Too big sail

What will be effect of using too big sail for the specific board?
My favorite at this moment is JP Slalom 118L and the biggest sail was so far North 8.0 RAM.
Combination works perfect for me but the best wind condition are between 20- 25 ktn.

I am tempted to use bigger sail below 20 ktn ( 15 -20 ktn) . What could be the biggest size I could utilize with this board?

I bough recently and tested old Gaastra 9.8 Nitro with my 130L in very light winds, But this old board Fanatic X-ray is not really for speed.

I am tempted to use this Gaastra 9.8 with JP Slalom 118L .

What will be first sign that this set doesn't work ( assuming that I equip the board with bigger fin now from my 37.5 Black project)
What fin size should I use for this combination ?

maybe you don't need a bigger sail you just need a different fin

appreciate your concern , but all I want to know is
what happen , what do you feel when the board is just to small to handle such big sail.
The best will be asked people that used such sails before.
I am asking about opposite side of that scale; not what smallest board and sail we could use , but what the biggest sail at given wind conditions,
to extreme , to the moment that you still in control or almost not.
I still can use my 84L and 5.7 at 25 ktn but I could use also 8.0 and 118L slalom and it feels completely different

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FormulaNova said..

Mobydisc said..

So you use an 8m sail with an 118L board in 25 knots of wind? How heavy are you, 130kgs? I suggest you find yourself an anemometer. In those wind strengths I'm happy using a 5.5m sail and a 105L board. I could probably go for a board 20L smaller and a smaller sail but don't own decent ones.

Yeah, I think we went through this before, and I suspect Macro's understanding of wind strength is a bit different, or he mistakes knots for kilometers per hour.

Yeeh, we went trough this already, and unless you are going to land on G.C. one windy day and we could go to flat water spot - say KFC or Train - there is no way I could convince you otherwise. You could nominate your favorite local observer with anemometer of your choice and I am happy to perform this experiment anytime you want. 25 ktn and my 8.0 sail. Anytime

But anyway you didn't read carefully. I am interested of combination 9.8m and 118 L board.

It'll work fine, go for it.....

hey, i think your asking will a 9.8 go on a 118l jp, yeah, but it wont be to any advantage, fin, about 48 to 54 pointer, which is a really big fin for a 118l, when you start out windsurfing you start thinking that part of the challenge is how big a sail you can handle, but the sport really is more about how much power you can transfer to speed, an 8m in 15 to 25 is a lot of power, and bigger sails once overpowered start becoming even more inefficient due to drag, just somethings to consider,,,,, good luck marco ,,,,,, me i use a 8.7h2 with a jp36 weedy, a little underdone, can let go a bit, ha, i cant hold my 8.7 down in 25kts, im overpowered in about 15kts

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Macroscien said..

FormulaNova said..

I would take you up on your challenge, but if you are on an 8m in 25 knots, I suspect I would need an 11m, and that's not going to happen.

Good I could offer a bet, Big slab of best beer if you take a challenge . Anytime on G.C.
Wind 25 - 30 ktn .I am on my 8.0 + 118L , Simple drag race 500 -1000 m will do. Flat water. You what ether you like.
Anytime.

Okay, its a deal. You pay for airfares, accommodation, and a hire car PLUS the big slab of beer, and I will be there!

Thanks! I wanted to visit the gold coast.

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Carantoc said..

$50 on FormulaNova

I have a similar question.

Has anyone successfully used a 8.5m slalom race with a 111 litre Futura in sub 15kt wind? Does it help planning in these lighter winds over a 7.5m sail or does the extra weigh counteract the larger surface area of the sail?

I use a 42cm black projects slalom fin. At this stage I don't have the option of a bigger board.

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FormulaNova said..

I think someone pointed out that the actual wind conditions there were very gusty and only around 26 knots when there were no lulls. Maybe they measure knots differently up there.

In QLD they measure in Granny Knots
In NZ it's measured in sheep bends

Sounds like inefficient sailing technique. There is no reason to be out on a 8m in 25-30 knots. Flat water would make it more tolerable than choppy bay, but still sail size is not going to make up for lazy technique.

I have sailed a 7.5 in 25 knots in Sandy Point, and its like wrestling with a bull. Its not a pleasurable feeling. Can't imagine what an 8m would feel like...ew. Can you even gybe it?

I am wondering if you have ever been on a rig where its been set up right for the conditions, and all you needed is a couple of pumps to be on the plane. Its such a different feeling.

Thanks for the responses. I'll give it a go in the next marginal conditions.

I think your triangle would be all messed up.
Windsurfing is supposed to be about how small a sail you can get planing with superior technique not a macho fest where you see who can hold down the largest sail.

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Beaglebuddy said..
superior technique

Actually I found that handling big sails need also quite refine technique, even in lighter winds.
One mistake in balance and you could not just make correction with brute force like with small sails.
All moves must be choreographed in advance to keep effort at minimum.
This reminds me a bit aikido when you do try to use opponent strength against himself.
Same already with 8.0. Is too powerful to fight against, but when I can find right balance doesn't cost me much more energy that 5.7.
Also teach you right concentration at gybes in the order to avoid waterstart, which could be painful.
Same with delicate pressure on fin . One mistake and will not stop spinning that easy but when treated properly 37.5 works for me fine.

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Macroscien said..

What will be effect of using too big sail for the specific board?
My favorite at this moment is JP Slalom 118L and the biggest sail was so far North 8.0 RAM.
Combination works perfect for me but the best wind condition are between 20- 25 ktn.

I am tempted to use bigger sail below 20 ktn ( 15 -20 ktn) . What could be the biggest size I could utilize with this board?

I bough recently and tested old Gaastra 9.8 Nitro with my 130L in very light winds, But this old board Fanatic X-ray is not really for speed.

I am tempted to use this Gaastra 9.8 with JP Slalom 118L .

What will be first sign that this set doesn't work ( assuming that I equip the board with bigger fin now from my 37.5 Black project)
What fin size should I use for this combination ?

I,ve used a 7.0V8 on a Kids Pro S Type (72 L) which is way over sailed and I need to put in a larger fin and push the mast track forward as far as it would go but it go me (82kg) planning in 12kts. But it was heavy combo to sail and I had to work hard to get it to fly. Also used a mates combo of a small slalom board (85L/100 ish) with a formula sail with again go going and you could jybe it but it wasn't comfortable.

It is much nicer to use big board/sail for most types of sailing and in light wind your not going to go fast no matter how big a rig you stick on.
My light wind combo is Carbon Art 66 (109L) Koncept 8.5 and a C3 40 fin which will have me planning in 6/8 kts.

"What will be first sign that this set doesn't work" You won't plane, the board will sink with the added weight, you won't go upwind at all.

If your current fin is a 37.5 then there's your problem and a bigger sail won't make any difference.....its too small. 118 board should have something around 44 and even bigger if your trying to go out in lighter wind.


Not sure about the 25kt with an 8m sail either, but maybe when I come up Ill have to bring an 11m just to cruise around.
Just get a bigger fin and stick the big sail in the big board and stop worrying about the wind strength

Macroscien you told us that you have a 9.8 so why don't you go out and test it yourself? Most of the answers you are getting are from people that have never tried a 9.8 on a 118 board.
With the formula I can hold the 10.0 until about 17 knots, after it's hell, but the formula is 100 wide.