ONE-DESIGN WITH ONE AIM - GET WINDSURFING!ONE-DESIGN WITH ONE AIM GET WINDSURFING!Windsurfer LT Nationals 2026UKWA, Christchurch 22/23 AugustAfter the success of last years event, the Windsurfer LT Nationals returned to Christchurch for another weekend of racingthis time with an even bigger fleet and a very different set of conditions. Windsurfer LT enthusiast Roger Turner looks back at a weekend of close racing, big smiles and plenty of action on the water.The format is simple. Enter, Race, Banter!ENTRYThe entry bit is all done online and a pretty simple process that has become streamlined over the years. The camping, parking, UKWA membership is all clear, as is the electronic tagging system once youre onsite. The Notice of Race etc, results and all comms are polished and professional to a level that is refreshing in this world. In fact, the infrastructure that the UKWA provide to these relatively small fleets is amazing.For this Race Board event (Windsurfer LT, Windsurf Foil, Techno and Wing foil) the LT entry made up over half the entries, perhaps a sign of the way the sport is heading.With light winds forecast of 8-10 knots, Im sure the entries would have been greater for stronger winds. For the Windsurfer LT fleet though, this is enough wind, even though at times it probably dipped to 5 knots, making for tricky conditions especially downwind in the choppy onshore waves.RACINGWith 3 races on both afternoons, once the sea-breeze had established, racing was close. All the races were two laps of a simple upwind/downwind course lasting about 25 mins for the top competitors and about 5-10 mins longer for me! The starts are as intimidating as you want them to be. The top sailors have worked out the perfect position on the line, but less crowded and confrontational slots can be found elsewhere. After the 5-4-1-go beepswe are allowed to pump for the first 30 seconds and the good sailors already have an advantage. Tacking away for clean air always makes sense but again the more experienced sailors seem to make their way back up through the fleet even after a poor start. Their ability and efficiency both upwind and in pumping onto the waves downwind, is awesome to see. The windward mark was a nightmare with a little current requiring way too many extra tacks to get round cleanly, with a lot of skin and neoprene deposited on the buoy!The lightweights took the top 8 places and the top 2 fought out between Alysia Gibson and Paul Leone, both established international racers, taking 3 wins each. But the fleet is always divided up based on weights, in this case just light (sub 80kg) and heavy (over 80kg), so really you are racing against the sailors in your weight division, not the whole fleet. Bigger fleets will have more categories. I guess being towards the lighter end of your weight category is and advantage, but then so is skill and race-craft.BANTERUnfortunately, the parched condition of the campsite at Steamer Point prevented the mega barbecue that is part of the Windsurfer LT ethos of 50% racing:50% fun. But in general the LT fleet is super friendly and willing to share advice on rigging, tactics and strategy, but on the water, it is hard to apply the principles that seemed so clear earlier!The significant South African contingent was gutted they couldnt show off their braai skills -next time boys!The average age of the LT competitors is mature, so there is a lot of experience coming into play with some awesome skills from the prestart through to the energetic pumping, that is allowed off the wind. Dont underestimate a Super Legend (65+)! We have some youngsters too and the appeal of proper racing in big fleets, as abroad, must be a massive attraction.Watch Rogers video here!FUTUREThe one-design factor is a huge appeal to many racers, but unfortunately, personally speaking, leaves little room for excuses. Sadly, the established Race Board fleet is increasingly depleted and the contrast between our kit and theirs is stark. They are definitely faster with their long, thin, box-sided boards and huge complex adjustable rigs. But we can teach and mess about on our Windsurfer LTs, use them in waves and as a SUP board and guarantee simple and fair racing in increasingly large one-design fleets. Literally all you can change, are your harness lines and ropes. Make no mistake, although these are fundamentally easy boards to sail, to win races at high level takes serious skills in all areas. Hence the involvement of ex Olympic and international sailors. We are aiming for 40 entries next year (with a mega barbecue to make up for what we missed this year) and we honestly believe that 100+ sailors is a realistic proposition based on what is happening around the world. That would be amazing to see..Please dont assume that this is slow and heavy kit. Most competent windsurfer should be able to get to 20 knots using the standard rig and fin, and the manoeuvrability is incredible for a board of this size.Wouldnt it be great to see the RYA using its influence to re-establish grass-roots windsurfing on simple accessible kit rather than driving a tiny elite to iQFOiL sailing!At the moment a lot of the activity is around the south coast, but we are all aware that there are an increasing number of boards elsewhere. The UKWA are keen for the Windsurf LT to grow and participate in more of their series, including the National Windsports Champs at Rutland 26/27th September, followed by the race event in Portland Harbour 10/11th October.Also, it is just a couple of weeks to the Round Hayling Island race on 12th September14 miles of endurance including a low bridge to negotiate. This used to be a massive event in the windsurfing calendar, with good socials too. Different vibe to short course racing but a great adventure too. There may be opportunities to join with racing at your local club too, for instance against Lasers/ILCA. So, lots of opportunities to get on board with the retro revolution and get windsurfing again.Thanks also to the sponsors; Boardwise, OTC, Surf Doctor, Starboard/Severne/iQFOiL for making it all happen!Boardwise | The UKs #1 Windsurfing, Snowboarding, Foiling, Surf StoreThe OTC Watersports: All your watersports tuition needsSurf Doctor| Wingfoil, Windsurf, SUP Equipment and Armstrong DealerThe post ONE-DESIGN WITH ONE AIM GET WINDSURFING! appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.