Stuart Holland’s review of the 2011 RRD Obsession MKIII

Posted on by Emile Kott

Having just tried the 2011 RRD Obsession kites on Friday and Saturday I though I’d let you know what differences I’d found between these and the 2010 kites. On the Friday I tried the 7.0m with winds gusting 28 knots averaging just over 25, and Saturday the 9m in winds gusting 27 knots averaging 26, later dropping off to around gusts of 18 and average of 15 knots.

The 7m I found to turn just as fast as the 2010, but it had more bar pressure and a feeling of more lift, very stable in the air, and quicker to re-launch, the times that I dropped it. The new bar was fantastic, the only fault, if I could find one, is not have the adjustable stopper as per the previous global bar to stop the kite completely losing power when you let the bar go, some people I’m sure will like this though.

The 9m I found to be slightly less quick in turning, but it again had more bar pressure and feeling of lift than the 2010 obsession, when the winds dropped a little… more like the conditions that I would normal take it out (15 to 20 knots) it was fantastic, great unhooked, never giving me the impression it was going to fall out of the sky, and re-launching was a dream, even in waves.
I would recommend trying or even better buying these kites.

Review of the New 2011 / V4 RRD Wavecult Quad 75 and 83

Posted on by Emile Kott

Emile:
I always air on the side of scepticism when new technologies appear that are ‘guaranteed’ to improve your sailing. I have to admit to hanging on to a single fin Fanatic while everyone around me was buying new multi-finned offerings just because I felt that it suited the way I sailed (mainly jumping) a lot better.

This week, I tried the new RRD Wave Cult Quads and I have to say that I am very very impressed.

Jumping on, the first thing I noticed is a surprisingly sure-footed feeling as the board accelerates onto the plane. They don’t feel skatey, like the twin fins or some monoconcave single fins do. The boards are maybe ever so slightly slower to get going than an early planing single fin, but not annoyingly so.

Once up and going, they feel incredibly smooth and the nose seems to sit fairly low in the water. This was especially noticeable because I had been overpowered and spinning out a lot on a single fin just before and the 75 that I jumped straight onto (with the same sail) was suddenly easily controllable and very composed in the water.

The sure footed feeling seems very useful when boosting airs and backlooping (my personal obsession). You can setup to jump exactly when and where you want to – easily absorbing the waves that you don’t want to jump off without any fear of spin out (there is nothing more annoying than spinning out into a perfect, steep ramp!)

In the gybe, the rail seems to have an endless bite and drive that you can set as tight as you like and still plane out! (very impressive)

On the way in, I found once on a wave, you can point stupidly high upwind and still keep going – useful in strong tides. The bottom turn, like the gybe is full of bite and drive and you can alter it as needed to make sure you hit where you want to… The top turn is really where the magic happens. Out with the slide and in with the gouge is what I say! The tail no longer seems to break free like a twinser or a stubby waveboard, it just hooks in and throws spray, much to my delight!

Another very useful feature is that you only seem to need a few inches of water in which to gybe the board on the inside!

I tried the 75 and 83. They both feel fairly similar. The 83 does give you that extra bit of float for gusty wind or heavier sailors and possibly gets going slightly earlier than the 75. The 75 feels like it is impossible to be overpowered and I can’t see many people needing smaller!

So there you are, I am very impressed! I must point out that I am not sponsored to have this opinion, I am just stoked on windsurfing like a little boy again!

Emile

Extra windsurfing and kitesurfing course dates at West Wittering Windsurf Club

Posted on by Emile Kott

To celebrate this onset of wind, we have some additions to our course dates for October.

KIDS Courses
Watermans (Thursday after school kids’ course) 7th, 14th and 21st October, 4-5pm: £36 for all 3 sessions
This is the best after school club – an intro to windsurf, surf, powerkite and “Ocean Education” depending on the tides. We provide the best equipment so all you need to do is get here as soon as the bell rings!
(Age 7+)

Team 15 (Age 7-15 Windsurfing tuition) Sunday 3rd, 10th and 17th at 10.30-Midday: £12 per session
Team15 is a nationwide network of windsurfing clubs where young people (aged 15 and under) can get together every week to learn new windsurfing skills and have a laugh with their mates on the water. Since the same faces come back every week, it’s also a great opportunity to make new friends.
 
