Ask the Speed Guru?

rex, I had one of those Fanatics back in '96/97. It was a really sweet board in the gybes and fast as hell on the straight. Until it got windy. Then it was a handfull. The stock fin was the only one I had at the time that worked in it. Tried others but they made it too hard to sail.

Try dropping your boom and using longer harness lines. Mast track forward can also help to keep the thing on the water.

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Originally posted by sick_em_rex

Thanks slowboat, coming from you that means a lot and certainly carries substance. Not that any of you other guys don't offer good advice, it's just none of you have gone as fast as slowboat
Now I'm just praying for wind again

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He's only 25km's an hour faster than me so he's not that good

My top speed is about 65 km's and his is 90km's....., actually when I see it like that

a few tips-
1) get yourself a GPS so you know how fast you are going
2) learn how to calculate average speeds by downloading data onto your computer, and verify that you really did go as fast as the display said.
3) reset your display speed after each run so that you can fine-tune your sense of speed. After a while you can learn to guess your speed within a knot most of the time.
4) If you want to go really fast, get a decent fin. At the end of the day this is the most important part of the rig for going fast.
5) buying a new board or sail will not gaurantee better speeds. They might help you to feel better though

Great to see a lot of people interested in speed again. I,m pretty lucky as Sandy Point is just down the road and I get to sail with some of the fastest sailors in the world in a really beautiful location. A must visit place for windsurfers and yes the water is flat at 40kts + .My advice for going fast is get some gear that your comfortable with first and pratice sailing off the wind. Not 90 Deg but way off the wind like 120, 130 Deg. Get comfortable at going fast in chop. Try and lock you body in into position(front leg straight and back leg bent)Watch for gusts and sheet out slightly when they hit and let the gust drag you and your gear forward. Every time your body moves forward you lose speed though increasing the wetted area of your board.Drag is a killer in speed sailing. When you do get onto some smooth water to speed sail you,ll find it much easier to push the limit.
Gear: You don,t need the latest gear to have fun and sail fast.Get a good slalom/speed sail first and then a good speed fin when money allows.
There are lots of go fast boards on the market now,but if money is a bit have a look at the old 90s era speed boards they still can be pretty fast.You will have the modify the fin boxes and maybe move the mast track, but its a cheap way to get into speed sailing.A few guys down here have pulled 40kt max,s on wave boards with speed fins.
Helmets are a personal choice but if your traveling at 70km+ on the edge of control do you want to use your head to stop your board.Plus mine has a visor and it stops the Sandy point sand ending up in my eyes. Hope this helps
P.s I run KA Koncepts with a early 90s speed board and a KidsPS and LOVE IT

Matthew,

Just can't agree with you on the smaller sail issue.

Where I normally sail, I can hold a 5.7 in max about 31-32 knots - at Sandy I can hold the same size sail to a max of about 35-38 knots. I remember a day last Oct where I changed down from a 5.7 to 4.7 (gusty NW at SP 25 -40 knots) and my speeds went down - best runs were by far on the 5.7 and the 4.7 was only marginally easier to handle in the gusts and a dog in the lulls. From memory you were sailing that day and had similar speeds to me.

Could I go faster with a smaller sail - possibly - but when you bear off the wind to 120 deg+ and you feel that sag as the acceleration stops - you know you don't have enough sail up.

I know I can hold a 6.0 fully powered in 22-25 knots in flat water, but in the chop I get thrown about like I'm in a washing machine - speeds come down from 33 knots (in flat water) to about 27-29 knots when the chop gets up (same angle off the wind.

Looking at Mal, Chris or Tony's time they are all on waht would be considered relatively big sails given the wind strength, Daffy, is the closest to sailing 'underpowered' I have seen and in my experiencd he was carrying the same if not more sail than me and I was spotting him 15 - 18 kg at the time.

- J

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Originally posted by drjukka

Matthew,

Just can't agree with you on the smaller sail issue.

Where I normally sail, I can hold a 5.7 in max about 31-32 knots - at Sandy I can hold the same size sail to a max of about 35-38 knots. I remember a day last Oct where I changed down from a 5.7 to 4.7 (gusty NW at SP 25 -40 knots) and my speeds went down - best runs were by far on the 5.7 and the 4.7 was only marginally easier to handle in the gusts and a dog in the lulls. From memory you were sailing that day and had similar speeds to me.

Could I go faster with a smaller sail - possibly - but when you bear off the wind to 120 deg+ and you feel that sag as the acceleration stops - you know you don't have enough sail up.

I know I can hold a 6.0 fully powered in 22-25 knots in flat water, but in the chop I get thrown about like I'm in a washing machine - speeds come down from 33 knots (in flat water) to about 27-29 knots when the chop gets up (same angle off the wind.

Looking at Mal, Chris or Tony's time they are all on waht would be considered relatively big sails given the wind strength, Daffy, is the closest to sailing 'underpowered' I have seen and in my experiencd he was carrying the same if not more sail than me and I was spotting him 15 - 18 kg at the time.

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The last major speed session at SP that got the guys into the GPS top 10 as it exists now - the day was good, but not epic - it blew about 25-30 knots or so, gusting to 35 late in the day.

I sailed a 5.0 and was not overpowered at all for the day, but didn't do any good - just couldn't get into the groove.

