How did Windsurfing begin?
A. Newman Darby experimented with ‘rudderless sailing’ back in the 40s, but began making the first boards with a universal joint in 1964, and evolved techniques for beating, running, gybing, tacking etc. See in the Links page, or see the Popular Science (Aug 1965) articles about it on the TWC Yahoo website. It’s interesting that early windsurfers had a foresail (jib) ! Early windsurfers stood with their back to the sail, and only travelled in light winds. Planing demands a different wind speed, sail and board design, and technique.
