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ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event
3 - 8 May 2004 Torbole,
Latest News
The ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event, to be held on
from 3-8 May 2004 has attracted six
manufacturers with eight designs of equipment.
In addition, there are currently two manufacturers, whose applications are
being processed. Manufacturers and equipment attending the Evaluation Event are:
Boards and More: Mistral Prodigy,
Mistral One-design, T.E, and the Olympic Design
Flying Fish: Exocet
Gaastra Sails: Prototype
Neil Pryde: Neil Pryde
Formula
PD Project: Prototype
Starboard: Z-Class
In order to evaluate the equipment across a range of sailors, all ISAF Member
National Authorities (MNA’s) were invited to nominate
up to 2 sailors from their country to participate in the evaluation.
Applications have been received from three continents, with Spain, Great
Britain, Germany, Poland, France, Russia, Italy, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong
nominating sailors to be in Torbole. In total there
are sixteen sailors nominated by MNA’s, and all
applications will be sent to the evaluation panel before the final sailors are
selected.
Torbole on Lake Garda is
renowned for being a windsurfing mecca and will
provide conditions worthy of the level of sailor and equipment at this event.
The event is being hosted at the Circolo Surf Vela in
conjunction with the Italian Sailing Federation (Federazione
Italiana de Vela – FIV).
The objective of the Equipment Evaluation Event is to identify suitable
equipment to be selected for use at the 2008 Olympic Regatta, Beijing.
Design and manufacturer details will shortly be posted on the ISAF website.
Following the link below provides more information on the design criteria.
ISAF Technical
www.sailing.org/technical
ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment
Click Here
Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event
3 - 8 May 2004 Circolo Surf Torbole,
Lake Garda, ITALY
Wet And Windless Day One
Monday morning greeted sailors and manufacturers in Italy with overcast skies
and light 8-knot northerly winds on the first day of this second evaluation
event.
© ISAF
The Evaluation Panel, consisting of Rich JEFFRIES, Chris ATKINS, Qu CHUN, Mike GEBHARDT and Jorunn
HORGEN first gave a welcoming briefing to the 18 sailors and 7 manufacturers
before starting measurement of all of the boards.
As boards were measured some sailors took the opportunity to try out some of
the new equipment entered to the trials. However, as they took to the water,
rain came in and killed what was left of the northerly "Peler".
After lunch the Evaluation Team had scheduled two windward/leeward races for
the boards, first having divided them up into male and female fleets.
Unfortunately the rain persisted in keeping the breeze away until 1530 by which
time it was considered too late to carry out any of the racing. Instead the
sailors were given a free choice in the equipment and were allowed to carry out
a free-sailing session. This was conducted in a building "Peler" breeze which rose to about 8-10 knots before
dying away for the evening.
Members of the Evaluation Team were on hand to discuss the boards with each of
the sailors as they came off the water. In the evening a dinner has been organised for the sailors and the manufacturers as a
welcome to the region and to Torbole.
Today the forecast is for more rain but the traditional "Ora" is expected to show up and provide some healthier
sailing conditions.
Event Website
Click Here
Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event
3 -
Another Cold And Rainy Day In Torbole
Day two started out with light drizzle and about 12-15 knots of Peler blowing. The Race Committee set a windward-leeward
course with two races planned in the morning session followed by two further
races in the afternoon session.
© ISAF
In ideal conditions for the Formula boards, both the Gaastra
and Neil Pryde equipment rounded all marks clear
ahead of any other equipment. Despite not being able to point quite as high as
the IMCO and other daggerboard equipment, their sheer
speed and power enabled two wins early in the evaluation.
In the afternoon the Evaluation Panel wanted to test the light wind performance
of the equipment, and therefore decided to move the course closer into the
shore where the dying "Peler" made for
tricky and light conditions of 3 - 7 knots.
