Testing the Concept

The Tushingham Concept, launched only a few days ago has already generated a lot of interest.

Previously the four batten phenomena had been aimed at freestyle/wave windsurfers, but now Tushingham have produced a light weight, easy to handle sail suited to a greater range of sailor.

Boards finds out more from Team Tushingham…

Tushingham are the first brand to offer a non-hardcore 4-batten design since the recent trend towards this configuration in wave and freestyle sails. The Edge freestyle-wave sail took a full two years of development and helped Ken Black in designing the Concept. However, the Concept is NOT simply a detuned Edge. The rider style, board type and sailing conditions will not be the same for most Concept riders so it’s built to offer greater drive and sustained power, while the Edge has “on-off” power which is more manoeuvre focused.

Who was involved in the R and D?

In 2011, the UK’s varied conditions threw up a perfect mix of windy, gusty and lighter conditions which allowed Paul Simmons and Dave Hackford to explore the full range of the prototype sails on flat water through to lumpy, wavy conditions in Bigbury Bay. Then Simon Bornhoft took a couple of models out to Egypt and gave them a thorough workout on flat water with a range of riders.

Which team riders are using this sail? 

Being a non-specialist sail the hardcore racers, wave sailors and freestylers are not riding the Concept. However, Tushingham’s accomplished three technique gurus, Simon Bornhoft, Peter Hart and Sam Ross carry the Concept in their quivers, as they’re great sails for progressing windsurfers.

Those who like a bit of windsurfing on their SUP boards also find the Concept’s blend of light weight, manoeuvrability and low-end “grunt” works really well to power SUP boards in light winds.

A sail for everyone

What sort of windsurfer would the Concept suit?

• Any progressing windsurfers who favour ease of use and a lightweight feel over ultimate top-end stability.
• Light weight and smaller riders, who will appreciate the lighter physical weight of the 4-batten design.
• Families looking for an uncomplicated sail for summer breezes, with accessible performance freeride for all riders.

In the UK the Concept is also available as a superb value complete package with the Starboard GO and Rio boards.

Full specifications are available on the Tushingham website.

More on Boards featuring Tushingham and Starboard:

Batwing Spotted on UK shores

Winter with Jamie Drummond

Don’t Stop Believing with Sam Ross

Peter Hart Dahab Masterclass

Make Your Move with Simon Bornhoft

BSA Hayling Island

Paul Simmons from event sponsors Tushingham reports from the first British Slalom Association (BSA) event of the season last weekend at Hayling Island: From a long way out the wind forecast for Easter had been very poor: every forecast could have been interpreted as “no chance of slalom”. It was a pleasant surprise then, to see thirty two eager competitors registered on Saturday morning. The other good news was that the sun was out and temperatures were already warm by the 10am briefing.

That many forecasters can’t be wrong though and the wind that never topped five knots all day fell close to calm at times, making for near-perfect SUP conditions. Many of the windsurfers took advantage of the demo boards provided by Starboard and other brands. An unusually chilled vibe ran through the competitors: an outsider could have been forgiven for thinking that B.S.A. represented British Sunbathing Association!

For those with energy to burn, an action-packed SUP sprint race was held off the beach with the UKWA freestylers up against the creme of the UK’s slalom talent. With a little sabotage adding to the excitement, it was the slalom team that took the win against all the odds. With temperatures soaring though, it was time to get back on the beach for some seriously hardcore chilling. The exception was Marie Buchanan, who decided along with a couple of the Fanatic riders that paddling 13 miles in the blazing sun all the way around the island would be fun.

To accompany the pleasant evening sunshine, the smell of several barbeques hung over the event site as many competitors took advantage of the unseasonably good weather. Others dined out at the Inn on the Beach: perfect for most windsurfers, offering a number of tasty dishes and good beer.

Sunday morning began with a promising breeze as Hayling Island was once again bathed in sunshine. Gusts peaked at around nine knots, sufficient for the lighter or more skilled riders to plane occasionally but below the requirements for official competition. There was a series of fun Master Blasters throughout the day, with competitors on raceboards having a huge advantage in the light winds. After eight rounds we saw a family clean-sweep of the podium with Zak Page edging ahead of his dad Mark and younger brother Finn not far behind in third. Some non-Master Blaster racers from the Pro and Amateur fleets chose to race in the light winds and  RSX sailor Joe Bennett (sailing Bob Ingram’s Phantom Race 380) deserves a mention, taking a clear first place thanks to his excellent raceboard skills.

Trevor Funnell’s UKWA freestyle competitors wowed the Hayling crowds in the light winds, making use of the windsurfable SUP boards, which seem to make excellent platforms for lightwind freestyle. On Sunday afternoon they reverted to their standard boards and towed behind the boat to allow planing tricks and big crashes. PWA star Max Rowe was a stand-out rider but all competitors provided superb entertainment, enhanced by Muzza & Aussie Steve’s commentaries over the PA system.