Mal sailed a 5.0m and got 43 - he is about 20 kg heavier and a much better sailor. Daffy sailed a 4.4 and got 43 - he is about my weight but again a better sailor....and so on. The point being that it wasn't nuking 35+ with big sails, but 30's with average sized sails.

Now since this is SP, you can quite easily hold down .5-1m more sail area than choppy water since you wont "feel" overpowered, particularly since smaller boards require more sail size before being out of control. But the fastest guys are not trying to hold down any _extra_ area compared to the rest of the recreational sailors - they simply are sailing powered-up.

These are the particular points I have learned from Mal, Daffy, Tony and Chris:
- Technique is the most important as shown by guys doing 40 with wave gear; in particular the effective use leverage.
- Fin is probably the most important single piece of sailing gear.
- To go real fast you must bear away further than you would even consider to be realistic.
- Sail must be efficient, either by twist or size.
- Dont oversheet.

Mathew

PS. Even at SP I'm struggling to hold down a 5.0m in 35-38, but it is currently my smallest sail...

Let's have a fin discussion.

I noticed last week the best I could do on a 28 weed fin was 59 kmh and when I swapped over to a lockwood custom pointer 28 immediately felt faster and clocked 63. (Wind average about 20kts, gusting 24)

Last night it was probably too light (Wind average about 15, gusting to 19 only last 30 mins), only used the Lockwood 28, but Elmo using a 32, slaughtered me all session.

Why is this so?

Chris L

Finally been dragged kicking and screaming in to the idea that I'm going to have to improve my fin selection to gain any more speed.

The last couple of sessions on "Hardies Run" using slalom fins has given me a bit of confidence for looking for something other than a quick weed fin.

Currently (locally) there is only the Techtonic fins done by the crew at 2nd wind which I believe are rather good.

I heard a rumor that KA will be marketing the fins that you have been working on.

Is there any truth in this rumor? If so then:

• When will they be available
• Where from
• Approx price

Alby

Hey Justin,

I have a Meanline 36 which is meant to suit my 7.0. Was impressed with downwind performance - but not much in the way of upwind pointing ability. ScotF has 2 and I hear Peirre also has one. Early consensus is that they need to be well powered to work. ( I agree with this to date)

Had much spin out and lack of grip in marginal conditions (12-14 knots) with 7.0, 36cm and 103 litres of board. (really struggled to point).


To be truthful it was the first time I had sailed a new board - so I am prepared to wait for more sessions to pass full judgement (on fin or board).

- J

Comparing apples again, I don't think the meanline is comparable to the Goldwing so much (which is most peoples tectonics reference) more the Falcon, which I believe would probably be faster and handle the chop just as well as the meanline.

Also in reading Tinho's articles don't forget he is given his gear and will talk up whatever is free, I remember when he changed to fanatic the previous boards were the best thing since sliced bread but then the fanatics were so much better.

I just cannot bring myself to buying the meanlines, the foil is just too thick for my liking.

I only get to watch the guns at Sandy Point, and get to sail amongst them.
But they are a patient and helpful bunch and a day sailing with them and joining in the conversations and asking questions is probably the best investment in improving your speeds you could make.

In fact, considering the cost of equipment and how much of it sits idol,
even those of you in WA could easily justify the airfare in the value of spending the day at Sandy Point.

Of all the points so far eluded to on this thread, Comfort is the one that I would put on top.

You must put in the time on your gear to get comfortable at the speeds you are maxing out at. It's only when you are comfortable that your mind can address the finer points of board trimming, front toe upward point angle, and actually direct your gaze to the GPS reading.

Fins are more important than sails, just as in race cars Grip is more important than power.

And just to redirect focus to the FUN side. slalom boards can go fast and can be more comfortable upto the mid 30's. but a speed board, and mine is a Missile2, well what can I say, there is nothing like the feeling of one of these firing up on to the plane. the feeling of being shot out of a cannon comes to mind.

I don't do the necessary miles, so I have to be happy with rocking up and peaking 38kts all the time. But I have a shytcan load of fun doing it.

Hi Guys,

What grade paper would you use to sand your fin, I just want to tidy mine up.

Thanks in advance, off to bed

I'm just getting into the GPS thing and loving it, but can't work out how I get the data from my Foretrex 201 onto my computer. Any ideas gratefully recieved.

Thanks

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Originally posted by elmo



G'day Crash

I will start with the basic questions (don't be offended)

• got your data cable
Yes
• Have you got G7toWin and/or GPS Action Replay
No - what is this? I couldn't find any info on the Garmin site...

If you have the data cable and GPSAR have you loaded the java addition which allows GPSAR to read direct from GPS.
Heres link:
www.gpsactionreplay.com/gps_install.exe

This is a start, let us know where you are at with it and what problems you are experiencing and help should be at hand.

Alby

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Alby, I wouldn't take offence. When i spoke to Garmin about charging problems they said "have you pluged it in? have you switched the power on? have you pushed the cable right in....".

So it looks like I need G7toWin and/or GPS Action Replay. Is this free/web based?

Cheers
Ben

Ok, so i have the software, i have the cable, i have the docking thing and i'm uploading!

Let's see if i can work this one out...