If short is defined as less than 6'7", yes.

Imax1 said..
Not ideal , but you could use more extension .

Thought about that.

what kit are you sailing, I'm 6'3" (I know still a fair bit of difference) BUT I am usually using my boom just above mid cutout to slightly below. Sailing slalom gear, if I were 4" taller I don't think I would be at top of the range.

Ben, can you explain what feels "wrong" if you put the boom any lower? I'm 6'6" and only sail slalom and speed gear. The only time I'm higher than the middle of the cutout (only just) is when I'm on the 70wide slalom and am standing more outboard. From slalom sails 5m-7m I'm around 50mm from bottom of cutout on 58wide slalom and 44wide speed board. I will run slightly higher in choppier conditions.

Need a Z boom upside down, if your old enough to remember them.

Ben1973 said..
short rantAt 6'7 I'm finding I need the boom right at the top of every sail I have, higher in some cases.
do sail makers think all windsurfers are short?

I can see your problem. Presumably sailmakers design the boom cutout so that a person of average height will position their boom dead centre. Apparently the average height of a mature male is 5'9". Ten inches shorter than you !!!! That would mean making a boom cutout 20 inches long, which they obviously don't. For the record, I'm six foot and with my Ezzys downhauled block to block I set my boom one inch either side of centre depending on the conditions.
Have you ever thought about taking up basketball instead of windsurfing?!!!......sorry only joking.
Your only option as I see it is to have a sailmaker extend your cutout but this could get expensive if you have several sails.
Good luck.

6'4" I run my boom just above middle of cutout. No problem running it lower. I use a Dakine Reflexharness, low hook.
Can you lower your hook height?

Find an old Z boom and trurn it upside down

6 foot 4 here and with Ezzy Sails I am at the top of the boom cut out.

Yep scissors...

Ditto riding formula boards, I'm short 5'8" and with 30" lines boom was set pretty high in the window.

I rode along once with a 230lb 6'7" sailor. His boom was at belly button height. That day he was overpowered on 4.7 in winds between 35 and 55 knots.

The thing is you can't do anything about the clew height, other than increasing mast extension. So you may end up with quite a boom angle.

Maybe go custom?

Haha. You are probably the only 6'7" guy who windsurfs so no one will cater for you. Take your sails to any tailoring shop and explain that they need to extend the cutout several inches and do overlock stitch / make them look like original. Our sports are cool like this because everything is plastic and cloth and can be changed easily. :) If you still have doubts on how easily things can be customized, buy a few kites ain't no booms there. I also recommend to very heavy guys kitesurfing instead of windsurfing to avoid piles of bulky equipment.

Stretchy said..
6'4" I run my boom just above middle of cutout. No problem running it lower. I use a Dakine Reflexharness, low hook.
Can you lower your hook height?

Severne POD harness so about as low as you can get.

leto said..
Haha. You are probably the only 6'7" guy who windsurfs so no one will cater for you. Take your sails to any tailoring shop and explain that they need to extend the cutout several inches and do overlock stitch / make them look like original. Our sports are cool like this because everything is plastic and cloth and can be changed easily. :) If you still have doubts on how easily things can be customized, buy a few kites ain't no booms there. I also recommend to very heavy guys kitesurfing instead of windsurfing to avoid piles of bulky equipment.

Don't take sails to a tailing shop, their machines would not be able to do this, sails are a lot heavier than clothes and their machines wouldn't cope.

If you go to a decent sail maker they would have to unpick an area of the luff tube, do the alteration and then re-stitch the luff tube back down, its a bit of a pain to do but probably worth doing.

You could also just hot knife a slit above the re-enforced cut out and fold it back but you wouldn't have any re-enforcement left and it could create a week point.

Take a leaf out of Han's sailing stye

Sandman1221 said..
Add a PVC spacer to the mast base

You've heard of a mast-extension ?