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Does anyone know anything about these sails?
I'm guessing they are from between 1988 and 1992. No longer a soft sail but not as heavily supported (and heavy!) as what we are used to now.
It's the sail type B 7.5m? made by Velazur Cannes France .
Made of monofilm .
Later turned in to the NP Lechner sail for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic's .
Excellent. Thanks NelsonFoils. It does look very similar to the NP Lechner sail, other than the battens of course.
Reason I ask is because I've been really enjoying sailing with an old soft sail lately, it frees up so much snappy sail handling (mostly gybing and a bit tacking) that I've been watching guys doing on the old D2 videos. Whipping the board through a gybe holding one hand on the boom and one on the foot of the sail with the masthead way out over the back of the board, that sort of thing - pretty cumbersome with the 8.4! Thinking about getting myself a WOD 6.0, but also wanting to explore that middle ground between the 'soft 3 short battens' and the '5 or more full battens and a few cams'.... Maybe there's a happy middle ground that got blitzed over all too quickly without being explored much.
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Eric Bouillet has just confirmed this sail by email as '1st generation of the Velazur 7.5 B' so double excellent. He says he thought they weren't so great other than in light winds.
So I was enjoying a quite beverage tonight at the RPAYC, watching some drone footage of the 5.5 nationals from today, when I spotted what looked like (and was later confirmed) to be Lechner chasing the fleet downwind!
Anyone we know? (cough) Salty (cough) 
Ha! Yep that was me playing with the 5.5's. Geez they can point high!
I would buy that Grego in a flash.
Thanks Eric for the photo, Something about that era of pre bubblegum sails that just looks so right on a D2. Longer boom is nice too.
I've been working on him for years to sell. If I thought he was a chance I wouldn't let hints to his identity out.
He has said he'd come sailing if I can find another though.
That sail is perfect for D2...Much better than old 7.3-7.5 type B sails...Prefer short boom, easier to handle when wind picks up.
You can go up to 9.5 m2 according to new D2 Class rules.
Thanks Eric, I do really appreciate your input. Although there is nothing in me that wants much at all to do with 9.5's. I'm far more likely (very likely at this stage) to size down from the 8.4 back to a 7.5 as my everyday sail, and to have a little 6.3 soft sail for flipping around when I'm in the mood.
One mast, one boom, one extension, one board, one cammed sail and one soft sail, either of which can be used in all weather. (Well most anyhow....) Sounds like minimalist windsurfing gear heaven to me.
Was sailing earlier today in 18 gusting 25 with the 8.4 on the Lechner. I can do it and all, but I'm sure as sure can be that I would have had more fun with a bit less sail. Should have gone with a 7.5 in the first place, I was too influenced by all the 9.5's around.
I do take on board though that I'm probably better just getting a 7.5 version of what I have already than getting all experimental with inspiration from the past....
I guess it takes being a fair bit left of centre to get a kick out of this old video. There's some stunningly skilled sailing in it though...
www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~-vn4x/Crit-650-Division-Ii-380-cm-290-litres.aspx?_page=8&search=iVVAl2umBXmHLC7VP1FIeA%3D%3D
DIV2's in good shape don't come cheap !! practically collector items
i will be joining the crew this year - on REIX from Eric
Yes! That there is. Aware of this one we are.
Dropping considerable cash and time and effort on a board, the sights are firmly and understandably set on a late period D2..... Lechner, Davidson, etc (not exactly sure what 'etc' applies to in this case!)
Shouldn't be to far off a relaunch, racing season is drawing to a close in a few weeks so I will have a bit more time on weekends plus winter in Qld brings cool dry weather, much better for painting and sanding things.
I have a custom Barracouta 9.5 Dacron/Mylar 5 batten no cam sail I picked up with an old Lightning a couple of years ago. Very Light weight in as new condition, I think it will be a really good match for the DB2, so looking forward to some nice cool light wind winter cruising in a couple of months.
Best way to get boards on the water is to schedule a regatta, make it next season probably Novemberish to avoid clashing with other classes.
I could organise it at RQ but I would expect a better turnout in Sydney given it would be far less travel for he Canberra guys, I would travel down. Anyone of the Sydney clubs willing to put there hand up, a two or three day regatta shouldn't take much organising. Maybe use an existing dinghy regatta it can be bolted onto to keep costs down.
Get that off the ground and boards will appear out of the woodwork
Failing that I could request a class added into Sail Brisbane if we could get 5 boards, that's in July after youth week, traditionally very light winds and cool sunny days.
Any old D2 videos you can dredge up would be welcome Eric !
I've been trying to find some footage of the '92 era Lechners, either at the Olympics or training. I might need to get more proactive with that. Let's see, 1992, that would have been Spain. That can't be too hard, do we have any D2 tragics in Spain that might want to chase the TV network archives department?
D2 Obsessives only, click below....
This is from 2 years ago - just a few weeks after I got my Lechner, shortly before my el cheapo action camera decided it would be happier at the bottom of Pittwater.
Following on from my ummms and ahhs about sails... the deed has been done. The 8.4 has a new home, the 6.6 also has gone, the new 7.4 has been ordered with some specific tweaks to fill my slightly unusual requirements. I'm sailing around with the ancient Mistral Bi-radial 6.0 in the meantime, it's fun. If that's all I ever had I'd still be happy.