Saturday Surf Club (Saturday Morning kids’ course) 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd at 10-Midday: £25 per sessionSaturday surf club offers kids an into to windsurf, surf, powerkite and all things beach, depending on the tides and conditions. We provide the best equipment available. What better thing to do on a saturday morning?
(Age 7-12)
 
Rippers Carve and Tack Course (3 hour advanced windsurfing clinic) 19th, 27th, time TBC £75 per session
This is an advanced kids’ windsurfing course. We will break the carve gybe down into manageable chunks as well as looking at the basic tack and how to make it work well on a smaller board. All students must be able to plane comfortably in the harness.
(Age 7-16)
 
Rippers Intro to Waves Course (3 hour advanced windsurfing clinic) 22nd and 25th at times TBC £75 per session
This is designed for kids who want to take on waves for the first time in a safe way. We will look at launching and landing in the surf, how to control the board through the rough stuff and where and how to safely play in the waves. All students must be able to plane comfortably in the harness.
(Age 7-16)
 

Kitesurfing
Kite Improvers Courses 20th, 22nd and 23rd time TBC, £89 per sessionA course to assist you in getting on the board, riding both ways and staying upwind. This follows on from the learn to kitesurf course.
 
Other Courses
Chicks that RIP and SUP (Windsurfing / SUPing course for women) 13th Oct, Time TBC £89
This course is designed to take advantage of whatever the conditions throw at us. If there is wind, we will windsurf, paddlesurf if not. Both sports complement each other amazingly well and with both of them under you belt, it is hard to find time to do anything apart from being on the water!

Emile’s October Backloop Bonanza (THE clinic to get you around your backloops): The first backloopable day out of: 9th, 10th, 23rd or 24th at 9am ’til death or tears: £120 (the best £120 you have ever spent!)

Emile’s Backlooping Clinic is back! After a very successful course last year, I am looking for those who are thinking about rotations or have started going for them. If you are nailing your floaty jumps and are ready to step up to the next level with video coaching and the utmost personal attention, then this course is for you!

Nah-Skwell Paddleboards as 2XS

Posted on by Emile Kott

Nah-Skwell have produced an amazing line of paddleboards with some very new thinking.

The board are generally a lot less voluminous than you might be used to but they have been shaped carefully so as not to give up any stability.

The favourite at the beach seems to be the Surf Series but I am pretty sure that the 7’8 Fish would work really well in the mushy waves that we know and love.

I never thought I would be recommending a 7ft 8 paddleboard! For more information, give us a call or grab Simon at the beach.

SUPs tested: Surftech Bark 12ft6 and Mitcho 12ft6

Posted on by Emile Kott

Simon Bassett and Paul Burgess checked out the Surftech 12’6 Bark Competitor (12’6 x 29″) and Surftech Mitcho (12’6×27″). Here is what they thought:

Simon:

The 12’6 Bark would be my preferred choice of the two boards as it sits closer to the bark 14 ft expedition that I use and did the channel crossing on earlier in the year. I think if you want a board to race in stock class events that is going to be competitive in flat, choppy and open ocean conditions its going to be hard to beat. Personally I not sure if want a collection of distance boards – I think I need a bigger garage! To have a flat water board, a down winder and sprint model is very expensive. The Bark 12’6 I think will fit well into all three categories and sit on a van or car without to much overhang.

I noticed straight away was it was very comfortable to ride and had real nice glidey feel when you paddled hard –stable in the turns and would cut through chop with its vee shaped nose. Although we didn’t get chance to use it in rough water, I am certain it would handle some waves well if you had to come in through surf as it still has a surf board feel about it and flatter hull section at the tail .I think this will make a perfect choice for for all weather distance board and still be very fast in competition.

