The board that started windsurfing, rebuilt for the water today.
In 1967, Hoyle Schweitzer and Jim Drake invented windsurfing. The Windsurfer LT by Exocet is the direct evolution of that board: same length, same concept, same One Design class eligibility. What has changed is everything underneath: lighter construction, increased stability, and a fully retractable daggerboard that makes the board as practical as it is iconic.
Same DNA, Lighter on Your Feet
The original Windsurfer weighed significantly more than it needed to. The LT brings that down to 15 kg, achieved through a styrofoam core and epoxy deck rather than the classic polyethylene construction. The board is the same length as the original at 366 cm, and 8 cm wider at 74 cm, which adds stability without changing the feel that made the design famous.
Less weight means easier handling on the beach, quicker response on the water, and less fatigue over a long session.
Upwind, Downwind, and Everything Between
The fully retractable daggerboard is one of the LT's most practical updates. Both the racing and school daggerboard versions can be deployed or retracted whenever needed. A small change that makes a significant difference to how the board actually gets used across a day on the water.
One Board, Several Reasons to Be on the Water
The LT is approved for Windsurfer Class racing, the same class the original competed in, which means it is a legitimate tool for anyone returning to or entering One Design competition. It is equally at home as a school board, a cruising platform, or an SUP. The soft EVA deck pad adds comfort underfoot in all of those contexts, whether you are racing a course or paddling out on a flat morning.
Built Around the Approved Rig
The original Windsurfer rig components remain the only approved setup for class racing: a two-piece 460 SDM mast with 40% carbon, aluminium boom from 180 to 240 cm, power uphaul, mast base and joint, and a 5.7 m2 mylar racing sail. A 4.5 m2 school sail and additional accessories are available separately for non-racing use. The power box fin and modern daggerboard complete a setup that is race-legal, school-ready, and significantly easier to live with than the board that started it all.
The Windsurfer LT is windsurfing at its most distilled. No footstraps, no specialisation, no steep learning curve: just a board, a sail, and the wind. The simplest way in, and for many, the most enjoyable way to sail.
