This year's Wally (Windsurfer One Design) nationals are looking pretty damn good. So far, it looks like about 60 sailors have indicated to the class that they are coming. They're coming from Fiji (the legendary Scotty O'Connor), they're coming from WA (Muzza from Esperance). They're coming from the last Olympics (Jessica Crisp and Yngling/Laser sailor-turned-One Design fanatic Krystal Weir) and from the beginner's squads in Sydney.

Word is we could have sailors from Tassy and Olympians from the UK and Norway to join those who are already booked in from Queensland, the ACT, Victoria and WA. It looks like we could have 6 Olympians and a whole bunch of world champs, but the main angle is just about having fun.

The regatta will be held at Port Stephens over January 23 to 26. There are classes for under 13s, under 15s all the way up to over 55s, and a Silver Fleet for the less experienced sailors. If we get enough entries there'll be a sub-class for the original "Classic" Windsurfers with daggerboards and pinhead sails.

The Wally is going great guns in Sydney, with training or racing each day of the week. All up we're getting up to 50+ sailors out over a typical week, and they include lots of new kids. Other One Designs can be found at Parkdale (Melbourne), Wollongong (juniors); Hobart; and Yarrawonga (Juniors).

So if anyone's looking for simple, cheap, no hassle fun with great racing for all ages and standards, get back on your Wally- and bring your kids!

For more info on the nationals grab a brochure at [html]
http://www.lbws.com.au/images/stories/festival/onedesignNationals.pdf
[/html]

There's also cut-price rates at the rather nice Salamander Shores hotel just behind the club.


PS - Wallies can't jump (well), but they can still move. The pic was taken at the finish line as Jess Crisp chased national slalom champ Mike Nelson at the last NSW Interclub. Jess caught Mike, but wiped out in a gust 4 feet from the line and ended up finishing 15 seconds later - not bad for an event sailed in 25 knots plus! Overall, in the mixed fleet of Wallies, Raceboards and Slalom boards it looks like Wallies finished 2nd and 3rd on a day when winds gusted 40+. Pic Bud Townsing.



And a gentle carve when it was lighter. Pic Pat Coleman

Sounds like alot of fun WOD, Cant get the link to work though.

Nev, sorry, a link that works should be up soon.

Pierre, it's like your tacks on the rail....easy when you know how!

Thanks Snides!

haha didnt know anyone still raced them....I sail one all the time, they are great

is it like formula racing where you drink coffee all day and look at chicks and talk about dick lengths

no dont own bike shorts seen it thou at formula events

windsufering said...

is it like formula racing where you drink coffee all day

Na, we don't sit around talking until we've sailed all day, and then we don't drink coffee!

and look at chicks

the chicks are racing, and often winning!

and talk about dick lengths

Well, the guys don't. I dunno what the women talk about in the showers, but probably not that!

Besides, there'll be a dozen or more Youth and Junior sailors at the nationals, so we have to keep it clean.

I like sitting around drinking coffee with my mates, with a few races thrown in when the conditions are nice....

Maybe i should aim to spend more time at work, or am i missing the point?

The One Designs race in almost all conditions.

The Formula guys wait for the conditions they like, so they can go really fast (and man are they quick) and they drink coffee with their mates while the wind gets up.

Two great, but different, ways to have fun!

Nice one windsuffering,

It is genius the way you use repetition to emphasise your hypothesis. You should write a book, or at least a mildly humorous sitcom.

As Roosevelt said "Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth".

Try joining a racing fleet sometime, the coffee is outstanding.

JB

Is this guy a troll or for real ???

G'day WOD
Any news of the online entry form yet or a notice of race?
Do I have to be a member of sailing club or class association?
I dont live near any onedesign fleets but have a heap of wally bits in the shead (swing centreboard model)and would like to know whats class legal or not these days, so I could come down and have some fun with you guys at Nelsons Bay, how does the silver fleet work and what are the weight divisions.
Sorry about all the questions, but you have got me keen to have some fun on the old wally again
keep up the good work of spreading the wally stoke

thanks nev

nev said...

G'day WOD
Any news of the online entry form yet or a notice of race?
Do I have to be a member of sailing club or class association?
I dont live near any onedesign fleets but have a heap of wally bits in the shead (swing centreboard model)and would like to know whats class legal or not these days, so I could come down and have some fun with you guys at Nelsons Bay, how does the silver fleet work and what are the weight divisions.
Sorry about all the questions, but you have got me keen to have some fun on the old wally again
keep up the good work of spreading the wally stoke

thanks nev

Hi Nev, and thanks.

It would be great to have you on board. We're up to about 47 definites, plus a bunch of maybes, and they're still coming in.

The NoR should be up here on Seabreeze soon -it's entered in the "Events" section but is still waiting for approval. PM me and I'll shoot you a copy. The entry form can be emailed out to people - again, PM me.

You do have to be a member of a club or class for insurance purposes, but you can get a single-event membership of the One Design association for $20 or full membership for $40. That will give you AWA insurance for the year.

The standard board is the mylar sail (one full batten) retracting centreboard model, but we encourage anyone to turn up on a daggerboard-and-dacron "Classic"; we'd love to get enough of them for a class. The Classics go really well in the light stuff.

The Silver Fleet is for sailors who are less experienced or have not done a regatta for years. Basically, it's for those who haven't finished in the top 75% of a recent nationals or states. You can opt in or out, subject to organiser's approval. The Silver Fleet starts with the main fleet, but the Silver Fleet race ends at the end of the first triangle and that's where the Silver Fleet is scored. The Silver Fleeters can choose to go to finish the whole race if they want, but if they are lagging behind we won't wait for them to finish before going into the next race.

The weight divisions will be Lightweights (under 75kg); Mediums (75-85kg) and Heavies (85kg+).

Hope to see you there!

Chris

Bump.

Wind's looking excellent for the Oz Day weekend at Port Stephens. Apparently it's been blowing a good NE almost every afternoon for weeks.

Beg, borrow or hire a Wally and get up there (or get down to the 'Gong for the Raceboard champs).

windsufering said...

you guys are going to race for four days in any condition i can see why this is the biggest one design windsurf class ? how fantastic on one board one sail one mast one boom one fin all for the cost of a set of formula fins ?
i guess no time for coffee just race race race race all for 160 bucks i am comming where do i buy a board from ,no i dont need one i got one thats 13 years old same designs and weight as the others 13 years old and its fast .

You can enter the freestyle comp on it too, also in any winds.

Adam;

New boards are $1690, complete (ie fully rigged; just add harness lines and race). This year's production run sold out, new boards are on their way.

Second hand, the problem is finding one and getting it away from the current owner.

The current national champ board was built about '85 and cost about $400, fully rigged but with tie-on booms and a sail that didn't have much life in it. It used a second-hand sail that cost about $150 and spends its life rolled up, only ever coming out to play (very carefully) at titles. New sails are $460 and last for about 4 seasons of regular use before they start to go off a bit. Barracouta 4.5m sails for the kids are about $280.

Board have gone for $100-$200 or less with a dead sail and tie on booms, but prices are rising now that the class numbers are climbing again.


Windsuferer; we don't give those who just like high-wind sailing a hard time*. The FW, wave, speed, BAF and Slalom guys are good sailors doing what turns them on.if that's what they like, best of luck to them 'cause the boards and sailing that they enjoy are great, too. Hell, most of us like a good zap around on a shortboard as well!

*unless they're like the whackers on some other forums who attack longboards!