This time it was the turn of the daggerboard boards
to shine, in particular the IMCO boards with both the MOD and the new Olympic
design leading the pack to the top mark. In fact the vulnerability of Formula
boards in light winds was shown up even more when all of the IMCO boards had
finished before any of the Formula boards had reached the top mark for the
first time!
The Evaluation Panel have been noticing the
differences between some of the prototype designs and have been interestingly
listening to many of the varied points of view. In particular is the Exocet board from Flying Fish (pictured above), which looks
to be a cross between a Raceboard and Kayak.
This board has not yet been able to shine in the conditions so far but with
more traditional 15-20 knot winds forecast for today it may yet have its day.
Evaluation Event Microsite
Click Here
Related Articles
www.sailing.org/isafcal/search_news.asp?keyword=windtrials
Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event
3 - 8 May 2004 Torbole, Lake Garda,
ITALY
Major Differences In Performance
Tuesday's races made it clear to the Evaluation Panel that there are major
differences in the boards performance. As many of the boards are of a similar
type, Wednesday was dedicated to Comparative Testing.
© ISAF
The boards were put into groups of three similar boards and carried out
straight line saiing characteristic testing to
evaluate whether items such as sails, fins etc made a difference on each
board’s speed and general sailing abilities.
Due to the 3-5 knot wind range, testing could only be carried out in the "Longboard" (Mistral OD, Olympic OD and Exocet) and the "Hybrid" (Mistral Prodigy,
Starboard Z-Class and the PD Project) groups. The testing is based around all
of the boards in the group lining up a couple of board lengths apart and then
sailing on the same tack for 2-3 minutes. The group then stops, discuss how
each board felt to sail and comment on the others sailing style and board/rig
set-up. Any changes are then made to the equipment, which could involve
changing sails, adjusting mast foot position etc, and then the group carry on sailing for another 2-3 minutes before
repeating the whole scenario again.
This carried out for half an hour upwind before the group turn to repeat the
exercise downwind for another half hour. The purpose of this type of testing is
to see which board in each group is better and also to evaluate the different
effects each type of equipment has on the board’s performance.
First the "Longboard" group carried out
their testing with a few rig adjustments being made. In the light breezes the
Mistral OD and the Olympic OD had a slight edge on the Exocet
but as yesterdays racing showed in the slightly heavier airs, this advantage is
quickly equaled.
Second to carry out the testing were the "Hybrid" group. This group
consists of the boards that are either prototypes or do not really fall into
any type of class category. Unlike the Formula boards, which are unable to
plane or sail effectively in the light breezes, the Hybrid class, which utilise a daggerboard, are able
to sail competitively in the light breezes whilst also retaining good upwind
capabilities.
Testing was carried out in the morning session only due to the persistent rain cancelling out the light southerly breeze as the afternoon
wore on. Tomorrow sees more rain in the morning with some sunshine in the
afternoon. As the air gets warmer in the afternoon tomorrow, the sailors should
see more typical Lake Garda conditions emerging which
will introduce a whole new area of testing to the Evaluation Panel.
Event Website
www.sailing.org/sc.asp?ID=Windsurfing_Evaluation_Events
Related Articles
www.sailing.org/isafcal/search_news.asp?keyword=windtrials
ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation Event
3 - 8 May 2004 Torbole, Lake Garda,
ITALY
Storms and Testing On Day 4
Today looked more promising for the traditional Lake Garda
winds to fill in.
With the rain holding off and the skies clearing somewhat many of the local Circolo Surf Torbole staff
members were predicting that the "Ora" may
makes its first appearance of the week.
Having enjoyed a superb Gala Dinner last night, hosted by San Pellegrino and
the Rotari winery, many of the sailors were glad that
the sailing was postponed due to the lack of wind upon arrival for the 0930
briefing.
After not being able to complete the comparative testing yesterday, the sailors
were sent out in a building southerly breeze at around 1300. Just as testing
commenced a large storm came over bringing with it strong 15-20 knot winds and
ideal testing conditions.
