JP Superlight Comments

lrrry · Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 61

I just bought a JP Superlight, Gold 165, and have a 11.0 Aerotech Rapid Fire sail to go with it. Just barely getting used to it, and had it out the other day in extremely light winds... perhaps 7 kts max, so I couldn't get it on a plane. Was hoping for more but didn't happen.

However, it maneuvered reasonably well (better than my Formula, but not as well as a long board, as expected.

But, returning to home base, I was faced with about 4 or 5 kts of wind to tack up wind with, and an outgoing tide to fight and had a heck of a time gaining much headway.

Seems if the wind stayed up a bit I could rail the board up for better upwind, but if it dropped off I couldn't stay even. Guessing I had a 2 kts tide... moving pretty quick.

It took a hour and a half to go one half mile! Really slow. Had a few tacks where I made no progress at all (tacking back and forth about 1/8 to 1/4 mile.

Any suggestions on how to work upwind in this situation?

Suspect I'll get caught again, as sometime I head out with a nice sea breeze that ends up dying.

gvogelsang · Joined: 09 Nov 1988 Posts: 435

In those conditions, in fact in most all conditions, I try to get upwind right off the bat, just in case something breaks, or the wind dies.

The only time that I would sail downwind originally is if there were a current that would bring me back from being downwind.

It is easy to try to head downwind to get a short board on a plane, but you do that at your own peril. Get upwind, and then try to get the board planing.

The other solution is to use a longer board with a dagger board in such light conditions - but that is not as fun?

lrrry · Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 61

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

In those conditions a long board is the obvious choice but that doesn't address your question.

To go up wind well on a short board against a tide find where the weakest current is or look for an eddy. Generally the current is strongest out in the middle of the body of water so tack near shore in weaker current. Place your front foot on or near the rail at least as far forward as your mast base. Place your back foot on the centerline between the front & back straps. Apply most of your weight to your front foot, back foot stays light & trims the board. You want to sink & use the windward rail. Bring your hands together so as to not over sheet the sail & lean the sail forward & windward. Balance the weight between the sail & your front foot.

Coachg

lrrry · Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 61

Coachg,

Good comments, I need some work on that a bit. Thx!

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

personally find that to be too low a wind for fun on any board
typically 10 knots or about 20 kph winds are my wind minimum
that way you are much less likely to be skunked completely
have gone out in less, but will NOT venture far then

each to their own ...

<20 kph = longboard for me
~20 kph = JP SLW92
>20 kph = many options

lrrry · Joined: 12 Sep 2016 Posts: 61

Brian.bigfella@gmail.com · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 127

With an 11.0 you can go with a much bigger fin than the stock fin. That will help you upwind both planing and slogging. I use a 70cm formula fin on mine with a 9.5. The 54cm fin that comes with it is great if you're powered up on a 7.5-9.5, but won't let you power upwind if you're on a big sail in marginal wind.