As you would expect from surftech the boards and made extremely well and feel very light with a price tag of £999.00

The 12’6 Mitcho: you have take a serious look at anything with Jamie Mitchell’s name on it – its a lightweight performance machine which has a completely different feel to the bark 12.6. As soon as you get on it it feels more unstable and definitely requires better technique to balance. The board has a very corky feel. The Mitcho feels like a board you have to work at to get the best out of. There is no question that this board is very fast and it in flat-water conditions it is amazing. In rougher water, you will need more technique to get the most out of the mitcho 12’6. Underneath the hull there is a lot of concave with a chimed rail (this will allow some railing to go on to reduce the hull’s wetted surface to increase speed and control. The blue camo graphics are pimp, it comes with a well balanced handle, good deck pad and epoxy fin .The mitcho costs £999.00

Paul:
Surftech 12-6 Mitcho

A specialist 12 ft 6” race machine (250 L volume) for dedicated racers in most conditions or light-weight riders in flat water. Light and good-looking, with a comfortable and grippy deck pad. Accelerates fast for sprinting, very easy to turn, yet good tracking. Fairly narrow width (27”) makes for easy strokes and a good technical style for the proficient. A proven race design in the States, it has been used to devastating effect by some of the best SUP sprinters in the world. Probably not the first choice for a beginner, unless you have good balance and intend to paddle on flat or protected waters (e.g. rivers, canals, estuaries etc). But if you are a competent racer looking for that edge, this board may give it to you, in a practical, durable, and good-looking package. Light-weight and/or smaller casual riders may also find the sleek design more easy to handle – although it is 250 litres in volume, this is “hidden” within the design, and to look at, and when carrying and moving the board around it feels like less.

Surftech Bark Competitor 12 ft 6”
Originally designed for sprint racing in and out of the surf, this board has turned out to be much more versatile than just that. It is wider than many race/distance boards (29”) and, combined with the squared-off tail and generous volume of the rails, this gives it good stability. This is a race-proven design, but one which may also suit the more casual user who wants a board with better distance capability than a surf-oriented SUP, but doesn’t want the hassle of a longer and heavier board. Light for a non-carbon board of this volume (233 L), and built to a high standard of finish. It also has an extremely comfortable flat deck pad for standing, which will be very handy over longer distances (although of course there may be a slight compromise on grip in extreme conditions and extreme racing moves). Very manoeuvrable, and surprisingly user-friendly for a design with this race pedigree, the looks and finish are excellent too. An extremely popular choice for those seeking a 12-6 (stock class) distance or race board with more everyday-usability than some. As soon as I tried it was obvious why it has been so popular – it makes speedy sprinting easy, but will be comfortable for longer trips around the coast or inland waters as well.

Hayling Island National Windsurfing Festival

Posted on by Emile Kott

Club member and West Wittering local Grahame Petit went with his family to this year’s National Windsurfing Festival at Hayling Island. He very kindly sent us this story and photos:

The National Windsurfing Festival again hit the shores of Hayling Island over the weekend of the 4th & 5th of September and what a fantastic event it was!

WWWC members and the Golden Ticket gang from Maui (Goodwin’s Junior, senior, very senior plus the Pettit’s) gathered up their kit for a rare excursion off The Peninsular and away from their home break. Given the relatively light Easterly winds big kit was the order of the day with many of the National fleet coming out with monster size boards and fins to ensure early planning off the beach in the crowded start line comprising over 300 competitors.

For those who haven’t done this event yet get it in your diary for 2011 now! It is a really fun event with great clinic’s,Live band and party on Saturday night plus the opportunity to sail / race at whatever level you feel comfortable. We had entries in most categories spanning; Under 4m Turbo 15 fleet (Jack Pettit, Leah Goodwin, Emily Goodwin), Ladies freeride (Michelle Pettit, Jane Goodwin), Junior freeride (Johnny Goodwin), Male freeride veterans (Grahame Pettit, Justin Goodwin, Francis (my back hurts) Goodwin.

Whilst I will be the first to admit that big slalom style kit is not my thing it didn’t stop me having great fun and participating in 6 master blaster races, the pros tag team and the night elimination – all on a Starboard Carve 131 and an 8m Tushingham Tbird (Big thanks to my neighbour Rik for loaning this kit). I think my overall placing was 31st and 18th in class.