The Evaluation Panel were advised to make all sailors return to the beach due
to the threat of hail and excess winds from the storm, unfortunately missing
out on sailing in the some excellent conditions.
As the storm started to clear, the Lake was left with more light breezes of 5-6
knots which eventually died down to nothing by 1530.
However, the Hybrid group did manage to get out and make one testing session,
showing off the boards’ capabilities to sail in the lightest of breezes equalling that of the Mistral OD, whilst also showing good
"Formula" style sailing in the moderate breezes shown earlier in the
week.
© ISAF
On land, the Evaluation Panel have almost concluded
their manufacturers meetings with only Neil Pryde
being left to talk to them.
The Evaluation Panel has been assessing each of the entries for class
structure, building techniques and various other technical considerations that
will all need to be taken into consideration whilst selecting the equipment for
the 2008 Olympic Regatta in Beijing.
Tomorrow is another day of unexpected weather whilst Saturday is looking to
provide the best sailing conditions yet.
Event Website
www.sailing.org/sc.asp?ID=Windsurfing_Evaluation_Events
Related Articles
www.sailing.org/isafcal/search_news.asp?keyword=windtrials
ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Evaluation
3 - 8 May 2004 Torbole, ITALY
Day Five Sees Good Breeze On Lake Garda
Good sailing conditions allowed a full day of testing from the Circolo Surf Torbole on Lake Garda with a southerly breeze of between 6 and 18 knots. Perfect Ora conditions.
There were only a couple of rain showers and comparative testing of long
boards, Formula boards and hybrids ontinued under the
guidance of Mike GEBHARDT and Jorunn HORGEN.
On land, the Evaluation Panel’s meeting with Neil Pryde
representatives concluded their meetings with manufacturers.
160 Formula boards are gathering at the Circolo Surf Torbole for the Formula European Championship which starts
on Monday 10th.
The Evaluation Panel will spend Saturday preparing a report to the ISAF Events
Committee at the Mid-Year meeting to be held in San Diego from 4-6 June.
ISAF Olympic Windsurfing Equipment Trials
Click Here
Curtis Olympic Fin Submissions
Hi All,
Before the newest developments arrived at
I came back in, then launched again. This time the wind was about 5.5 knots and
building slightly. I planed off right away and was able to work my way upwind.
As the wind built so did my speed and angle. Off the wind the fin was very
controllable. The wind peaked well before a white cap was to be seen. Maybe it
hit 7 knots.
I'm sure I would not have planed with a normal formula size fin. This fin
extended the wind minimum down about 1-2 knots so I think we may hear some
exciting news from Lake Garda over the next few days.
Above are 3 of the new Curtis fins. The fin in the center is the new smallest
of the new Olympic submission prototypes. The two others are new formula fins
that are 70cm for reference. Notice the center fin is still WET!
Stay tuned. See ya on the water.
Dave Kashy - VA9
---------
EXOCET
Olympic concept update
The ISAF Olympic Evaluation Trials are going on in Torbole
(
You can also read the reports from the ISAF Olympic Evaluation Trials here:
ISAF website
AEROTECH sails forum
Here are some new pictures of the EXOCET prototype :
Or maybe :
http://www.exocet-original.com/article.php3?id_article=178
compared to the Starboard Z-class prototype :
=======================================================
Original 2003 IWA White Paper -
"ROUTE MAP" TO THE SELECTION OF THE 2008 OLYMPIC EQUIPMENT
AIM
The aim of this report is to
a) define the IWA (and thus its membership) recommendations on the selection of
Olympic windsurfing equipment to be used at the Olympic Regattas of 2008 &
2012;
b) to ensure that windsurfing retaining its Olympic status for both men and
women;
c) and that the most appropriate equipment is put forward by the IWA for
selection by the MNAs. This report therefore aims to
set out criteria and a design brief so that an additional development path be considered in parallel with the current IMCO and FW
formats. The development path herewith proposed would allow the ISAF to
consider a wider choice of alternatives in the light of the critical factors
highlighted in the background section.
