Windsurfing UK (WSUK) - scroll down for all the free PDFs of the articles!
Simon has published 18 articles for Windsurfing UK magazine. The articles are aimed to provide specific guidance on the fundamentals of windsurfing and and written in a varied and entertaining way featuring great photography from the likes of Alex Irwin (Sportography), Andy Stallman, Protography, Mikael Linder (Into Fire and Water), Two Goat Media and Simon himself. A number of articles feature original artwork from Pete Galvin. Have a look at the WSUK website for a wealth of resources.
The subjects covered are:
- A Basic Look at How Windsurfing Works
- Planing Made Simple
- Non-planing Steering
- Planing Steering
- These Girls Can! Emerging Female Role Models in Windsurfing
- The Basics of Coastal Windsurfing Part 1
- The Basics of Coastal Windsurfing Part 2
- Windsurfing Equipment & Essentials: Taking the Right Stuff
- Rigging and Tuning Fundamentals Part 1: Rigging, Downhaul, Outhaul, Boom Height, Mastfoot Position
- Rigging and Tuning Fundamentals Part 2: Footstraps
- Mixing It Up: The Cookie Interview
- Rigging and Tuning Fundamentals Part 3: Fins
- Rigging and Tuning Fundamentals Part 4: Harnesses and Harness Lines
- Windsurfing Photography Part 1: The Selfie
- Costa Teguise Lanzarote: The Perfect Playground
- Windsurfing Photography Part 2: DSLR Basics
- Windsurfing Photography Part 3: Editing
- Masts - Everything You Need to Know
Click below to access all the articles for free in hi-res PDF format!
Masts: Everything you need to know
Date: December 2020 - Issue: 16
A 12-page comprehensive guide to windsurfing masts with a wide range of images and original illustrations. Contains why masts are important, typical questions, a very brief history, lengths, IMCS, stiffness, mast curves and compatibility (constant curve, flex top and hard top), carbon content, weight, SDM vs RDM vs MDM masts, costs, design and materials, production, testing and taking care of masts.
Photos: Mathias Moerman (Two Goat Media), Alessandro Zatti, Simon Winkley, Felix Bernasconi.
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
Technical contributions (and thanks to): Alberto Solza, Executive Vice President Sales, Italica S.p.A; Dieter Van der Eyken, Severne Customer Service Manager & Team Coordinator; Billy Short, UK Windsurfer
Windsurfing Photography Part 3: Editing
Date: September 2020 - Issue: 15 (part 3 in the series)
The third and final part in the guide to windsurf photography. Here is your guide to the basic and advanced editing of windsurfing images. Contains straightening, cropping, aspect ratio, spot removal and healing, colour levels, exposure, contrast, saturation/vibrancy/HSL settings, sharpness and the use of apps & software packages.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography), Simon Winkley, Ben Luckett and Lisa Kuhn.
Windsurfing Photography Part 2: DSLR Basics
Date: February 2020 - Issue: 14 (part 2 in the series)
The second part in the guide to windsurf photography. Here is your beginner guide to getting started in the world of real cameras (because getting a good windsurfing shot from a phone is not easy). Contains the basics of: equipment, costs, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, metering, exposure, sports mode, white balance, auto vs manual focus, settings, formats, positioning, protection, cleaning and accessories - together with example shots with their settings detailed.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography) and Simon Winkley
Costa Teguise LANZAROTE - The Perfect Playground
Date: December 2019 - Issue: 13
All about one of my favourite places for a clinic - Windsurfing Club Las Cucharas in Lanzarote. Includes what to expect from this magical windsurfing location and why it is especially suitable for advanced windsurfers as well as 'adventurous intermediates'.
Photos: Simon Winkley and Eric Bellande
Windsurfing Photography Part 1: The Selfie
Date: December 2019 - Issue: 13 (part 1 in the series)
The first part in the guide to windsurf photography. This one is all about getting cool shots of yourself when there's no one around with a camera and includes the use of Flymount, K4 Harness Mount and F-Hot Mast Mount, accessories, setup, settings, position, angles and top tips.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography) and Simon Winkley
Thanks to Joe Knapton (Flymount), Steve Thorp (K4) & Shaun Cook (F-Hot)
Kit Setup & Tuning Fundamentals Part 4: Harnesses & Harness Lines
Date: August 2019 - Issue: 12 (part 4 in the series)
The final part in the comprehensive yet accessible guide to the setting up and understanding of all parts of the board and rig. This one includes the history of harnessing, harness function and technique, the differences between waist and seat harnesses, spreader bars, harness lines (types, positioning, width & length - relative to waist and seat harnesses), safety and top tips.
Photos: Andy Stallman, Alex Irwin (Sportography)
Thanks to Sam Ross, Ben Luckett
Kit Setup & Tuning Fundamentals Part 3: Fins
Date: June 2019 - Issue: 11 (part 3 in the series)
Covering the importance of fins, how fins work, types (freeride, wave, freewave, slalom/race, freestyle, speed, weed, delta), shapes, materials (G10, carbon, plastic composite, pre-preg carbon/fibreglass composite), length, aspect ratio, surface area, thickness, rake, stiffness, setup (single, thruster, quad, twin), fin calculator and the top 10 tips for fin success! Includes a never-seen-before original artwork showing how a slight offset between the alignment of the centreline of the board and the direction of travel creates lift to windward.
