CHASING FREEDOM
Windsurf|Issue 395 - May 2020
Whilst daily life is changing by the minute, the kit for the latest test managed to arrive in time for the test team to get out on the water before the lockdown. On the menu this month is no-cam freeride contenders … and here is the test team’s findings.
Tris Best, Maurin Rottenwalter, Joe North & Dan Hallam
CHASING FREEDOM

FINDINGS

Whilst the ‘no-cam freerace’ sail category looks rather straightforward at first glance, the inter-pretation by each brand leads them down their own individual design pathways, resulting in some very different options on the market. It’s not a bad situation at all for you or I, the end consumer, but an important step is to unpick what’s available and make sure you get the sail (and performance) appropriate for your sailing ability and style. Freeride, performance freeride, freerace or no-cam slalom … call it what you will, the brief for all the sails is largely made up of the search for the same qualities: ease of use (both on land, whilst rigging, and on water), performance (straight-line and around corners) and range. The varying emphasis that each loft puts upon these qualities ultimately determines the sort of sail they end up with in their lineup. Some have focussed on ease of use, making their product super user-friendly, requiring minimal technical input in fine-tuning or on the water. Others have focussed on top end performance, designing their sail to feel fiercely competitive in a straight-line. Others have targeted the other end of the wind spectrum and charged their sail with the minerals to push bottom end grunt to get planing as early as possible. Finding a balance between all the qualities is a focus for some therefore, aiming to give their sail top honours in the ‘all-rounder’ category.

Denne historien er fra Issue 395 - May 2020-utgaven av Windsurf.

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Denne historien er fra Issue 395 - May 2020-utgaven av Windsurf.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

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Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
Windsurf

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After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Windsurf

MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT

This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
Windsurf

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Nik tweaking it over home waters.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
A NEW NORMAL
Windsurf

A NEW NORMAL

On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Windsurf

TACKING – THE SEQUEL

Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.

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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Issue 396 - August 2020
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Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!

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Issue 396 - August 2020