KEY ISSUES
a) It is very important that the majority of MNAs
agree that windsurfing is included in the Olympic Regatta and support the ISAF
Windsurfing Committee's recommendations on the most appropriate Olympic
windsurfing equipment to select:
b) All windsurfing classes and the PWA actively promote a unified policy on the
"2008 equipment". No class or class official should express a
dissenting view in public.
BACKGROUND
Windsurfing has been an "event" within the Olympic sailing regatta
for almost 20 years. There are currently two sets of medals, one for men and
one for women. It is currently the least expensive Olympic sailing discipline;
therefore apart from being a potentially spectacular to watch its inclusion
ensures that a lot of developing nations can take part (60% of the entry in
1996).
Whilst remaining very technical equipment with a well-developed & valid
format, IMCO is losing its sparkle. It is fair to say that the majority view
within the current Olympic class is that the Mistral One Design should be
replaced after the 2004 Olympics and that more than one manufacturer should
produce the replacement equipment.
Here are some background facts that help the reader to understand more fully
the reasoning behind the conclusions of this report:
a) The ISAF President has already stated that he believes that the class
selected should be Formula Windsurfing but that the equipment to be used at the
Games should be One Design;
b) There is little enthusiasm amongst the FW racers for a One Design format as
evidenced by the low number of registrations for the so-called "One Design
Formula" event at the 2002 ISAF World Sailing Games.
c) - The Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) made a
submission last year stating that both the equipment and the class should be
changed for 2008.
d) The President of the RFEV has since written to the ISAF saying that he has
changed its mind and now does not support the Formula concept but does support
a change in the equipment.
e) The historic data for wind speeds in Qing Dao for
July & September may not support a proposal to move the whole Olympic Games
to a date in September. It is therefore unlikely that the political momentum
for a change of dates will build up inside the ISAF or the IOC.
f) It is believed that in certain areas, the waters in Qing
Dao have quite strong currents and that the historic data for wind speeds in
July show a low average wind speed.
g) Any proposal to change the dates requires the summer sports federations to
convince the IOC that a move is necessary. The IOC would then be required to
re-negotiate its TV distribution & media rights deals. July is a more
valuable period from the point of view of the value of media rights than
September. BOCOG will not make any requests to the IOC themselves.
A decision to move the Games is therefore unlikely.
h) There is now a written threat from a powerful MNA (France) to lobby against
windsurfing as an Olympic event.
PROPOSED EQUIPMENT CRITERIA
It is recommended that the selection of windsurfing equipment is based on the
following criteria:
Racing is possible at the same time as other Olympic Sailing Classes;
Reason:
In many major Olympic Class Regattas worldwide, the Olympic windsurfing class
has to compete at the same time and in the same conditions as the other sailing
classes;
The likely conditions to be expected in Qing Dao 2008
Reason:
Not to do so would be impractical;
It is a strictly controlled restricted class;
Reasons:
This goes a long way towards supporting the position of the ISAF President,
whilst permitting differences between items of equipment within very tight
tolerances;
This will be more interesting to manufacturers than a "One Design"
concept;
The Olympics should be a test of talent not technology;
To maximize commonality between men's & women's equipment (KISS);
To strictly limit the cost of participation;
Production licences to be controlled and issued by
the ISAF:
The decision on the actual equipment is made at the 2004 ISAF November
Conference
Reasons:
To allow racers and MNAs to build up a long term
experience of the chosen format;
To allow MNAs to invest in new equipment with
confidence;
To allow MNAs to plan long term development programmes with confidence;
e) The existing criteria established by the ISAF Events Committee in November
1999
being:
Must allow athletes around the world, of different size and weight, male and
female, to participate;
Must achieve the IOC objective of a minimum of 30% participation for women;
Must give the best sailors in each country the opportunity to participate in
readily accessible equipment;
Must combine both traditional and modern events and classes, to reflect,
display and promote competitive sailing.
