Boom Replacement

[carl]

Mike,
Most folks outside the gorge only get only a few days when the wind is less than 5.0., so theyll try to sail their 100L+ boards in those conditions, often with bad results. But,,youre right, those days can be fun (even for AARP members), WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. So buy used! Im 200lbs and got an old 78L, wave fin, an old (new looking) 4.0 and a 400cm mast (the short length mast makes a huge difference in the small sails). Yea, I only use the setup a few times a year,, but it sure makes those conditions fun.

[coachg]

Mike,

Sailing in rough terrain is fun, and I do enjoy my trips to Hawaii. But for some of us the addiction is speed, and to get that addiction best we need flat water.

Painful sailing on flat water with a sail larger than 6.0? Not if Im fast.

Its like the difference between dirt bikes and street bikes. I used to love dirt bikes until I climbed on a 112 HP, 10 second 1/4 mile machine that reached 110 mph in first gear. Bought a street bike and never looked back.

So just take out my Black Hawk and put me out of my misery if I ever become an old, crotchety wind snob.

Coachg

[NOVAAN]

i have been sailing 25 years. done it all. all over the place. now at 56 years old i rather enjoy a nice 6.0 day. smooth any fast. and i dont hurt as much at the end of the day..the best wind is steady wind and for all my travels even the gorge, high wind isnt steady. gusty sucks and some of the worse high wind ive seen has been at the gorge. maui is much more fun but at times it can also be gusty.. try rio vista for some high wind fun. sure its not 2.8 but a steady 4.5 0r 5.0 day is really nice sailing..point is every one has their sailing confront level. why bash a guy who has the guts to say hes getting older and enjoys light wind sailing..as for not going unless its raging, well your missing alot of good days. robbie nash states that his first year of sailing he never planed once. he said he had a hell of alot of fun. lite wind sailing gives us all the base that we need to advance..next time the wind is down find and old long board and 5.6 art sail. re visit the roots. you might find out its fun....tony

[carl]

Bruce (oldsalt),
My point was that many folks try to sail too big equipment in high wind conditions, with bad results. In 30mph average sustained wind, a 5.0 is alot of sail for anyone including a 230lbs sailor. A small board/fin is even more important, unfortunatly this is where most people skimp because of the expense. This is especially true for heavyweights because we actually need to be on almost the same size board as the lightweights in high wind. The sail size differential is much closer in high wind too.

[coachg]

A little bit late arent we? Must be sleeping on the job.

Coachg

[isobars]

Speed, to me, is a number on a speedometer. 145 feels like 60 on a straight highway (unless the window is open). I got bored in minutes at triple digit speeds on the Bonneville Salt Flats, but I NEVER got bored on the dunes across the highway. [Maybe the fighters and helicopters harassing us in the dunes add to the equation [ ].

Mike \m/

[isobars]

Were sailing the same speeds, and harnessing the same amount of power, whether on a 2.8 or a 7.5 - probably faster on the latter. Ive shed more blood underpowered on a 6.0 than I ever have on smaller sails COMBINED. And many of my most violent crashes were on big race gear and due to sharp rails and too much power (hitting CURBS sideways at top racing speeds is ABRUPT, to say the least.)

But after the last feather has fluttered back to earth, its still just water, so its pretty dang hard to get hurt.

Provincial: limited in perspective. Yup; thats me; Ive only SEEN two Formula boards on the water in my life. But then . . . you wrote: since I rarely sail my excellent high wind equipment, Im not skilled at it
and I saw an old man out in 5.0 winds last summer. I guess he was there for the challenge and self-esteem of meeting it. It looked rather painful to me.

Welcome to Club Provincial.

I dont sail a 5.0 until its blowing in the thirties

My 225-pound body-builder bud does forwards, backs and BIG tabletops -- and no one passes him -- on a 4.2 or 3.7 at 30 mph. One of you guys must be doing something wrong.

Mike \m/

[scooper]

It failed where the arm attaches to the head. It was corroded. scooper