Sailing & Windsurfing


rail the board, whilst those with the standard size fin made best upwind progress with windward rail pressure.


Overall performance All the boards had excellent manoeuvrability and accelerated easily, gliding and getting up to speed quicker than most of the traditional beginner boards. In the choppiest water, the boards that were 100-120mm thick handled the water state better than traditional boards, whilst the thickest boards didn’t perform as well. So, WindSUPs are a true


contender and are now able to offer a robust, cost effective and more attractive package than ever before. The million dollar question: how


do they compare to our trusty old friend and much loved Hifly Primo?


Ride Windsurf 10’7 33” Weight


Upwind Performance Manoeuvrability Acceleration Durability Pros


Light, highly manoeuvrable and goes upwind extremely well with great acceleration and incredible in rough water.


Cons Daggerboard drops through the deck which is easy to remove, but not quite as easy as a retracting centerboard.


The verdict Almost all the boards tested would have given beginners an excellent introduction to windsurfing,


getting people up and sailing, able to achieve Stages 1 and 2 or Start Windsurfing. Some of the boards on test would have also been great for teaching early introductions to planing and harness techniques. Inflatable and hard construction


WindSUPs do make a viable alternative for beginner windsurf boards. They have good performance and have overcome previous concerns over upwind capabilities, performance in chop, beginner suitability and responsiveness, with a few cons that need to be considered. A few of the inflatable boards on


the market have a full mast track, rather than a fixed UJ position. To prevent wear and make racking easier, a knuckle UJ would be recommended rather than a tendon joint. The test showed us that RYA courses and taster sessions


Hifly Primo Weight


Upwind Performance Manoeuvrability Acceleration Durability


Pros Good all rounder, current bench mark beginner board.


Cons Heavy, slow to accelerate, not the most attractive first experience.


could be offered on a number of the boards tested and now available, providing students with a really good first experience,


whilst allowing centres to use boards capable of both SUP and Windsurfing. The RED Paddle 10’6”, seemed to be a WindSUP that worked well in both the role of SUP and windsurfing board. If you are looking to buy a few


WindSUPs to deliver RYA taster and Start Windsurfing tuition, as well as SUP activity, here is a little more information to assist you:


For adults » Over 10’ in length » 32” in width » 120mm in thickness » Fixed or removable daggerboard system, ideally with longer centre fin


Ideal junior beginner inflatable WindSUP » 11’ or under in length » 34” or under in width » 100-120mm thickness » Fixed or removable daggerboard or centre fin


» Small rear fin, or multiple small rear fins


For progressional tuition and Intermediate courses WindSUPs would need to be used in combination with dedicated progression windsurfing boards and would not be accepted independently. For example: 10’6- 11’ x 32-34” inflatable windSUPs as a beginner fleet with Vipers, Rios, Gos and Cool Riders would provide a good progressive fleet. As with all windsurfing equipment considerations, care should be taken to choose the best solution for your particular centre, your clients and the environment, paying careful consideration to length, width and thickness as well as fin types.


If you think WindSUPs are for you... Please remember, you must seek and gain approval for the WindSUPs you are looking to utilise at your centre for RYA windsurfing courses. They would only be accepted at a Start Windsurfing level and we require them to be supplemented by traditional beginner boards.


www.rya.org.uk


Welcome to Nic Wymer


W


e would like to welcome Nic Wymer as a temporary


member of the RYA Training Team. Nic will be joining Dawn Seymour and the rest of the team as Temporary Training Advisor covering Amanda Van Santen’s maternity leave until early Spring 2017. Nic joins the team with a


wealth of experience having worked at Plas Menai for 17 years before leaving to set up as a freelance RYA Coach and Trainer. Dawn Seymour will be your main contact for all sailing and windsurfing scheme enquires. You can contact her on dawn.seymour@rya.org.uk or 02380 604 186. Nic Wymer will be working


for the department 12 days a month, with the remainder of his time spent as a freelance Coach and Trainer. During his time with us, Nic can be contacted on nic.wymer@rya.org.uk, 02380 604 179 or 07554 880 353. Alongside Dawn and Nic will also be Sam Ross, who will be assisting occasionally with windsurfing expertise. Please do not contact Sam direct. All enquiries regarding windsurfing should be made via Dawn.


SAVE THE DATE RYA Training Conference


Supported by Arthur J Gallagher 21-22 January 2017


Alexandra House, Swindon | 17


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