Ok, what's your smallest sail, and how often do you REALLY use it.

(Be honest )

I'll start. 4.7m: Never used, but just bought it this week because I was blown away last Sunday week on my 5.2m. Now I feel like such a pro having a sail that begins with '4-point'.

Regards,
Harrow.

Harrow,

I can hold 5.7 in up to 33 knots.

In 22-40 knots I can sail with a 4.7.

I have a 4.0 which I never use.

In essence when I cannot hold the 4.7 (40+ knots - in chop) I cannot hold the board on the water so going any smaller in sail size is not an option.

So 4.7 is the smallest I use.

- J

Sometimes it's better to just conceed defeat and watch those that for whatever reason are really talented in those conditions. I've had days watching guys sail and we were literally leaning out over the edge of the wall at Manly to stand up (as in fully committed if wind stopped we would have fallen on our heads). To sail in conditions like that you have to be either extremely crazy, talented, crazy, fit, crazy, switched on, crazy, have balls that'd put a prize brahaman bull to shame or completely bonkers- probably all of the above.

Biggest day i've ever sailed was probably constant 40 knots with gusts to 70+... it destroyed the annual wynnum manly spring parade. You havent lived unless you've had to cower under your sail in the middle of a bay until the fury passes . Got to be careful rigging on the big days too, i broke a mast on a similar day when as I was undoing outhaul wind swung and gusted picked up the sail with me still attached and flung us 15m across the carpark destroying the luff of my brand new sail (bloody murphy's law). This is why I dont kite.

Anyone know what happened to those windsurfing nutters that used to chase the cyclones around?

Been a pretty quiet year on the cyclone front and to think everyone was worried due to the heat of the water up north atm.

ummm,

i would be one...

3.5m in 55+ knots. brings new meaning to the word chop hop...

the way to tell you need the 3.5 is that the car rocks from side to side while you are scoping out the spot.... that is the amount of wind where wave slot fins become very worth while. i've had the board spin out half way through a gybe and then the slot grips again.... love it.

my friends got a 2.7 i think, its on his sk8 board

4.0 Neil Pryde combat, bought 2nd/hand in 1993.

Use it about 4 times per year.

Are modern small (<4.5) sails a bit improvement? I'd agree it's worth having modern large sails but don't see the need to update my 4.0 yet. Plus this sail rigs on a 430, so that's one mast for 4-5.7 sails.

Mal

4.2m2 Neil Pryde Zone - used in 5 times this season
could have done with a 3.7m2 on a few of those occaisions

My wife has a 2.5 - used maybe once or twice a year...but she doesn't sail much, and uses a 4.0 when I'm on a 5.8!

62kg aint exactly feather weight....you should be able to hold your 4.2 up till 30+, my smallest sail is a 4.6, jus keep bringin in the downhaul

I'm talking about real 25 knots. We all tend to over estimate but to me 25 knots is fkn windy. Seriously it's fkn windy, and a 4.2m for my weight (and no muscles) is too big! There's only so much you can downhaul on a 4.2m Ezzy. Then when it's got the outhaul on it just looks like a flat sheet and the wind at 25 to 30 knots just hits it with no drive. A 3.7m in these winds with minimum downhaul would be a gem for me

i can't seem to understand what is the problem. Over the last six saturdays we have about four that produced 25-35 in the open ocean. The only thing that held me back was the state of the water and the volume of board. With the Tush storm rigged right i had no problem. The only difficulty is encoutered when the wind gust from 30 - 10, that push pull feeling. Hook in and hang onnnnnn.

NO point being under powered

Yes 25 knots gusting to 30 knots is bloody windy I think we all agree on that. With my Ezzy 4.2m (2004) I admit I use a 400 skinny, downhauled to the max, letting the outhaul off a tad does send it into the negative. Not being rude to anyone but I know what I'm comfortable with as I'm the one using the gear. In 25 knots gusting 30 knots I'm not comfortable on my 4.2m as I feel as though I'm out just to survive. Remember I'm not very strong. I windsurf with an older bloke than you decrepit and he weighs exactly the same as me and when it's over 25 knots he is on his 3.7m (2004) and very comfortable in the 30 knot gusts

Used a 3.6m once in a cyclone (not a huge one but still) in mauritius with one of these old really short boards where the mast track is nearly on the nose. Usually the place was quite a calm lagoon, protected by the reef but that time the swell was coming in real good!
The session lasted probably 45mins...

Agreed, wave sailing is a different ballgame, 5.3 up to 20kts, 4.7 up to 25kts, 25+kts I'm on my 4.2 for sure. 30+kts the 3.7 comes out

My 4.2 could get a run in QLD the next few days.

i like your process northboy.

just curious, do you way 70kg?