Forums > Windsurfing General

question for the girls..

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Created by sboardcrazy > 9 months ago, 29 Mar 2012
sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
31 Mar 2012 6:25PM
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albers said...

sboardcrazy said...

albers said...

sboardcrazy said...

I find I tire really easily when i use bigger sails..6.6m / 5.8m ( weigh roughly 64kgs)..I go ok for a while but then find it really hard to pull the sail in with my body.- especially going upwind.Not sure if it's just me with lack of fitness & age or do all us ladies find sails about that size compared to your weight hard work?


Are you using an SDM or an RDM with these sails?


430 - 55% carbon sdm..


IMO, the move to RDM makes rig handling easier. A simple way to compare the two types of masts is to compare the swing weight (as highlighted by Guy Cribb). This can be done by getting one SDM and one RDM mast of equal length and carbon composition. Pick each one up at the base and hold with both hands fairly close together. Swing the mast horizontally in an arc of around 90 degrees. Do this with the SDM and then the RDM. I found a noticeable difference between them.

Cheers




I hired some gear at Lord Howe Is & fell in backwards the first time I uphauled as they were so light.It made gybing much more forgiving too..If I had $ I'd buy a decent RDM high carbon mast as it would really cut my rig weight down.. I think my boom alone weighs as much as the 6.7m full rig I had at LHI..

ka72
QLD, 580 posts
31 Mar 2012 8:50PM
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+1 for the RDMs. Im a bit lighter than you at 60kg about 5"7 and use all my sails except my 7.5m on an RDM I sailed 81km today on my 6.4 and 105lt board and felt fine in about 15knots. It was also the first time I had every used the 105 litre Lorch and it was great.
I also find that I get more tired when I am on smaller sails. The other day I was way over powered on my 5.7m sail and felt much more tired the next day than when I have used the big sails in the right amount of light wind. It is about tuning and feeling comfortable. I have at times hated my 7.5 and thought it felt big and heavy, came in and downhauled it made a few adjustments to outhaul lines ect a went back out and it felt great.
As for needing someone to downhaul your sails, get yourself some KA Koncepts they are so easy to downhaul, especially on the RMD mast. I can get as much tension as I need on all my Koncepts they are also light and cams rotated really easily.
I have used Neil Pryde race sails before and had the same problem when you gybe it takes ages for the cams to rotate around. They are also way too heavy for me to uphaul and I have had heaps of trouble waterstarting a 7m Pryde sail which was heavy that my 7.5 koncept.
The lighter the kit the easier it is. (I even used to use an old 8m Gaastra sail which was very light and good on those very light days) I brought my 430 Ezzy rdm about 7 years ago for $300 second hand it its still going great

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
1 Apr 2012 2:38AM
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My 6.6m is a KA Koncept although a 2008 model.Glad I don't have a Neil Pryde then!The LHI ones were Neil Pryde but the lighter versions uncammed.
I did get mt setup right one day with the 6.6m and it was bliss.. but haven't been able to repeat it despite the same downhaul etc..

seanhogan
QLD, 3424 posts
1 Apr 2012 11:33AM
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RDM are anything but lighter, as a matter of fact they are heavier than SDM, they just "feel" lighter because of the reduced diameter.

albers
NSW, 1737 posts
1 Apr 2012 7:37PM
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seanhogan said...

RDM are anything but lighter, as a matter of fact they are heavier than SDM, they just "feel" lighter because of the reduced diameter.


This may help out!

.be

ka72
QLD, 580 posts
1 Apr 2012 9:15PM
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Thanks Albers for posting that. seems if you are a light weight the RDMs are the way to go. I just love the two I have and hope to replace my 460 sdm with an rdm soon.

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
2 Apr 2012 10:31AM
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Thanks..Grr sounds like RDMs would help.now I just have to win lotto...

Windxtasy
WA, 4014 posts
2 Apr 2012 9:10PM
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sboardcrazy said...

Thanks..Grr sounds like RDMs would help.now I just have to win lotto...


I've been told that RDM's are more responsive for light sailors too, but when each sail you use needs a different mast, and then you'd need a new extension also, it's just too expensive. I use SDM.

needsalt
NSW, 378 posts
2 Apr 2012 11:23PM
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I switched to rdms 6 months ago and haven't noticed a significant difference. Although this Summer didn't give me much chance to give them a really good work out either.

PhilSWR
NSW, 1104 posts
3 Apr 2012 1:25AM
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sboardcrazy said...

Thanks..Grr sounds like RDMs would help.now I just have to win lotto...


I recently got an RDM mast, and I have to say I did notice that up-hauling was a tad easier. It also seems a bit lighter / easier to throw around when out on the water. You can buy a good second hand RDM in 90 percent carbon for around $250- which is cheaper than a new 30 percent SDM mast. Here's a 430 that I know is currently available, sadly my finances are just too tight at the moment...

www.seabreeze.com.au/

busterwa
3777 posts
3 Apr 2012 12:19AM
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Where is the tiredness chicki !! is it fitness or certain muscles? I had bad problems due to set-up isues. If i kept of surfing with the set-up id be getting operations. Longer lines and higher booms was an answer for me.www.seabreeze.com.au/

Squid Lips
WA, 708 posts
3 Apr 2012 2:18PM
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sboardcrazy said...

My 6.6m is a KA Koncept although a 2008 model.Glad I don't have a Neil Pryde then!The LHI ones were Neil Pryde but the lighter versions uncammed.
I did get mt setup right one day with the 6.6m and it was bliss.. but haven't been able to repeat it despite the same downhaul etc..


I have found the Koncepts much more sensitive to boom height than anything I've had previously. Next time your sail looks like it should be set right but doesn't feel right try moving it up a cm or two.