General Design Brief for NEW OLYMPIC EQUIPMENT:
The equipment definitions for both men and women shall be the same where
possible;
Reason:
to enable women to reach high levels of performance by training and possibly racing
with men on equal terms;
to maximize development opportunities;
To reduce the number of equipment components required to establish a viable
Olympic programme and thus reduce the overall cost of
such a programme;
The equipment shall conform with the criteria specified above andÅ
be supported by a global distribution network or networks;
be accompanied by clearly defined measurement rules & tight tolerances;
be restricted to 1 board, 2 fins, 1 centerboard & 2 rigs per competitor.
3 The method of construction employed shall be durable and of a consistently
uniform high quality whilst offering the best trade off between weight >
performance > price.
4.The ideal weight band for men should be 70>82 Kgs and for women should be 55>70 Kgs;
5. Safety shall be considered so that
competitors will be able to sail home unassisted in sub-racing or quickly
increasing winds wind speeds;
boards are designed to perform in large waves and chop in a
"well-behaved" way;
each rig is as durable & as light as possible whilst being easy to rig/derig at sea;
The fin shall be easily demountable without the aid of tools;
6. Attention should be paid to the possibility of using the same hull(s)
combined with smaller rigs so that a global junior racing programme
can be established at minimal cost.
Design brief HULL:
Easily transportable by normal scheduled airline as passenger's excess baggage;
Max Weight bare hull weight 12 kg/ minimum bare hull weight 9kgs;
Retractable centre board allowed;
2 production fins, easily removable without tools;
Strong Durable Construction; Positive flotation in case the board is holed;
Easily repairable on a regatta site;
Construction method and materials to be identical around the world.
Price around USD 1200 retail
Design brief RIG(s):
Two rigs for women, each of a different defined size;
Men to use the same two rigs sizes if possible;
If not, men shall use two rigs, each of a different defined size;
Same carbon mast for all rigs (commonality of components);
Same Carbon boom for all rigs (commonality of components);
Each rig to have the maximum flexibility in terms of wind range (trim systems);
The largest women's rig (max. size) to be easily manageable by someone of 55
kg;
Sails to be made " as visible as possible " to the naked eye from a
great distance;
DESIGN AND TEST EVENT
Option A
That the ISAF invite key manufacturers/brands to participate in a design
competition leading to a test event in order to select one board prototype with
two matching rig sizes around which tight tolerances can be defined so that new
equipment can be selected for use at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games that meets
the above criteria. Manufacturers/Brands who participate in this development
will have the right to build/market the Olympic equipment.
Option B
That the ISAF make an "open invitation" to any board shapers whether
they be involved with a current "known" production board brand or not
to put forward one prototype each at its "intended production weight"
for evaluation at an ISAF test event in order to select one board prototype
with two matching rig sizes around all of which tight tolerances can be defined
so that new equipment can be selected for use at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic
Games that meets the above criteria.
Conditions:
i) The winning board/rigs will be made in established
factories licensed by ISAF; Said factories will be subject to a regular
manufacturing audit to ensure that the building specification is being tightly
adhered to;
ii) To stimulate the custom board shaping community, the IWA should establish a
sizeable prize fund for the best proposed board in the opinion of the ISAF
evaluation working party put forward by a custom shaper not already associated
with a board brand with a registered production board on the ISAF list;
iv) Any board that later becomes a "production board" registered on
the ISAF List shall pay the associated fee; Registration
regulations for all such boards will be strengthened;
v) Brands who wish to market the selected board/rigs may do so by paying a
sponsorship fee per unit sponsored to the IWA for their logo to be put on the
Olympic board. This will allow
Sponsored riders to compete on equipment branded with their sponsor's logos in
all regattas except the Olympic Games where the board shall be
"white" (no logos);
Sponsors from the wider world of commerce and industry to participate.
NB - The selected option should be initiated as quickly as possible;
- The prize fund suggested under "Option
B" would be established by drawing down funds from the balances accrued by
the classes managing the Olympic equipment over the last 20 years.
