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shreddbob
Joined: 31 Mar 1987 Posts: 361 Location: Hawaii
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:03 am Post subject: |
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Iceratz wrote: |
"Flexi-Tip" mast/sail never really caught on.... that design is still in hibernation waiting for a calling .... |
I remember your JBD sails. A few guys had 'em and really liked them. I might have been a customer if I hadn't been so stoked on my North Infinity sails from '89/'90. The North "Flex Top" mast/sail system did well for me back then--a nice boost in stability. That and Hyperform CNC fins were a real step forward in my sailing. (Glad to get rid of those "fore-fin" things!) There was a real dichotomy with Flex-Top aluminum masts and Constant Curve fiberglass or carbon masts around then as I remember. I actually travelled with my aluminum masts to Maui if you can believe that! (not that I was in the waves for real).
Eventually it sure got expensive, confusing, and hard to keep up when North started transitioning, a bit each year, from total Flex-Top to Constant Curve during the mid 90's. I had tons of North mast sections that I was mixing and matching that became obsolete when I wanted to upgrade my sails--bummer!
Curious if your reference to "Flexi-Tip" is different than "Flex-Top"?
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iceratz@comcast.net
Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 346
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:31 am Post subject: |
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My "Flexi-Tip" mast design was far more radical than the North standards of "Flex top" masts.
My design was purely in development and I had built several quivers, one set of sails went into racing with Pat Lemehaute' , now he is with Aerotech I think. Another set of sails went the mast company Tilletson Pearson whom I was partners with.
My mast was built with a stiff carbon section down low, and a radical tapered section at the tip, which was fashioned from a specific fishing rod.
The tip tapered to the size of your pinky and was swept back to reduce tip drag vorticies.
I got the idea from a hangglider design which is still popular today.
But what was difficult to convince others ..at that time...was the benifts of the leech & head twist.
To date, this was the most stable design enabling 'hands free in the harness' balance.
I have a picture of it somewhere. (Actually dated and notirized design shots)
SimmerStyle came out with a similar rig in the late 90's called the "Cyberace" and I was then credited with my earlier efforts in an article in Windsurf mag.
Like I said, the design is in hibernation....someday may resurface.
It works well! But the current state of the windsurf economy will make specialty rigs like that not likely on a manufacturer's cost basis.
I still have one working mast & sail!
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techno900
Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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For me it began in 1982 with a one hour effort on a windsurfer aboard a charter sailboat in the Virgin Islands. The experience was a total failure (too much wind & current), but I was so frustrated, I committed to mastering the sport.
It took about a year to find a guy that rented windsurfers from his garage and then after a few days of self taught floundering, I bought a book plus a HiFly 500. Shortly I was on my way and began racing, winning a trophy in 1984.
RACING hooked me, but the HiFly wasn't competitive so I bought a Mistral Superlight in late 1984 (I still have this board and regatta sail, both in excellent condition & I still race it a couple of times a year).
In August 1985 I made my first trip to the gorge.
This shot was in Jan. 1986 on my Bruce Jones board on a Dallas lake. Only one mast so the small sail rigged a bit high. The only harness in those days were chest harnesses with the hook sternum high. However, I am not sure why I had the booms so high.
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sailingjoe
Joined: 06 Aug 2008 Posts: 1087
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Pictures?
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outcast
Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:02 am Post subject: |
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No Joe....way too creepy....sorry.
Nice Tri-Radial! I had the 64 square footer.
Sailed a Dallas lake at one point early too....Somewhere near Ft Worth.
So....Lots a early 80's stuff here....can interpret that as has beens.....or maybe something electric about the sport's growth at that time
_________________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=zw0MgkO7VXw |
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sailingjoe
Joined: 06 Aug 2008 Posts: 1087
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:30 am Post subject: |
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outcast wrote: | No Joe....way too creepy....sorry.
Nice Tri-Radial! I had the 64 square footer.
Sailed a Dallas lake at one point early too....Somewhere near Ft Worth.
So....Lots a early 80's stuff here....can interpret that as has beens.....or maybe something electric about the sport's growth at that time | Let's see, was the hot med student creepy or the thought of keeping her picture creepy? Whatever, sport has always been the slave of it's fads. Windsurfing in the early 80's was like kiting is today. It's funny but once all the hoopla passes and equipment goes through it's development phases there are a lot fewer people using the improved stuff. Nevertheless, the true athletes then will take the sport up in earnest. I saw my first windsurfer in '73 when I lived and worked in Southern California. However, I didn't have a 12 foot board of my own until '90.
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iceratz@comcast.net
Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 346
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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Iceratz wrote: | Fall 1983, parking lot sailing on skateboard.
Winter 83-84, ICE sailing a Freeskate..mastered duck jibes.
Spring 1984, water started & floated for first time on a 8'6" Angulo wave board. |
Here are 2 pics of the above worth posting.
Icesailing on Barngat Bay January 84'
This is the first sail with foot battens added prior Fall.
A shot of punching shorebreak at Cape Hatteras on an Angulo wave 8'6" in Spring of 84'
Ice sailing experience made for a rapid learning curve!
The "stoke" for me was contributing to the sail developments of the 80's while also learning the sport.
This is a great topic and I have enjoyed reading others stories!
Stoked for the FALL!!
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Last edited by iceratz@comcast.net on Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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iceratz@comcast.net
Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 346
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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shreddbob wrote: |
Curious if your reference to "Flexi-Tip" is different than "Flex-Top"? |
Here is a pic of 1st "Flexi-Tip" sail, built and destroyed in Hood River '85!
As you can see, its quite different with a curved mast tip cut.
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outcast
Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724
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paulf.
Joined: 21 Mar 1996 Posts: 435
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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to echo justall: made the move to seabrook/ hampton harbor after a year of lake sailing. harness but no straps yet on my F2 strato. windy enough to put on the 5.7 instead of the 7. hanging on for dear life, in just discovered planing mode. getting passed like i'm dredging the harbor by the local hotshots on hypertech shortboards moving at the speed of the space shuttle. what the fuck is that? and now i know where i'm going with this silly addiction.
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