I'm looking at buying a Peugeot Partner which comes with a triple front seat. Centre one folds forward, leaving a space wide enough to fit a couple of boards if they were lying on their rail, instead of flat.
So the question is:- are boards built with enough strength for that if I built a cradle with a couple of points of cushioned support, or would I be looking at cracked boards in short order?

I think you will be fine.

I like to carry my foil board assembled. Everything was till I upgraded now to F4 which is longer. Usually I had board laying down and foil standing up. But now I realised that I could still fit new board but only laying on side. So my typical setup is 1 foil board 1 slalom also on side and 1 slalom horizontally on foil mast. 4 sails below foil mast. My Ute canopy is about 95cm only.

I reckon boards will be stronger resting on their rail. I have my iLoad set up to store 5 boards on their side. I only need a spacer rack at the front because their footstraps keep them apart at the back.

You'll be fine. In my van I can store two boards flat and two on their rails. Having travelled tens of thousands of kilometres with a fair share of dirt roads I don't notice any damage on any of them. All the cushion I give my upright boards is bit of 5mm leftover deckpad. I can't put them in their boardbags as there isn't enough room for this.

Thanks for all the opinions, specially the graphic one from Stretchy. Looks like I'll be buying the van with the smallest motor on the market.

There's a much smaller area of contact resting a board on its rail which will increase the point load compared to flat stowage. Some decent foam padding will help spread the load.

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Stretchy said..
I reckon boards will be stronger resting on their rail. I have my iLoad set up to store 5 boards on their side. I only need a spacer rack at the front because their footstraps keep them apart at the back.

This is a very space efficient setup. Well done.

as shifu says point contact could be a problem, but only if it's resting on something hard and sharp. If you spread the load over a few centimetres it should be OK.

I'd expect the rails to be stronger than the bottom due to overlap of the glass or carbon fibers. However, I have seen that this is not always the case with foil boards. My Fanatic Stingray HRS needed a couple of rail repairs, and there is definitely no overlap on the rail. Another windfoil board I briefly owned that needed a rail repair had no glass at the repair site, probably because the single layer had been sanded through. Seeing that many wing boards here in WA have taped rails, it seems that weak rails may be quite common in wing boards, too. So definitely follow Shifu's suggestion and use some padding.

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Stretchy said..
I reckon boards will be stronger resting on their rail. I have my iLoad set up to store 5 boards on their side. I only need a spacer rack at the front because their footstraps keep them apart at the back.

the great thing about this set up versus horizontal racks is that you do not need to pass the footstraps between the racks so you can get more boards in

It's a sad day in board construction when they can't be stored on their sides . Minimal padding should be more than enough .

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Imax1 said..
It's a sad day in board construction when they can't be stored on their sides . Minimal padding should be more than enough .

I was thinking more about the bouncing over potholes than anything else

I have been transporting boards on their sides for many years. I always keep boards in bags. This not only helps pad the rails from point loads but also helps prevent general van rash.

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Mr Milk said..


I was thinking more about the bouncing over potholes than anything else

With enough padding you should be fine. Maybe 2-3 cm of padding would be enough depending on the type of foam you are using. As long as is soft and doesn't compress so much it ends flat you will be fine. If you really want to be sure it will work, put a lot of it :)

Boards on side for years, good padding on rack and no issues.

I store all mine on their sides although they sit on a carpeted shelf in board bags.

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Mr Milk said..

Imax1 said..
It's a sad day in board construction when they can't be stored on their sides . Minimal padding should be more than enough .

I was thinking more about the bouncing over potholes than anything else

Potholes..Don't get me started.. Your car needs to be able to levitate to handle the roads out here..

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Carbonlover said..


Boards on side for years, good padding on rack and no issues.

What van is that carbon lover?

One of the advantages of storing boards on their sides is that it doesn't effect the bottom shape of the board. I store by boards horizontally on racks in my van. In prep for my yearly trip to Lake George, I've just checked the rocker line of my boards with a straight edge. I found about 1 to 2mm -ve rocker on my 97 about 200mm in front of the fin box. This corresponds with where the board is supported on the rear rack in the van. -ve rocket is very bad for speed. I've filled the hollow with automotive spray putty and sanded straight with wet and dry.

