ISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEEDISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEEDLa Palme in the South of France recently hosted the latest speed sailing world championships, which saw the worlds fastest sailors going head-to-head in the battle for glory, while trying to tame the ferocious Tramontana winds. We hear from event champions, Vincent Valkenaers and Heidi Ulrich, as well as the UKs Scotty Stallman.Words: Peter Davis, Vincent Valkenaers, Heidi Ulrich & Scotty Stallman // Photos: Aurelien ToulanThe International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC) World Championships recently finished on the beautiful La Palme beach in Cte du Midi, South of France. The area is renowned for strong winds, known as the Tramontana, and this beach is perfectly set up for this direction with the wind blowing offshore at a long straight sandy beach. Its a speed sailing Nirvana.This famous beach of La Palme is the location of multiple official national and world records for the nautical mile, which it is best known for. It is the best natural high wind straight beach in the world and even rivals Lderitz in Namibia, which has a purpose built canal, for some 500m records. It regularly has winds in excess of 50 knots, so it really is the perfect place to stage the ISWC World Championships for the second consecutive year. And it didnt disappoint it was on fire from day one with speeds of over 45 knots being recorded over the 500m course. The conditions were brutal with a lot of chop on the course and it suited the very experienced racer and current world speed record holder Antoine Albeau who won last years event, so its safe to say he knows the spot well and he was the early leader after posting a 45.47 knot run.Day two still saw strong winds, but with smoother water it favoured the dedicated speed sailors who regularly train here. Vincent Valkenaers, who is a Belgian speed specialist took the overall lead from Albeau with two bullets. Meanwhile, in the womens fleet, Heidi Ulrich was having things all her own way and showed why she is the current womens world record holder as well as being the defending champion with wins on both days, but was there a chink in her armour? Jenna Gibson from the UK was attending her first international speed event and she finished in a close second place in every round. After each round your two fastest runs are averaged and Gibson had the fastest top speed out of all the girls with an impressive 39.59 knots, which it is worth noting that that is the fastest speed ever recorded by a woman during a ISWC World Championship. This was made all the more impressive given the strength in depth of the womens fleet. The final place on the podium was secured by another national record holder Melek Toraman who hails from Germany.Event organiser, Principe Baldini, who also organises all of the other Prince of Speed events, is a hard taskmaster and squeezed in as many rounds as physically possible. The Italian even managed a wind-foil round when the breeze dropped slightly. However, even so, the conditions were on the limit for the foils and it was a treacherous journey with only the brave and the talented managing to navigate their way down the 500m course. In the mens fleet reigning PWA Slalom world champion Matteo Iachino showed off his foil-slalom skills to clinch the victory, while Jenna Gibson was the only female to successfully complete the course to deservedly claim the victory in the womens foil fleet.According to the forecast, day three looked as though it would be the last day of strong Tramontana winds, so everyone was determined to make the most of it. Vincent Valkenaers was flying again, as was his training buddy, Hans Kreisel, as they claimed first and second respectively in both rounds while relegating overnight leader Albeau into third place. Heidi Ulrich was also not having it all her own way on day three with Jenna Gibson firmly getting her speed eye in, which saw the Brit claim two bullets on with some blistering runs to keep her in contention.After the conclusion of day three, the sailors were left praying to the wind gods for different scenarios depending where they sat in the rankings. Current event leaders, Valkenaers and Ulrich, were probably quite happy to sit on the beach to secure their respective victories, while the likes of Albeau and Gibson wouldve chomping at the bit for a late flurry of wind to give them one last shot at snatching the titles. A nervous few days of waiting ensued, but ultimately the winds remained light and onshore, so results remained as they were.VINCENT VALKENAURS MENS CHAMPIONI feel super happy to win the event. I never expected this to happen this year. The first day Antoine [Albeau] was sailing much faster than us, so it was hard to keep belief that anyone could catch him. However, after the second day I started to believe it was possible.CONDITIONS AND EQUIPMENTThe conditions were a bit tricky and it was hard to select the best moments