Sailing a board 1m wide, is not my idea of "windsurfing" More like sailing a small yatch. Add to this hanging on to a 8m +++ sail.
Have you thought about a kite?

yeah formula style boards are kind of tempting when you are scloging along and someone else is just flying up and down.
but i don't like the look of them. so maybe a big slalom or a small formula.

cause i am pretty crap. i don't like the idea of a big board and sail cause i may get too used to them and i kind of think if i just use the smaller stuff that i will improve to be a more efficiant sailor and be able to drop sail sizes as i improve.

but back to what you asked..
i haven't used one but i have seen some, and talked to some people who use them and they get out there and sail around pretty well in light winds. one guy was saying with his 8.5 and 140L board (or he might have been talking about one a bit bigger) he is sailing around in 10knots.. so thats pretty good

I LIKE WATER

I was out on a friends yacht on the river on sunday and saw two guys on formula gear,I reckon it was only 8 to 10 knots and they were fangin ! their sails looked pretty huge though.

jim

Hardie, At 100kg I had been tired of schlogging on my 6.5 Tushy when the lighties were planing in the 13-18 Knott range, so I bought a 7.7m Diablo to use with my 114L JP (add a 40cm pointer race fin). I found I could get on the plane in such wind, but was prone to stalling if the wind dropped away slightly, but if it picked up - WOO HOO!!!!

It was a real quiet ride and sort of peaceful. I had entertained the idea of an even bigger sail, which would warrant a bigger board, and a 490 mast... then summer came (plus I really couldn't afford it!) It's that time of year and the shops know the bigger gear is in demand.

Simon has some of the Exorcet Cruisers for sale. Maybe he can help with thoughts and merits on the bigger gear???

The kites don't do it for me either, too much danger in gusts (how many fatals now?) for the "thrill" of hooking in a harness to dangle like a puppet. They weren't doing anything spectacular in 13-18 wind range from my perspective.

Getting gone!!!
Seaton

Hey hardie softy,
I have some big Exocet Cruisers but they do not have the performance of a formula board. It would be an unfair comparison.
Having sailed formula for about 2 seasons(given up now) it is great fun if you are have a sailing buddy. Treat it more like a dinghy than a windsurfer. For the ocean though you may be better off with smaller sails(below 10m) and a big free ride board instead. These will plane a little bit later, but be more fun to sail.
The other issue you have is water depth. A formula board needs a giant fin to make it work well, around 65cm is good, but if you are sailing on the estuary is it going to be deep enough ?
Just some thoughts.
2nd Wind has the biggest range of formula kit if you do decide to go for one.



Simon
gowindsurfing.com

Thanx Paul Baby,

Yeh.. let's shred some liquid oscillations together man

By the way don't make me look bad like the others did, when I said I sailed for 20 years, I meant to say 2 years, the zero just accidently slipped in, so don't expect too much

Thanx for the Formula and Fin info much appreciated, starting to get a picture, it'll only ever be a side show for me though as WAVES are what I live for Oops wife just walked in, "My family is the most important thing in my life, windsurfing is just a secondary pass-time for me, My wife and kids are everything........"... "Hi Honey you home, just letting the guys on the forum know how much I love you"...."By the way darling, I need to make a withdrawal from our mortgage account, to buy some new Formula Gear"

I've gotta rehearse this stuff and try to keep a straight face when I break the news.. I just have to work on the need angle a bit more

Hardie SoftBoy

What the deal with water starting on those boards and the big sails in light winds.. say a 10m2 sail in a 10knot wind..

I LIKE WATER

Simon - do you need some lessons?
curac - you will need to use an uphaul. This is a rope attached to the front of your boom that you may have come across when you learnt to windsurf (ask simon for a demo). Usually the hardcore formula team would have at least 11m in 10knots, although Pryde have a good 10.7 that is proving well in all conditions.
hardman - your wife and kids would hate this next bit so I will print out the numbers which can't be spotted as easy. To setup yourself with new full on formula race kit can cost six thousand dollars (one rig only). You could purchase some excellent second hand gear as guy's are eager to upgrade every year - maybe around two grand. Try to go for 1m wide. Race or ex-race gear is going to perform best but you can still get good TOW with free-formula or even the Go or Start boards(great for the whole family) just use a reasonable fin.

Cruzin is great and when the wind picks up it can be "scared the schit out of me" conditions.

Hope you can give it a go.
by the way an 11m nitro4 may be available soon
cheers

Have been sailing on formula gear for about a year and love it.
Racing is definately the high point but I also enjoy the fact I can sail to places rather than just back and forth as I used to on slalom gear.
My windsurfing has improved dramatically although I have a tendancy to step clean off my slalom board while trying to jybe these days.

Hanging onto big sails is a bit scary at first but it is surprising how light they feel once lit up and how large a sail you'll find you can hang onto. I'm 75 KG and can just about get planning in 10 knots with an 11.0, below that I'll only stay moving if I pump. My smallest race sail by contrast is an 8.5 and I've been able to hang onto that in ~30 knots. So I wouldn't buy anything smaller than a 9.0 for your weight. Spend 50$ on an Easy uphaul that lets you pull the sail out of the water with your harness, uphauling is a necesity in light winds and I'll still do it in stronger winds if I fall in such a way that it's the easiest thing to do.

Second hand Race gear is really good value, you can often pick up last years gear new for getting close to half price if you look around so 2 to 3 year old second hand race gear can be a real bargin.
I bought a really good 1 season old board, mast, sail, fin and a new carbon boom for 2500. If you don't plan to race right away and buy non competetive stuff you could probally even get close to half that.
I'd only look at a GO or free formula if you want a forgiving board that will reach and gybe a little beter and or you want to teach people with normal size sails as well.( my wife has a Go150 which I steal from time to time) Even then you will probally have to spenbd more $$.


As for pursuadeing the
I initially bought a kite for something to do on the light wind days. After watching me get blown around the beach a few times and hearing enough scare stories my wife was pretty enthusiastic about me wanting to buy formula gear even though she knew the cost. ( bet she regrets that now )

So buy a cheap kite, tell your wife you didn't want to buy formula gear because of the cost. Download the list of kitemares from the web and leave it lying around the house. Tell her your going out to the beach and go and wander around a windsurfing shop for a few hours and come back limping saying you'd like to involve the kids in your new hobby. Hopefully she'll be picking out a new carbon boom for you in no time.

Hardman, I guess it depends on the state of your relationship. If your wife is enthusiastic about you taking up kiting maybe.... :-))))

Lots of questions and not really too many answers.
For all youguys who have not tried "Real" formula gear I am happy to let you demo some.
In response to a few comments.
1. Buy Big. Correct answer I use 10.5 on a 170 L board it flies.
2. Waterstart? Que? Uphaul = correct answer.
3. Not so good in the ocean? I got 3rd in masters in the Ledge to Lancelin ona Formula boad and 10.5m sail and the legendary Novac kicked my but on Similar.
4. Kitesurfing as an alternative? Personal choice really but if the wind fizzles you can still windsurf home in style kite is an embarrasing long swim.

SO again anyone who wants to try one let me know I am glad to help.
(commercial time) weeven have videos on how to set up and sail a Formula.

Cheers big Ears

Ian