Windsurfer One Design 2012 NSW State Titles

by Stephen Barton on 7 Apr 2012 26 starters lined up for a weekend of intense racing at the Windsurfer One Design 2012 NSW State Titles. It was simply straight out sailing fun.

With a well organised and enthusiastic new Class Captain in Steve Newman (and his team of organisers), a new to Windsurfers and brilliant venue at Bayview Yacht Racing Association (BYRA), on the western shore of Pittwater, plenty of old faces, some new faces, bright sunshine, light winds and beautiful water temperature the NSW Windsurfer State Titles was deemed a great success.

Not a tell tale, wind gauge, compass, adjustable cunningham, adjustable outhaul in sight - nothing! This is seat of the pants sailing like no other class in the world. The Laser is a fiddly, complicated and technical race machine compared to this. Women, men, young, light, heavy. It doesn’t matter. This is 100% technique, starting position, patience, sniffing out wind shifts and, of course, some luck.

No matter whether you are over 55 years of age and racing on a 20 year of board with a rig and delaminating sail of the same vintage held together by gaffer tape which the outright winner Rob Howard, who won every single race did, or some young super fit hopeful on a brand new rig and board (all bought for less than $2000) there was close racing and plenty of exercise to be had for everyone.

Days on we are all still in a state of amazement at Rob’s achievement.

At the other end of the performance spectrum let me just say that I’m claiming the biggest rip off on the weekend.

You see, the fleet is divided into three weight divisions, plus women’s and youths. In light winds, if I ever was to get a tenth over the line it would usually be good enough to win the heavyweight division, of which I’m a member.

So, to my amazement (and apparently everyone else), I’ve fluked a fifth over the line in one race but of all the luck it’s still only good enough for third in the heavyweight division. Yeah thanks, I appreciate your sympathies yet my heavy weight division competitor 'friends' seemed to think that that was very funny. Sigh. Next time.

Anyway, it seemed like everyone was having a real mix of results as the fluky winds would favour one side of the course and then, suddenly, the other side with apparently no rhyme or reason. So Rob Howard achieving seven out of seven wins in those conditions with a laughable old sail is simply phenomenal.

The other amazing result was young, fit and female competitor Clare Hozack who, with very little experience on Windsurfers, came fourth overall and it could easily have been third with one more reasonable result. Third’s and fifths peppered with a 21st and 15th, we might have a future champion here.

Hopefully the Olympic class RS:X’s or whatever board the OC chooses for 2016 won't steal her away from the real windsurfer class.

Just on that point, with a fleet of 26 mainly experienced sailors in the fleet (easily could have been many more with lots of regular faces not in attendance having other commitments) I would have thought this was the perfect scenario for budding Race Boarders, Olympic hopefuls from the RS:X class, Formula Boarders and Juniors to grab a 'Wally' One Design and hone their starting tactics, get some pumping fitness in and further develop their wind reading and race craft skills.

Anyway, it was a whole lot of fun with a great deal of camaraderie out there and not a single protest. I’m still looking for a stay on my windsurfer to fly the red flag from!