Hey guys, just for the hell of it: that was Charles windsurfing for us in Oz.
Some sites say 1978, another 1979.
I doubt the 1978: there are pics of him in 1980 on a board and he looked like a beginner, whereas on the pic there is some style in a bit of a breeze.
He was in Melbourne 1978 (Menzies funeral in May), but doubtful. Then twice in Perth in 1979, and probably elsewhere. One caption says 'probably Perth' - good guess.
So question is: where? Sure don't look like the well known windsurfing places we know and love in Sydney, but things were different then. If Sydney, perhaps (long shot) Rose Bay or the old Harbour before Darling.
But likely Perth, right? With the bathers on, musta been summer months...
Bah, got me own answer.
There are pics of him on the beach in Perth, with the same thong, summer 1979.
Hair style and all, the pic has to be from Perth. So the mentions that was 78 must be wrong, and the pics from when he was learning in 1980 must be wrong too.
Unless of course he owned only one pair of bathers, which I doubt (as I did for a while when I was poorer then 
).
No, it was definitely in Sydney Harbour.
Wasn't there some stunt where a shiela ran up and gave him a pash too on that day ?
Probably about the same age. JUst youngstersm sompared to teh average Aussie windsuffererererererererer.
Consider though, how young Charlie looks in that pic, compared to how old the bugger is now.
I remember the fuss, and I'm sure I read later that it was a set-up.
Pretty sure the sailing is on the Harbour though.
Wow! Charlie windsurfed - in the 70s! That is awesome! I had no idea he was so cool!
He's just sailing.
Those old Wally's had a baggy sail, like a flipping spinnaker, and they weighed a ton. They did not get up and plane, so they were always dragging, needing you to lean back against the pull of the sail like that.
He was doing pretty well for probably his first time windsurfing at all. No harness or straps back then either.
It was all very much a novelty for everyone.
What this Royal Dimwit is doing, I have decided, is closer to dinghy sailing than todays windsurfing.. So I formally block any attempt at embracement of this quack charlitain amongst the ranks of True Windsurfers.. If you do not concede to this stance, it's only because my arguments are too subtle and sophisticated..
charlie nooooo
I googled it, and that asserted that the pic was taken in 1978, but does not specify the place.
The pic of him with Jane Priest shows him running out of the surf, while in the background of the sailing pic is a marina or dock, suggesting it's a different location
That boom doesn't look like its attached to the mast.
Its a pity Dianna wasn't into windsurfing. They would have been a great couple and by now the kids would have gotten into it.
Whatever he's doing has no style, perhaps he's copying the silhouette printed on the sail?
I'm not talking about modern One Designs.
I'm talking about a Wally in 1978-80, with a sail like Grandma's knickers, huge dagger board, and a floppy plastic fin.
I'd like to see the GPS track of an original Wally doing 25kts, no harness or foot-straps and original sail.
I learnt to sail on one, I remember.
Sure they would hook along in strong wind. I used a harness (life-jacket with marlin hook), but with no straps, I was always on the edge of disaster. But that was unusual. In that pic, Charlie is slogging.
His sail is raked a bit too, and with the big daggerboard, it's trying to round up, and he's trying to stop it.
Anyway...I find that this has completely turned around my negative view of the monarchy, and I am now a proud and loyal subect.
If and when Charles eventually gets promoted to the top job, I think I'll have that photo printed and framed and proudly displayed on my mantelpiece. If and when I eventually get a mantelpiece, that is..
Different materials makes a huge difference, and Chucky was in Australia, so he would have had the soggy plastic skeg.
Those old Wally's weighed about 25kg (someone will quote an exact correct weight , I'm sure). What does a modern one weigh ?
Charlie's sail looks a bit blown out on that pic too.
Not knocking, just trying to explain why he looks like he does.
Pure gutfeel, and not that I care about those boards or others just planing, but I believe they would get to 25, with the right conditions. One CT249 knows better though.
Conditions would be: a top racer type, surely a Chris and not me. The AD999 sail format (what they called fatheads then), a good shape sail, not the baggy ones. Most likely on a broad reach.
I took one out for the heck of it at a freestyle comp I was at about 3 years ago, when I was healthier for these things. Went from short to retro-long in about 10 minutes.
Wind was a steady 20 knots. I was easily planing with a really old, damaged triangle Mylar sail. I am pretty, pretty sure I was planing too with my back to the sail too for a while, which I'd never done before. A racer type (I don't care about these things) woulda done a lot better than me too.
Having said that, the crowd had a real laugh... most kids had only ever heard of those old rigs, nor ever seen a railride. I think the oldest there was a PWA type at 23yo...
