It’s Thursday and it’s speed month, so we’re throwing back to the mid-1980s and one of the legendary windsurfing speed spots, still used today: Fuerteventura. This is 30 minutes of speed sailing gold, with the sport’s greats setting some pretty impressive speeds on retro gear and not in the easiest of conditions, plus there’s some insane tandem action and some great 80s swimwear!

“The Fuerteventura slalom and speed trials of 1986 at Sotavento was a pinnacle event in breaking the fastest speed previously set by Crossbow. The sailors who broke this speed became known as the Crossbow killers. Sailors of the day were Fred Haywood, Pascal Maka, Eric Beale on the men’s side, with Patti Whitcomb and Britt Dunkerbeck on the ladies side.”

“The event was sponsored by Nabisco and organised by Julian Kendall.
The tandem speed was also the most impressive with Greisseman and Bertin hitting just over 35 knots.The forty knot barrier was well insight!!
Thanks to Paddy Paine for making this video and other early Speed Trial Videos.”