Breaking the 50 knot barrier with a wind-powered vehicle is being pursued using several types of watercraft: Freakishly expensive and elaborate sailboats, slightly less freakishly expensive boats that are not seaworthy for any waters other than speed ditches, kiters, and windsurfers. While I’m not writing today to root for the windsurfers (go Finian!) I do want to share a video compilation of all these craft going at it. I do this because I think it shows that the boats are either ridiculous or freakishly expensive (or both) and the kiter…just does not look happy, thus leaving us with the windsurfer (go Finian!):
(I first found this video on LiveSailDie.com.)
The mysterious subject of Do You Know This Board has been identified by two people. Ron Malmgren identified it as an early ’80’s Blue Marlin. From Australia, a sailor using the handle Greenleader added that in Oz the same board was sold as a Sunsurfer, and in other countries the Thai-built board had more names. Thank you Ron and Greenleader! If we can get Steve to take his Blue Marlin/Sunsurfer out for a sesh, we’ll get a photo.
The Long Island windsurfing season kicks off for many people in May (windsurfers for whom a reasonable chance of warmth is a priority.) It’s an exciting time as more sails will be on the water. Don’t forget the swap meet or the ABK clinic if you’re just returning.
Last and least, earlier this week The Peconic Puffin reached two milestones: The 100th post (probably fifty too many, but we’re chatty at the Puffin) and the 20,000th page read (or at least looked at, or perhaps sworn at by a dissatisfied Google search customer.) We will try to do better, but it’s hard to know what people like that we want to write about. How could Bowling for Puffins get no comments? Don’t you CARE???
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