Lake Champlain, vt

ETHeath · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 4

Hi Everone,

I'm looking for some people to windsurf with on the lake.

Gimme a shout

rollerrider · Joined: 17 May 2003 Posts: 100

Not sure where you are launching but
I always had company up at Cumberland
State park just above Plattsburg.

mikej1 · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 17

Where are Los Roches in relation to Cumberland Pk. would like to sail there this fall.

ETHeath · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 4

Thanks everyone for your response. I've been wind surfing since 1990. Been a lot of places and have experienced some great and challenging conditions. I have been on a bit of a vacation from windsurfing. Got sick of chasing the wind around the globe and spending ridiculous amounts of money on equipment and vacations looking for wind. I could never survive if my life's pursuit was windsurfing. At least I don't think so. I still love it to bits though. I guess time and life has forced me to choose different paths but now I can revisit the love I found in windsurfing.

Just bought a Starboard 121 Carbon to test the technology of today but am rather skeptical about the performance. I have several boards, Mistral Explosion, Fanatic Rat, and two Dill Customs. Would rather not sail in 8.0 conditions...............6.0 is the max sail size I really wanna sail in. Was up at Lake C a few years ago and I was bike riding on the trail from Burlington to South Hero and on the way back It started to blow. By the time I got back to Burlington it Hadda be blowin 4.5 or less. WTF. Cant wait to get back on the board.

whitevan01 · Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 607

ETHeath · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 4

paulf. · Joined: 21 Mar 1996 Posts: 435

starboard what board? explosion was derived from course slalom of the day, hard rails parallel outline square tail of course it would plane early. would compare to isonic line.

ETHeath · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 4

paulf. · Joined: 21 Mar 1996 Posts: 435

likes mast base pressure and point way off to plane. there is a "magic spot" of front foot pressure just ahead of the front straps that helps. can;t just stomp on the fin to plane like the explosion. fast enough board. have fun.

mewindsurf · Joined: 30 Jun 2000 Posts: 177

Hi ETHeath,

Welcome back to the sport! I'm just chiming in because I want your first day back on the water to be a great one that will get you hooked all over again. I'm a little concerned that you might be trying to sail too big of a board for the conditions you want to use it in. I've run into many guys getting back into the sport after a 10 or 20 year break and they don't realize that the length of the board has absolutely no relation to the wind range it was designed for anymore. Actually my board I use in 40 knots is longer than my slalom board I use in 10-15.....

Anyway, I noticed you said you really don't want to sail in conditions lighter than 6.0, but with the Starboard 121, you're kind of already getting out of the high end wind range of that board. With a big sail of a 6.0, something around 100 liters would do great. Maybe 110 if you wanted a little extra float. That Futura 121 is recommended for 5.5 to 8.5, so really 6.0 to 8.0 will be best.

I just don't want you to go out on the 121 with a 6.0 in 20+ mph winds, and get that same feeling you got riding the Screamer in the Gorge. In the Gorge especially, you need a smaller board for the same amount of wind you'd use anywhere else. That current makes the board get big in a hurry.... So the screamer wasn't really too light for the conditions, it was just too big for the conditions..... The rocker, rail shape and outline determine more about how a board will ride on the water than anything else. The weight will adjust how fast and lively it will feel in those conditions. (heavier = slower reaction/dead feeling) I know for me, I have much more control in very high wind 30 - 40 knots on a lighter, stiffer board that was designed for the conditions than an older heavier board. My board for anything over 25 knots right now is an 85 liter that's 14 lbs. And since I'm doing freestyle, I tend to use a bigger board than most, but I'm always in total control. A better idea of wind range for boards now is the volume. So given the same conditions, a smaller (lower volume), lighter board might be a better choice than a bigger, heavier board.

Also, the types of sails on the market now are very different than they were 15 years ago. For example, I'll use my 7.3 meter Slalom sail in about 20 mph winds, but on my freestyle sail in 20 mph winds, I'll be using a 5.0. Any which way you put it, if you're not racing, a no cam sail is much easier to use.

Just trying to give you some helpful info and make your first day back more fun than ever. Let me know if I can help any further. Always great to see people getting back into the sport!

Happy sailing,

Mike Burns