Hi all, first post.

I have an old sail board/windsurfer that I have taken out for the first time in about 15 years to clean up and take photos.

I cannot find anything resembling it anywhere on the Internet. I have the brand, model, manual and even an address but to no avail. Closest I got was the address that lead me to a building that is heritage listed in England. Thats it!

I just would like some history on it and was hoping someone could help out. I have also tried contacting surfresearch.com.au but had no reply. I assume Geoff no longer maintains the site.

Looking forward to some response.

TRIYME

Same here. Pics please

Ok got heaps of photos. I'll just need to figure out how to post pics up. I'm not cluey with pic's so bear with me as I get them up. It's a Dark design Windspeed windsurfer made in England.

Wow never seen anything that even resembals that board that's from the Middle Ages.try GOOGLE prehistoric boards

I really like the logo and the sail is in excellent condition.

greenleader said...
that is a windspeed board designed in england and sold in australia by an eccentric pommy nutter in the early eighties for a short time.
they were as well recieved as a leyland p76 and were as much of a status symbol as owning a lada 4wd.
so probably cool retro these days..............nah!

p.s. they went as good as they looked.

Isn't that^^^^^ enough info?

Thanks to those who replied in response to my question. I find it interesting that someone knows something about this and would like to delve deeper, no harm in asking for more info.

At the end of the day do I dump this sailboard at the tip without questions or do I give it some respect it may need. That's why I'm curious about this design that I cannot find any shred of info.

I believe some members might appreciate the fact someone has gone out of his way to research and share with the windsurfing community this unique board design.

TRIYME

neilpete said...

Never seen the board before, never heard of the brand either.
Nevertheless it did seem to have some brothers and sisters according to an old brochure.
(you have to scroll down a bit at the following page, then you will see windspeed sailboards 1986)

hitthewave.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/windsurfing-brochures-ads-80s-90s/

Looking at the brochure.....
...The board you are having is likely before 1986.



No serial number ?
This might be a copy made in china.
(I just made that up)

Love your profile pic!

Definitely not a Windsurfer (brand), I have seen the W logo long time ago, but not a clue about this one.
Wow, what a fugly. At least the sail looks almost new ??

Greenleader got the ID right. Actually in light to medium winds the boards were, from what I saw of them, quite quick - not as fast as a Div 2 board but faster than a normal Windsurfer/Dufour/early Raceboard etc.

In light winds (ie too light to plane) that board will easily beat any modern widestyle board or short board; just about every longboard will beat just about every shortboard under 8-10 knots of wind (apart from FW boards with full size rigs, which start charging from 6-8 if the wind is consistent).

To be honest, they're not really a collectable - at the moment there seem to be almost no "collectable" windsurfers. Hollow-leached pinhead sails like the one you show are pretty horrible to handle.

Where are you located? There are active longboard groups in Brisbane, Parkdale (Port Phillip), Lake Mac, Middle Harbour, Narrabeen and Iron Cove in Sydney, Wollongong and now in Canberra. They may be able to help you with the board.

FormulaNova said...

TRIYME said...


At the end of the day do I dump this sailboard at the tip without questions or do I give it some respect it may need. That's why I'm curious about this design that I cannot find any shred of info.

In my opinion, it is an old style windsurfer. There were heaps of different copies, with all sorts of different approaches. A lot of old, heavy, slow boards out there designed for sails that are very different to the sails you use nowadays.

There are still racing classes that use these 'type' of boards, but they use only the exact same 'Windsurfer' brand board (well at least that's what I think).

The sport of windsurfing is very different now in feel, as the newer equipment is so different.

Do you take it to the tip or not? Well, if you want to keep an example of a board from those days, and remember something special to you, then sure, why not. If on the other hand, you think it might be worth something, its very unlikely. People all over the place throw these things out.

If you want to learn, then I think you are much better off on much newer equipment unless you have no money. The newer equipment is much lighter, stable, faster.

If you want to sell it to someone, do them a favor and don't sell it to a beginner. They will thank you in the long run as the newer boards are so much easier.

Does that help? If it is any help, a lot of people have bought similar boards, and found out that they were not that good for learning. I myself bought one and never used it as I found out the modern boards were so much different - lighter, better, easier.

Thanks FormulaNova, it does help.

Chris 249

I'm in Victoria and board is on the Mornington Penuisula.

WindmanV

Might just join them, thanks.

The logo is similar the one on my WindSpeed Pro-Am epoxy race board that I bought new in the 80s. The mast base clip is the same design too. I bought it from a board shop somewhere in Sydney, can't remember the suburb or name of the shop. It was a great board and I still have it but now I sail Formula.

interesting


yes have a look at my avatar..that cat windsurfer is a Sun Twin by Windspeed

i bought a board to get the mast base/uni setup which was missing from the cat [actually just rereading this I notice that board is in the background]..this board is a latter design than yours much more modern in design..yours being early shape.

