CATEGORIES

MANIC MONDAY

Thomas Traversa, northwest winds with a monster swell and the famed French big wave spot of Île aux Vaches; put these four elements together and you know there will be a windsurf session worth documenting. John Carter, Timo Mullen and Thomas Traversa tell the tale of a manic Monday in December.

EMERALD PARADISE

The Emerald Sea is a pristine lagoon at the entry of Diego Suarez Bay (the second largest bay in the world after Rio de Janeiro) at the northernmost tip of Madagascar. The origins of its name are obvious with its paradisiacal water colours, but what about its windsurfing? From waves to flat water, Bastien Ramery fills us in on its attractions as he makes a trip there in the company of Jules Denel and renowned photographer, Jérôme Houyvet.

DECADE WAVES

On the eve of a new decade, a XXL swell marched into Maui’s north shore to give 2 days of extreme windsurfing at Pe’ahi over the 30-31 December 2019 and a memorable end to the year for a lucky few. Robby Naish dusted off his big wave guns and showed he knows this wave like few others, Sarah Hauser caught what people are calling the biggest wave ever windsurfed by a woman and Marcilio Browne banged out a crazy top to bottom aerial that is being hailed as one of the best windsurfing rides at Jaws ever. Read on as the talented trio tell us more about their sessions.

MOVE ON UP AERIAL TIME

This month we look at the frontside aerial as a way to boost your wave riding and your ability to work with the wave. I will outline its place in wave sailing and give you tips to learn and improve this move but some great advice is to just try some. As they say in Punta San Carlos, Baja, ‘You just won’t know until you go!’ I have few regrets in my windsurfing journey and the right moves came to me at the right times, yet personally I really do wish I had worked on aerials at least a decade or more ago, I was too focussed on regular top to bottom riding. With this in mind I really push my wave rippers to attack aerials when the opportunity presents.

TECHNIQUE CONFUSED. COM?

Even for those with their fingers on the button, choosing the right kit doesn’t seem to get any easier as board categories mutate and multiply and new definitions drop into the lexicon. Focussing on the ever-expanding freeride category, Peter Hart, with erudite comments from Windsurf magazine’s chief tester, Tris Best, sheds some much-needed light. By the way … it’s all good!.

FABIEN SHAPES

Fabien Vollenweider is one of windsurfing’s most respected shapers. As the man behind Tabou’s board designs he is known for his high-performance shapes, but did you know he designed the BIC Techno and has been shaping since he was 14 years old. Fabien gives us a revealing insight into his work.

SURVIVE AND RIDE

The 2019 Aloha Classic will go down in history as one of the most extreme float and ride if not survive and ride contests in PWA history. With world titles on the line and plenty of gear destroyed on Ho’okipa’s infamous rocks, the sailors did not hold back. We take a sideways look at the event as Graham Ezzy sets the scene with his take on the proceedings, while JC talks to some of the men and women who ventured into the swell to find out what equipment, technique and tactics they used to navigate a treacherous lineup.

SPEEDY RECOVERY

Karo Van Tonder suffered a serious shoulder injury at 2018’s Lüderitz Speed Challenge that required surgery. Far from setting her back however, she set her sights on entering the 2019 Lüderitz Speed Challenge! Karo tells us more about her accident and inspiring comeback journey.

The New Breed Of ‘Fast'

The desire to go fast and the ability for windsurfing to deliver the addictive exhilaration of doing so, will always be one of the sport’s best traits in the world of watersports. It’s what attracts most people to the sport in the first place - seeing people buzzing across the water, going faster than most other waterborne craft and seemingly having more fun than most too. And I’m sure many of you reading this can still account of the first time you experienced the sensation of planing, no matter how long ago that may have been!

Latest And Greatest

For all the latest and greatest in windsurfing head over to our facebook page and like it! facebook.com/windsurfmagazine

FIRST TEST HANSE 508

Hanses new 508 brings its contender in this critical size range right | up to date. We head out on the water to see if it cuts the mustard |

How To Sail In Big Waves

Toby Heppell finds out about the best rough weather tactics to keep you Sailing for speed, comfort, safety and enjoyment

Erik Aanderaa Viking Of The High Seas

Katy Stickland talks to Norwegian sailor Erik Aanderaa about why he searches out the worst weather the North Sea

‘The Sickening Sound Of Tearing Wood As We Were Hit By The Wave'

A freak wave wreaks havoc on Kass Schmitt and Rupert Holmes’ 36-ft Zest as they attempt to sail to Lanzarote

The Deadliest Place On Earth To Anchor?

Fust months after a volcanic eruption, Liz Cleere and partner Famie Furlong cruise to Indonesia's Krakatoa archipelago

Test the red button

Have you ever checked whether the red button works on your DSC VHF radio? Gilbert Park puts his own radio to the test

IDENTIFICATION GUIDE:Whales and dolphins of the UK

There’s nothing more exciting than a dolphin riding your bow-wave, or a whale breaching... but how can you identify the species? Sailor, photographer and wildlife surveyor Genevieve Leaper tells us more

Torpedo on the hook

Edi Keck snags a Soviet torpedo with the point of his anchor - and lives to tell the tale!

How to sell your boat

Rupert Holmes looks at common pitfalls when trying to sell a boat, how to avoid them and how to get a good price in a reasonable time

The ten days of February

Can you count on the weather in February?

Secret Malta and Gozo

Alan England on ways to escape the crowds in Malta and Gozo

A boat for life

Peter Poland examines the 27-30ft twin-keelers that have stood the test of time

Electric toilets

Thinking of upgrading your boat’s toilet from manual operation to electric? Jake Kavanagh investigates the options available

Why we're doing the ARC

Ali Wood meets four boat crews at different stages in their lives as they get ready to embark on a transatlantic voyage

Keep sailing simple

Discard the gadgets and become more like a classic sailor

REPLICAS PART 2 THE DETAILS

In the second of two articles, John Lammerts van Bueren continues the story of replicating some of the grandest yachts in history. So far, we’ve decided on a design and hull material

HOW WE SAVED EACH OTHER

A retired special ops man, a lifelong dream and a classic ketch that showed up at just the right time

ELECTRIC DAY LAUNCHES

They say the next big thing is here... that the revolution’s near. But to Landamores Boatyard, it seems quite clear... that it’s all just a little bit of history repeating

Dorade Yawl that launched S&S

You’d be forgiven for thinking yachts always looked this way, but they didn’t – first there was Dorade

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER