Help beginner/interm. choose betw Formula or near-formula

[bruntoj]

I'm in my second year of windsurfing a Starboard Rio M (about 190L, 83 wide) and finding that my planing days in San Diego are few. I've gone as high as an Ezzy Freeride 9.5 and their carbon RDM. I've had somewhere between 15-20 days with either some or mostly planing and hooked in but looking for another board and have my eye on getting something wider for earlier planing. Most days when I'm not planing there's usually somebody on a formula board having more luck than me.

So the big question is do I

a) go Formula and can I get away with using my 9.5 rig?
b) go to something "nearly formula" like the Starboard iSonic 155, Carve 171, or Ultrasonic, as examples?

I currently see both a used Formula Experience and a iSonic 155 in the buy/sell section, both in the $500-700 range and thats really got my thinking about a theoretical choice between the 2.

I weigh somewhere around 220 (95kg), can do a slow wobbly jibe and can count my water-starts on one hand.

[carl]

The Rio is already pretty wide. A longer fin might help. Lightweight boards also seem to do better. Some formula boards are for racing in high wind not for lightwind planing, so better do research. You maybe better off with the Rio if it's lightweight.
But technique also plays a BIG part in planing early.
Get your weight forward and on to the boom/sail. Let the wind in the sail hold you up. I find it easier to hook in first. Your objective is to get most of your body weight off the back of the board and try to keep the board flat so you're not plowing water. When you get better with that, pumping the back of the sail helps too. It acts like a bird wing and helps propel too.

[TheAdmiral]

Hi, I too have been wanting a light wind board! Bought the 145 Isonic and other than a weed fin problem I am very satisfied.Just sold a 145 Shark as it was doggy,slow to plane and somewhat heavy(Great board for straps and harness learning). Big issue is your skill level. This short wide board needs foot stearing to get it to go down wind and plane.The Isonic are compact and when they plane(very early) they are fast to accelerate.You must be comfortable inthe straps&harness.Between12-14mph, hook in ,feet on center line and it will glide on plane.(My pumping ability stinks)At 88 wide the Isonic sails like a Formula with out the hassle and almost as fast.(Slogging is a task at best).I weight 160 and I don'thing the 155 would be any better unless you"re 200 lbs.I'm harnessed and atleast in the front strap 90% of the time. This board is sooo light(almost same as my Tabou Rocket115-another easy board to sail!!I've only sailed it twice,butsuper early planing with formula boards and AHD dimond77&85 who always plane.Made a nose protector as board is light and fragile, Mark

[jingebritsen]

florida has a bit more wind than san diego. lots in common between the areas.

Admiral, do NOT hook before in the front strap. that's how the starboard in the last WS Mag board test got smashed on its initial trial. allows one to work on pumping techniques too. arms straight weight the boom with your hands, pumping downward on the boom, then up, then down. weights the board then the sail then the board then the sail. pump comes from the core, not the arms.... lots of stuff covered in online instruction, but not early planing.

http://www.boardseekermag.com/technique/technique.html

using a 9.5 freeride sail with a formula is a good thing. maybe tone down the fin a notch or 2 to allow more comfortable reaching. the formula experience board is probably the right choice.

peter hart does a pretty good job. typically. tons of words, no action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo0r8GXinqI

here's the opposite, no words all action. notice the lady is not hooked in at first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJkWQV8RVGI&feature=related

[coachg]

I have both the formula board and “nearly formula” which I call giant slalom. I have also raced my giant slalom against formula boards in the Cal Cup for fun.

First option as Carl said is bigger/better fin if you don’t already have one. As far as the type of board there is very little difference in early planning between the giant slalom boards & the formula boards. As Carl noted the giant slalom boards will plane earlier than some of the formula boards so going to a formula board will likely provide you a very little advantage in early planning over a giant slalom board. The significant difference will be in up wind angles where the formula board will have a huge advantage. For simple beam reaching in light wind the giant slalom board will be faster as it is easier to control on a reach & jibes much quicker.

So if all you are going to do is BAF light wind sailing, get the giant slalom board. If you plan on exploring Mission Bay then get the formula board.

As to the harness thing I too think you should go to the front strap in the early stages of you sailing experience. It will help you become more efficient. But once you get experienced at getting in the straps I think you will end up using the harness first because even though it is more efficient, pumping is exercise and pumping large sails over & over sucks.

Coachg

[carl]

[joethewindsufa]

there used to be other options like the Fanatic CATs
more longboard
now there is Tinho Dornellas' custom board, the Phantoms, the Exocet and the AHD
problem - they are difficult to get and $$$ too
when the wind gets light I take my CAT out and in 10 to 15 knots with an 8-oh , it is funtastic
under 10 knots i use a 10-oh
John Ingebritsen uses a SUP
he did not mention that here ??
i am hoping the newer longboards make a comeback - even if it is through the SUP or KONA waves

btw i too am a heavyweight at 100 kilos/220 pounds

since this post - I too have purchased a BIC Techno Formula 170 with 94 cm width and that has replaced my CAT in 10 to 15 knot winds and planes with a 10-oh sail

[maxsonic]

[westadamsvets]

Consider going for a full blown formula sail rather than 'intermediate' twin cams, and go above 10.0. You will get a substantial increase in both power and with an adj. outhaul you can take that sail into surprisingly high winds.
Not that you'd plan to be sailing it in 18+, but conditions do change and it's nice to have your sail be rock steady in the gusts rather than backhandy and squirrely.
The industry seems to be marketing light wind slalom in ways that are horribly misinformative to the heavyweight intermediate. Consider the following promo for the jp super light wind:
http://vimeo.com/24912416
You have a lightweight teenager sailing a $2300 jp super light wind and planing on an 8.2. But how much does he weigh? Maybe 160lbs. And how much wind? I wouldn't be surprised if we're seeing gusts to 14. Which is dramatically stronger wind than a steady 10. If a 220 pounder stepped on that same exact setup he'd be schlogging.

[westadamsvets]

Here's the same sailor as on the jp super light wind above, but on formula gear in lighter winds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1NzWIYRBjc

He's 'only' on a 10.7. A heavier sailor would likely be on a 12.

Kornum is a very gifted, energetic sailor, and an intermediate would not be sailing nearly as aggressively. But, the same principles apply - more sail area and better rig stability are the ticket to planing in very light winds. The light wind slalom jp would be completely moribound in the above conditions with an 8.2.