Hi everyone so I am new here, though over the years I have popped in to view posts. I live all the way over the other side of the world in Bermuda and more recently had a renewed interest in windsurfing again. I was into the slalom side of things back in 1995 - 97. I have mostly new gear now, Isonic 80 - 90 with 5.4, 6.2, 7.2 8.4 RS racing and slalom sails and just ordered a new 7.8 RSS.
So the other day I decided to bring out from the basement one of my old slalom boards which was a wickedly fast board. It was build by Fiberworx in Aruba probably in 1994 and was silly light being a honeycomb carbon board. As racing in Aruba is very flat with off shore winds the rocker is very little. I had a blast on it until 6 - 7 years ago when I speared it going banzai in open water deep off the wind and catapulted ripping the track and splitting the nose.
So I measured the width and tail 30cm from end and it's very speed board like I imagine! It's 49cm at mid point and 30cm at tail. Volume wise must be low 70's. So I am thinking to repair it and move the track back a bit, but wondered does she look like a speed board?
I can't spend dosh on a new speed board like an Isonic speed, but figure there might be life in the old girl yet! I'm thinking paired with the 5.4 RSR it should be lots of fun!
Hey Scottydog - Welcome back to the fold! Things have really changed for the better now. GPS, better gear, more speed sailors - yes more! Hard to believe i know.
Anyway if you are up for a lot of work it may be worth saving the old beast.
My advice would be to move the mast track back 5-10cm. Best check against a modern board but don't go to far back because the rocker on those old slaloms is flatter than today's boards.
Second I'd take about 10cm off the nose and round it off a bit. Don't alter then outline other than to fair the rounded nose in.
Third, I'd give the base a good re-fairing by taking the paint right off and using filler and steel straight edges to iron our irregularities. Find a good quality marine grade high gloss epoxy paint and buff the hell out of it once done.
Last, check all the footstrap plugs, fin box and air vent for soundness and then you should be good to go.
BTW, some new footstraps and deck grip are always a good improvement.
Happy renovations!
Is that an old Caveman? it looks very similar to the old 275 caveman slalom board I have out in the shed and I recall Andrew was messing around with nomex construction for a while.
Yep, I think you're on the money, it could be a lot of fun. The only thing that could be a problem with a board of that vintage is the rails.
Some of them had no tuck at all, if you loose fin traction deep off the wind, it only takes a little bit of chop to trip the board over, with the result you've already experienced. The thicker tail on these vintage boards didn't help either, makes them very easy to flip.
Some guys rejuvenating these boards, lower the jump pads, and round the rails, to make them less prone to tripping. But that's a lot more work.
OK here's the start of one such operation.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Gps/Loreena-is-Dead/?SearchTerms=lorena,bobbit
somewhere , I'm sure there's also pics of the lowered pad area.
Cheers guys, I like the positive vibe!
Was worried everyone was going to shoot down the idea as being a stupid one!
So year I was thinking to move the track back and round off the nose as Bonominator mentioned. I just looked at the rails and they are not tucked once you hit the last 1 1/2 foot point. I have to say I have found the Isonic 90 amazing, gybes like a bump and jump board and even if I spin out in a gybe can usually save it without much effort!
The Aruba boards built by Geert Van Den Berg were know for being missiles! There are still a few in bushes here and there. This board was apparently 9 pounds originally, but the bottom was redone a year or so later in 1994 - 95 without the honeycomb. The owner a late friend of mine said as a fill in he used his wives Tiga 260 while this board was being repaired. The water at Eagle beach was so choppy he was blasting by all the $1800 custom boards and he was shouting back at them and pointing to his plastic board!
This is the firm now, they don't make boards these days. www.arubasurfshop.com/about-us/
So because all my windsurf mentors were slalom racers with big budgets, all my beginner boards were full on custom racing thoroughbreds! The mid 90's were a great time I thought, I still have a pair of VX LTD and VX3 sails.
But anyway this should be fun! Not sure I'd go as deep as the revamped Sputnik, that looks like a full on job! I just need to source some 1/8" high density foam and a new mast track. I have 50 yards of carbon and equipment to do the vacuum bagging.
The GPS thing is making it interesting again for me. I am basically the only slalom sailor left here, everyone else wave sails, cruises or kites! At least with the GPS I can see how I compare to elsewhere and improve on setup etc. I have the gear for the most part. I went out with a go pro 2 weeks ago a bit under powered but still was good for 28kts which still seems miles off the speeds I see on the forum!
But we do have some flat water spots so be fun to head out an see what can be done!
Done a few myself. You learn a lot. And most of those old slalom boards go like scalded cats when you get rid of the Turkish slipper noses and line them up for a slingshot over flat water.
( PS avatar is first attempt 2005(?) Styrotech 270 cut to 240 .. 40+ in 2007 when I think only Chris and Dan had gone faster in WA .)
Yep the rails would be harder all along in general. I wouldn't tamper with the rails much as this creates a hell of a lot of work to ensure you maintain the strength of the board.
So back in the early nineties when I started my first board was a donated dusty faded Diamond Head. The rails were almost completely super rounded. My Peter Hart boom showed hard rails for upwind and speed so out cam the epoxy / filler and some aluminium tape and I added on some sharp rails up to the first 2 feet off the tail. Also fitted a new mast tracknset back 4 more inches which when i look at now should have been a foot! Lol
Pulled out the old race sails from back in the day. Still in amazing shape as I lost interest in windsurfing around 1998 for a fair period of time. The size of the luff sleeve on the newer sail is amazing as compared to the VX series!
We had a blow last Saturday and so thought I'd have some fun. Came up way more than expected so at first was well overpowered and not really enjoying myself on the 6.2 and Isonic 90. So went in had some lunch then rigged up the 5.4 and my brand new Isonic 80. Tell you what a blast! I practically went out, moved my harness lines then blasted off in our choppy waters and got a great speed for myself. I'm still quite rusty for the moment so just getting some fitness back.
Anyway I made a video of the session, first with the grey Isonic 90, then later with the Isonic 80. Going to make 35knots my near future goal and see where it goes from there. Got a hair under 32knots for the peak that day which is the last starboard tack bit in the video.
Cheers Martin!
That was my first attempt at a video, just figuring out need to get others in the shots and use physical objects in the water to gybe around etc to keep in interesting! I was so impressed by the acceleration when the gusts would come later on with the 5.4! Was like a turbo button!
The next day was totally the opposite with 9 - 14 knots and I went out on my NP 10m and SB Free Formula to spar with my mates on moths and catch the America's cup guys! I got some footage with the moths and in the just planning light stuff with the sail at a low downhaul setting was 1-2 knots slower on the beam reach. (early in vid)
When the wind was up to 13 - 14 knots I could ratchet 4-5 more clicks on the north xtr and match if not make a little on them (later in vid). At that point could swap to the slalom board and 8.4m and get some more reaching speed. I'm going to make an adjustable on the fly downhaul for the big rig as in that light stuff with variable windspeeds is a must!
Hope to get out more with the moth guys and shadow the Nacra 20's Ben Anslie and others are training on!