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John340 said..
One of the advantages of storing boards on their sides is that it doesn't effect the bottom shape of the board. I store by boards horizontally on racks in my van. In prep for my yearly trip to Lake George, I've just checked the rocker line of my boards with a straight edge. I found about 1 to 2mm -ve rocker on my 97 about 200mm in front of the fin box. This corresponds with where the board is supported on the rear rack in the van. -ve rocket is very bad for speed. I've filled the hollow with automotive spray putty and sanded straight with wet and dry.

Are you sure that isn't a side effect of the 70-100kg person pounding on the board while riding through chop... Or the fact that the bottom of a board is under-compression due to the stresses induced in it, due to the curvature of the top of the board ?

I have had the same issue on an F2 speed board which always had the fin removed and sat on a flat surface (not on any type of rack).

-ve rocker isn't good, but #CorrelationIsNotCausation

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mathew said..

John340 said..
One of the advantages of storing boards on their sides is that it doesn't effect the bottom shape of the board. I store by boards horizontally on racks in my van. In prep for my yearly trip to Lake George, I've just checked the rocker line of my boards with a straight edge. I found about 1 to 2mm -ve rocker on my 97 about 200mm in front of the fin box. This corresponds with where the board is supported on the rear rack in the van. -ve rocket is very bad for speed. I've filled the hollow with automotive spray putty and sanded straight with wet and dry.

Are you sure that isn't a side effect of the 70-100kg person pounding on the board while riding through chop... Or the fact that the bottom of a board is under-compression due to the stresses induced in it, due to the curvature of the top of the board ?

I have had the same issue on an F2 speed board which always had the fin removed and sat on a flat surface (not on any type of rack).

-ve rocker isn't good, but #CorrelationIsNotCausation

I know a heavier rider that put negative into the bottom of a board in one season of riding it. Stores the boards on their side in the van.

Just be careful with some board bags when storing on the rails, were the zip is and some of fabric is doubled over with extra stitching, as that can cause damage when you start shoving stuff in you van will nilly. Otherwise I have never had a problem.

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mathew said..

John340 said..
One of the advantages of storing boards on their sides is that it doesn't effect the bottom shape of the board. I store by boards horizontally on racks in my van. In prep for my yearly trip to Lake George, I've just checked the rocker line of my boards with a straight edge. I found about 1 to 2mm -ve rocker on my 97 about 200mm in front of the fin box. This corresponds with where the board is supported on the rear rack in the van. -ve rocket is very bad for speed. I've filled the hollow with automotive spray putty and sanded straight with wet and dry.

Are you sure that isn't a side effect of the 70-100kg person pounding on the board while riding through chop... Or the fact that the bottom of a board is under-compression due to the stresses induced in it, due to the curvature of the top of the board ?

I have had the same issue on an F2 speed board which always had the fin removed and sat on a flat surface (not on any type of rack).

-ve rocker isn't good, but #CorrelationIsNotCausation

Matt,

One interesting observation.

My slalom boards are 2 1/2 years old. They have done 55 (115) and 34 (97) sessions respectively. I'm also a bit of a flat water princess.

The rack in my van for my 115 slalom board is a flat board along the length of the board with carpet on top. The 115 has NO -ve rocker

The rack in my van for the 97 slalom board is 2 off 40mm wide pieces of timber at rights angles to the board with carpet on top. This board had 1.5mm -ve rocker at the location of the tail support.

I agree that there may be many factors at play and the link between -ve camber and being stored on supports at right angles to the board may well be a coincidence.

It would be interesting to hear other sailor's experience.

