The March WindSense Winter SPEED Challenge got off to a good start on Sunday, 3/06. We had WINDY nice conditions and a decent crowd of sailors. I started it off by setting the starting speed to beat of 29.3 mph. Then I turned the official GPS over to all the hot rodders. Jeff Knight, running a 6.0 North sail, won himself a SIX PACK OF BEER from WindSense (Coors light in the bottle as requested) with a speed of 30.7 mph. This then became the new speed to beat. Then David Delozier set the NEW WORLD SPEED RECORD* of 31.2 mph. While this is the new WORLD record, it was not 1 mph faster than Jeff’s speed so, sorry, no beer for David. The next speedster who records 31.7 mph or higher (1 MPH over the current speed to beat) will receive a SIX PACK OF BEER from WindSense AND a SIX PACK OF BEER from Jeff Knight.
*Fastest Speed recorded in the World while Windsurfing at Lake Lanier during MARCH on my GPS.
David’s WORLD SPEED RECORD OF 31.2mph, while running a 5.9 Neil Pryde sail, is just shy of Chris Voith’s WORLD SPEED RECORD (for February) of 31.3 set on 2/28.
Confused, don’t be, here’s how it works. Every day I’m sailing, I will make my GPS available to anyone who wants to try to beat the current speed to beat. If you beat the time to beat by at least one MPH, WindSense will buy you a six pack. Then your time becomes the time to beat, and you’re out of the running until someone beats your time by at least one MPH. If someone beats your time, then YOU AND WindSense have to buy them a six pack of beer each. Etc, Etc. Only speeds CLOCKED ON MY GPS count and no hogging of the GPS if other sailors want to take their shots. Only speeds at Lake Lanier count. This goes on for the month of MARCH, February’s is officially over. Still confused, here’s an example:
Starting point = 29.3 mph
Jeff Knight = 30.7 mph, WindSense buys six pack, new time to beat.
David Delozier = 31.2 mph, new WORLD RECORD, but no beer, and time to beat is still 30.7 mph.
Sailor 3 = 31.7+ mph, WindSense and Jeff Knight buys six pack each, and this new speed becomes speed to beat.
Etc. etc. Still confused, call me.
Other stuff – This is just a game among friends, there is no entry fee, anyone can play, WindSense and Gene Mathis are NOT LIABLE for anything, winning sailors get to pick their brand of six pack but the price is limited to a maximum of $10, if any additional rules are needed, I get to make them up, there is a 30 minute time limit if other sailors are waiting on the GPS, contest is limited to WindSurfers only, AND no attitudes, this is supposed to be fun.
Gene
Gene Mathis
Sunday was a very good day for sailing on Lanier compared to most. I watched everybody sailing and most were probably hitting close to or better than 30 at one point or another. What makes this remarkable was remembering a time when nobody in the world was hitting 30. (Timeline below) Sunday, nobody was on carbon fiber or kevlar anything. Most of my gear came from Gene's consignment shop. What is now commonplace, just a few years ago was unattainable. Thanks for the beer, Gene.
• 1972 : Crossbow I sets World Speed sailing record at 26.3 knots.
• 1972 : First RYA Speed week held at Weymouth.
• 1976 : Crossbow II move the record to 36 knots.
• 1977 : Windsurfers first appear at speed competitions. Ken Winner and Mike Waltze come across from Hawaii to enter the Weymouth event, but are beaten by Dirk Thijs from Holland who does 19.1 knots on a standard Windglider. No straps no harness.
• 1980 : Jaap van der Rest sets new record at 24.45 knots at Maalaea Bay (Maui) on a Ten Cate Special. He took several weeks with a paid RYA observer to break the record.
• 1982 : Brest Speed Week; Out of 225 competitors, Philip Pudenze breaks the World record with a run of 26.5 knots. Most competitors now sailing on special speed boards, and the "25 knots club" got formed with only six members.
• 1982 : RYA Speed Week; Pascal Maka sets new World record at 27.8 knots on a Jimmy Lewis custom board.
• 1983 : Weymouth Speed Trials; Fred Heywood enters the scene with a new record of 30.82 knots aided by a massive back up team from Hawaii including Barry Spanier and Geoff Bourne, - and using a carbon wing instead of a mast.
• 1984 : Peter Bridgeman (UK) becomes the second man to break the 30 knots barrier.
• 1985 : Port St. Louis France; 50 knots wind speed and 8 sailors beat the World record. The fastest of them is Michael Pucher at 32. 35 knots.
A new World Speed Record * and new Speed To Beat was set today, Thursday, 3/10 at Van Pugh park in some very windy conditions. I clocked a 32.5 mph speed running a 2011 6.0 Ezzy Infinity on a 2008 115 liter Tabou Rocket, beating the previous Speed To Beat by more than 1 mph, (thanks for the beer, Jeff.) I mentioned the years of the equipment used just to note that while a lot of the older shaped, longer skinnier boards and a lot of the older sails were and still are VERY fast, the new gear aint too shabby, either. Here it comes… WindSense sells New and Used gear at great prices, so whatever your budget, keep us in mind.
Back to the March WindSense Winter SPEED Challenge, the official GPS will be available the rest of March and the next sailor to beat the Speed To Beat by at least 1 mph will win a SIX PACK OF BEER from WindSense, and a SIX PACK OF BEER from Jeff K and a SIX PACK OF BEER from me. So come join the fun, check out how fast you really are, and pick up some free beer for a speed of 33.5 mph or higher.
*Fastest Speed recorded in the World while Windsurfing at Lake Lanier during MARCH on my GPS.
Gene
Gene Mathis
This is Fun!
PeelSkid
A seperate WindSense page has been set up for the ...
WindSense Winter SPEED Challenge
with Photos (thanks Barrett)
http://www.windsensewindsurfing.com/SpeedChallenge.html
Time is running out for "Winter" Challenge with only one weekend left, so come on out and win some beer.
No contest will be held during April due to ROAD TRIPS, but we may begin again in May.
Gene
Gene Mathis