Tushingham XR Race 2012

// Raceboard Racing - all winds

The XR- Race delivers race winning performance across the widest possible range of conditions for longboard racing in the International Raceboard Class.
The results from the highly competitive UK Raceboard series speak for themselves with a majority of the top sailors choosing the XR-Race ! Pumping superbly in lighter winds and highly tuneable for racing overpowered, there are sizes to cater for all rider weights including the 5.8m for younger racers.
With a growing numbers of international-level riders choosing the XR-Race, our continuous development and refinement ensure it will continue to dominate at all levels of raceboard competition.
“The XR-Race works superbly on all points of sailing and is fast in all winds, making it an extremely potent racing weapon”
-Rob Kent (Multiple UK National Champion)
The Raceboard Scene in 2011 - Dave Hackford
Raceboarding (Longboard racing) has been quietly simmering in local clubs since the heydays of the '80s. It got neglected by the manufacturers as short board racing seemed to dominate the spotlight. However, in 2008, when Starboard launched the wonderful carbon raceboard the Phantom 380, the Raceboard scene immediately began to grow again.
Raceboarding provides the fairest windsurfing racing of all the classes but above all it is not hampered by weather conditions. The board and sail are a dream to use in conditions from three to thirty knots. Here in the UK the UKWA runs both an Inland National circuit and a Cup series that visits locations like our Olympic venue in Weymouth. Throughout the year around 50 competitors take part. If the competition or cost of attending the National tour is off-putting, then there are plenty of local clubs where longboard racing is happening every week. Give them a call.
Tushingham joined Starboard in growing the class, by quickly developing a new range of sails to cater for the revived demand. Ken Black designed the 9.5, 8.5, 7.5 and 5.8m XR Race sails for this specific class - including the 5.8m for the Techno Class. In the last few years The XR Race sail has won most of the National crowns. Rob Kent, myself, Annette Kent, Jonathan White lead the front of the fleet. Even Guy Cribb used the XR-Race in his event winning races in 2010!
The XR 9.5m is winning races throughout the World – and it’s best feature, without question, is the fact that the race sail performs across a massive wind band. This design trait is characteristic of all Ken Black’s sails – and for racing it means you do not need to fork out on a ‘custom’ £800 lightwind sail for the lightwinds. The XR does it all.
Useful Raceboard links: Every serious racer will know that time spent tweaking and tuning will help squeeze valuable fractions of performance out of the rig. Every rider has their own unique style and stance which need the rig to be in tune. There is no substitute for time on the water and experimentation so take as much time as possible familiarising yourself with the XR's settings. The rigging guide is simply the very basics of how to tune - only you can achieve the best settings for you and these will vary hugely for different conditions. Rigging video - coming very soon courtesy of Dave Hackford Mast selection: Serious racers should look to the Ultimate Pro for top competitive performance. The Carbon 75 is a good option for a budget-conscious racers and recreational windsurfers.

XR-Race mast choice

Altough the sail will rig on any compatible mast, The Ultimate Pro 100 is the recommended Tushingham mast for all XR-Race sails except the youth sail (5.5m) where the FreeWave 45 is advised.

The Carbon 75 is a suitable alternative for budget-concious racers.