However for us the single best bit was the under 16 year old fleet. Lead by the ever enthusiastic Chris Lewis Southern co-ordinator for the RYA T15 fleet a full on programme saw them compete in 5 races on the Saturday, 2 on the Sunday.

In the Saturday the racing was close in every heat with all of the competitors getting off the beach well and aiming for the gybe mark as a tight pack this continued into the Saturday with slightly more wind ensuring the action was fast and furious. Eventual honours went to Jack Pettit with, I think it was, three first, two seconds and a fourth & a fifth. Coming a close second and only able to complete on the Saturday was James Arnell- Smith.

Saturday evening saw them tape on the glowsticks & compete in a dusk dash teamed up with the pros – James was delighted to pick Skyeboy and Jack felt he had chosen well with Matt Perch (Overall event winner). However after the first leg sailed out and back in the dark by the Juniors the event organisers humour kicked in – yes the sight of a 90kg Matt trying to pump Jacks JP Young Gun and Hot Sails Maui 3.8 onto the plane gave all the spectators something to smile about.

Somehow into this busy schedule was a forward looping clinic lead, both on and off the water, by non-other than Boujmaa Guillol! I know many of the spectators and competitors watched in awe as the youngsters from 8 years old and up launched themselves enthusiastically over the handlebars and painlessly into the water. I for one know the race is on as to who will land a loop first in my family!

As the event drew to a close on Sunday afternoon the wind cranked up a bit more to ensure the pros freestyle event really gave us something to watch and cheer about with eventual winner Ben Proffitt displaying a great repertoire including fully planning forwards, back loops, spocks, Vulcans and shakkas all off virtually flat water!

The final prize giving ensured many competitors, not just the event winners, went away clutching prizes and helping raise funds for the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity through the silent auction. Final words must be to say a big thank you to event organiser Allan Cross and his team, all of the competitors and Hayling Borough Council – Roll on next year!

John Skye and the new RRD Quad boards

Posted on by Emile Kott

On 2nd September we launched the new 2011 RRD Hardcore Quad; RRD Cult Quad and the RRD Hardcore & Cult single fins at Crouchers Hotel with Jem Hall, Jon Skye, Wouter and Jai from Seasprite.

Jon had some really interesting comments to make about the two different boards – in particular he really stressed the importance of the shape rather than the amount of fins in the board – so however many fins the way the board is shaped and the rocker line will still make the biggest difference as to how the board will perform.

Jon who has been heavily involved in the development of these boards explained that he tends to use the Cult 75 as his all round board in most locations and recommended this board for most sailors on the UK coastline. He felt the Cult 75 and 83 are modelled on similar rocker lines to the 82 Twin Fin and have the added advantage of the 4 fin set up which increases the turning performance and grip of the board.

The real benefits of the Quad over the Twin are the board grip in the top turns and the extra drive/speed in bottom turns; real positive feel when you take off jumping and extra control when you are seriously overpowered.

With regards to fin set up on the Quad – Jon’s set up was 33cm from the tail of the board to the leading edge of the fin and then the side fins are either 2 or 3 finger spacing forward of that. The further forward you put your side fins the more control over the board you will have in turns.

Jon also explained that the Hardcore range of boards has more rocker in it and sits deeper in the water so is slightly harder to get up onto the plane and requires bigger, cleaner waves to get the most out of this board.

With regards to the new 2011 Single Fin board – with RRD, these are the same shape but just with a single fin option – it depends on whether you are after that “drivey feel” which handles flat, chop, waves without any problems or if you are looking for something which is more biased towards wave riding in the UK, then the Cult Quad is your option!

