Managed to get a late 80s Mistral comp light for ?20, (surprisingly light compared to my old club version) and have only the board and fin, so will need to make a centreboard, and bodge on a chinook mast base ( should be ok, as the bolts line up with the 2 mast foot holes and can bolt it on with long bolts accessed from below) . So, was thinking that as i will be sailing with a modern rig possibly a 5.5 m ks3, so making the C of E further back. I might make a thinner centreboard and bigger fin, to either fit in the existing swivel mechanism, or glass in a new fin box.
My question is, does anybody know what i'm likely to find construction wise if i rout out the old fin box? and has anyone modified such an old board successfully?
I restored a Mistral Superlight about 3 years ago. They are a great board worth restoring.
I felt that the original rotating plexiglass fin was a weak point so I removed the black plastic box insert, and formed a power box fin adapter in the recess using fibreglass / resin. I did not have to route / cut into the hull as there was enough space to house a power box base in the formed structure. this allowed me to use larger fins with my demon raceboard sails without fear of snapping the fin under load.
The board is amazing to sail in light - medium winds and much faster around a race course than an LT.
I sold the board to make room for some other resto board projects but still have some parts, PM if you are in Oz and need something.
Select to expand quoteazuli said..
I restored a Mistral Superlight about 3 years ago. They are a great board worth restoring.
I felt that the original rotating plexiglass fin was a weak point so I removed the black plastic box insert, and formed a power box fin adapter in the recess using fibreglass / resin. I did not have to route / cut into the hull as there was enough space to house a power box base in the formed structure. this allowed me to use larger fins with my demon raceboard sails without fear of snapping the fin under load.
The board is amazing to sail in light - medium winds and much faster around a race course than an LT.
I sold the board to make room for some other resto board projects but still have some parts, PM if you are in Oz and need something.
Will no doubt do something similar with mine,. Thanks for the offer, I'm in the UK, but hopefully visiting my daughter in Noosa in August, assuming Doha is allowing flights! Should have it on the water well before then for the UK summer. Cheers
Select to expand quoteazuli said..
I restored a Mistral Superlight about 3 years ago. They are a great board worth restoring.
I felt that the original rotating plexiglass fin was a weak point so I removed the black plastic box insert, and formed a power box fin adapter in the recess using fibreglass / resin. I did not have to route / cut into the hull as there was enough space to house a power box base in the formed structure. this allowed me to use larger fins with my demon raceboard sails without fear of snapping the fin under load.
The board is amazing to sail in light - medium winds and much faster around a race course than an LT.
I sold the board to make room for some other resto board projects but still have some parts, PM if you are in Oz and need something.
Out of interest, what sail were you using when you raced an LT and who was on the LT in what conditions? Obviously if you were using a Raceboard 9 or something against an LT with the standard sail it's not really a valid comparison.
The Superlight is a great board and I can agree that the Superlight could well be quicker in light winds, but from what I can remember and see it's got significantly more rocker so would suffer downwind in planing conditions.
Select to expand quotejontyh said..
Managed to get a late 80s Mistral comp light for ?20, (surprisingly light compared to my old club version) and have only the board and fin, so will need to make a centreboard, and bodge on a chinook mast base ( should be ok, as the bolts line up with the 2 mast foot holes and can bolt it on with long bolts accessed from below) . So, was thinking that as i will be sailing with a modern rig possibly a 5.5 m ks3, so making the C of E further back. I might make a thinner centreboard and bigger fin, to either fit in the existing swivel mechanism, or glass in a new fin box.
My question is, does anybody know what i'm likely to find construction wise if i rout out the old fin box? and has anyone modified such an old board successfully?
Would the CE be further back? The Superlight sail had a very long boom and that may have compensated for the pinhead shape.
