I'm 64kgs and use a 3.8m in over 25kts ( wavesail) and 3.2m in over 30 kts and thats generally survival sailing. I'm an intermediate.I don't imagine you'd enjoy it and you might hurt yourself but as you aren't in a harness at least you'll fall away from the board ( or I imagine you would)..You can try but if it's consistent 25kts + it will be very demanding and survival stuff.

Yeah ok, so I'd be way overpowered and just end up either hurting myself, or finishing up extremely frustrated. Maybe I'll just go out and buy a smaller sail anyway, then I've got it.

What you should also remember is back when windsurfing started there was basically one board and one sail. They went out in everything from zero to 30 knots plus on the same gear. Of course it got very ugly when the wind was strong. However what I'm trying to get at is if you can find a place that is safe, ie the wind won't blow you out to Tasmania or into some big rocks and the tide won't wash you out to sea, then give it a go.

The worst that can happen is probably a long walk back to your car, the walk of shame. The benefit will be more time on the water and experiencing some powered up or overpowered sailing.

d11wtq said..

Yeah ok, so I'd be way overpowered and just end up either hurting myself, or finishing up extremely frustrated. Maybe I'll just go out and buy a smaller sail anyway, then I've got it.

You need a smaller board too. Big boards are dreadful in big bumps. I'd just give it a miss. Get matching gear down the track.

Yeah, so this is just my first set of gear hence why I only have one of everything. I'm planning to buy a Tabou Rocket and a smaller sail at the end of the summer (if I manage to stick with it by then... I do get a buzz from sailing even in light winds, so hopefully I'll stick with it).

The sail I have is a NP Firefly. I can put a lot of downhaul tension on it to depower the sail a fair bit, and the battens are easily adjustable.

Could going out be dangerous at all, or just a waste of time? At the very least I guess I'd get some practice with the rigging for the different conditions (and carrying the equipment in those conditions).

Had the same dilemma myself last year.

Used the high winds to get beach starting practice and handling the sail while getting on the board.

I really didn't sail anywhere but I spent 2 hours in shallow water getting a feel for the equipment in high winds.

Absolutely knackered after 2 hours.

cheers Jeff
ps Rig the sail flat as above.

Given you're not in harness or footstraps I'd give it a miss. I'm 68kg and would be on 4.3 in a true 25 knots - bear in mind a marine forecast of 25knots is wind out to sea so could be 5.3 weather at the beach, but if windguru and the like are forecasting 25 then it probably will be and you will get a hammering I think.

If you do go be very careful rigging - make sure your sail is secure at all times else it will end up across the road on some ones car - watch your board too.

I've been sailing a long time and probably broke my nose last time I was out in those conditions on a 4.3. Save it till the next day - wind might be perfect.

Don't stay home.

Go to a shop and buy a smaller sail. It's not like you're never going to use it! :D

I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but using a 145l board for sails under 5.3m is never going to work. The board simply has too much volume for strong wind sailing.

By all means go and give it a try, but I doubt you will find it enjoyable.

I appreciate you are learning, but at 65kg, you would be sailing a board of 1/2 that volume in sub 5m weather.

That said I learned on a horrible Tiga Swift with a 6m sail, and that was sailed in all conditions, 5 knot breezes up to 30 knot storms. I suppose it's all part of the learning curve.

If you were an expert it probably wouldn't be good, since you are a beginner even if your gear was sized correctly you would get flattened in wind that strong. Maybe it won't be that strong and like jervin said you could just screw around trying to waterstart and practice handling the sail, let us know how it goes.
Jumping from 10 to 25 knots will be difficult, need to work your way up

I think you are being very adventurous which could be a good thing, or maybe not. A true 25 knots has a lot of punch and especially if you are not waterstarting it could be a challenge getting back in. Personally I would have misgivings going out in that wind if I couldn't use the harness or straps. Being able to use this gear enables you to handle those conditions, not the other way around.

Thanks, Clarence!

The forecasted 25 knots never eventuated as it happened anyway, so it was fine. The bigger problem was the chop tipping me off the board when trying to uphaul in an onshore wind (board angled horizontal with the waves). Instead we practiced handling the sail in the water, in preparation for water starting. That's the most useful thing I got from today. That and a bit of missing skin from several fingers after letting the uphaul slide through them a few times.

I'm going down the peninsula (not sure where yet) tomorrow by myself. Will try and find a nice flat spot somewhere, do a bit of sailing and take a stab at succeeding at at least one beach start.

Hey d11wtg (Bob), I like your persistence and attitude! I've been sailing for just about two years now, and I have to say that first year was pretty cruel. Everything seems waaaay to hard. But somehow it all starts to come together and then the real fun begins.

It's cruel that you need to endlessly fall off, suffer up-haul rope burn, blistered boom hands, shred skin from your toes, stub your toes looking for straps, stretched ya arms sockets and face plant like a Gumby to be tuned up perfectly to sail. But ironically, the more you suffer, the better you will sail, as you build fitness and ballance that's transforms you into a good sailer. Once you can sail half decent you'll be stoked at all you have achieved, and know deep inside not everyone has the skills or patience to be a good windsurfer- this is why kites are so popular (sorry, couldn't help myself)

Anyway, the bright side is everything gets easier with time on water. So keep at it Bob, look for shallows locations to practice waterstarts, beach starts etc. You will learn something new in any wind from 3 to 35 knots, but the fastest progression will be in that more comfortable 10-15 knot range.

Remember, the best windsurfer in the world is the one having the most fun!

Cheers