BBSC will see a bit of history being made around the January long weekend, when it hosts the 2006/2007 Windsurfer One Design nationals. It marks 30 years since the first nationals for the Windsurfer One Design, the original windsurfer. While the class has pretty much died out in other countries, the board (updated in the '80s) has kept its following in Australia. The fact that the original board has survived here for so long means that (as confirmed by the International Windsurfing Association) the Batemans Bay nationals will be the first time that any type of windsurfer (or sailboard, to use the old term) anywhere in the world has reached 30 years of nationals.
The 30th anniversary nationals aren't all about looking backwards. The past year has seen a big shift in windsurfing, back towards the simple longboards that the sport was built on. The guys who sail high-tech boards are now supporting the simple Windsurfer One Design. New longboards like updated versions of the One Design are now racing in Europe, Asia and America. They've even adopted some of the rules of the Australian class. The big problem for Australian One Design sailors is that we've been used to being "retro" for so long that it's a big shock to find ourselves trendy once again!
Part of the move forward has been to introduce a Junior division to the class, and to put more emphasis on less experienced sailors. Kids 15 and under and beginners can use new small sails of 3.5 and 4.5 square metres and race in a special class with the emphasis on learning and having fun.
At 30 years of age, the class is expanding once again. The two Sydney fleets are growing strongly, the Melbourne fleet is strong, the Tasmanian fleet is reforming with new and old boards, and there's interest in the Junior boards in WA and SA. We expect to get 40 or more boards to Batemans Bay, with competitors from Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and NSW and perhaps other states, with Lachlan Brown pencilled in to represent BBSC. Racing will be off Corrigans and will include freestyle (tricks), slalom (short course), course racing and a marathon with the BBSC yacht fleet.