seemed to be having fun doing it. Given my background had been in Clinical and Community Psychology, building relationships between people and building community between these people has always been a goal of mine. I thought the one thing missing from windsurfing was a team aspect, and that teams build relationships and community. That was the main aim of the GPSTC to build relationships and community. The speed numbers and competitive aspect of the sport was to build interest and motivation to join a team.

With all the feedback I've had over the years, and my recent conversation with Firie Bob, I believe the community and relationship building has been the greatest success of the GPSTC and continues to be so. The competitive side of the GPSTC while exhilarating at times is also the downer of the GPSTC. I have had many complaints over the years about how unfair the GPSTC is. In my case dealing with suicide, and life and death matters on a daily basis, I always found this extremely petty and missing the point of the GPSTC. However, I would put my empathic hat on, understanding that some people take competitive sport very seriously, have in the past been involved in serious competition & fairness and rules are extremely important to them, and have tried to find some solutions. I found it impossible to make all happy so I rarely did anything to change things.

Here is a list from memory of the fairness complaints I've had over the years:

The SRM are too dominant and make the GPSTC boring, we need to change the rules to make it fairer for other teams. Western Australia has the best conditions and its unfair for the rest of us, we need to change the rules.
The Tassie Speedseekers have the whole state represented, we need to change the rules or the team needs to be broken up into 2 teams at least.
The FNQ Mob have an unfair advantage in the July Winter Cup we need to change months.
People aren't sharing their sailing spots we need to change the rules so that people declare where they sail.
The Pinnas have recruited James Dinsmore, International PWA sailors shouldn't be allowed in local teams.
The Mandurah Mob have too big an advantage coz they have the Peel Estuary.
The NM category favours teams that have an NM run, It should be a 500m category.
Some teams have flat water to sail on and its unfair to the teams that don't, we need to change the scoring system to allow for a flat water penalty.
Slowboat of SRM posted speeds from an overseas holiday, and people complained that this was unfair and shouldn't be allowed, and the rules need to be changed.
The MM have an interstate team member, and members from another WA town that gives them an unfair advantage.
The Pit Crew have an unfair advantage with Sandy Point, the 2 sec and 5 x 10 category needs to be changed.
These are just the one's I remember........

The GPSTC can never be truly fair, was never intended to be, was intended to build community and participation. I bet you've all made some lifelong friendships out of the GPSTC. That was the my devious plan from the start and I succeeded MWA HAHAHAHA.

Think about it if you really want a fair competition you need a one-design Olympic type class where you all compete at the same venue in same conditions on the same gear, and be honest with yourselves, how many of you really want to do that. Local state associations have events and races enter those.

Enjoy your friendships, enjoy travelling around Australia and being part of a large community, and enjoy windsurfing. Life's way too short to sweat the small stuff. However, the GPSTC belongs to all of you, it will evolve and become what you guyz want it to be. But be careful what you wish for, every change has unintended consequences.

Fantastic response Hardie!!!!

Some times we all need to be bought back to Earth.

Very succinct and great points J.
Sometimes I think we may have lost sight of the two biggest aspects of windsurfing in the pursuit of "numbers".
The two are one part, windsurfing is fun with your mates!! As Forrest Gump says "that's all Ive got to say about that"

I agree, the GPSTC has been the best thing to happen to windsurfing since the universal joint, and the benefits in community building and personal development have been huge.
Thankyou Hardie for bringing inspiration to fruition.

Having a couple of beers with a few team mates, watching the sun set, even after a crap sail, is what it's all about. The odd PB and jelly bean along the ways are alright too! Thanks for making it possibly Hardie.

Well said Hardie and great timing with the 10year anniversary coming up, how time flys.

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vando said..
Well said Hardie and great timing with the 10year anniversary coming up, how time flys.

A perspective from a newby:
Since joining Board Crazy Crew and strapping on a GPS I have got to know a lot more of the local sailors in Moreton bay, regardless of if they are in BCC or not. Everyone has been really friendly and helpful, providing advise on how to increase speed, good spots to sail in the bay, kit choice and setup etc.
It has been so good that we have introduced a GPS element to our local Bayside club which has proved to be very popular.
But by far the best part has been trying to beat fellow team members of a similar level and getting slated when they beat me - love it !.

As many of you know I have done many windsurfing trips and will be doing more. I just got back from a 9 week trip from Brisbane to Tassy then back the wife Sue as many of you know loves these trips and gets as much fun as I do meeting people through the GPSTC and other none GPSTC sailors. The site makes it easy to find locations as with KA-72 with its Google Earth overlay. Also with FB and SB its not hard to arrange some help with local knowledge of peoples spots they sail. On my last trip I pre-arranged to meet Barry and Cookie at Stanley Perks at Port Sorell and Steve and Dave at Dorans without their help and company on the water with all the other locals we meet it would have been hard sailing at these spot. Forget any changes to GPSTC I love it how it is as it works well for me. Well done Hardie and all involved you got it right.
I have even meet that Firie bloke.

It's not fair, I'm slower than Byron ! can you fix that please ???

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I bet you've all made some lifelong friendships out of the GPSTC. That was the my devious plan from the start and I succeeded MWA HAHAHAHA.

Certainly have! I really enjoy the GPSTC and proudly wear a branded t-short and hoodie

What with the recent rubbish that has been posted in another topic, I thought it worthwhile to remind Team Challenge sailors what an amazing on and off line community the GPSTC is. Thanks to all the pioneers for the fantastic legacy we all enjoy.

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vando said..
Well said Hardie and great timing with the 10year anniversary coming up, how time flys.

Has it really been 10 years already?

Gosh I must be an old fart.

I would like to thankyou to GPSTC,I have been windsurfing for 30 years now, and GPSTC has been the best thing in our sport that ever happen, hope to be doing it for many more years.

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John340 said..
What with the recent rubbish that has been posted in another topic, I thought it worthwhile to remind Team Challenge sailors what an amazing on and off line community the GPSTC is. Thanks to all the pioneers for the fantastic legacy we all enjoy.

+1

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nebbian said..

vando said..
Well said Hardie and great timing with the 10year anniversary coming up, how time flys.

Has it really been 10 years already?

Gosh I must be an old fart.

You and me both Nebs

Can we push Grand masters back to 50 years please haha Love the GPSTC and the cool dudes and dudets doing it

I've met lots of really awesome people and made life-long friends thanks to the gps teams challenge. It's connected me with people from all over Australia, not just my local sailing areas. I'd like to thank Ben (GTC co-founder) for personally inviting me back into the fold and everyone else who supported me (I know who you are). I look forward to posting again under my old team the Double Demerits.

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N1GEL said..
I've met lots of really awesome people and made life-long friends thanks to the gps teams challenge. It's connected me with people from all over Australia, not just my local sailing areas. I'd like to thank Ben (GTC co-founder) for personally inviting me back into the fold and I look forward to posting again under my old team the Double Demerits.

Great to see

Some great points Hardie ....thumbs up .. .I see all windsurfers as mates ...

and think as a windsurfing community we are all a club ,just spread out .

Is it all about your top speed...and PB..I don't thinks so ..

its sharing the thrill of going fast on a windsurfer ..