wow
the conditions look like hammertime.
Of interset what sail size are you boys and girl rigging for those conditions???? and is your sail cam or camless for that sort of wind.
Your specs would be interesting, it might help to understand the sailsize to windknots ratio.
Kind regards
Adriatic Blu
I was on a 4.7 NP Alpha wave sail. It was well suited when the wind was over 25 knots, but not much guts getting on the plane around 20. This was on an 84l board, and I'm 80kg.
I was on a 5.5m Ezzy Infinity and a 115 litre board. I weigh 95kgs and was still over powered in the gusts. It felt pretty fast though...
In order to drop the speed a little bit I went from a 36cm slalom fin down to a 25cm weed/wave fin. Unfortunately at the same time the wind dropped by 5 knots ;-(
I used my 6.7m NP RSS (3 cams) on a 80L slalom board & 31cm select slalom fin- it wasn't very comfortable. Then a 5.2 m NP Saber (camless) which was very nice for the conditions and even that was being maxed in the gusts.
A range of sails from 4.7 camless to 5.8m race sails were used (eg RS6 - 4 cam)
For the conditions, camless sails 4.7 to 5.2 were good or 5.5 -5.8 cammed race sails. I think Rick M, who was doing the speed runs, was on a 6.2m RS Racing for the whole time.
I was on a 5.8 Maui Sails Global and JP supersport 118 and then changed down to a NP Combat 5.3 and JP Xcite 110l. Could have been on the 4.7 combat with no worries at all during the races. Both board on factory fins.
Very over powered in the gusts both board and sail, lots of holding on and waiting for the gust to past.
Dam good time however!
I was on a 5.7 Severne Blade, initially a 80L Starboard Evo and then changed to a 95L Goya One. Not sure what size either of the fins are but I know they were both too small and made getting to the inside buoy a pain in the rear (could have been aiming at the wrong one which maybe didn't help)
I was on a 6.0m 3 cammed free race sail on a 93 ltr S-Type. Yep, was WAY over powered much of the time and had down haul fully cranked with the boom lowered and the mast base forward.
I really should have been on a 5.0m wave sail as it would have been much more comfortable and I probably would have still gone just as fast. I weigh about 84kg.
I had a 5.0m KA Koncept up on a 90 litre slalom board. I only weighy 74 kg's and I was way overpowered in the gusts. I tried a 29cm fin which was actually pretty good but could have done with a 32 or so when the wind dropped off. I spent the last race of the day slogging when everyone else was mainly planing due to the drop off in the wind.
By the way Bossman was out on a 6.2 and absolutely FLYING.
At 80kg my 5.8 race sail was too big in race 1. Crashed and broke a harness line. Waiting4wind's 5.2 Sabre was just right when I got realigned and back on the water. The Tabou Rocket 115 felt big in the chop, but with its soft rails it's an easy gyber, plenty of float if you lost speed dodging traffic. Had a 36 fin.
Hey Guys,
Alot of you are putting the fin as a real important part on the gear set up.
I never thought that a fin would be that critical.
Hopefully at the end we can get the ultimate set up, we can build the monster is this possible or is this only a dream??
Kind Regards
Adriatic Blu
A fin generates lift. Too small you won't get on the plane very easily plus you'll suffer side slip and an inability to get upwind. Too big and you run the risk of the board riding very high in the water and being unstable at speed and wanting to take off.
I started the day on a 6.8m 4 cam North Warp Race sail. With 36cm Slalom fin (SL2) on a 110L Falcon Slalom Board.
When things started to get out of control, I changed down to a 6.3m sail of the same model, and changed my fin to a 34cm Fin (SL3). Same board.
After slamin my mast into the nose of my board in a blown gybe, I retired the whole rig and sailed for a short time on my 95L Fanatic Freewave with 26cm fin and 6m no cam North Xtype. Was underpowered on the Xtype as the wind started to drop.
Earlier i was a little overpowered at times. but hanging on was half the fun!!!
Until i smashed my new board.![]()