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geohaye
Joined: 03 Apr 2000 Posts: 1437
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:03 pm Post subject: Support Windsurfing in Victoria, Australia |
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If you windsurf in Oz or plan to, pitch in by sending a letter of support for windsurfing in Victoria, Australia. Here's the call for support from the Windsurfing Victoria group:
original message
As noted in the recent WV newsletter (The WV Gybe Mark - ED#22) and at the WV 2011 AGM, WV is organising a meeting with Parks Victoria later this month (21st July 2011) to discuss a number of issues relating to their rezoning of the bay, etc.
The meeting will include an outline to Parks Victoria of the status of the sport of windsurfing as at 2011 and the recent resurgence in growth as well as explaining how new entrants to the sport go through various stages in developing their skills. WV will be explaining the types of access needed to the bay and the conditions that are best suited to these development stages and to the various elements within the windsurfing community. In addition WV will also be highlighting a number of the up and coming key windsurfing events and the links these events have to benefits to Victoria in terms of tourism etc.
WV is very keen to hear from the windsurfing community regarding any positive statements regarding windsurfing in Victoria (or the sport as a whole) as well as gathering questions you may have about how Parks Victoria’s rules and regulations for our local bays and waterways will affect windsurfing. WV will combine all the relevant statements and questions to be presented at the meeting.
Listed below are some examples.
Statements:
1. With modern windsurfing equipment windsurfing has become a lot easier to learn and progress much quicker than 20 years ago
2. First time windsurfers can now learn the basics within hours of receiving lessons
3. There are more people and clubs assisting with the teaching and the growth of windsurfing now compared to a decade ago
4. Over the last decade with the new windsurfing equipment (high tech materials and design) and local support, windsurfing has progressed towards more of a ‘short’ board sport, where short board sailing is based on planing (i.e. the board requires speed to lift the board on top of the water to help keep the board moving)
5. For a beginner to progress towards short board sailing they need to learn how to water start (i.e. let the sail, with reasonable wind, pull the sailor out the water onto board rather than standing on the board and pulling up a sail).
6. For beginners to progress towards short board sailing they need to learn how to plan (see item 4 above) and to do this in stronger winds
7. Windsurfing in the 80s and 90s was seen as a big sport in Melbourne, as there was a lot of windsurfers sailing at St Kilda beach. With the growth of windsurfing and trends towards short board sailing, most of these windsurfers have adventured to other locations around Victoria, including dozens of locations in our bays.
8. The growth of windsurfing over the past few years is starting to look to be as big as it was in the 80s and 90s, with a number of international events being held in Melbourne (i.e. yearly Sail Melbourne event and the up and coming Neil Pryde World Racing Series final, both events include the windsurfing Olympic Class category)
9. As a host to both world and local events, and having one of the best natural speed strips in the world (i.e. Sandy Point), Victoria is once again getting world wide attention with regards to windsurfing on our local water ways.
Questions:
1. With speed restrictions in place within 200m of the shore (several hundred metres at Rye), how can beginner windsurfers be expected to learn to sail in a safe environment when they have to go so far out to avoid breaking speed restrictions?
2. When the weather conditions change and the speed/size of the incoming swell/waves must be overcome for a sailing craft to sail through, how does the speed restriction rules apply when the force required to get through the swell/wave is greater than the speed restriction?
3. How does regular sailing (i.e. non-permit event) from a Yacht or Sailing club within Victoria work with the current PV speed rules (e.g. close to shore and other water craft)?
4. What are the requirements and procedures to obtain a Parks Victoria permit for a windsurfing event?
If you could have your statement and/or questions please send them to this email address by no later than CoB on 15th July 2011.
--
Best Regards,
Stephen Coward
President
Windsurfing Victoria Inc
Mobile: 0412823934
Email: president@wv.org.au
Web: www.wv.org.au |
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