for the runs, so Im happy that Principe Baldini was able to read the conditions so well, which gave us the best chance of laying down our best possible runs. Im 196cm tall and weigh 103kg, but I also used 4kg extra of lead. I was on my JP 45 Speed and my custom speed NeilPryde Evo 15 5.7m most of the time. The sail was working super good for me paired with my new Chopper Fins 21.PUTTING BELGIUM ON THE SPEED SAILING MAPThis is something Im really proud of, we have a few super good freestylers, and for a few years now Ive already made my mark in the world of speed sailing. I came extremely close to setting the world speed record over 500m and achieved the fastest top speed ever at 56 knots, which is amazing. This keeps me motivated to keep going to become the fastest in the world and who knows maybe to be the first person ever to reach 54 knots over 500m.ON THE SPOTLa Palme is a spot that I am familiar with and that I like a lot. I come here to train frequently as you know know when you come here that you are almost guaranteed some good conditions, which makes it ones of the best places in the world to train.FEAR FACTORYou get used to sailing so close to the beach, but when you dont know where the sand banks are its really intimidating. However, when you check the area and find the confidence to go for it, its amazing and you can take a lot of risk to push to even higher speeds.SPEED SAILING ADDICTIONI am addicted to speed sailing because you can constantly compete with yourself to go faster every time you are on the water. The ongoing search for places which offer better wind and then the adrenaline you get when you go that fast is just amazing. You can only focus on the task at hand, and that for me is what makes speed sailing so special as you have to forget about everything else and be completely in the moment.TRAININGI sometimes train with a personal trainer to improve my core stability and muscle power, and in the winter, I also play volleyball, which keeps me fit and busy. I also have a really physical job, which helps to keep me moving .TIPS FOR ASPIRING AMATEURSBuy a GPS and look for some flatwater spots, so that you can push yourself to go faster. Also checking that you have your gear setup correctly with your friends or other sailors as trim can help you a lot. Then sail as much as you possibly can.GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?My biggest goal now is to be the fastest ever and to be the first person to go over 54 knots (100km/h) over 500m and to win more events like this.I would like to thank Baldini for organising an amazing event like this and I hope he can continue doing this and make it even bigger. I would also like to thank my sponsors who make all of this possible JP Australia, NeilPryde, Alera Food, AGRITYRE, Chopper Fins, Valkenaers Interieurbouw.WOMENS CHAMPION HEIDI ULRICHIm very happy to have successfully defended my world championship title, especially as the competition was super hard this year with British racer Jenna Gibson, who has won multiple races on the PWA World Tour, and the German World Cup competitor, Melek Toraman both competing. It was windy on the first three days of the competition and we had three intense days of racing with winds of 35-45 knots and I was able to win the first three heats.RACING CONDITIONSOn the third day, things didnt go quite as planned and I had to settle for two second places as Jenna Gibson set the fastest overall run over 500m at 39.59 knots (73.3km/h), while I only registered 38.69 knots (71.6 km/h). My maximum speed for the competition was 43.40 knots, which equals 80.30kmh.However, these speeds are not decisive for the world championships because only the races that you win are counted.Overall, I am very happy with the five heats and the whole competition. There were super exciting battles, especially between Jenna and I. I loved racing with her! Shes super talented, passionate and really races with heart on her sleeve, which is just lovely!We always started together as a full fleet with all the women together with the 40 men, so you had to be very careful not to get lost among all the men. But that was also great fun.LUCK OF THE DRAW & PROGRESSIONThe wind was extremely gusty and it shifted in all directions, so it was therefore a bit of a lottery to catch the right gust and also to be riding the right equipment. So, Im all the happier that I managed to defend my title. The closeness of the races has now spurred me on to work even harder on my windsurfing technique to get even better.NEXT GENERATIONThe event is also very keen to promote the youth fleet as they are the future of the sport, so we also crowned a youth world champion. It was a very strong fleet from all over Europe and from day one it was dominated by another Belgian, Cyril Everard, who set a fastest run of 43.09 knots rivalling some of the best in the world. He was chased hard by Luca Pierboni from France, who took one round off Everard to deny him a perfect score, while Brendan Lorho, who