The advice form Firiebob is on the money. When sailing in any conditions always keep as much tension on the harness lines so that as much of your body weight is supported by the sail and not the board. Use your legs as shock absorbers so that you sail as if you are skiing moguls. This helps the board to get planing smoother over the chop. As others have said, always look ahead to pick the best line. Now get as much TOW as you can get.
Thats great sailing Firie, next time your down this way, come for a sail at Queens beach, love to see what you can do here
great thread.
Here's my tuppence worth for rolling chop(not open ocean)...rig bigger than everyone else, get a C3 slingshot and go deep, deep, deep. If your going fast enough and deep enough chop is your mate.
If your sail is comfortable going back up wind it's too small.
Finally getting dialed into my speed set up ie CA SP50, 7.0 Overdrive & C3 slingshot 23cm. Boom has gone up, longer harness lines and mast base just behind centre.
Also having a boom mounted Gopro has really shown how badly my X9 boom flexes at the clew, so i'm in the market for a race boom to stiffen things up!!
Should be called $peed $sailing really...
last speed session..
great video scope showing the boom flex at speed. Great to read all the tips on going fast will be putting them on trial next time I go out looking for speed.
In the chop or the ocean I always go faster over all on freeride boards instead of the slalom boards, the slalom boards will give the better 2 sec but the damage rate (2 battens and 1 boom this week) using slalom gear doesn't seem worth it although firie seems to keep his Carbon art in shape pretty well on the rough stuff. I find its a lot more successful for higher averages on a boards made for rougher water and not so fatigueing on body and mind.
I think there is something in the freeride comments posted by Sailpilot. I still love sailing an old yellow JP freeride 270 1998 version for that reasion, 55 wide heaps of V and Jumps so well, I did a 35knot peak on that board years ago in a huge blow.
(bit hard to fit into the car these days but I don't think I will ever sell it)
I know Dave Morehead or AUS02 has a old freeride starboard 90L with a US box and he has done over 36 or 37 knots in rough water which he makes look so easy.
So who owns a freeride (old or new) board for high wind speed that they can not bare to sell? If so what? this would be fantastic advice for new converts to speed to find a cheaper board that RIPS in the Buy and Sell.
Mine is a 1998 JP 270 freeride 90L 55w
Russ
I've got a 2007 Starboard 93 S-Type that I love.
Probably hasn't quite got the top end of the equivalent iSonic, but it's a joy in chop and really easy to gybe, even in the rough stuff.
I liked it so much I also bought a 111 Futura, which was the model that superceded the S-Types. Likewise the Futura is an awesome board and very comfortable in rougher water. I've done 33s on the Futura a few times, I reckon its good for a 35 in the right conditions.
I do a lot of ocean sailing, so for me freerace boards make a lot of sense.
Yep, HyperCarve 90L from 2004 - got a custom Venom 30 with US box for it and it's fast and fun to sail!!! However, not sure it is as quick as an iSonic of the same size (for example iSonic 86 from 2009). May feel more comfortable (less jarring), but I think it will reach it's top end quite a bit earlier!!
I'm not a superfast guy.
However I enjoy my naish hybrid 89(2004) in chop. The stock 28cm fin sanded down to 24cm losing the flex part that had me spinning out. And a North 5.3 wave sail with main batten replaced with a carbon race batten forcing knuckle forward shape(fangs upwind when wave sailing to). The sail still feels soft in the chop and nice for jumps with the 7 foot long board.
I'm 93kg so don't sail this set up that often and my isonic 86 goes faster
but for fun on the ocean when there's no swell that 89 hybrid is great.
hahah thanks Firie, amazing how those Gopro's
make it look much faster.
Enjoyed your vid when you posted it on YT. 30knots on the ocean is not easy anywhere
Didn't read every post, but just as with smooth water, sailing broad is the ultimate criteria required for real speed. Also smooths out the bumps because less pressure on the fin and you can fly over the chop rather than get out-of-control-wobbles. Easily add 5 knots to beam reach speed if sailing broad. I've managed 34knots in choppy northerlies in PP Bay at Dendy and Spotty's hit 36 in the B to B race.
Oh, you need huge nuts too.
Got a chance to do some high wind rough water sailing today
Mortimer Bay, TAS, AU
5am start with Dave, Kaleb, Houston
heaps of fun on the new Fanatic 79, KA 6.6 2011
2 sec 32.13 (D)
5 x 10 30.84 (D)
1 Hour 20.69 [PB] (D)
Alpha Racing 19.19 (D)
Nautical Mile 28.33 [PB] (D)
Distance Traveled 92.39 [PB]
Thanks for all the advice everyone it helped me today.
Kind regards Russ
Russ,
On reflection I forgot to tell you that you should keep your fin cover on and always sail without your feet in the straps
"you cant absorb all the chop sometimes, so i just make a great big whitey shaped hole in it" qoute Dave White