Just thought I would share a bit of nostalgia for you.
25 years ago, a very talented design and technology teacher of mine (Kim Matthews) decided that he would make a windsurf board out of marine plywood.
The board was made with a wooden honeycomb design and was 226 cm long (that was because a sheet of marine ply was 230 cm)
It was christened "The Log"
He then got a few of us gawky skinny teenagers to take his baby for a spin which we did. Remarkably it sailed pretty well and was suprisingly fast.
The pictures below probably tell the story better - check out the position of the mastfoot !
Enjoy.
Those stepped rails look like a good idea. Thick board for float, but with thin rails for turning.
Great Photo's
I love seeing all the crazy experiments in windsurfing over the years, there is something about the DIY crowd that windsurfing attracts, that really appeals to me.
(maybe that's because I am a technology teacher)
Chris
"check out the position of the mastfoot !"
and the marketing brochure said it tacks like a dream!
There is something about polished timber and watercraft - great photos
great pics pb,
there was a design published for this board or one like it in the 'Cat and Boardsailer' magazine back then. A mate and I built a couple out of ply and epoxy and it certainly was a fast board but mine turned like crap and eventually leaked. Wouldn't mind doing another one similar down the track, since most boards are now the same length as the standard sheet of ply its probably very doable to make a half decent board with simple technology tho the weight would be up there a tad.
Still, a nice trip down memory lane
Cheers
Absolutely great stuff. I vaguely remember those guys shaping can-openers out of their garage early '80s - great homemade products like these.
Looking at boards like these, and other "logs" people used to ride and jump waves with in the '80s, it is obvious that it is the sailor and not the equipment.