is also from France, claimed third. The womans youth fleet was won by Luisa Kolmer from Germany with a very respectable 32.3 knots. These guys and girls are going to make a big impact on the main fleet very soon!The Brits were there in force this year and doing very well. Jenna, as we have already mentioned, was having a blinder with a second place in the female fleet and first in the foil, while Scotty Stallman showed why he is the UKs top speed sailor with a fifth place overall setting a fastest run of 43.6 knots and he completed the podium in the wind-foil fleet. Jim Crossley was not far behind in 11th and Simon Pettifer and Michael George finished 16th and 21st overall, respectively.SCOTTY STALLMAN CHANGESI really wanted to improve on my result from last year and I think there were a lot of things I have changed since then from kit to mindset. We developed our sails over the winter to help with top speed and acceleration, but this is nothing in comparison to mindset and knowledge of the spot. La Palme, even on the best of days, isnt easy, and when you add 50 competitors into the mix things definitely dont get any easier. Using my experience from last year and knowing where I went wrong this year, I completely changed the way I sailed and the results were a good showcase of this.WEYMOUTH HERITAGE AND SPEED IN HIS DNAHaha, Weymouth sure has its heritage in speed, and with thanks to local riders such as Pete Young, who introduced me to speed and tied my first GPS to me, there is always a big connection there. There is nothing better than lining up for a speed run fully maxed out on a 5.3m sail and 44cm wide board!I will 100 percent be returning next year! I recommend everyone who is into to speed to come next year too. Principe puts in a lot of effort alongside the local councils for this event to run, so I always think its great to have a big turnout and to help promote speed sailing and the spot. its also a great time to set some new PBs!A special mention must go to Michael George, who was not only competing, but also overseeing the Motion GPS timing system, which was on loan from Weymouth Speed Week, providing super accurate results and rankings, so competitors and the watching public could follow the action day by day. This all added up to a great event, well run and seeing true speed sailors going head-to-head to see who is the best of the best.The post ISWC SPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PRINCE OF SPEED appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

In this SUPboarder PRO head to head test we put four 14 x 24 wide (+/-1) composite all round race boards up against each other. These are a great first boards for many paddlers getting into SUP racing or those interested in fast touring/ fitness paddling or longer distance endurance races. They are designed to be competitive in both flat water and all round conditions meaning they are versatile and good as a one board does it all solution for many paddlers.The post 14 All round Composite Race Board Test 2024 / SUPBOARDER PRO HEAD TO HEAD appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

FULL walk around the event site Sylt for the Citroen Windsurf World Cup 2024 Are you a Windsurfing.TV Member? HELP make videos like this possible JOIN the Membership program To become a member all you have to do is support the channel with Beer Money Go to: https://windsurfing.tv/beer-money/

NAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMENNAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMENNaish are excited to premiere their latest documentary, Next Gen Hawaiian Watermen.This documentary captures the journeys of three iconic Hawaiian watermen Robby Naish (63), Austin Kalama (26), and Koa Fabbio (12). From the early days of windsurfing to modern-day big-wave surfing, their stories highlight the deep connection between the people of Hawaii and the ocean.Discover how these three generations learn from each other, inspire one another, and push the boundaries of whats possible on the water.The documentary is directed by Edwin Haighton.Click below to watch the full documentary and immerse yourself in the legacy of these athletes.www.naish.comThe post NAISH: NEXT GEN HAWAIIAN WATERMEN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETS2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETSCheck out the video from the awesome new 2025 Starboard Carve!Starboard tell us:Easy planing. Confident control. Autopilot jibes. The 2025 Carves deliver big on effortless planing, autopilot jibing and a controlled ride in any conditions. We never felt so accomplished about a board range. Each board individually shaped for the intended conditions and skill level. On the larger sizes, a long flat section makes for extra easy passive planing and a smooth ride to let you find the footstraps effortlessly. Midrange sizes carve like a small board, yet switching your stance and flipping the sail you have the confidence of a bigger board, thanks to a combination of