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curtiscollins
Joined: 16 Jun 2014 Posts: 2
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:48 am Post subject: 1989 Mistral Ventura LCS |
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What the specs? Liters? Reviews? |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5328 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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10'8".
170 liters.
Early planing due to hard rails all the way around.
Almost as fast as light wind slalom boards. |
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curtiscollins
Joined: 16 Jun 2014 Posts: 2
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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170 liters? Can you send me a link to the specs/manufacturer's info? I had a sailing shop email that the board is only 160 liters, so I thought it not enough volume. I'm learning again to sail after about a 25 year break and need an entry- level board for light winds. I'm 50, 6'1'', and 190 lbs. so last season I bought a 2001 Bic Techno 283 (150 L) with 3 masts and 5 sails 4.5-7.5), but I can't get going even with the 7.5 sail in 12 km/h winds, which is high to average where I live in Vancouver. Can't imagine uphauling a 10+ sail on that board on light days. I just bought a used 9.0 sail and saw a cheap Ventura LCS with all original gear in very good shape ($100) for light days and for my 12-year-old, and my wife to learn on. Thoughts? What would be a better budget board option (used formula boards start at about $500)? |
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Sylvie
Joined: 28 Jul 2007 Posts: 18
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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curtiscollins wrote: | [...] a cheap Ventura LCS with all original gear in very good shape ($100) for light days and for my 12-year-old, and my wife to learn on. Thoughts? [...] |
I learned windsurfing on a Mistral Ventura LCS board and had a lot of fun. My Mistral Ventura was 160 liters.
100$ in very good shape? Go for it, at least for your wife and son (I bought the board new, with the mast + base and paid 1400$CA back in 1990!!!) |
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DanWeiss
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Be very cautious using the original Mistral mast-track car and vintage pin. The original Mistral pin was under-engineered for the stresses of age and large sails. The car itself rolls on tiny plastic wheels that can disintegrate after enough time in the sun and all these years. The original Mistral mast track car does not allow you to screw in a modern mast foot. A work-around is to use a few, large fender washers above the typical mast foot slug. The washers will hold the mast foot in place, though adjustment can be burdensome. _________________ Support Your Sport. Join US Windsurfing!
www.USWindsurfing.org |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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Just a word of caution. Boards from the 80s and early 90s tend to be on the narrow side, and they lacked a cavity style finbox. A or E style finboxes can't really handle the stress of larger fins that would be the call when using larger sails. Also, the narrow width makes for a very tippy board that's not well suited for larger sails (bigger than 7.0-7.5), and the longer fins needed for them. It should be remembered that standard sails at the time ranged from 5.7 to 6.5, and they had a much higher center of effort (COE), making them much more powerful for their size compared to today's designs. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5328 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Listen to SWChandler, Ventura is narrow compared to BicTechno.
I worked at the biggest selling Mistral dealership on the WestCoast. GregWillis the rep then. Our boss weighed 210, said Ventura is super floaty, more than 160, since we also carried Fanatic Bats and F-2Comets.
Ventura is longer, thicker rails, thickness carried thru the whole board.
Local expert sailors also said Ventura floated better than the original Malibu, which must have floated 180 liters.
I was around 145 then, so couldn't tell the floatation.
200 lbs guys just don't plane up in 12 mph, even with Formula and 12 meter sails, unless they are EXPERT level sailors. |
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gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 783 Location: Seattle, Wa
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:28 am Post subject: |
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I don't know if Curtis the OP is still watching this... but I'll give another perspective to this "chat"... which I can back up.
I think the Ventura would be fine for him, better than the Techno 283.
Why? Because he's sailing it in light winds. Vancouver, Canada... is very similar to Seattle regarding summer winds.
It's rarely white-capping... he's going to be in very light winds, most the time.
For his 190 lbs... I'd actually suggest a bigger vol board, instead of the 170 - 180L Ventura. Look for a longboard bigger than 200L.
But, since you already found this nice one, all original and in good shape... I think it's a bargain at that price.
And it will work, for your weight.
Take Dan's advice... to be cautious with the mast track. But I still think you'll be fine, cause you're not going out I the ocean in a storm. You'll be sailing I protected waters in light winds.
And yes, it's more narrow than more modern boards... and it comes with a smaller fin. But that doesn't matter. You have a centerboard. You can put any big sail on there you want. I sail narrow longboards from the 80's and 90's all the time, in light winds... with big sails. They all have the original fin.
And on boards of 220 - 250 L of vol... I have used my 1990 Aerotech 11 M race sail... and my 2003 Sailworks 10.5M Retro... and my 2005 Gaastra 11M formula sail... all in the last 2 weeks. And I've been using the Aerotech 11M since I bought in brand new on these boards.
Of course, the Ventura is less vol... but you weigh 15# less than me. Anyway, a 9M would be plenty fine on that board.
When you want to go upwind, you put the centerboard down and go where you want. If you want to sail beam reaches and it's white capping... I'd retract the CB part-way... and you'll still be fine. You're not trying to win any races, you're just getting back into windsurfing after a 25 year break.
A Ventura with a 190# sailor and a 9M sail will be planning and very fun to sail in 12 to 15 knot winds. Of course a skilled sailor on a Techno 283 will be going good in that wind as well. But you don't get much of that in Vancouver... and when the wind is less... the Ventura will do circles around a shortboard.
Also remember, that board doesn't have the width or the big fin of newer boards. But it does have length... and that will give you plenty of tracking stability, with the fin... and with or without the CB.. with a big sail.
Also on a narrow board, you're more careful to keep your feet on the centerline, until you're really powered up, fully planning. But it still has enough volume to float you alright.
So... if you want to race in your typical light winds... look for a bigger vol longboard. But if you want a bargain and something your whole family can use, as you described... I think what you're looking at will be just fine,
Greg |
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