Are the 2 year lock in cycles for Formula boards still in place for 2016-2017?
If so when will we expect to see the new release details from the manufacturers be announcing from?
If not what can we expect from the Formula scene for board evolution and design?

Cheers Peter

Yes, the 2-year lock is still in play for 2016.... however, there was some very interested discussion from the PWA in possibly adding formula as a discipline for next season, to allow them to expand the events calendar to some new places that don't have the right conditions for slalom.

If that's the case and it happens, the PWA will allow new boards every year and I assume the manufacturers will follow suit. They like the 1-year rule, as they sell boards every year.... the current rule is good for consumers (maybe?) but the brands sell half the boards as people hang on to them for 2 seasons and it also diminishes the amount of second hand boards around.

Won't be any details available until the cutoff date for registration (which I believe is in September) as nobody wants their boards to be copied from another brand.

That would be awesome if the PWA did that!!

cool tread
nice post Sean, I green thumbed you

Whats the formula scene like in SA peter? South Australia is such a good holiday destination any excuse to visit this area of Australia. Can you put on a formula race? I was contemplating that milang race the 18footers do

If formula boards were allowed in the PWA Tour,it would result in formula boards becoming popular again like they did 10 or so years back.

If the wind is around the 6-12 knot mark I reckon hydrofoil kitesurfing is the way to go.

Lugging around big slalom sails and booms with their huge swingweights is not enjoyable.

And once you get going the feel is crap anyway. Though I did have a few enjoyable days on my old formula board

I have gone the other way and don't sail anything bigger than 6.6m and 107 now.

Big gear is simply not enjoyable.

If you can get away with only using a 6.6 and 107 then good luck to you.
But in the real world most of us have to use 7.8, 8.6 sails and 125 to 138 ltr boards to enjoy windsurfing at times.
Don't put **** on others as they enjoy windsurfing, it is enjoyable using big gear if that gets them on the water.
Self upper cut if you will!!

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petermac33 said..
If formula boards were allowed in the PWA Tour,it would result in formula boards becoming popular again like they did 10 or so years back.

If the wind is around the 6-12 knot mark I reckon hydrofoil kitesurfing is the way to go.

Lugging around big slalom sails and booms with their huge swingweights is not enjoyable.

And once you get going the feel is crap anyway. Though I did have a few enjoyable days on my old formula board

I have gone the other way and don't sail anything bigger than 6.6m and 107 now.

Big gear is simply not enjoyable.

I think boards like the Fanatic Formula and Patrik III have been a genuine progression in the genre in regard to performance and usability. Having said that, formula takes a little while to get comfortable . It's taken me almost 2 years to be able to sail low angles without the chicken straps. I took them off a while ago and forced myself to learn how to get low without them. It was difficult for a while but my point is you get out of it what you put into it and that goes double for formula gear.

Difficult, sometimes. Challenging, definitely. not enjoyable? hardly. Like a wise man once said, "It's supposed to be hard. It's the hard that makes it good. if it was easy, everyone would do it." I get it that sometimes people just want to relax and sail. The fanatic hawk in my trailer is for exactly that but for me windsurfing has always been about pushing myself to get better and pushing my limits.

Check this vid out. I may be biased but I look like I'm enjoying myself to me.

Not meaning to put anyone off formula sailing but for me I'm over light wind sailing.

Its the swing weight especially and the overall weight of the sails and booms that put me off.

In the 8-12 knot range nothing can touch the planing threshold of the formula boards.

Big slalom boards probably come in to their own at around the 12-15 knot range I think.

If I lived near the river or ocean I probably would own one too!

But as I don't---I'm over light wind sailing.

Hey Cluffy:

You definitely look like you are enjoying yourself and you always make great videos
However, your JP SLW videos were removed :-(
If we like your videos - do we need to download a copy ??

Pls keep em posted !!!
Thanks
JW

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petermac33 said..
Not meaning to put anyone off formula sailing but for me I'm over light wind sailing.

Its the swing weight especially and the overall weight of the sails and booms that put me off.

In the 8-12 knot range nothing can touch the planing threshold of the formula boards.

Big slalom boards probably come in to their own at around the 12-15 knot range I think.

If I lived near the river or ocean I probably would own one too!

But as I don't---I'm over light wind sailing.

I know what you mean about the weight I get a quadruple hernia with some explosive outgassing when I lift my gear out of the water. As for the swing weight, there's an easy cure for that, get a 12 metre. After using one of those monsters your 11 metre will never feel heavy again.

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joe windsurf said..
Hey Cluffy:

You definitely look like you are enjoying yourself and you always make great videos
However, your JP SLW videos were removed :-(
If we like your videos - do we need to download a copy ??

Pls keep em posted !!!
Thanks
JW

Joe the SLW vids are getting a bit dated but seeing as how you keep asking I'll make a new one complete with some aussie bogan commentary. I have a 58 cm carbon fin coming for the SLW 90 so when it shows up I'll throw on the 9.6 and make a decent vid with the K4 mount. I just can't promise when as I'm on Lake Maquarie and it's quite possible that it may never blow again.

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Cluffy said..
Check this vid out. I may be biased but I look like I'm enjoying myself to me.

Wikipedia tells us the selfie stick was rated amongst the top inventions of 2014.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfie_stick

I'm pretty sure we invented it a few years before that.

You look like you're enjoying yourself Cluffy.

