I am starting to write a series of articles for novice speedsurfers or intermediate freeriders who want to have a go. Since I started reporting on big days over here in the UK my site is now getting around 20,000 hits per month so it is really growing. I have a new site planned for release around easter time and these articles are designed for that so I want to get them right before I port them over to the new site. What I am trying to do is a set of quick and easy guides to tempt people to have a go at this side of the sport, which is the whole point of the new site.

This is my first one, if you disagree with anything then please feel free to help me correct it, I am no expert and some people here are so your help would be very much appreciated.

www.redsurfbus.com/2012/01/how-to-start-speedsurfing-part-1.html

Hope you enjoy the read

Second article in the series now done, again any advice or additions that you think may be useful for the beginner then please help me correct it. thanks.

www.redsurfbus.com/2012/01/starting-speedsurfing-part-2.html

This one goes through the different disciplines or categories that we aim for, from peak, 5x10, 500m, nmi, distance and alphas.

I like these articles and I'm a fan of your site.

I think you could expand/clarify the 5x10 category. Even though I do GPS, I've never been certain what 5x10 actually is. You explain how to do it, sailing-wise, but do not give a simple definition of the category. I have always presumed it is an average of your best five ten second runs; after reading your article I still had no better understanding than that.

I enjoyed the alpha discussion and found it useful, though I wonder if it would be reasonable to add that a really fast alpha has to include really fast entry and exit speeds as well as a good gybe.

Just suggestions for clarity, that's all.

Thank you, it means a lot knowing that some of you like the stuff I waffle on about.

I have made the changes, describing the mechanics of the 5x10, how it is calculated and that you cant simply do one 50second run and expect the software to split it up, although I dont know why you cant do that.

I added in to my text about fast entry and exits for the alphas.

The sections will get split up I think as its a bit long for the beginner, I want to keep it really simple, just a brief about what to consider for each category, how to train for it and what goals to look for that show progression. Once done it will be ready for the new site.....which I think you will all like, it should increase participation in GTC and possibly GP3S by getting those with GPS who dont yet post as they are intimidated, or whatever reasons (there are at least 5 at my local spot who will use personal posting websites like sportstracklive but wont yet post on the actual windsurfing competitions). It will be local based so almost a mini page between you and your mates at your local spot, but there will in the long run be all the popular spots and probably some not so popular ones. It should be ready for our spot here by march, and then we will iron out the bugs and allow other spots to come on board......thats all I can say at the moment without giving it all away.

Thanks again

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redsurfbus said...

I have made the changes, describing the mechanics of the 5x10, how it is calculated and that you cant simply do one 50second run and expect the software to split it up, although I dont know why you cant do that.

The five 10s results have to occur on different "runs." This means that you have to change direction at least once between each result.

The definition of "Change Direction" is not completely rigid, and varies from program to program. Some will allow you to sail on a reach, stop (by say, falling off), hop back on, and continue on the same reach, and will still count that as a single run. Others are more lenient.

I've had a quick read through of your posts. I think it's great to have this kind of info out there, along with some tactical advice.

Good teams (in the teams challenge) know how to strategize, and plan their sailing trips to focus on key divisions they are weak in. You can't go out on a single session and expect to pull PBs in every division. That only happens once! And in a teams comp, it is no good for one team member to go out and focus on distance, while another tries for their best alpha.

Sailors need to learn what kind of wind/tide/location/gear combination is best for each division and focus on improving team strategy to boost their standing in each division, and good information like you've provided gives a great basis to beginners trying to understand these combinations.

There is only one minor technical quibble I have with what you've posted so far. The Alpha is not well understood, and different software has slightly different ways of calculating it, but essentially the length of an Alpha 500 is "up to 500m" and can be as little as 100m. The definition of the official Alpha 500 for the purposes of KA72.com is:
A speed calculated on a continuous segment of trackpoints that is between 100m and 500m long, where the distance between the start point and end point of the segment is 50m or less.

Notice that the definition does not specify that there has to be a gybe, but with a minimum length restriction of 100m, it is hard to achieve a decent Alpha without one. (Beginners often record PB Alphas with a tack.)

Also, technically - really under the hood now - the minimum distance for the Alpha is actually defined by KA72 as "double the radius", so if you changed the radius to 100m, the minimum distance would be 200m. The free version of KA72 doesn't allow you to adjust the radius, but it can be done in the desktop version, and for special competitions (and also in the Pro version online, which is not generally available right now.)

Cheers,

Dylan.

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ikw777 said...

I enjoyed the alpha discussion and found it useful, though I wonder if it would be reasonable to add that a really fast alpha has to include really fast entry and exit speeds as well as a good gybe.

In practice, when you look at many of the fastest Alphas through the competition, they tend to have a really fast entry speed, and a parallel entry and exit line, with a gybe radius of close to (but slightly under) 25m.

In my opinion (being purely an analyst of this stuff rather than an actual sailor, which I leave to my better half) people wishing to improve their Alpha would be well served by setting up a couple of buoys 45m apart and focus on first of all gybing in a clean arc around both bouys. Do that a few hundred times, and you will have a good idea of how wide a gybe you can do and still record an Alpha result. Then focus on doing it quickly.

Dylan

Cheers Dylan, I had a feeling I had the alpha diagrams wrong, went in to GPS results and looked at the filter which said 50m radius and misinterpretted it.

I will be changing that ASAP...along with a couple of other things. I will be in touch soon as well by email about this new site we have planned.....your site may be a great help for the real newbies and those who wont pay for software.

Great stuff, I have forgotten a lot of the basics, and I think I never really undertood the alpha properly Keep it coming