righto,Iam 100kgs+.Ive been plugging around on my F2Pheonix 195lt.I have been making some gybes and tacks and catching waves.I am still yet to learn how to water start and beach start,but I am
on to it.I know I need to have some lessons to help with my progression,so thats on the cards as well.
Is my yacht size board going to retard my progress or should I keep going on it for now?
I have been advised that the ezzy 5.2 sail may not have the grunt I need for my frame size,so thinking of getting a 6.8 or something bigger.
Your feedback would be appreciated,
thanks
Hey Ian,
You know I won't be much help to ya, but anyway. I think a larger sail on your current board should make it go faster in lighter winds. The boards turning ability etc will be the same. So I guess if you want to move quicker in the same strength winds, a bigger sail is a good idea. Remember you can use all you sails on the next, smaller board. A smaller board (say 140 odd litres) will be like learning all over again, but you will progress quick cause ya got the basics sorted.
I had a quick go with a 6.5 sail today, and it got me planing when my 5.2 (in same wind) couldn't. I now want a 6.5 for those 8-12 knot days.
PS- I'm sure I can see a few sharks in that pic...
Advice depends on what you want to do? I'm guessing based on your avatar that you eventually want to get into wave sailing. I'd say for now, the board you have is perfectly adequate for learning the basics in flat water, especially seeing as you seem to be on your way towards getting the basics sorted. You will probably want a manoeuvre oriented short wide board around 130L when you get more of the basics sorted.
You will want a bigger sail, thou how big depends on what you want to do. You wouldn't want to go much bigger then 6m if you are planning on doing most of your sailing in waves. If you are keen to blast around in flat water then @ 100kg, you probably want something 7m+.
Also looking at the photo, you probably want to apply at least a few cm more downhaul. And move your boom up a bit, maybe up to the middle of the cutout or a bit higher.
ezzy have some good rigging videos on their website www.ezzy.com/allyearsezzys/2008/videos/se_rigging.htm
i agree with swoosh,
if your end goal is the surf you are not going to need a bigger sail then a 6.4m and if you are going to use it on a sup type board in the surf then 5.8 is even better.
but for lightwind blasting on flat water yes, bigger the better.
for limited time and lessons your doing very well. your stance is really going in the right direction. your feet are in the right place and that's a big part of it.
only tips i can add are these.
thrust your hips forward and straighten up your back by strightening your front leg and bending your back leg slightly. then straighten out your arms. let the rig take your weight more
that's it, you are so close.
thanks guys,
Phil,yeah think the bigger sail with be a good investment,confused about the slalom v wave sails.I spose I should get a wave sail as flat water does nothing for me.Yeah 130lts min was what Iam thinking for my next board too.As for sharks pffftt think they need to fear me more than I fear them hahaha.
Swoosh, I have had issues with the downhaul due to a SDM but I have bought a RDM,harness and lines that should arrive tomoz.I am hoping to get that sail rigged better with that mast.Good tip on the boom height and in stronger wind Iam laying back on the rig more.
It a real bummer living in a town where not many other peeps sail, as Iam better at learning watching others.I am on hols so plan to go down to Port Mac and having some lessons with Mark Jordan,which I am sure will help greatly.Really appreciate your feedback guys.I am so hangin to get into some bigger waves and stronger wind
The issue you will have if not getting a bigger sail is limiting the time you have on the water to go windsurfing. Plenty of days you get winds gusting up to around 15 knots. A bigger sail will give you the power to get planing instead of slogging along on a smaller sail.
I used to windsurf a lot up on Trial Bay and I think on the lighter days a bigger sail gives you a lot of fun. Sailing out from the point into the big ocean swell on a NE seabreeze is great fun.
We will be heading up that way this Easter to see my folks so hopefully we get a bit of wind and can go windsurfing there.
Agree with Moby - but on the other hand you need both.
A bigger sail will make it hard to learn to waterstart as flying the rig is the initial, and tiring, hurdle.
You want to learn to waterstart on a day where the 5.2 is a bit of a handful so you have plenty of power. Learning on a 6.8 kinda day will be hard as the extra boom length makes it hard to fly the rig.
The problem over here is 5.8 days are rare. The last time I used my 5.9m sail was in early December.
^^^ that is why I agreed with bigger sail for more TOW.
But the 5.2 could be good for winter fronts and learn to waterstart if he can wait that long......
i know the majority on seabreeze will agree with you moby, and for sure if you want to strap on a gps and blast then on the eastcoast you will almost never use a sail smaller than a 6.5
but,
there is a whole other world out there. depends what you want to do. i'm on a 5.8 for bump and jump when it's 18 knots and i've plenty of power.
my lightwind sail is a 6.4, biggest fin is a 32cm freewave i use that in 12-18 knots.
weight around 106kg, i've still got an 8.5 and an 11m and a whole host of fins from 42cm-70cm but i don't use them. i got sick of big bulky gear about 3-4 years ago and haven't felt deprived of a session yet.
today was about 22-25 knots and i was on a 5.3m and a 24cm fin. and i was fully lit up.....
thanks Mark and Gestalt,
So bigger sail has gone on the shopping list.I would love to know what some of the bigger brothers( 100kg ish) are wave sailing on? Lts? brands?
Ive got a pretty extensive surfing,SUP and waterskiing history so hanging to get into it,but yeah yeah I know,gotta crawl before you can RUN hahaha
^^^ I am 95kg
My lightwind setup is a 100L RRD FSW (early planing but turns good enough on a wave) which I use in 16kn+ with a 6.1 freestyle / crossover sail which is more powerful than a pure wave sail.
Once it is solid 5.6 weather for me (18-20kn) I use my RRD 92L waveboard all the way down to 4.2
Ian, a FWS is free-style wave board. Dunno what RRD means?
I had a shot on a 109 lt FSW board yesterday, and I can tell ya two things- one is it planed quick and was fast, and two, it was bloody hard to tack on! Near sunk the second I went up the nose. My current board is 116 lts, and it's easy as to turn- even with my reduced weight and power. You could turn a 130 lt board like a shord surf board. Question is which one to get!
Hang onto the 5.2 for very windy days.
I think you need to learn how to water start next and use a harness so Yes get a bigger sail that will be able to lift your weight out of the water, preferable a sail without cams as the wider luff tube holds more water and makes it harder to get out of the water. Also a you will be able to hang back off the harness lines with a bigger sail as it will support your weight. Get an experienced person to use your sail and set the harness lines.
Hey Ian, I uesd to have a F2 Pheonix for chugging around in light winds, hang on to that one they are a great piece of kit to have. Also keep a hold of the 5.2, it will serve you well on the odd stronger wind day.
Might be worth investing in a 5.8 or so, which a lot of guys on the east coast have as thier big wave sail and is a good size gap down to the 5.2. As others have said, if you are into going in the waves don't bother going too big and stick to wave oriented sails.
As for board, looks like you are on the money for your next size, just make sure you are looking at freeride style boards rather than race or slalom. The later will not turn anywhere near as well as you will want.
I am still looking for a good weekend to come down your way for a SUP and sail, will look you up when there.
