Can light people go FAST

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> 10 years ago

General Gps & Speed Waves Foiling Gear Reviews Lost & Found WA NSW QLD SA VIC TAS

surfn

QLD

28 posts

surfn

QLD, 28 posts

16 Feb 2006 10:32pm

Can light people go FAST[}:)]

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 12:15am

When I was 18, I weighed 62.5kg and used to get from Dolls Point to Towra Point in under 2 minutes.

Since that's 2 km, that's around 60km/hr. Not that fast now, but at the time, Pasca Maka had just set a world speed record of 72km/hr, so I thought it was pretty good. That was on a Bombora Astrotoy, with a Gaastra 6.2m "Speed" series sail.

Man, I hated that sail. With every gust, the centre of effort used to move way back behind my harness line, causing the mast to be pushed toward me. I'd be using two hands to try and push it away. Makes me appreciated the stabilty of the modern twisting sails so much now.

I'd love to try out one of those GPS units though. I bet everyone is doing 60 with both hands behing their back now.

Regards,
Harrow.

mkseven

QLD

2315 posts

mkseven

QLD, 2315 posts

16 Feb 2006 11:15pm

YES

Eric Thieme is your god

It just takes a better setup, lower rockers etc- instead of barging through the water you want to skittle across the top.

Definately dont look at the big guys setup

JEFFERSON

72 posts

JEFFERSON

WA, 72 posts

16 Feb 2006 9:42pm

Sorry to break it to you Harrow but I just checked my map of Botany Bay and the distance to Towra from Dolls is at most 1 to 1.25Km. I could not imagine a Bombora Astro Toy even cracking 20knots. Sorry mate..... maybe you can tell your grand kids that Towra was further away back in the day.

mkseven

QLD

2315 posts

mkseven

QLD, 2315 posts

17 Feb 2006 12:10am

Find me an astro toy and i'll show you 20+knots

nebbian

6277 posts

nebbian

WA, 6277 posts

16 Feb 2006 11:27pm

I've got a "Bombora Big Toy" you're welcome to try on...

20+ knots eh? I couldn't even get the thing to plane!

surfn

QLD

28 posts

surfn

QLD, 28 posts

17 Feb 2006 8:54am

Are the smaller speed boards still comfortable to sail, even through small steep chop. I'm about 60-65kg and I find 90L boards to big on windy days. Any suggestions

pole boy

292 posts

pole boy

WA, 292 posts

17 Feb 2006 7:22am

surfn,
get out that chain saw and turn that into a nice lil 75l board and if that fails a 75l fsw works prety good as an all round board

sinker

255 posts

sinker

WA, 255 posts

17 Feb 2006 8:27am

"Can light people go FAST ?"

No Surfn,

God gave lighties the gift of getting on the plane early and the ability to use tiny gear.....

You're not allowed to go fast as well

Auswind

398 posts

Auswind

WA, 398 posts

17 Feb 2006 9:00am

eric Thieme blew all the conceptions out of the water.Amazing sailor with near perfect technique - and a top bloke too!

He could plane up in 8 knots (this is in the early nineties - before wide boards) and was one of THE guys when the wind was over 30 knots. Usually in chop where the ability to accelerate between bumps was paramount.

Smaller people can use smaller sails with less drag and go quick. Its just a question of scale.and self belief.

Robby Radis at mid high 60s to mid70 kgs was still incredibly fast on all points of sail - he weighs a little more now though.

In kiting the fastest guy i have ever seen (by a long shot - Felix Pivec - is only 63 kgs)

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 12:33pm

quote:
Originally posted by JEFFERSON

Sorry to break it to you Harrow but I just checked my map of Botany Bay and the distance to Towra from Dolls is at most 1 to 1.25Km. I could not imagine a Bombora Astro Toy even cracking 20knots. Sorry mate..... maybe you can tell your grand kids that Towra was further away back in the day.

JEFFERSON,

Sorry, I didn't actually take off from Dolls Point, I went from the end of Ida St, Sans Souci. (When there used to be sand there.) It is exactly 2km on my map. With my 62kg and 6.2m camber sail in 30knots of wind, I reckon the 60km was possible on the return run on a broad reach.

The Astro toy had quite a narrow tail, and the stepped vee used to cut through chop really well. The sail was quite powerful too (it simply couldn't be de-powered). Anyway, let me dream on....

Regards,
Harrow.

stehsegler

3580 posts

stehsegler

WA, 3580 posts

17 Feb 2006 9:41am

62 kgs, 6.2sqm, 30knts, chop, you going 37.5knts. ???

dream on...

... haven't seen anyone on Botany Bay with that skill set other than maybe Fast Phil or Sam but I think they both weight more than 62kgs.

gh

NSW

156 posts

NSW, 156 posts

17 Feb 2006 1:14pm

Hidden in the backyard is my old Astrotoy. May have a bit of reverse rocker after all these summers though. Ah and those plastic fins, what control.

mkseven

QLD

2315 posts

mkseven

QLD, 2315 posts

17 Feb 2006 12:44pm

quote:
Originally posted by surfn

Are the smaller speed boards still comfortable to sail, even through small steep chop. I'm about 60-65kg and I find 90L boards to big on windy days. Any suggestions

If your after a small board consider the Exocet Warp, Vando was really impressed with it (I think he is getting one, and we sail in choppy conditions). From all reports they are quite easy to sail, more so than the missile.

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 2:10pm

quote:
Originally posted by stehsegler

62 kgs, 6.2sqm, 30knts, chop, you going 37.5knts. ???

dream on...

