Question for Remi or Roger?

[nonopr]

While the Formula Windsurfing Championship in Puerto Rico I saw a very interesting thing been done.
A few of the Starboard riders updated their boards with a double chicken strap in their HWR.
They used a ABS plastic plug that looks like a thick plastic screw and they drill the boards and screw in this plugs that hold the footstraps.
It is made by a company called Mako Sports or at least that is what the plug had written in it.
You drill your board just about the size of the plug and you add a little epoxy before you screw in the plug and leave it to dry and you got a nice footstap plug added to your board.
Does anyone know where I can get this plugs???????.
Any one that can direct me to the website or sell me some of these?

[Remi]

Hi Nonopr

According to ISAF rules this kind of modification are not legal but anyway you will not need it on the 2012 boards

All the best

[nonopr]

Remi:
I dont race in the ISAF. Do you know where I can get these???
I wont be able to get a new 2012 board until probably January as I am in the USA so in the meantime I would like to try this modification.
The new Formula look insane can't wait to get one but it will be a while for that.

[Remi]

Hi Nonopr

Insert foot straps you can find this in any windsurf work shop.

The Formula arrive in September in Europe, so at the max in October in USA

All the best

[nonopr]

Yeah. Great answer.

[ardenalan]

nonopr,

Is the insert you are describing kind of like a drywall anchor? It sounds like they are screwing in a larger diameter fastener to get good mechanical grip (and some chemical grip if adding epoxy) and then fastening the double chicken straps to the anchor.
LINK: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=drywa...:429,r:12,s:18

The anchor sounds like a pretty slick idea. But since I hadn't heard of that or thought of it before, I installed the kind of inserts that Remi described. I encased them in some high density foam for extra durability, as described by the "board lady": http://www.boardlady.com/extrainserts1.htm

Here are some more details on what I did with my HWR:
http://arden-el11.blogspot.com/searc...hicken%20strap

[nonopr]

Ardenalan;
Yeah they look like drywall anchors but not.
The one I saw is kind of like the one you picture but has very rounded edges.
They sell them in Europe (somehwhere) I wish I had taken a picture of them. A few shapers use them to find the best footstrap area with out having to epoxy inserts like you did. Once instal it look like is not even there.
Comments on your set up. What I saw pro riders doing is double chiken straps but in an angle. Which I think is a lot better for downwind positionand there way space out even more than what you did.
It help a lot for downwind angle and when overpowerd.
I really dont want to have to cut, add, and insert stuff. It is so simple to drill, epoxy and screw this things.
Thanks for the help. I will keep looking until I finally hit the right person for these. I have email a lot of board builders in europe to see if the know what i am talking about.
Appreciated.

[ardenalan]

nonopr,

Let me know if you track them down. I would be interested to try them on some of my boards.

Later,
Arden
arden-EL11.blogspot.com