It is a tri fin and has the same heavily moulded non slip deck as the cat...hence I could identify it as same manufacturer as the cat [used the same mould or technique, much more boatlike in non slip moulding. ]

.obviously the fittings you show could have been "lent out" to other manufacturers...so i wouldnt have taken that as the deciding link for my two toys. But by the looks of it yours did have these fittings "lent out" as My Cat is branded Windspeed like its fittings where yours is not?.

Yours as far as i know is not anything valuable but "collectable" is in the eye of the beholder...obviously you have posted here because you have an inkling its collectable...there is nothing to stop you starting your collection here. And I hope you do.

i doubt anyone will want it...but that doesnt make it any less desirable to yourself...stop hitting yourself in the head and love it as you found it. Collecting should not be fashionable.

Keep it and plan for an interesting sail...if you decide to scrap it I'd be interested in the fittings...but I'd say just keep it.

Thanks for your input rustbucket. Had a look at your photos and wow what a board. It's pretty cool to see another windspeed brand.

Yeah I definitely will take the board out again and no doubt we'll enjoy the experience again. The grip on the boom is sticky and falling off so it needs to be replaced.

Any suggestions on removing it and what to replace it with?

Cheers

TRIYME

TRIYME said...

TRIYME said...
Thanks for your input rustbucket. Had a look at your photos and wow what a board. It's pretty cool to see another windspeed brand.

haa..I didnt realise I had other photos up other than the avatar..I must have done a question and answer like you about my windspeed ages ago.

mate if you have space to keep it...do so and have a sail...just cruize...I am a cruiser ....exploring lakes is what I like now...so just take her out on a nice lake or flat bay [vic arent you?] avoid any small waves on first sail.

make sure the rubber uni is in good nick, replace your ropes if they look old, check the sail for stiching corroded, check board for damage...

mast for damage and sun weathered surface...if you have that you will itch for days...hee hee

if all looks good there is nothing wrong with a leisuerly sail [sail with an onshore breeze if you are rusty with sailing just in case]...when used to it,carry one of your kids on the back [only when sailing in knee high water]..I often took passengers on my longboard...but only when it was shallow.

tips...

that fin looks like nothing I have seen and I have had lots of vintage gear....dont loose it.

the lower mounting for the mast is particular to that windspeed insert...hard to find...so is the metal retaining ring. [i bought a whole board to get one]

the hourglass rubber uni can be replaced with a "boge" or similar brand...mine already had a brandnew "boge" fitted when I bought the second board just for the uni. even if you dice this board the purchase of a "boge" uni wont be waisted as you can use it on nearly any sailboard..

the boge and upper mast cup can be replaced with any modern setup..if i remember rightly the cup is the early diameter which means early "windsurfer" size mast..to fit a later standard diameter mast you only need a cup sleeve...Tyronsea use to make these but they will soon run out as they are not making new replacements..you could sleeve it with a wrap of plastic or tape it to run a later mast.

when checking that uni ..please bend it back on itself at least 90 degrees or more if you can [if you cant it has gone hard and will break on first sail]...when bent any cracks will be noticable...if any crack is present replace with a new "boge" hourglass style uni for only about $35 depending on if you need to buy the better threaded ends with hex key as they are easier to install or around $25 - $30 with standard pins.

the photo almost looks like a rope and uni setup..ie a rope going thru the hourglass uni [because i can see the uni isnt actually matting to the base as if it was bolted..there is a large gap?...this is another style..is it like that,


if you are an experienced sailer please excuse my above advice.

edit: the board photo of the name shows millions of tiny cracks..is that in the plastic...not good./..or is the board painted and that is cracking..no prob.

also in the upright position the nose looks to be heavily cracked but lying down i cant see those cracks...are they just tree shadows...if its that badly cracked its bad, though I'm guessing this is fibreglass like mine so could be repaired but not really worth going that far for any major damage...small damage such as punctures, scrapes, just use a selleys aqua epoxy stick to keep her water tight..

the mast base and cup looks like new so thats great, the sail even looks very good so hope you lucked out there

but do you have a centreboard...I cant remember seeing a centreboard cassette/casing that long before..is it an optical illusion...hoping you have it as the beauty of a longboard for cruizing is having a centreboard..it helps when you teach friends or have kids.

if you are missing one..you'll have trouble locating a correct one...people have made there own for other boards and indeed wally centreboards are made from wood. but is it worth the effort..still you dont need it if you are experienced in sailing. It is sometimes possible to substitute other brand centreboard with a "bit of a cheeky shove"

Do not go to a lot of trouble repairing her.

Sail it and take a photo to show us. People are always posting photos of retro boards found in the shed but never show us them being used. Let it live again!

Someone should organise a vintage board meet.