Windsurfing Formula Question

[atlas.wave55]

Windsurfing Formula Question

Hi, was looking at a starboard 162 and a gaastra matrix 2011 8.5 sail. I'm 16, My weight is 135 pounds, Height 5'9 and was wondering what wind speeds I would be able to get out planning in? And if anyone has experience with any of these pieces of equipment.

[techno900]

just a calculated guess, since I sail formula.

No pumping about 12-14 mph winds. Small white caps forming.

Pumping (done correctly) about 10-12 mph winds.

[dllee]

F-162 and F-167 is sitting in our van every day this season.
162 planes up sooner and goes faster with less sail and fin power. Less depth of concaves, longer flat tail, less V, widest point just a bit farther back.
How early you plane totally depends on how well you pump and what sail. For most big guys, a 10.2 sail planes up sooner than a 12, because they can pump it effectively. For the pros, it's not the same thing.
For lighter weight rider's, and 135 lbs does qualify, the ability to pump and unweight the board, ride a windswell, and load the mast track is even more important. Mostly, a 8.5 is considered big for your weight, so pumping ability is yours to justify and quantify.
For early planing, a deep draft is necessary, while a little big of tuning can be done with the downhaul, if overpowering winds for the sail is not a consideration.
Wide short chord sails generally plane up sooner than higher aspect sails.
Less battens usually means recreational sails, which plane up sooner, size for size, than dedicated race sails.
The question of cam or non cam is up in the air, depending on rider pumpin g abilities. Some say a cam keeps it's shape, scooping air when pumped. Other's say a non cam can come back to flat, meaning a bigger scoop of the air. That seems more personal than absolute.
Lighter weight sails plane up sooner than heavier sails, because heavier sails are usually meant for more wind, and be more stable in more wind.

[atlas.wave55]

Hi, zirtaeb thanks for the info on that board. As you said the 8.5 that being a big sail for me as me being a light weight rider. So that would obviously being a light wind sail for me. But found this on RigGeek called Windsurfing board, fin and sail size calculator!
witch looks interesting. Closest sail size for rider weight I found was 8.7 for 13 km wind.

Sailor Weight:135 lbs.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Activity: Formula.

Target Windspeed:13 kmh Wind

Sail area=8.7 m2

Fin Length=60 ±3 cm

Fin Area=20 cm2

Wind speed=13 kmh

[dllee]

A graph is just a guideline, you have to make the various parts work.
We mostly use 62 cm fins on our small sails for Formula boards, mostly 6.5's but up to 8's. F-4 soft and Debochet R-13 M, which is old and much more flexible than when new.
You need to get used to big sails, if you want to sail them well. Our female Olympic rep, Marion, is tall at 5'10 or so, but very lightweight, probably less than you. She was using an 11 meter sail at come Cal Cups, and guys 200 lbs were using 11's.
Mast track position plays a huge role in light winds, whereas something closer to "recommended" seems to work best in normal winds, 15-22 mph. Just moving the mast base back 2cm will really increase the power of the fin once planing, lift the board onto it's very tail, making a fast and exciting ride when leaving the mast track near center will feel OK, planing but draggy and boring. While bigger rider's need the mast track centered for early planing, that is not the case with lighter weight rider's.
For instance, lots of heavyweights still need to step forwards of the footstraps to maintain plane coming out of jibes. At my 155 lbs., it's imperative I NEVER step in front of the front footstraps, or the extra wetted surface will drag me OFF a plane, coming out of jibes.
Seems for most 200 lb'ers on formula boards, with 10 meter sails will need more wind than me on a 95 liter slalom board and 6 meter sail to get planing, so less weight is really good for light wind planing.

[atlas.wave55]

Hi, thanks for the reply. The fin that comes with the 162 is a drake 70cm Debochet fin, I do not know much about these fins and if there good or bad.