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? wind speed = ? size sail??

 
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galeforce79



Joined: 05 Apr 2001
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2001 11:01 pm    Post subject: ? wind speed = ? size sail?? Reply with quote

is there any formula or idea of wind speed that tells a windsurfer what size sail to use? ex, forcast of 25mph= 4.0sail? or anything similar? any common sizes you use in certain wind speeds? i know the board makes a difference but most of use only have one board and maybe a few sails. i have a 295 130L board. i only have a 6.0sail
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spyder



Joined: 24 Sep 1996
Posts: 2790
Location: oahu

PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2001 1:21 am    Post subject: RE: ? wind speed = ? size sail?? Reply with quote

no real formula, too many variables.

your weight
style (powered vs. mellow)
skill to plane
board size/vol
fin size/type

I dont know your weight, but that board is fairly floaty for a 170lb person. The 6.0 would probably work well in about 14mph-18mph. Downhaul it a lot and maybe up to 20, if you can hold on.
Your board vol will be a handfull in winds > 18.

very roughly, this is kinda the breakdown (mph)
7.0 11-14
6.5 13-16
6.0 15-18
5.5 18-21
5.0 19-23
4.5 22-26
4.0 25-28
3.5 28-30+
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2001 7:18 pm    Post subject: RE: ? wind speed = ? size sail?? Reply with quote

Even more critical is the source of your wind data. The variables Spyder mentioned can affect the equation by as much as 50%; wind sensor validity can have an equally big effect. We have to learn by experimentation what x mph on a sensor means on the water. At some Gorge sites, 30 mph on an official sensor (such as iWindsurfs) can mean a 6.0 will barely plane, while a hand-held sensor will read next-to-nothing because trees and terrain mask the wind, while an official sensor directly acoss the river says its blowing just 16 mph. That latter sensor is more correct.

Learn to read the whitecaps, relate sensor data to on-the-water wind, and, if at a fully-exposed spot (there are almost none around here), to correlate hand-held sensor data to real-world sail sizes.

Youre heading for a great spot this summer, and may get a LOT of time on that 6.0 in a current-free, idyllic spot not far from home.

Mike \m/
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