Hi, newbie racer here.

I was about to invest in a 17' race board, but looking at some stats from the Dr (oceanpaddler.com), it looks like I should reconsider. The 12'6 category was only 2 minutes slower on average than unlimited over 3 1/2 hours of racing:

Category SUP Open SUP 12'6
Total 15 13
Men 14 13
Women 1 0
Avg Time 03:29:30 03:27:15
Fastest Time 02:40:00 02:49:05
Slowest Time 03:58:56 04:05:42

Is this because:
(A) All the better paddlers were on 12'6 boards (seems unlikely, unless all the prize money was in this category)
(B) The course (mostly light downwind) suited the shorter boards, and unlimited boards aren't much faster downwind
(C) Race results are incorrect
(D) Something else

Thanks in advance...

Did the race money in 12 6

The average time doesn't really say anything as it says more about the spread of paddlers than the boards. In most, if not all races where you have elite paddlers, the longer boards will always be faster and in the example you showed this was also the case by 9minutes if I'm reading it correctly.

Here in SA we're debating whether we should nurture the 12'6 class or whether we should just do 14' - no-one is really using boards over 17' yet and we haven't got any races over 6-7km yet except for downwinders. In our downwinders the 14's are as quick as the 17's and on occasion the 12'6's can keep up (when over 40knot winds) as we're riding windswells and not oceanswells.

In SA I'd recommend anyone getting a race board to get a 14'

On a pure downwinder we don't use the steering system at all, but the minute you get cross-head-on winds then it makes a huge difference.

Our most popular downwind run is so downwind we can send beginners on it with the message: "Don't worry if you can't stay upright - sit or kneel and you'll end up at the finish in 10km's time - no paddling required" - no need for steering system.......