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
3 Apr 2012 4:27PM
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needsalt said...

I switched to rdms 6 months ago and haven't noticed a significant difference. Although this Summer didn't give me much chance to give them a really good work out either.


Now that's what I want to hear!

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
3 Apr 2012 4:28PM
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PhilSWR said...

sboardcrazy said...

Thanks..Grr sounds like RDMs would help.now I just have to win lotto...


I recently got an RDM mast, and I have to say I did notice that up-hauling was a tad easier. It also seems a bit lighter / easier to throw around when out on the water. You can buy a good second hand RDM in 90 percent carbon for around $250- which is cheaper than a new 30 percent SDM mast. Here's a 430 that I know is currently available, sadly my finances are just too tight at the moment...

www.seabreeze.com.au/




Tempting but too many bills at the moment! Anyone bought masts 2nd hand and had them freighted? I'd be worried they'd arrive damaged and you wouldn't be able to tell..?

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
3 Apr 2012 4:34PM
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busterwa said...

Where is the tiredness chicki !! is it fitness or certain muscles? I had bad problems due to set-up isues. If i kept of surfing with the set-up id be getting operations. Longer lines and higher booms was an answer for me.www.seabreeze.com.au/

I've had golfers & tennis elbow from repetitive work as a postie. not fun.. I found that riding the motorbike with my elbows out caused the tennis elbow so maybe a similar thing - the way you hold your arms - causes the golfers.. Note how you are holding your arms when you do the things that hurt.Its easy to tense up without realising it .
Once I realised the position that was causing the problem I could avoid it when riding the bike.
No just buggered and not enough energy to haul in against the sail. Feel like I'm not sailing optimally. It could be the lines are too far forward which would make it harder to bring the sail in.

sboardcrazy
NSW, 8021 posts
3 Apr 2012 4:35PM
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Squid Lips said...

sboardcrazy said...

My 6.6m is a KA Koncept although a 2008 model.Glad I don't have a Neil Pryde then!The LHI ones were Neil Pryde but the lighter versions uncammed.
I did get mt setup right one day with the 6.6m and it was bliss.. but haven't been able to repeat it despite the same downhaul etc..


I have found the Koncepts much more sensitive to boom height than anything I've had previously. Next time your sail looks like it should be set right but doesn't feel right try moving it up a cm or two.


Ok. Thanks will do.. What height do you have your boom?

Windxtasy
WA, 4014 posts
3 Apr 2012 6:37PM
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sboardcrazy said...

Squid Lips said...

sboardcrazy said...

My 6.6m is a KA Koncept although a 2008 model.Glad I don't have a Neil Pryde then!The LHI ones were Neil Pryde but the lighter versions uncammed.
I did get mt setup right one day with the 6.6m and it was bliss.. but haven't been able to repeat it despite the same downhaul etc..


I have found the Koncepts much more sensitive to boom height than anything I've had previously. Next time your sail looks like it should be set right but doesn't feel right try moving it up a cm or two.



. Thanks will do.. What height do you have your boom?


That depends on how long your harness lines are...

I have my boom 1cm above centre in the boom cutout. I would have it a bit higher (about 3/4 of the way up) if my harness lines were longer. They're adjustable but fully extended now. I'm about to change to some longer ones. Important to have your arms straight, and not too far apart. Hands about shoulder width apart.

Victor B
WA, 130 posts
3 Apr 2012 9:27PM
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I was recently suffering from some "tennis elbow" myself and was running out of strength after about 20-30ks of sailing. So I started a small free weights work out I do before I go jogging.

All you need is two dumbells

Basically its:
1 Set of 12 bicep curls per arm (alternate)
1 Set of 12 side bends with weights in hands - Slide dumbells on hips as you bend sideways making sure you keep facing forward.
1 set of 12 reverse curls per arm (alternate)
1 set of 12 shoulder shrugs (holding dumbells in both hands at same time)
1 set of 12 bent over rows or pulls per side

Do that two or three times a week and you will improve your upper body strength a bit.

Tip: start with small weight. When you can do the group of exercises EASILY 3 times in row with a minutes rest between each set of 5 exercises its time to increase the weight. No need to over do it. Three sets takes about 20 minutes before I jog.

JoLee
QLD, 294 posts
4 Apr 2012 12:15PM
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sboardcrazy said...

Yep but at the end I felt like I wasn't really pulling it on enough going upwind..just felt sailing below par...might get a few more kts speed if I could..
I notice it more with the 6.6m sail.Probably just fitness as I go great for half an hour and then seems too much effort.
So what sort of weight training?



Ditto to Victor B's reply; however I would add lunges and leg work in there. I think it's a good idea to start a program gradually; increasing weight training knowledge; body's recovery ability, confidence and motivation as to not feel too overwhelmed physically and mentally; plus the all important energy left for sailing.

I've found a big difference just training 1-2 days a week, and if possible employing a p/trainer. This has been the difference for me; they are the experts in customizing a program specifically for my abilities and limitations (good form so I don't injure myself training) to meet my sailing needs.

If not there's plenty of info on YouTube

Warren Francis
NSW, 206 posts
4 Apr 2012 10:42PM
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howdy
Come over to FIJI in Winter and we'll sort out all your blues with Professional Instruction on great gear. A weeks instructino will have you beaming in no time!
See ya
Warren

Windxtasy
WA, 4014 posts
5 Apr 2012 10:03AM
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Warren Francis said...

howdy
Come over to FIJI in Winter and we'll sort out all your blues with Professional Instruction on great gear. A weeks instructino will have you beaming in no time!
See ya
Warren


mmmm... That sounds nice!



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"question for the girls.." started by sboardcrazy