History of the Windsurfer LT
The Windsurfer Class was the most successful windsurfing class in the 70’s. In 1982 board sailing was selected for the Olympic Games. However in 1983 the Windglider was selected over the Windsurfer, because the shape of the Windsurfer board varied too greatly, due to it being made of plastic and polyurethane foam. The Windsurfer was used in the demonstration event at the 1984 Olympic Games.
In 1982, at the Windsurfing World Championships in Kingston, we had the greatest number of participants for Windsurfer class racing: 800 from 27 countries! This still stands as the highest number of participants for all one design sailing competitions in history. The equipment was modified to include a partly retractable centre board.
In 2017 the Windsurfer was upgraded significantly. The volume was increased, the under water shape improved, and the centre board became fully retractable. The rig was upgraded to be more stable, while retaining it’s light weight and low cost. It was then rebranded as the “Windsurfer LT” (Light Technology)
The result is a light weight easy to sail strict one design, low cost board. This has revived the class to the point where the class has attracted the best sailors from the past and the World Championship fleets have from 250 to 350 competitors.
In 2024, the New Zealand Windsurfer LT Class was founded by Bruce Kendall, Claudio Barbuzza and Doug Ferguson.
Come join the fun!
Click here for more information on Windsurfer history and regattas held in Australia.