KEY ISAF DEADLINES
1) 2002
a) IWA classes submit this report to ISAF with a list of MNAs by July 31st
b) ISAF agrees the selection criteria for Olympic equipment at their November
Conference
2) 2003
a) IWA classes make a submission to ISAF that "Windsurfing" is an
Olympic "Event" for men and women with a list of supporting MNAs by July 31st
b) ISAF select the "Events" for the 2008 Olympic Regatta.
3) 2004
a) IWA classes make a submission to ISAF that the criteria, which best meets
the criteria be selected for the 2008 Olympic Regatta with a list of supporting
MNAs by July 31st
b) ISAF select the "equipment" for the 2008 Olympic Regatta.
=============================================
Ref: Boards & More GmbH response to the IWA White Paper
Dear Ceri,
Many thanks for forwarding the IWA White Paper on the
selection of equipment for 2008 and the associated
criteria & procedures to us.
At Boards & More GmbH, we have considered this in
detail and have the following comments to make:
1. Sails & rig components: the
idea that many
different brands can make and market the defined
Olympic sail sizes and components is an interesting
one. We support this concept;
2. Boards:
a. It is the opinion of Boards & More GmbH that the
current Olympic board is the most suitable existing
equipment for the Olympics 2008 in
More stands fully behind the continued production of
the Mistral One Design. We shall continue to produce
the board as long as there are customers willing to buy
it.
b. However, if the ISAF and
its Member National
Authorities wish to select more modern equipment for
the Olympic windsurfing discipline, we are more than
happy to produce a new, light-weight dedicated race
board for the purpose.
In our view, a centerboard is a fundamental requirement
for such a board, which should also be based on the
latest design thinking to ensure racing in the same
conditions as those in which the other Olympic Sailing
Classes compete.
We appreciate that, in ideal circumstances, it might be
reasonable to have a great many different facilities
involved in the production of the board. However, the
reality is that there are probably only two factories
in the world (Boards & More and Bic) who could
undertake such a production and reach the consistently
uniform and high standard of quality required by
sailors at the Olympic level.
Boards & More has gained over more than a decade's
extensive experience as the supplier of the current
Olympic equipment and has a unique fund of in-house
production know-how built up over more than 20 years.
We are happy to make hulls in our production facility
for other brands.
c. We also believe that the Formula Windsurfing
format as it currently stands is not suitable for
Olympic competition for two main reasons:
i. the equipment is very expensive using large fins
(60 - 70 cms) made from pre-preg
carbon, 100% carbon
masts and booms, and sails that are very specialised;
ii. and unless you have equipment that is right
at the
cutting edge, the absolute best stuff, then fair and
equitable racing cannot take place in effective
wind-speeds of less than 9 knots.
d. The idea of a producing the Olympic hull as a
"white board" for other brands (whether they are
currently in windsurfing or not) to use as a marketing
vehicle is an interesting one, which we also support.
Boards & More GmbH is dedicated to continuing its
support of the ISAF and its MNAs started by Mistral
in
1992 and believe that windsurfing adds great value to
the Olympic sailing family supported as it is by
nations rich and poor from all over the world.
Yours sincerely,
Boris Zwetkoff
Business Unit Manager Windsurf
cc Arve Sundheim /
ISAF; Aaron Botzer /
ISAF; Rich Jeffries / ISAF;
Greg Johns / IMCO; Rory Ramsden /IMCO
==================================
Interview with Patrice Belbeoc'h : sail and board
developer for EXOCET
"Exactly ! The new concept should be performant
in 2 to 8 knots, a centerboard or dagger is so far the only answer to that
problem. It will also give the security to any event organizer that the race
will take place. Don't also forget that this is a support where the boards will
be bought in most cases by parents and it should be used in all condition and
by the whole family." - see :
http://www.exocet-original.com/news/article.php3?id_article=208
==================================