Boards

The Windsurfer pitches as an Olympic Class for Paris 2024

The International Windsurfer Class Association (IWCA) has submitted a presentation to the technical committee of World Sailing in response to their request for new equipment for the Windsurfer events for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Simple, spectacular and inexpensive, these are the key words for the Windsurfer LT (Light),

The IWCA announced its candidacy for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris a few days ago to World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing.

Today the characteristics of the Windsurfer are the same as in 1984. The rig has maintained its original form and it has the same length of the original One Design (366cm), increased width (74cm) and a significantly lower weight (15kg).

The board was slightly redesigned and stiffened as it is not manufactured in polyethylene anymore and it is much lighter as its predecessor.

Inspiration was taken from classic boards of the past, but also referencing the latest processing ideas and the final board was created usinga lightweight EPS core, glass combifabrics and a bio based foaming epoxy via Cobra’s Advanced Surf Technology (AST) process.

Its new name is the Windsurfer LT (Light) and it has been developed as a “White Board”. This means that all interested Windsurfing brands can sell this board under their own logo.

The original Windsurfer concept started in 1968 when Hoyle Schweitzer and Jim Drake filed the first windsurfing patent, granted in 1970.

During the 80’s and 90’s the Windsurfer Class grew massively with over 350,000 one design boards sold globally. The biggest sailing class ever.

With the relaunch of the Class, based on the introduction of the Composite Windsurfer LT in April 2018, by COBRA International Co. Ltd., designed by Bruce Wylie, already over 800 boards have been sold around the world:

Claiming 400+ in Europe, 300+ in Asia/Australia and 100+ in the USA.