I've got a Carve 94 that I use with an old 6.6 race sail and will comfortably be planing around 12 knots. I only weigh 75 Kg's so that helps. Your S Type would be perfect with a similar size sail.
Some of the new two cam sails are lighter to sail with than a race sail and get planing that bit earlier than a wave style.

I don't like big sails either Jerry but the sad fact is we both don't live in WA anymore so it's either a new sail or take up golf. Me I'll do golf when I can't do anything else

As been said, go for something around 6.5, I'm thinking a no cam if you don't like big sails, I like the Loft o2's but any good brand will be ok, and also as said go a new fin, good quality and a little bigger

Cheers Bob.

Unless you are a 100% dedicated wave sailor, a 5.7m is too small to be your biggest sail over here. A 5.7m is a small sail for the NSW non wave sailor. Many flat water sailors quivers go up to about 8m. A popular sailing class here is the formula which have something like meter wide boards, 70cm fins and sails up to 12m.

Find out what the sail range for your board is and that will give you an indication of what sails you could use.

The weather we have had during this summer is fairly normal. So no 15 to 25 knot seabreeze everyday and complaining when it doesn't come in for a day or the wind is a bit gusty. Its a different style of sport over here. More opportunistic as there is little guarantee its going to be windy when you want to go windsurfing.

The idea of getting a long board of some type has a lot of merit. I'm thinking in the future I may try and pick up an old F2 Lightning or another old and thin race board to use in those frequent low wind days. Use it as a cruiser and go exploring.

Check out the NSW GPS Teams Challenge sessions to give you an idea of what sort of boards and sails NSW windsurfers are using.

Hey Carantoc,

I live on the MNC too. Where abouts do you live/sail? I am the only wavesailor in Port Macquarie, the rest have converted to kiting.......it gets a bit boring sailing by yourself unless the waves are good, then I like the absence of crowds.

I am 90kg and use an F2 116L Stoke in the ocean with a 6.5 Ezzy Freewave when the wind is light. The F2 is fun on a wave (read: fun for it's size and shape.....obviously crap compared to my waveboard) when plugged in with , of all things, a JP weed fin. I have tried lots of fins in this thing, and the weed fin actuall makes the board more responsive then the freestyle/freeride fin it came with. Funny!

Like you, I would rather putt around in the waves then go for speed on flat water, but up until last year my biggest sail was a 5.8 Ezzy Wave, and I gotta say, I sail a lot more now, and still have great fun in the ocean on the F2 and 6.5m

Once the wind gets up, I chuck on the 5.8 and 85l Quatro wave board. Or if the swell is good, i will just sink my way out on the waveboard and catch some waves.

On average, i would use my 6.5m wave sail and F2 twice as much as my 5.8 or 5.2 and waveboard, but that is the east coast. When I had the same gear for 4 months in WA I only used the Quatro 85 and 5.2 + 5.8.

On the MNC we generally have good seabreezes from late August/early Sept - Late December. Things get patchy usually Jan onwards, and that is when SE winds can become just as prevelent as NE winds. This summer has been quite crappy on the MNC compared to previous seasons.

I understand that this reposnse wont answer your question, but I thought i would add my 2c of experience.

Let me know if you want to hook up for a sail.

Cheers, Adam

Adam - I am in Coffs.

I have nothing against flat water sailing, anything is better than nothing and flat is better than choppy but I would rather have the waves.

Sailed at Sandy beach (south of Woolgooga) on Saturday on the S type, first time I have been on it in over a year. If there is anything resembling a wave I would rather flop out and ride in on a wave board, I actually quite enjoy sub-planing conditions, so long as it is not everytime I go out. I take the smallest board and smallest sail I think I can get away with. Unfortunately I am not really getting away with it here. Been sinking on my 80 ltr board too much.

That is why I kinda like the idea of a Kona over a more traditional bigger freeride type board. I have this idea you can get your kicks on a small sail on a Kona doing 1 knot better than than you can doing 15 knots on a big sail on a big free ride board. But then I am probably wrong given 99% of people just use a bigger freeride board and a bigger sail.

The other thing is I can see how a Kona would be good somewhere where the wave rolls for a long way, a good longboarding spot or somewhere with a lot of white water and reforming waves. I haven't really found anywhere I would really consider like this around here yet. Nambucca river mouth maybe.

I guess the only answer is get one and try.

Carantoc said...
...
My biggest sail is a 5.7 and biggest board is 93 ltr (starboard S type, slalomy type thing).
...

Just a side note, the s-type 93 is actually 99 litres. Brilliant little board, you're very lucky to own one!

http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/ISAF_Approved_Series_Production_Slalom(06_07)-[1000].pdf
(copy and paste link text, direct link doesn't work)

zippyblue said...

Does it get more windy / consistent in NSW in the winter time?

I've also only just moved here, but from Hong kong...which is pretty dismal in the summer (apart from occsaional typhoon pre/post session) but pretty good in the winter, ie now.

Not sure its my imagination but i'm sure I used to get planing easier in lighter winds on the big heavy Techo 293 + 5.7 I learnt on, compared to the 140 litre JP + 5.7 I now have. I just bought a 6.7 for this reason but not used it yet.

Having said that....when it's windy here - it's flipping windy!

Andy

Hi Andy

Winter is completely inconsistent. Autumn can get windy from the SE, but again nothing with consistency.

In winter it is a waiting game for the big Southerlies, and when they hit, 4-5 times through late autumn to late winter, you get your 4.5m and have a ball in the very cold conditions. On the MNC the Southerlies are usually mixed with a bit of west as well, which makes wave sailing difficult with the very strong gusty and offshorish conditions. I find on the MNC that anything strong from the S-NW I sail at Pacific Palms on the great lakes just south of Forster. Depending on where you are on the MNC, it could be a bit of a drive. Lots of wide open flat water though, and even in the middle of the lake the wind still has consistencey.....take a weed fin though if you go.

I surf more in Winter and sail more outside of winter

Cheers, Adam

Hi,

I've got a Kona One. It sounds like what you want.

A Kona with your 5.7 sail will extend your sailing time heaps and will be fun in the waves in light winds. The only time it wont be fun is say 12 knots in flat water where the big slalom boys are planing and your not. Lighter wind and flat water = freestyle (old school) = fun, Lighter wind and waves = fun, Light wind cruising = fun. In 15 knots +, you will plane with surprising speed, but usually just swap your sail onto a shortboard. If it is gusty or offshore the Kona is still the board of choice in these winds. That's how I use my Kona anyway.

If you want a more wave focus, check out the Kona 11.5 or 10.5. The 11.5 makes a good SUP. (I want one of those).

www.kona-windsurfing.com

(Not sponsored by Kona - just a fan!)