So we got the old original Wally windsurfer out for its annual jaunt today and found that the sail has finally succumbed to the ravages of time, well it is about 25 years old, anyway I am looking for an original windsurfer sail if anyone has one in the shed, even a 3/4 sail would be good...
There must be some out there somewhere, of if anyone can recommend a sailmaker in Melbourne who could make one? Unfortunately these boards just don't work too well with any of my current modern sails.
Where's Pierre? he sails one and I am sure he said somebody was doing good re-pro stuff for them now?
Hey smith, yeah the old boards are OK in light stuff...
Anyways, Severne makes a Dacron for SUPs, sold via Starboard.
Weighs absolute nothing, and requires little down-back haul. No pulleys no nothing.
Starboard gave me one to try, took me a while to figure out how to rig it, but in the end was able to sail it up to 18 knots no prob. I know someone who uses it in waves in England and it sails fine.
I don't see why you can't use a modern rig on an old board. Feel is different, but otherwise sails well.
Another possibility is to buy an old Mistral or Wayler. If the board takes water you'll get it for next to nothing, and will thusly have a working Dacron rig.
'luck.
Or you could just buy a new wally sail from Windgenuity. $475 (off the top of my head) including freight.
That way you can restore the wally to its full glory.
Thanks guys.
The old windsurfer is is only ever dragged out a couple of times every summer when we have less than 10 knots, usually to have a laugh with the kids or friends, otherwise it's out on the slalom or wave gear or the kite. so we don't want to spend any real cash on it
Modern sails dont work well because the boom length is about half that of the original sail and the centre of effort is much further forward and wrong in relation to the centre board.
Hey Smithy,
I picked up a Wally from the tip for $5. I screwed a Euro pin into the slot box mast foot. I usually sail it with a 5.3m wave sail (2010). Works fine. I have an original sail and mast but need my Formula boom to rig it so don't bother.
Just had a session on the old Wally board with my North Datona 6.6m I don't think th old girl has ever sailed so well... The wind had died off so I thought what the heck and dragged out the Wally.
The cambered sail was really good but I don't think it would be the best for teaching..
Smithy,
I've got an old Tyronsea RAF sail that work ok with the wally... It's yours if you want it..
Wow, I can't believe any of you seriously want to sail those horrible old Wallys or their dreadful triangle sails.
So big and heavy and laterally unstable and knee and shin bruising and those ridiculously long booms...
The day we got rid of our last Wally and One Design boards, not to mention the big Tyronsea and Falcon boards and replaced them all with JP NewSchool 160 and 180 Funster boards was a glorious day indeed for our volunteer windsurfing camp.
Those horrible aircraft carriers were responsible for more people being turned off the sport than anything else as I've opined in the past. I remember cracking the front windshield of my family's Tarago trying to fit one inside the people mover.
The number of friends and family who are now inspired to take up the sport by learning on our modern lightweight wide, fast, soft-deck boards is so much more encouraging.
The best use I've found for all the old huge triangle sails is cutting a few down to make tiny little kiddie rigs for my 4 year old.
Anyway, m2c
mrrt can't agree with you mate. Took an old Wally down south and had a great sail of Dunsborough in cross-off conditions two weekends ago. Great fun just cruising, trying a few tricks and having some old school fun using a modern 5.3m wave sail.
Last weekend I got Sat and Sun sails on an Elvstrom that SomePunk donate to me and my tin-lid. No one was out but me and I had fun both times, thanks Steve!
I picked up an original sail with the Wally and have tried it with the old fibreglass mast. Had to use a formula boom but geez it was light and grunty.
Looking back they managed to get a lot of things right. Maybe we need to occasionally ask ourselves what made them so bloody popular and why, with all our technical advancement, is windsurfing now a niche sport? I'm not saying we should go back to the eighties, just try and learn what made it such a magic period.
I agree MRRT the new style learner boards are a lot better for teaching what windsurfing, for most, has become. Going out and back over and over again in stable winds. I don't think they will teach the learner to actually “sail” like the old boards will. Back in the day everybody could sail a board around a triangle course in almost any wind. Thousands where doing it so I don't think it was the old learner boards that are responsible for killing windsurfing. I think it probably has more to do with the need for more wind to keep the out and back thing interesting for most people.
I don't care what people have fun on, for me its one designs and raceboards up to about 12, then kites do the out and back thing better for me. You have to look harder to explain windsurfings death then just blame the poor old luggers.
nev
Did you know that all Australian Windsurf Olympians learnt on those old Wallys !!!!!
The number of ex-campers who are now coming back as accomplished leaders with a truck-load of boards and rigs in the space of a year is frankly astonishing.
the minning boom IN WA must be good
How did this thread turn into a Wally bashing thread. Yes i am a idoit discussing this with cashed up bogans !
There's a few wallies on Gumtree. They got the sail pretty much spot on.
Think I'd just cruise round in da choppa