Thanks to Lloyd @ Crouchers Hotel for letting us use his mighty fine bar area to launch these boards – http://www.croucherscountryhotel.com/

Witterings Charity Paddle Race 2010 – a huge success

Posted on by Emile Kott
The annual Witterings Charity Paddle race went ahead on Sunday 22nd August in aid of the Sussex Snowdrop trust. The annual event organised by 2XS, X-train and The Shore Surf Club had 28 competitors who paddled on surf boards, SUPs, Kayaks, prone surf boards and outrigger style kayaks. The fun event has been going for 5 years and locals from the Shore Surf Club and West Wittering Windsurf Club compete with others for fun over the 1/2 mile between East and West Wittering beach.

The poor August weather didn’t put off the competitors who raced up the shore line at low tide. The starts were staggered – kayaks went first followed by prone surfboards, surfboards and finally SUPs. The whole idea of the event is fun: to bring the community together between East and West Wittering and raise some money for charity.
Plenty of families were at the event, children under 10 taking part as well as the oldest competitor at nearly 70 who made the distance. The local CDC patrol service, PUMA safety were on hand for safety backup along with a jet ski from WWWC and lifeguards from West Wittering Beach.
It was good to see plenty of entrants from WWWC: Chris Mclaron, who raised nearly £360 and was behind me on a SUP, James and Archie Mellor and Holly Bassett. James, Sasha and Steve Arnell Smith as well James Randall who won the prone surfing. Oliver Chiperfield, who was the first non outrigger kayak and showed how running 5K three times a week can change your fitness. It would be good to see a few more next year.
Keith Rathbone won the overall event on his 18ft outrigger, Simon Bassett was 1st SUPer, James Randall 1st prone paddler, Nicoli Rotterman 1st surfer, Holly Bassett 1st lady and first junior SUP, James Anrell Smith first junior surfer and the Crawford brothers 1st junior kayak. Chris Mclaron won the award for the most money raised as well as Roger Wilson for being the oldest competitor

Organisers Adriano Roldan, Graham Taplin and Simon Bassett were all very happy with the result – not only was the event good fun but also we raised over £1150 for the Sussex Snowdrop trust. Next season’s event is planned for the Sunday 24th July 2011.

Thanks to all who helped run the event: Adriano, Tony, Graham, Sue, Clive, Will and Russell on the Barbie, the Shore Surf Club, Keith and Martin from Puma safety, Chris, Adam, Andy, Bobbie and Jane from X-train and West Wittering lifeguards Will, Ali and Jenny.

Results:
1 Keith Rathbone 9H Other Crafts / Sea Canoe 17:05
2 Rick Knight 4F Kayak 17:38
3 Simon Basset 1D SUP race 21:25 (1st SUP)
4 Oliver Chipperfield 21F Kayak 22:38 (1st Kayak)
5 Nick & Oscar 25F Kayak 23:46
6 James Randall (life guard) 18G Prone Paddle Board 23:50 (1st Prone Paddleboard)
7 C Mc Larnon 7D SUP 25:14
8 Billy & Charly Crawford 5F Kayak Junior 25:20 (1st Junior)
9 Peter Symms 29A Surfboard 25:36 (1st Surfboard)
10 James Mellor 26D SUP 25:39
11 Nicolai Roterman 20A Surfboard 25:48
12 Graham Taplin 3G Prone Paddle Board 27:14
13 Ken Harmer 11D SUP 27:20
14 Brian James 6D SUP 28:13
15 Steve Smith 15D SUP 29:39
16 Chris Dixon 10D SUP 32:53
17 Russell Taplin 2A Surfboard 33:51
18 Mary Roterman 14B Surfboard Ladies 34:29 (1st Ladies Surfer)
19 Chris Watkins 13G Prone Paddle Board 37:14
20 Adriano 22A Surfboard 38:55
21 Shane Geary 8A Surfboard 39:14
22 Holly Basset 28A SUP 40:02 (1st Ladies Junior)
23 Dave & Archi Gammon 19H Other Craft / Outrigger 41:19
24 Sharon Taplin 24E SUP ladies 42:40
25 Sasha Arnell Smith 16F Kayak Junior 43:50
26 Archie Mellor 27D SUP Junior 44:32
27 James Arnell Smith 17C Surfboard Junior 46:12
28 Roger Wilson 23G Prone Paddle Board 47:05