thinned out rails towards the tail and thicker forward rails. The small sizes deliver a true sporty feel with higher top end speed and that extra bit of control youll need for windsurfing confidently in strong wind. Available in: 99 | 109 | 119 | 129 | 139 | 149 | 159 | 169More info: https://windsurf.star-board.com/windsThe post 2025 STARBOARD CARVE: AS GOOD AS IT GETS appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024The VerdictDelivering plenty of gusto for its size, the KT Wing Air DD holds power well between the hands always giving you something to work and drive with. Remaining balanced the Wing Air DD will keep wingers engaged through a spectrum of conditions.The LowdownWith the option of two colour ways, fluorescent orange or green, the Wing Air DD is inflated through two separate chambers and at rest it looks to be a simple wing. There doesnt seem to be a lot of fuss, however, looking closer you notice where the important bits of attention to detail are; the Direct Drive handles are skinny with Eva Foam grip for ease and comfort of handling. Two-ply Dacron construction around high-stress areas and positive lock seaming make the frame of the Wing Air DD stiffer, ensuring its ready for whatever you choose to throw at it. Not possessing much dihedral shape, the Wing Air DD has a relatively loose canopy throughout, and gazing at the side view of the draft and profile of the Wing Air DD, it spreads evenly from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The Wing Air DD should hold some power given the amount of draft ready to expand; the draft being distributed throughout should also give a nice even feeling in the hand, not favouring one hand over the other. Windows are a thing of the past with the Wing Air DD being the only one in the category with zero windows, which will, as a whole reduce weight and increase ease and speed of deflation and packing. In the areas most likely to come into contact with wear and tear, KT have placed some well-positioned abrasion material to prolong the life of the Wing Air DD for the user. Inflated and upon first glance, the Wing Air DD seems simple, but carries well placed engineering and zero fuss design to get you on the water with ample power which looking at the draft, the Wing Air DD will deliver in abundance.Brand Claim The Wing Air DD (Direct Drive) is the latest creation out of the KT Surfing R&D department. The DD sits alongside the original Wing Air, featuring hard handles and strengthened construction of the Leading Edge (LE) and Strut.PerformancePacking some power, the Wing Air DDs draft and overall deeper profile provides immediate substance in the hands, giving the rider something to work with even when slightly underpowered. Once up and riding on the foil, the power and effort are evenly spread between the hands as you grip the stiff handles that still allow for some forwards and backwards movement. Not requiring more effort from one hand or the other, unless you are really driving for speed and height, it remains stiff with only a minimal amount of flex that takes the sting out of ferocious gusts so you can continue to remain in control and stable. Just remember to pump it up to its max psi to exploit this characteristic. Lulls are dealt with well; keep the backhand sheeted in to keep the draft and depth of the Wing Air DD full. Its depth makes it difficult to stall. In the low end, the Wing Air DD, with its looser canopy tension, suits a lower cadence pump with bigger motion from the rider to get you up and going earlier. Through manoeuvres, the Wing Air DD handles nicely, performing and moving through gybes smoothly. The natural power of the Wing Air DD is welcomed on the exit of both tacks and gybes to slingshot you out, giving you something to immediately work with without having to search or work too hard for it. When flagging the Wing Air DD, it remains light and easy to move between the hands. Its looser canopy tension can drag a little, but is only noticeable when at speed and when over-winged. Its instantaneous power attitude makes it user-friendly for those riders needing guidance in the power department, as well as those looking to always have something to work with to express their riding. Its power-in-the-hands character could make it a little more physical for smaller riders, requiring them to change down earlier depending on your willingness to be well-powered. For what looks like one of the least engineered in the category, the Wing Air DD delivers decent power and all-around winging performance.www.ktsurfing.comKT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 899Size: 4mWeight: 3.45kgCanopy Style: LooseSpan:Strut:Recommended PSI: 8psiHandles: 2 hard handlesHarness-line Fixings: No, attach to the handlesSupplies With: Bag and leashAvailable Sizes: 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPDuotone Slick 5mEnsis Score 5.2mGA Cross 5.2mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post KT WING AIR DD 4M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

