Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice about my gear and setting up. Im quite new to windsurfing, i have 160lts fanatic shark and two sails 5.6 6.4. I can plane and tack although i havent even tried to carve gybe yet but im having lots of fun. I went out this weekend on my 6.4, i found i could plane one way but i really struggled to get going the other way. i also found my board had a habit of turning up wind quite alot. Could also do with some advice regarding fin sizes does it depend on sail size??

I'm no expert, but:

Everyone has a tack that is more natural than the other. If one direction seems more difficult than the other, it might just be that. Ensure that you measure your harness lines and that they are the same distances on both sides.

There is a relationship between the sail and the fin. The smaller the sail the smaller the fin. This is also affected by the size of the board. After a while you will probably find the 160 is a little large for the sails. If you are fanging along and the board just seems to rise out of the water uncontrollably, the fin is probably a little on the large size. Being a largish board, you don't want too small a fin though, else you will never get it on the plain.

If I was you, I would stick with what you have for a while and really get a feel for it. When you have worked out what your combination is actually doing, then it is time to start looking at more gear. Unless you are a largish person, you will probably find your first move will be to a smaller board, which will have a smaller fin and suit a smaller sail.

I used a 160 with a 6m for some time and then got a 7.5m. This was a better balance, but no good for strong wind. In stronger wind, even with a 5.2m, the board used to hover above the water and catch the wind.

If your board is turning up wind it is probably because you are pulling the front hand in trying to control the power. You should have both arms pretty well straight but not locked rigid. You will probably feel like you are going to get pulled over the front (and like the rest of us you probably will), but until you trust that you can allow the sail to power up, it will tend to head up.

Your sails are relatively small, so I don't think the mast would be too far back in the track, but if the front hand is not the issue, you could try moving the mast foot forwards. Again it is a balance. Too far forward and you will be pushing the nose on the water and making it harder to plane.

Remember though, listen to all the advice and then make your own mind up. Don't be afraid to experiment.