Since I been speedsailing the only thing to make us go faster is finding better and better conditions to sail in, Have speeds really increased in the last 6-7 years? I don't think so. Will there be a big leap forward to catch up with the Big Cats ?

you are right, there has been so much R&D in the last years in Cats, Kites etc... and more or less a few modifications in windsurfing... I think there are many limitations in WS, like the fact that the sail has to be designed in that way, that is possible for the user to roll it out & back to its sailbag.... imagine a sail design with the total freedom to take any shape and any material....The biggest limitation though is the drag of the shape of the user itself, the presence of a huge object -a non aerodynamic human standing against the wind.... :)

Yeah, I'll be disappointed if nothing new is unveiled at Luderitz. Someone at least has to bust out a fancy fast suit.

Thats it ... a tight fitting Daisy Buttercup suit with no Udder

Interesting thoughts chaps .....   WK speeds have Ian, no less yours  .. and if anything WK is not as good (fast) post wall refurb. so most definately speeds have gone up due to r&d in  board, sail and fin design.

The warmer winds of Luderitz tend to be less gusty than the frigid mistral blowing down the rhone over st. marie .. less gusty = more control = faster, obviously relative to mean average wind speed.

Way back in the 80's when I sailed for Vitsea, a chap,(Martin Carter)  highly qualified in aeronautic and hydroymanic design did some in depth research for Tad in to fin and drag reduction design. He firmly believed that one of the major hold backs to going super fast on a windsurfer was the drag induced by the human body. Martin came up with some concept design speedsailing suits a kin to a down hill speed skier, bad timing though as they never made it off the ground so to speak, due to the decline in speed at the time. I posted the article on seabreeze a few years ago, but cannot find it now.

I shall dig out the article from an old copy of windsurf mag, ............ made interesting reading at the time watching a waiting for the wind to blow at numerous pre-organised speed events around the UK.