Was out Botany today in 25kts (gusting up to 35kts). Was on my JP 93ltr FSW, 27cm wave fin and a 5.9 KA twin cam. I weigh 85 kegs and have taken up sailing again after 20 years. I can water start no probs and even managed a carve jybe today. But when i got out in the middle of the bay i was feeling overpowered... got flung over the bars once :) If i was as good as i was 20 years ago it might not have been such a stretch on my 5.9, but I think i need to add a smaller sheet to my swag.
I posted recently about a new sail in the size i was using today, but after rigging it and sailing it Ive decided its actually a pretty decent sail for its vintage.
Ive also previously mentioned im not going out in less than 18kts +, so I want a new smaller sail for 25kts. I found this one on seabreeze and wondered if it would be better than the old NP 5.0 wave/slalom that i havent even bothered rolling out, given i had one of these new 20 years ago. They were great back then, but ive quickly come to realise gear has changed a lot
www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Sails/~axe2o/2010-Severne-S1-47-metre.aspx?search=P6K$tsb2rZrARE!Q6m0Zxw==
Advice on a smaller blasting sail please. Keep in mind my next size up is 5.9.
Cheers
^^^ for a good 25kn you need smaller everything and I think that was mentioned in your other thread?
I'd use that gear in those conditions and feel maxed... I am 98kg.
If you can't get a smaller board you could use 4.5 and 23cm ish wave fin in those sonditions and tame it a lot.
I'm confused. The title of this thread says 5.3, but the add you have posted says the S1 is a 4.7.
The size gear you are riding relevant to the wind you are seeing seems a bit large. However if you are basing your wind speed off some weather station that may be at the airport of another very exposed spot you will possibly find you are actually sailing in less wind than is reported (we have that situation on the Goldy, the seaway station reads about 5knots high due to location).
To drop from a 5.9 i'd personally head toward a 5.3. 5.9 to 4.7 is a big gap in smaller size sails of this type. If you are keen on Severne I'd probably recommend a Blade for you over the S1. It is a more powerful, fuller draft sail with a wider wind range that would probably fit with bay blasting a little better. www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Sails/~anw93/2012-Severne-Blade-57-metre.aspx?search=P6K$tsb2rZrARE!Q6m0Zxw==
Otherwise I would look at 5 batten, power style sails for what you are using them for.
Thanks for the reply mate. The link had 3 sails for sail and I was looking at the 5.3. Anyway, I really like the look of the O2 blade??
Great advice on sail size too. Thanks. 4.9 would be too small. I'm pretty sure Sydney airport wind reading is quite accurate.. it's flat and no obstructions. Plus, I've been surfing and around the ocean all my life (good at reading the charts etc) and I'd say it was a solid 25kts. Max gust read at 35kts. I was most definitely over powered!
Thanks for the link too. Appreciate all the help I can get.
N
...the more I think about Sunday's wind, my ability and the sail I rigged, the more I wonder how the fck I made it back to the beach. Pretty sure it was gusting to a solid 30kts. And that's comibg from a guy who calls a double overhead wave 5ft. I shouldve been on a 5.3 or even a punchy 5.0. Although I've only been out a few times since gettung back into it, I did manage a carving gybe and water starting is a breeze. Just wish I could get my harness lines worked out.
Good old wave heights and surfing....lol To me, when it's 6 ft, it's friggen solid. I mean near double overhead. 3 ft to me is solid head high stuff. Anyway, I'm hearing ya- it was bloody windy, I got it. :)
I'm all of 78 kgs and get flogged on my 99 litre wave board with a 5.4 (my smallest sail) when it's over 25 knots. Up to that is fine. I think once it's 25-30 plus it's time to scale the whole show down to body weight sized boards and sails around the 4.5- 5.0- unless you weight 90 kgs plus, then a bigger sail would be ok. Bare in mind I'm not talking flatwater speed stuff, just rough bays and ocean. Keep using you 93 litre JP, and maybe just grab a used small sail around 4.5 to 5 meters and give it a shot. There's heap on here. And it you're still way over-powered on those howling days, hunt down smaller wave or FSW board.