Technical contribution: Dietrich Hanke
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography), Simon Winkley
Illustration: Pete Galvin
Mixing It Up: The Cookie Interview
Date: March 2019 - Issue: 10
The Simon Cooke interview by Simon Winkley. Cookie is a long-standing professional seasonaire running the Neilson Beachclub in Vassiliki, Greece and is still having the time of his life. Read about his journey from a college course in Southampton to becoming one of the most talented and charismatic managers out there and how the secret to success lies in embracing variety and always mixing it up! Features a whole stack of incredible stunt photos of Cookie on the water taken by Protography.
Photos: Protography
Kit Setup & Tuning Fundamentals Part 2: Footstraps
Date: March 2019 - Issue: 10 (part 2 in the series)
Covering the importance of footstraps, how footstraps work, types, sizing, materials, positioning/typical measurements, inboard vs outboard, setup (3 straps vs 4), hardware and top tips
Photos: Mikael Linder (Into Fire and Water), Alex Irwin (Sportography), Simon Winkley
Kit Setup & Tuning Fundamentals Part 1: Getting Started
Date: December 2018 - Issue: 9 (part 1 in the series)
Covering the importance of rigging and tuning well, who is in charge (you or the kit?), a simple 10-step guide for a structured approach to rigging and tuning, downhaul, outhaul, boom length, mastfoot position vs boom height and making simple, effective and dynamic changes that put you back in charge.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography), John Humphries
Windsurfing Equipment & Essentials: Taking the Right Stuff
Date: September 2018 - Issue: 8
Covering the importance of kit and looking after it, how to remember to take all the right kit to the beach, a typical freewave setup, suggested lists for personal gear/basic tools/spares/roof racking kit/other essentials and extras.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography)
The Basics of Coastal Windsurfing Part 2
Date: June 2018 - Issue: 7 (part 2 in the series)
A continuing exploration of the fundamentals of windsurfing on the UK Coastline. Perfect for those who are not used to windsurfing on the sea yet feel ready to get started. Includes: the effects of high and low water, understanding and dealing with shorebreak, wind direction relative to the shore, awareness of your position, the use of visual transits and safety considerations to help to make the right decision as environmental or other factors can change the game.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography)
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
These Girls Can! Emerging Female Role Models in Windsurfing
Date: March 2018 - Issue: 6
A series of mini-interviews from the 7 female and 1 male participants of a RYA Start Windsurfing Instructor course that Simon ran in Vassiliki in Greece showing a strong emergence of women out there taking their windsurfing seriously and having great fun at the same time. Read about Jess, Sophie, Alicia, Georgia, Jeanie, Zoë, Alice and Bram: how they got into the sport, their progression, what drives them, how they see women in windsurfing and the music that fires them up on a session on the water!
Photos: Simon Winkley
The Basics of Coastal Windsurfing Part 1
Date: March 2018 - Issue: 6 (part 1 in the series)
An exploration of the fundamentals of windsurfing on the UK Coastline. Perfect for those who are not used to windsurfing on the sea yet feel ready to get started. Includes: Safety and 'The 7 Common Senses', a simple guide to choosing a tidal window (rule of twelfths) and the perhaps surprising increase or decrease in the wind in your sail in no-tide versus wind-with-tide versus wind-without-tide conditions.
Photos: Alex Irwin (Sportography)
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
Windsurfing 101: Planing Steering
Date: October 2017 - Issue: 5
An exploration of the easy-to-digest physics of planing steering to carve a squiggle on the water or crank into a tack or gybe or ride a wave. Includes circular motion, Newton's Third Law, velocity, centripetal force, centrifugal force, inertia, centre of mass, dynamic equilibrium and how all this can help us to trust and understand what it going on when carving which, in turn, can improve dynamic performance on the water.
Photos: Louis Tierney (Protography)
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
Windsurfing 101: Non-planing Steering
Date: July 2017 - Issue: 4
An exploration of the easy-to-digest physics of changing direction on a windsurfer as it sails along across the wind. Includes the differences between a windsurfer and other sailing craft, centre of effort versus centre of lateral resistance (CE vs CLR), how leaning the rig to one side offsets the power source to promote steering (to give us a steering plane in which to slide our rig across) and how all this can help us to trust and understand what it going on when steering which, in turn, can improve dynamic performance on the water.
Photos: Miles Taylor (Protography)
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
Windsurfing 101: Planing Made Simple
Date: May 2017 - Issue: 3
An exploration of the easy-to-digest physics of what happens during and after a board's transition from non-planing to planing mode. Includes how a board can travel faster than the wind, buoyant force, vertical lift, a board's angle of attack and apparent wind. Contains plenty of eye-catching original artwork including an enlightening diagram of the relationship between drag and forward speed to show, ultimately, how a perfectly trimmed, well-powered board is able to sit in front of its own bow wave and planing occurs. This interesting article should be read by all intermediate sailors to help them to trust and understand what it going on when planing which, in turn, can improve dynamic performance on the water.
Photos: John Humphries
Illustrations: Pete Galvin
Windsurfing 101: A Basic Look at How Windsurfing Works
Date: February 2017 - Issue: 2
An exploration of the easy-to-digest physics of how the simple design of a windsurfer can allow us to not only move downwind yet also across the wind and even, quite remarkably, upwind. Includes how airflow over the sail creates thrust and - thanks to high and low pressure - lift. Also looks at laminar flow and separation, turbulent flow, lateral resistance and how all this can help us to trust and understand what it going on when learning the sport which, in turn, can improve dynamic performance on the water.
Photos: John Humphries
Illustrations: Pete Galvin