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Speed Windsurfing
http://www.playground-earth.com/magazine/articles/11608/1/Speed-Windsurfing/Page1.html
Marc Fredmen
Marc Fredman is an experienced windsurfer. He provides windsurfing tips on how to windsurf for beginners. You can also take online windsurfing lessons at windsurfing lessons and tips. 
By Marc Fredmen
Published on 09/2/2009
 
Windsurfing as a sport has all the elements to capture your attention - the thrill of riding the waves, the challenge of controlling the board and the flexibility of practicing a range of maneuvers This makes windsurfing a hot favourite among adventure sport lovers
Windsurfing as a sport has all the elements to capture your attention - the thrill of riding the waves, the challenge of controlling the board and the flexibility of practicing a range of maneuvers. This makes windsurfing a hot favourite among adventure sport lovers. There are various levels of windsurfing that you can practice depending on your expertise and inclination. Those who practice windsurfing for recreation usually reach only up to the intermediate level. However, professional surfers indulge in advanced windsurfing forms like slalom or speed sailing.

Speed Sailing

Along with windsurfing, speed sailing also incorporates certain principles of skateboarding. With the increase in popularity of windsurfing, the number of surfers taking up high speed sailing has also increased. A large number of speed sailing competitions are held around the world. The locations are chosen based on their proven track record of strong wind conditions.

The shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific and Atlantic oceans provide perfect conditions for speed sailing. Usually these competitions comprise of several legs with points given for the surfer’s placing in every leg of the race. The surfer with the highest points tally wins. Speed sailing competitions are held on a 500m course.

The International Speedsurfing Association (ISA) under the umbrella of the ISAF is one of the major organizers of speed sailing contests across the world. The World Sailing Speed Records Council keeps track of all the speed sailing results during speed sailing contests organized by the ISAF.

The European Speed Meetings and Speedweeks/fortnight held in Australia are the other major speed sailing competitions that witness major participation from speed sailors. Surfers across the world also organize smaller speed sailing competitions at the local level.

Such organized speed sailing events enable wind surfers to not only enhance their racing skills but also compare the speeds notched by surfers across the world.

Speed Sailing Record

Antoine Albeau, the famous French windsurfer, is the current record holder for speed sailing. He created the record in March 2008 at Saintes Maries de la Mer Canal after he clocked 90.91km/hour (49.09 knots) on a 500 meter course.

Before Albeau, it was Finian Maynard who held the record with 48.7 knots. Maynard achieved this feat on April 10th, 2005. Finian Maynard hails from Ireland but sails for the British Virgin Islands.

Before Finian Maynard, the longest standing record in speed sailing is honoured to the famous Yellow Pages Endeavour – a vessel owned by Australian sailor Simon Mckeon. The Yellow Pages Endeavour held the record for speed sailing for eleven long years, from 1993 to 2004 and had clocked 46.52 knots.

The other big names in the field of speed sailing include Anders Bringdal, Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Robby Naish.

With the advent of modern technology, better quality surfing equipments are now easily available at a comparatively cheaper price. These equipments are user-friendly, which makes it easier for surfers to master different surfing maneuvers. All these factors have greatly contributed to the increase in number of surfers taking up advanced windsurfing forms like speed sailing.