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John340 said..
One of the advantages of storing boards on their sides is that it doesn't effect the bottom shape of the board. I store by boards horizontally on racks in my van. In prep for my yearly trip to Lake George, I've just checked the rocker line of my boards with a straight edge. I found about 1 to 2mm -ve rocker on my 97 about 200mm in front of the fin box. This corresponds with where the board is supported on the rear rack in the van. -ve rocket is very bad for speed. I've filled the hollow with automotive spray putty and sanded straight with wet and dry.

If storing them flat changes the bottom shape then the construction is crap, this was an issue with roto molded boards but carbon sandwich?

Every board I come across in my shed, repairs etc., I run a straight edge along the bottom rear, and unless practically new, they all develop a negative rocker just in front of the box. Some are only slight and some really bad. If it's not a negative rocker, it will be flat where there should be a gradual positive curve. I think it is because of the soft core foam and the ever lighter construction that can't handle chop bashing into it. Older boards seem to hold up better. It's easy to see looking from the side with a 1m long steel ruler. With a steel ruler it's also easy to see how wonky some new boards are comparing concaves from one side to the other. I don't come across many wave boards and believe them to be more solid,
Now everyone is going to run to their shed and check out how wonky their boards are. ?
I'd bet most have some negative rocker forming.

Also, another thing. If a board is bending on racks and there is more weight in the middle of the board, which would be the case in most racking unless the racks are only a couple feet apart, wouldn't the middle be sagging down creating more positive curve at the back ??? I just can't believe the weight at the back from just in front of the fin box is anywhere heavy enough to sag down.
Unless roasting its ass off inside a van possibly ????

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Imax1 said..
Every board I come across in my shed, repairs etc., I run a straight edge along the bottom rear, and unless practically new, they all develop a negative rocker just in front of the box. Some are only slight and some really bad. If it's not a negative rocker, it will be flat where there should be a gradual positive curve. I think it is because of the soft core foam and the ever lighter construction that can't handle chop bashing into it. Older boards seem to hold up better. It's easy to see looking from the side with a 1m long steel ruler. With a steel ruler it's also easy to see how wonky some new boards are comparing concaves from one side to the other. I don't come across many wave boards and believe them to be more solid,
Now everyone is going to run to their shed and check out how wonky their boards are. ?
I'd bet most have some negative rocker forming.

Chris Lockwood told me that he had his slalom boards refaired every year or so.

I suppose it's the price you pay for extreme light weight .
When I pick up a 150 l super lightwind board and it feels as light as a foam slab , I think to myself , if I got my overweight sorry ass on it and bashed it through chop , it would be cactus top and bottom in six months .

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John340 said..

Imax1 said..
Every board I come across in my shed, repairs etc., I run a straight edge along the bottom rear, and unless practically new, they all develop a negative rocker just in front of the box. Some are only slight and some really bad. If it's not a negative rocker, it will be flat where there should be a gradual positive curve. I think it is because of the soft core foam and the ever lighter construction that can't handle chop bashing into it. Older boards seem to hold up better. It's easy to see looking from the side with a 1m long steel ruler. With a steel ruler it's also easy to see how wonky some new boards are comparing concaves from one side to the other. I don't come across many wave boards and believe them to be more solid,
Now everyone is going to run to their shed and check out how wonky their boards are. ?
I'd bet most have some negative rocker forming.

Chris Lockwood told me that he had his slalom boards refaired every year or so.

Slowboat certainly knows what he's talking about, but he's also very well built and sails his boards at phenomenally high speeds in challenging conditions. Its little surprise his boards need a bit of fairing season to season. Just sayin

I had some serious rust in my previous van (Honda Odyssey with back seats removed), and I am pretty sure the wet sails and wet boards were part of the problem. I have a newer Odyssey now and am looking for good ideas on how to keep the water from soaking into the carpet.

My plan is to cover the floor with a sheet of plywood, add a little "fence" around the edge, then paint it with something that will not allow the water through.

I've also considered having the boards stacked/racked, but with a slight angle so the water would run off one rail and fall into a limited area, but not sure if it's worth the extra work...

Thoughts and good advice welcomed :-)

cheers from the cold Great Lakes in the US,
Drew