There were boards in the late 80's by the brand of "Speed", just wanting to know who made them?
I think they were Qld made? Does anyone still use one?
I remember they were a great race board!
Dave pitchford won the Australian race board titles in the early 90s on one.they were a strong board and a match for the mistrals & lightnings. Haven't seen one for ages.
i did my board making apprenticeship with Steve Mc Geary in the early eighties and helped him prototype and test his early models. He based his hull designs on a WW2 book of Italian navy torpedo boats!!!!
true story......he also liked nachos with mozzarella AND tasty cheese.
I had one that I loved for a while, got me back windsurfing after a hiatus! It went in a 6m3 bin earlier this year, I did look at it in the bin, with a broken Maxx2Air, and a broken Maui Project, thinking what good times we had, and even though you were all busted, should I keep you for a couple more years? Traitor.
Anyway, it was fast, but with those hard , square rails, could be a pig in Port Phillip chop, sent me flying more than a few times.
never got it to Shallow Inlet, that would've been the place to sail a board like that, oh well!
Guy called Martin who sails very regularly at VP and Wello still sails his all the time. He really flies when the wind is pumping. He is a BIG guy which I think helps with the big long board. Always uses big sails as well.
Cheers
They were always a fast board! Would like to see how fast they are going, especially when they are 20 + years old.
When I started sailing on my Cobra Race I only ever seen the back of Speed boards as they went past me!
I had a slalom size one and loved it, quick and easy to use, but needed a good fin, in those days there were none. I used to jump it which eventually killed it.
That slalom board was a kill machine. Deadly rails. But fast fast board.
I used the raceboard occaisonaly. Got left behind by the mistrals, f2 etc in light wind but more than up to speed when the wind picked up a bit.
was the white speed raceboard version 2? A bit lighter and faster in light winds or the same shape but different colour.
Loved my Speed 125L Slalom, very light and fast only downside it had a US box.
I bought it new, late 80's early nineties?????, sailed it for about five years.
Then gave it to my son 15 years ago and only recently found it at the bottom of his dried out dam in the Adelaide Hills
now waterlogged.
Here is a Sliver (same age as the race board) Slalom notice sliding mast track (missing foot knob) the mast track was one of the best in class for both the slalom & the race boards. I did tear out the fin box hitting a sandbar at 27kns :-( so I retro fitted a tuttle, only used it a couple of times since.
I might just have another Speed in the shed, This is one of the last Race Boards that was ever made! It was a custom order for a big guy, 270 liters if I remember correctly.It also was a bit lighter that the silver models at about (16kg) notice the light weight foot straps that did not hold water. Back to the white colour again (how they strated) this one had a cleaner nose section that cruised over the next wave better.With killer up wind performance! It also was the first to go away from the slot box fin (us box) & had something like a power box with 1 bolt in the deck. The Mast track (missing for repair) was the worst he ever made ! The princeable was execellent 2 peddles one each side of the centre board could be pressed from either tack. The mast track also slid all the way back over the centre board knob when fully up & locked it up. This was fantastic! when flying down a reach bouncing over the waves the centre board (that was masive) would not flick down & then ,, rail you over, round you up , or cause greif
ahh, yes that's the one I alluded to earlier. a much better tail for the racecourse and the bigger centreboard gave it more grunt upwind.
i'd extend the upwind straps further forward with another plug if it were me.
i'm almost certain I've seen that one in the past YP1 even the straps are familiar.
do you know it's history?
I have this board.
to my shame, STILL haven`t put it in the water.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Old-Competition-SPEED-board-Sail-Range/
Nice Board Jungleman! And in good nic!
In the late 80's and early 90's, I recall seeing the Speed boards used commonly with Air sails at some marathon races, What happened to Air Sails?
I think some of the guys who raced in them days converted to Speed boards after seeing how good they were?
Dave Pitchford used Air Sails, had a pink one that may have been his best.
i think Steve Allen may have been involved with Speed in the early days, is that right?