A massive thank you to everyone who made the effort to attend despite the low winds and thanks to every one of the UKWA team for helping run a slick operation. The event clearly demonstrated there is a great time to be had out on the water without the need for planing conditions. Having said this, our fingers are firmly crossed for a good force five or more at the next event in Weymouth on 21st & 22nd May. There will be a couple of special announcements concerning this event coming soon so check out www.windsurf-bsa.com and www.ukwindsurfing.com in the coming weeks.

BSA Slalom

Tushingham / Starboard are set to kick off the BSA Series with a BANG!

Major supporters of the successful BSA Slalom series – Tushingham & Starboard are throwing their full weight behind the curtain raiser for the 2011 season, the HAYLING ISLAND SLALOM on Easter Weekend 23^rd & 24^th April.

Three fleets in the BSA support ALL levels of windsurfer, including youngsters and novice racers. There will be goodie bags for all competitors, professional photography of every rider and plenty of prizes for all fleets.  If that’s not enough, Jamie Gibbs & Paul Simmons will be on hand with a van full of demo kit to try out all weekend!

The HISC “Round Hayling” takes place on Good Friday (22^nd) so if you’re in the area, why not make it a double-whammy and take part in both?! There’s plenty of good B&B’s all over the island.

More info www.windsurf-bsa.com

Dan in action, by Tim Daish

After eight days of racing, new Tushingham/Starboard Team rider Dan Skudder competed as part of the Army Team with fellow rider Allan Cross in the Inter Service Speed Week as part of Weymouth Speed Week.

Armed with the latest Tushingham X15 sails and Starboard iSonics, after a long hard battle throughout the week, the team was successful in securing a win with the rest of the Army team against the Royal Navy and thus crowned Inter Service Speed Champions 2010.

With barely a pause for breath, it was straight into the Inter Service Individual and Team Formula Championships, part of the UKWA National Team Championships also held in Portland Harbour.

On the Saturday, in challenging formula conditions of 25+ knots they utilised their X-15 Formula Sails and Starboard Formula boards to great overall effect with their fellow army sailors. With light winds on the Sunday and after 7 races, it was indeed another win for the Army team, also crowned as the National Team winners.

20-year-old Dan showed the fleet a clean pair of heels, putting his past RS-X training to good use by leading the way and was eventually crowned as the Inter Service Formula Champion 2010.

Dan’s new sponsor, Paul Simmons from Tushingham comments:

“With such a strong racing community in the armed forces, it is most pleasing to see a fresh face storming ahead of the fleet, especially as he’s using our latest race gear! Impressively, all through Weymouth Speed Week Dan demonstrated real dedication, seeming to clock in more runs than anyone else. With new slalom gear on the way, Dan will be looking to make a big impression on the BSA Slalom Series in 2011.”

More at tushingham.com

Tushingham Sails and Starboard UK have teamed up with Rat Rigs Watersports to host the very first event of the new British Slalom Association series on the beautiful South Wales coast.

Tenby is a little further to travel than your local sailing spot, but well worth the extra miles. It’s a beautiful location that delivers superb slalom conditions in a wide range of wind directions and offers shelter from the ocean swells. The Surflink building, which hosts the lifesaving and rowing clubs, provides excellent shower facilities and there’s an abundance of good campsites and hotels nearby.

Held over the Easter Holiday Weekend, racing will take place from Saturday lunchtime to Monday lunchtime, allowing competitors and families plenty of time for travelling and to avoid Bank Holiday traffic.

A significant change to the slalom series for 2010 will be the racing format for newcomers to racing and those a little nervous about giving it a go. The BSA series will see a ‘Master Blaster‘ class, high on enjoyment without the pressure of battling experienced racers. It’s simple round-the-buoy-and-back racing, following the massive success of this format at the National Windsurf Festival. In between these races, competitors can watch top-level national racing while team riders will offer coaching and demo gear. Every new racer to enter the Master Blaster fleet will go into a draw for a new Tushingham sail, which will be drawn at the prize-giving.

Tushingham’s Paul Simmons comments: “The location is absolutely stunning and a few years ago hosted some of the most exciting slalom racing seen in recent years on UK shores. As well as catering for the elite racers, one of the main aims of the BSA is to provide accessible and fun racing for everyone. Whether you’re a serious racer or just want a good weekend of windsurfing, there’s no better location to give it a go – so come along and make a holiday weekend of it!”

Tenby Slalom Easter Weekend – Sat 3rd to Mon 5th April

More info at www.ukwindsurfing.com and the new BSA website – coming soon.

Or to keep bang up to date with this event, join the MPORA group here