Day 7 Long day today.. managed to get through the first round of freestyle and start a few heats in the slalom. Are you a Windsurfing.TV Member? HELP make videos like this possible JOIN the Membership program To become a member all you have to do is support the channel with Beer Money Go []

Check the video recap of the 2024 edition of The Paddle Sports Show the International Paddle Sports industry trade show & rendez-vous that took place Sept 23-26th in Strasbourg (France). 150 Brands, 1000+ trade [&hellip... Read More

GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024The Verdict The GA Cross is a wing that will match and please most Wingers. From beginners to intermediates, the Cross remains well balanced, stable and usable in the accessible arenas of winging. Comfortable through transitions and flagging the Cross will compliment riders who exert a relaxed and flowing riding style.The Lowdown Brightly coloured with orange and dark blue, the GA Cross brightens up the beach and water with its striking appearance. The Cross is inflated through two separate valves, one on the leading edge and the other on the strut. The strut on the Cross is ergonomically shaped with two stiff handles wide enough for your hands to slide forwards and backwards as needed. The draft and belly between the canopy and strut is positioned upfront, directly under the front handle, where most of the tension in the canopy is kept, while small windows increase the riders visibility. Moving back to the trailing edge of the canopy, two mini battens sit on either side of the strut to stabilise the slightly looser canopy present at the back end of the wing. The Cross doesnt possess a pronounced dihedral shape; theres some present, but it doesnt jump out at you, suggesting a nice user-friendliness to the Cross. The Cross also has plenty of reinforcement with Kevlar protection along the leading edge on the seams to resist abrasion on surfaces, which helps to prolong the life and durability of the Cross. This is subtle touch for those of us who dont have the luxury of soft rigging areas. The makeup of the Cross uses a vast list of new materials from GA: Forcetec Dacron for stiffness in the leading edge and strut, Voltnova Spinnaker in the front and centre sections, and Voltnova+ in the trailing edge. On initial rigging, the Cross looks user-friendly with a sprinkling of performance in the materials to enhance the riders experience and longevity in winging.Brand Claim Whether youre freeriding, jumping or just starting your wing foiling journey, the Cross is your go-to-choice for all-round performance.Performance The Cross feels like your super stable, dependable mate. In your hands, walking down the beach, flagging, and holding the handle, it flies naturally and neutrally. Pulling in the power, the Cross responds with usable power that wont catch you out. You are very much in control of the power in the Cross. Like an automatic car, the Cross doesnt require massive input from the rider to get you up and foiling especially when adequately powered. It feels like its size in your hands and when up and foiling, the Cross remains balanced and stable. Its automatic feeling continues as it pulls you through lulls wonderfully without you even noticing. Meanwhile, when tacking and gybing, the Cross is light and easy. Its intuitive personality goes neutral when you need it and floats to where you want it. In the gusts, there is some flex to the Cross, which is forgiving for the rider, but it wont transform the extra pwower into masses of additional speed or hard angles upwind. Down in the bottom end, the Cross remains comfortable and holds some oomph in the wing to keep you moving until the next opportune gust. It thrives on a slightly slower cadence of pumping compared to others in the category, which is more user-friendly for the less athletic among the winging world. Everything about the Cross is well balanced, both in the hands and through transitions. It floats around to assist the rider in a nice, fluid, unaggressive riding style. The Cross compliments the more relaxed and rhythmical rider its not going to send you into huge stratospheric aerials or a ridiculous number of rotations, but it will deliver dependable power to crossover in all aspects of winging, from the occasional jump, to waves and swell, where there are minimal consequences, or in the perfect flatwater playground.www.ga-foils.comGA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024VITAL STATSPrice: 989Size: 5.2mWeight: 2.96kgCanopy Style: Tight in the front to loose at trailing edgeSpan: 3.21mStrut: 2.23mRecommended PSI: 9psi (-1 for softness)Handles: 2Harness-line Fixings: No, handlesSupplied With: Leash & bagAvailable Sizes: 2.7, 3.2, 4.2, 4.7, 5.2, 5.7, 6.2OTHER WINGS IN THE LINEUPDuotone Slick 5mEnsis Score 5.2mKT Wing Air DD 4mNaish ADX Nvision 5mNeilPryde Fly II 5mBACK TO TEST OVERVIEWThe post GA CROSS 5.2M TEST REVIEW 2024 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.