... haven't seen anyone on Botany Bay with that skill set other than maybe Fast Phil or Sam but I think they both weight more than 62kgs.

Who said anything about skill? I was just hanging for dear life so I could get to the other side because I couldn't water start.

stehsegler

3580 posts

stehsegler

WA, 3580 posts

17 Feb 2006 11:20am

rest my case...

surfn

QLD

28 posts

surfn

QLD, 28 posts

17 Feb 2006 1:30pm

Looked at exocet warp

thanks mkseven I know what I want now

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 3:14pm

quote:
Originally posted by stehsegler

rest my case...

Not sure what the ability to water start has to do with top speed

(I never learnt because I've always been sharkaphobic).

Now I'm gonna have to buy a GPS just to check for myself !!

Regards,
Harrow.

ka43

NSW

3105 posts

ka43

NSW, 3105 posts

17 Feb 2006 3:18pm

Hey Harrow, you can borrow mine if you like to see how fast you are going.
Just dont get bit by a shark and lose it!

Gestalt

QLD

14968 posts

Gestalt

QLD, 14968 posts

17 Feb 2006 2:32pm

harrow,

the fastest waterstart i ever did was off mooloolabah. while kicking with my feet, i stood on something solid enough to let me step up onto the board... have no idea what it was but didn't hang around to find out. kept sailing out to sea for another 300m and then did the slowest widest gybe i have ever done.

what i stood on felt like a cross between sandpaper and neoprene and took all of my weight.

it was suggested it may have been a dugong. needless to say i packed up and went home very scared.....

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 3:36pm

quote:
Originally posted by Gestalt

harrow,

the fastest waterstart i ever did was off mooloolabah. while kicking with my feet, i stood on something solid enough to let me step up onto the board... have no idea what it was but didn't hang around to find out. kept sailing out to sea for another 300m and then did the slowest widest gybe i have ever done.

what i stood on felt like a cross between sandpaper and neoprene and took all of my weight.

it was suggested it may have been a dugong. needless to say i packed up and went home very scared.....

Gestalt,

Are you serious??? Freaky.

This is NOT what I need to hear. I had just decided to learn to waterstart next weekend. Now I'm gonna have to drive all theway to Swan Lake (2 1/2 hrs south of Sydney) where I know there are no sharks.

Regards,
Harrow.

Gestalt

QLD

14968 posts

Gestalt

QLD, 14968 posts

17 Feb 2006 3:08pm

i tell no lies here... but as i said, i don't know what it was...

don't worry,,

firstly i was very close to the shark nets.... plus been doing it on and off for 19 years now and never heard of anyone being attacked by a shark...

steve allen took up windsurfing figuring it was safer after the catamaran he was on got circled by 3 sharks when he capsized in moreton bay.

i've floated around in some really sharky spots before, moreton bay, bribie island, redland bay and on and on and have never seen a shark.

i really don't believe it to be an issue. if you saw the news from the gold coast recently you would have seen guys surfing with up to a hundred sharks chasing bait fish under them. not suggesting this is good practice but it would add a certain edge to the session.

what are the chances of you being in the water right where a shark is...? pretty slim...

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 4:38pm

Gestalt,

Slim odds maybe, but multiplied by my % of failed gybes and long waterstart times.

Ha. No, I promise to learn next time I am out.

I bought a pool 'noodle', and am boring a one inch whole in it with a spade bit so I can then slide it over my boom extension. Better than the cable tie idea I read somewhere, as it can stay there permanently, and won't stick out.

Regards,
Harrow.

king of the point

1836 posts

king of the point

WA, 1836 posts

17 Feb 2006 3:58pm

YES you can go faster in light wind on the same fin and equipnent
NO you carnt go fast in strong wind
or as fast as me at 105 kgs.
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE FASTER
YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSLOWER

hardman

1116 posts

hardman

1116 posts

17 Feb 2006 4:14pm

How wonderful that obesity has advantages!

king of the point

1836 posts

king of the point

WA, 1836 posts

17 Feb 2006 4:38pm

62.5kgs add 62.5kgs equals 125kgs minus 105 leaves 20kgs add weight belt of 20kgs equales 125kgs So if thats correct and im sure theres some tek heads out there,,,, HOW long will it hake me to do the same run to Dolls point? and what will be my speed?

answer below

1 minute at 120kmph see ya you s geros going off and im out of here

Harrow

NSW

4521 posts

Harrow

NSW, 4521 posts

17 Feb 2006 10:33pm

surfn,

You know, I was thinking just last weekend that maybe I could carry some ballast on the windy days. Why not? We can have it all - the advantage of weight, and light. But the big guys will just be stuck with weight.

What do you reckon? Maybe a 'camel back'? (You know, the water things that go on your back with the drink tube.)

Regards,
Harrow.

Haircut

QLD

6491 posts

Haircut

QLD, 6491 posts

17 Feb 2006 9:48pm

A female sailor who sailed at the train over chrissy was wearing one of those. First time i'd ever seen one used while sailing

She was going fast too! But she aslo had a couple of large built-in milk containers

surfn

QLD

28 posts

surfn

QLD, 28 posts

17 Feb 2006 9:50pm

Yeah harrow been fit has so many advantages cat like. Camel back is a good idea but thats only gunna add 2kg or so.

surfn

QLD

28 posts

surfn

QLD, 28 posts

17 Feb 2006 9:54pm

hey Justen more like 44gal drums

and a feast for the whole family

papac

65 posts

papac

WA, 65 posts

17 Feb 2006 8:19pm

I used to go really fast until I got my GPS! maybe the extra drag slowed me down.

Des

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