Old school on the Astro Rock

I've been curious for many years about trying out my old gear again. I have fond memories of my BIC Astro Rock from the late 1980s. I remember it making a list of 10 all time classic windsurf boards in (the now departed) Windsport Magazine and I'm glad I kept mine under the cottage for the last 2 decades. I'd tried it once during a fun session with Vanessa and Len 3 years ago but didn't get it going.

So today the wind was 16 gusting to 22 knots and so I figured I'd get the old 6.5m NP V6 sail I've been using for foiling and pair it with the old, long, but surprisingly light Astro Rock.

The west wind was pretty much perfect. Air was 11c, water 15c. and I was fine in my 4/3 full suit. Even though I didn't have enough downhaul on the sail for the first half hour it was still a super fun session. And surprisingly I went almost as fast (41.5 km/h) as the day before (42 km/h) on my modern gear. The Astro Rock accelerates very slowly but doesn't tempt catapults the way modern boards do. It rides very smoothly through the waves and jibes amazingly well. My lovely wife came out and took a few photos:

The Astro Rock at 125l of volume was also easier to tack than I remember. I guess my skills have improved a bit over the years. I can still remember the exact place (Humber Bay on Lake Ontario) where I was so excited that I had tacked a short board for the first time - that same Astro Rock in around 1992?

I'm sure I will send intermediate windsurfer friends out on the Astro Rock in the future - it is still that user friendly and can be uphauled in a pinch. And I will put some nicer footstraps on it and redo the non skid for the next time I take it for a ride.

Time for some new footstraps on the old board!
(Mast foot is a bit too far forward)

There will be more windmills here soon. 

But this view will remain the same

 

My GPS trail looking west - a very west wind!

More details with speeds and weather