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Volume 4 Issue 4 More: The Design > The Concept A few years back the desire for a "sporty" and "speedy" sailboat which could be bought, stored and operated with a minimum of inconvenience and cost led to the development of the sailboard. There are perhaps 50 or so variations, the most popular of which is the Sailfish/Sunfish series produced by Alcourt, Inc. of Waterbury, Connecticut. The Sailfish weighs about 120 lbs., is about 13 - 1/2 feet long, has a little less than a 3 foot beam and carries up to 75 sq. ft. of sail on an equilateral lateen rig. The boat is controlled by a conventional tiller with the mainsheet brought forward to midships where the crew (normally one) either sits or lays. The Sunfish is somewhat larger. Both boats owe their success to the sensation they create of great speed in spite of several features known to be less than optimum for high speed designs. The hull's sharp chines and the low aspect ratio lateen sail are the principal objections from an aero - dynamic point of view. Nor are these craft or their many imitations a great deal easier to handle and store than other cat - rigged from the Sabot (slow but handy) to the Finn (fast but unwieldy). The Sailfish/Sunfish is , however, the best attempt so far to combine the features of speed and convenience and is the standard against which ant improvements must be judged. Windsurfing differs from all other forms of sailing in that the boat - named the "Baja Board" - is ridden in a standing position and is controlled and steered by a handheld sail assembly. (Fig. 1). The mast is stepped onto the board through a fully articulated universal joint but is otherwise unsupported. The board is always level and need not be designed for other than zero angle of heel. The sail is held taught between twin booms joined at the mast about 4 - 1/2 feet above the deck. The rider grasps the sail/mast/boom assembly by the windward boom. The sail is trimmed to the apparent wind by pivoting the sail assembly around a vertical axis. The sail's center of effort is adjusted to the center of the hull's resistance forces by "dipping" the sail assembly fore and aft. Thus the sail's driving and turning forces are sensed and controlled directly by the rider of the board. There is no rudder and none is needed. The fact that the rider is standing - not sitting - allows him to quickly adjust the sail position and c.g. location to changing wind and sea conditions. In this position, he also stands well above the waves and spray, that normally attend a small sporty sailing craft. The handheld articulated sail assembly prevents the board from being capsized by high winds and provides a natural dead man control when the rider takes his inevitable swim. In the open ocean the board surfs easily on swells and even on short wind driven chop. A different sailing skill is required, more akin to surfing and skiing - boredom is completely eliminated - and once wind - surfing is mastered, it gives a unique and heady blend of sporting thrills. Next Page: The Design Get just THIS ISSUE for $8 each includes shipping in U.S.

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