sailquik said..
Windsurfer One Design.
Compared to the TC's, Waylars, Windrush and especially the F2's I had at the time, (all 'funboards') it was an absolute DOG to sail. When I got it, I was highly motivated to sail it and race it in the local fleet, but that lasted less than a couple of months and I sold it with no regrets as soon as I could.

I would have to agree Daffy. I've owned / own 13 boards.
- Windsurfer OD
- Wind Action custom tri-fin
- Bic Be Bop
- Caveman custom tri-fin
- Mistral Superlight 11
- Futura 111
- Mistral 137
- Mistral 112
- Mistral 95
- Mistral 47
- F-race 100
- Isonic 87
- Kode 103
The OD is / was my least favourite

Probably my first attempt at making one. It was only ever meant to be a transition board from the original windsurfer one design that we learnt on, to a smallish wave board. So I didn't spend a lot of money on it. Joined 3 broken surfboard blanks together, and called it the jigsaw. Wasn't very thick, so I left the rails square to keep as much flotation as possible. It had lots of nose and tail rocker, but flat through the middle. I could actually ride waves on it, but the flat deck and bottom was bad for the ankles. It served it's purpose though got me from the one design to a small wave board.

The best experience I had on that board was the first sail.
We'd been learning at Lucky Bay on the one design. I'd be going as fast as I could, and could hear this rat a tat a tat coming up behind, then somebody on a short board would scream past me.
So first go on jigsaw I managed to get it on the plane, and started to speed up. Then came that dreaded sound, rat a tat a tat. Looked behind, --- NO BODY THERE!!!!! Then the realisation, It's me It's me, I'm going rat a tat a tat. All the deficiencies of that board never cancel out that first feeling.

It really saddens me to say this but of the all the dud boards mentioned so far I have owned (and still own) a Mistral Ecstasy, Bic Presto, Bombora South Pacific, Tiga Power Jibe & Windsurfer One Design. Live and learn. Thank goodness Mistral produced the Diamond Head, Screamer Mark 2 & the Mistral Classics otherwise I'd be jumping off a bridge lol!

Worst for me was the very early Windsurfer with pull out centre board, triangular dacron sail and long, narrow boom that was always working itself loose after a while. It was a heavy bugger which I once dropped onto my left foot when removing from the roof racks and I reckon my foot still hurts today when it's cold weather. Weighed the board some time after this and it was 25 kg. It sure hurt.

Not a fast board by any means but at least you all had the same issues when racing/sailing one of these. They improved with successive models and were always a bit of fun when sailing if on the same or similar board. Even took it to Narrabeen Beach and Palm Beach and took it out in the waves, if they were not too big. Realised pretty quickly that you really needed specific boards for that.

Moved to short boards after a few years and enjoyed the likes of Ten Cate Leapers, 8' custom wave boards, Mistrals and nowadays JP, Carbon Art, and Fanatic brands. The advance in design and performance over my 33+ years in the sport has been amazingly good and keeps me interested in doing it.

You don't always have great days out there but it should always be fun, if not you're in the wrong sport.

olskool said..
Windsurfer Transformer. This hot pink tri fin slippery as ice rounded rail rotomoulded flexy slug of a board. Think that was '85-'86. Well it lasted about 3months for me. Then straight onto a Cornish Wave/Slalom custom. Wow what a performance upgrade! Still have the Cornish , hangin around.

Hey Olskool, Please post a photo of the Warren Cornish board. Thanks.

RichardG, heres my custom Cornish Wave /Slalom. Circa '86. Still in great condition. Just a lil small for my 105kg these days....
Also have the HT Slalom Canard fin. It had a high pitch hum/vibe at about 23kts. Didnt need a gps in those days to know when you were fangin.

gollyone said..
It really saddens me to say this but of the all the dud boards mentioned so far I have owned (and still own) a Mistral Ecstasy, Bic Presto, Bombora South Pacific, Tiga Power Jibe & Windsurfer One Design. Live and learn. Thank goodness Mistral produced the Diamond Head, Screamer Mark 2 & the Mistral Classics otherwise I'd be jumping off a bridge lol!

No way you should be saddened! That sounds like an amazing and historic collection. The Power Jibe might have been the least fave board I owned ( better than many I have sailed, just not owned, mind you) but I'd love to take one out for a session again. Same with a South Pac, Big Toy, Ecstasy and I've never sailed a Take Off which I would have loved to try. Plus a One Design is where it all began for me so that can never be bad in my mind. If I could have kept every board I've ever owned it'd be a very large and somewhat beaten up pile, but I'd want to take them all down to the beach still.

Never had a bad board every board has it weaknesses you need to tune it or find the right sail setup for the conditions as time goes on newer boards make the older ones bad but that is development
when design new boards you have to understand where to improve and what for.
ps. No such thing as a bad board (workmanship aside) just picked the wrong one for your style.
Carbon art customs
Order one .
They are the best boards

LeeD said..
Always fun to force a board that doesn't fit your style to somewhat perform.
But I guess every board has a niche' somewhere, for someone, in some conditions.
Loved my 84 liter Naish Supercross, one of the easiest jibing fast boards I've owned.
Still ride it's predesesor, the Freeride 8'6" from around 2000. Nothing touches it"s balance of pure speed, ease of jibe, smoothness in bigger chop, and lightweight jump ability.

Ha Ha and the Supercross was my worst. My BIC Alegero was a much better board to jibe and jump. Just got old and fell apart. Just goes how different and difficult it must be to build boards for the masses. Custom all the way for me since I found CarbonArt

oscardog said..Unable to find any pictures of the old Bomboras on the internet, if you have one, please post.

All great the Bomboras. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Bombora-Brochure-1987?page=2 Sailquik please also post the 1988 Bombora brochure as you promised some time ago. Come on !

I have plenty of old magazines, don't encourage me!

Still have 122 Hypersonic in Puerto R for foiling. Slow and sluggish for ws.
Rode Naish 85 FR yesterday. Planed early, went fast, jibed great, jumped high.

LeeD said..
Always fun to force a board that doesn't fit your style to somewhat perform.
But I guess every board has a niche' somewhere, for someone, in some conditions.
Loved my 84 liter Naish Supercross, one of the easiest jibing fast boards I've owned.
Still ride it's predesesor, the Freeride 8'6" from around 2000. Nothing touches it"s balance of pure speed, ease of jibe, smoothness in bigger chop, and lightweight jump ability.

Oh lee, it's supposed to be the board you hated

What part of "go fast, jump high, turn well" does the Evo fullfill?

LeeD said..
What part of "go fast, jump high, turn well" does the Evo fullfill?

All of the above.
Can you please show us one of your designs that have all of these characteristics ?