>Joe the SLW vids are getting a bit dated but seeing as how you keep asking I'll make a new one complete with some aussie bogan commentary<

+1

I miss your SLW Videos also

Looking forward to an update

Cheers Jeff

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petermac33 said..
with their huge swingweights is not enjoyable.

That can be true Peter, I did this video a few days ago and at 2:20 I start to go into a gybe where you can see the sail flip over and its no slalom rig flick. But I still love it and its now my preferred way to get exercise. Suping or kiting didn't click with me. I find formula more fun that the gym. There is a lot of course races on offer on the east side of Australia so that a added bonus for us to get together.

I dunno how to explain it but Formula is still awesome . Ill see if I can do windier video soon.

is it recommended/suggested for recreational Formula/FreeFormula sailors to have a 12.0 m2 slalom/race sail ??
as a heavyweight i am currently using a JP SLW92 PRO with a MS TR-4 10.0 sail in light winds
to go to a 12.0 sail i would gain about 2 knots at a cost of about $2000 for sail and 550 mast
that's about the cost of a brand new board
to go to an 11.0 m2 sail would be cheaper since it fits on a 520, but only gains about 1 knot - not a good ROI in my book

longboarding seems to be gaining popularity and formula seems to be losing ... from what i see
both have their merits !!! and are not mutually exclusive
hope FreeFormula becomes more mainstream !!
most brands are starting to make em now

oh yeah - did NOT know GUN makes race sails ... congrats

Joe I haven't ridden the SLW 92 but with my SLW 90 my sail choices are getting smaller rather than bigger. I definitely wouldn't bother with the 12, some guys use 11's on the SLW but I don't as I tend to go formula board with that rig. A 10 is great as it's got heaps of grunt but still manageable but I haven't used my 9.6 on the SLW 90 in ages. I Like my 8.6 reflex 4 and my 8 metre NCX as I lose very little early planning and gain heaps of handling. The SLW is a very easy board to pump onto the plane with a smaller sail and with a smaller rig I can push the power gybes a bit harder without getting stuck with the rig sheeted on. If you want to sail powered up with the bigger sails definitely go for it but my mindset regarding the SLW is one of freerace and easy handling and I think the SLW does that very well.

thanks for that Cluffy

intended to test my TR-6 8.4 on JP SLW92 and sounds like it will be GREAT !!!

Justin I studied your pumping technique and applied what thought I saw this afternoon in a very light and gusty westerly. hell yeah! a vast improvement! I've been pumping like a meathead lol. I'm now planning earlier and working less for it. That's gold mate thanks for sharing.

Great to hear Cluffy. There is a lot of technique in formula, its not all brut strength. I dont pump the sail super hard in super light wind as its too easy to stall the sail. Everybody has there own way of doing things here are some of my key points that I have develop from my time sailing the rsx.

Note, the successful rsx sailors are probably the most well paid professional windsurfers around!! And there is no argument that they are the best light wind sailors.

1. Back foot in the back strap first
2. front foot forward of the front strap
3. initially weight is on the front foot to level out the board
4. pull down on the high boom and up with your back foot careful not to oversheet.
5. then push down on the board effectively pumping the fin
6. as soon as there is enough flow over the fin transfer all your weight to the fin via your back foot which is already in the strap. get to know how hard you can push your fin without stalling the fin. As you know you want to pull as hard as you can on the rig and push as hard as can on the fin for resultant force of maximum speed and in light wind you need a soft touch. Nobody can tell in words you just have to know your own gear.
7. time everything with the chop and swell.

words and writing has never been my thing best thing is just to go sailing together
see you soon regards Justin

i gotta say that in the doldrums of no wind for wave sailing that the free formula comes into its own. I have a 9.7 hotsails speed demon (no cams) which is easy to pump and relatively easy to jibe. it is not fast like a proper formula sail (my brother has a 9.9 sail works race sail, which pulls away from me on a broad reach) but it rigs in half the time and planes earlier. i just jibe before he does and take the head start!!
my old formula board (kinetic centurion 100) and 56 cm fin gets me going very early and i can still plane out of my jibes. if i have an hour to sail and its ca. 10kts then i am stoked. if it gets windier than 12 kts i rig my 8m and if it gets windier than 18kts then i go to the beach...
if all else fails i go surfing.

i used to mountain bike before i found "free-formula" - bike has been sold.

Barbarian, it looks like the hot sails speed demon only rigs on a rdm. Is that correct?

Just managed a peak at the new Starboard Formula weapon and it looks amazing.
Lots of work gone in to this version!

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WINDSURFnSNOW said..
Just managed a peak at the new Starboard Formula weapon and it looks amazing.
Lots of work gone in to this version!

Did they turn it over ?

So Rick, What will it be? Red or Orange?

25 - Nice find - good read on 2016-2017 Starboard Formula 177:-)

Looking forward to riding the 177

Yeah looks amazin. Big step from the 167

Hey guys my son Fergus is looking for a 2014/15 Starboard formula board. CHEERS.

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Peter Ciesa said...
25 - Nice find - good read on 2016-2017 Starboard Formula 177:-)

PJ go a foil for the lighter days at boggy.

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Steve Charles said..
Hey guys my son Fergus is looking for a 2014/15 Starboard formula board. CHEERS.

Sean has one for sale.

Thanks Rick, we found a board