I found this over on boardseeker. Includes one aussie GPSTC member still going for it...
Great vid, looks like it was a close competition.
There has been good tech progress when you think they would be doing 10 kts + more today in the same conditions and on 'over-the-counter' gear.
Man I have to take out that allegro of mine in some good wind soon!!!
Love the glow sails, Man they stand out and look faster, something for the industry to embrace.
I think sails are going this way again, which I support especially if offshore sailing
and look very distinctive on the water..
Looking at the vids it looks to me fins in those days where not ideal..lots of guys crabbing sideways, the sails all though relatively tight leached seemed to go ok.
I recon fin design is one of the main diff between now and then.
Maybe PD can comment...if he can remember that far back;)
It was actually 1988 [bloody hell - half my lifetime ago] and yes I can remember Snides!!
The boards were a lot narrower - I had a 13" [33], 14.5" [37] and 16" [41] Santoshas shaped by Greg Laurenson.
My fins were generally dolphin type shapes with a cut out base that I made myself. Used mainly NP RAF speeds from 3.9 to 5.4 - the very first monofilm came out this year! Used pretty small sails compared today and yes Snides there was not a lot of loose leach action.
Maybe the whole combination was making us crab although I only remember going sideways a split second before I crashed!
Masts were aluminum although Haywood had an early proto Fiberspar he was testing.
Curtis made fins for most of the top guys and they all used Jimmy Lewis boards.
By the way - the skinny blonde kid from 1:09 is one B Dunkerbeck.....and I smoked him!!!
