Is shortboarding more fun than raceboarding (e.g Starboard Phantom 377) in 20 knots?
Is your answer based on observation or trying both?
What are your reasons that one is more or less fun than the other?
If raceboard, what size sail would you use?
If shortboard, what gear would you use?
What type of sailing would you do? E.g. jumps, waves, reaching
Are there any other factors at play?
Shortboarding is far more prolific than raceboarding so i hope i can find out why.

Sparky said..
Would you prefer to drive a sports car or a minivan?

Mini van if i can fit both boards

short boards are more fun for me about 16 knts and over.but if its blowing 25 and off shore i like the security of a race board with its ability to get home when the wind stops. if its onshore ,short board is the go.

Sparky said..
Would you prefer to drive a sports car or a minivan?

would you prefer to drive a sports car or a pillarless impala ?

I think it depends on a lot of factors.

On average shortboard sailing is more fun as the wind increases.

Even in moderate winds, I love the ability to head upwind, out into the open ocean, along the coast, knowing that the board will be able to handle everything that comes along.

I personally find reaching back and forth in one spot not as interesting (which seems to be the norm with shortboards)- and a raceboard opens up a lot more options.

The minivan/sports car analogy is pretty simplistic. If you don't live where it blows 20 knots every day, then the "sports car" may be sitting in the garage most of the time.

I have had some of my best sessions on a longboard in 12-18 knots of wind.

When you consider a R300 board (Phantom 295, Techno 293 etc), the disctintion between a raceboard and shortboard become much more fuzzy again.

Clarence

Long boarding is to be appreciated, I understand it. But its best in lower winds. The speed over flat, non chopped water. The angle up wind. It's great.
BUT, short boarding full speed Gybes? Manoeuvrability? Still able to point quite high, especially with variable out haul system and the right fin. ANd the ability to get some air time, even on slalom gear. Can't beat it.

I don't own a car but i think a minivan is more fun for me as it opens up more options like taking family, boards or bikes to do some activities. I think that's similar to what azuli and Clarence are saying about raceboarding.
Slalom racing and freestyle tricks sound fun for shortboarding. I thought the Japanese wave slalom from the '80's and '90's looked quite fun.
I also heard that some of the good French, Dutch and Israeli sailors can forward loop a raceboard.

At 20 knots, you'll be planing on a long or a short board. I love planing on a longboard and don't think it's that hard, but I find a shortboard more fun. It's more lively, easier to jibe, and faster. Even if the actual speed difference is just a couple of knots, a shortboard will feel a lot faster. The longboard shines in borderline conditions, and especially when the wind is up and down or unreliable. I use it with anything from a 6.0 to an 8.5 (my largest sail). Railing up in 10 knots is just a great feeling. 10 knots on a 117 l slalom board is no fun at all. When the wind picks up to a steady 16+ knots, I usually switch to slalom or freeride shortboards, often with the same sail. But every now and then, I may stick with the longboard for a bit of different fun. I remember one day where everyone was planing on 5.x and 6.x sails, but my lovely wife decided to stick with a 7.0 and the longboard she had taken out before the wind picked up. I think she was the one with the biggest grin on her face when she finally stopped. The board was not quite a raceboard (a Mistral Pandera, 11 ft, 180 l, regular daggerboard), but she weighs only 145 lb.

20 kts on a slalom board doesnt get any better. Raceboards do have some benefits.

It is embarrassing how easily the raceboards cruise past you on light wind days. While you dredge along dreaming for more wind they disappear. Even so, I have not been tempted to buy one because price and size (try putting one inside your car or storing it) make them unrealistic when you can have lots of fun with the smaller stuff. I can understand though why some would prefer them in all conditions, just as some prefer to race cars while others prefer to race Mack trucks.

Sparky said..
What style of Gybe are you guys doing on your raceboards?
Are you doing a full planing gybe, with centreboard retracted?
Are you doing lower wind gybes with centre down and leaning on the outside rail?

I do full planing gybes in 20knots. Usually I'm on a broad reach so carve through 90degrees instead of 180.
I throw a few duck gybes too which is quite satisfying with a 9.5m sail.
Light winds gybes are using the sail to steer or flare gybes if you want to play around.

Sparky said..
What style of Gybe are you guys doing on your raceboards?
Are you doing a full planing gybe, with centreboard retracted?
Are you doing lower wind gybes with centre down and leaning on the outside rail?

You can do a full planing gybe on any Raceboard (or a one handed duck gybe if you want) and on just about any longboard designed since about 1983...or even earlier.

I can also completely understand the people who would rather sail a shortboard in big breeze. There are so many different factors that make us love what we do that it seems odds for anyone to say one thing is better than any other.

It depends if you want to zipper back and forth or go exploring. Upwind on a raceboard in a breeze is too easy, just sitting on rail locked in and then broad reaches in the back straps home.

grich62 said..

Chris 249 said..

Sparky said..
What style of Gybe are you guys doing on your raceboards?
Are you doing a full planing gybe, with centreboard retracted?
Are you doing lower wind gybes with centre down and leaning on the outside rail?

You can do a full planing gybe on any Raceboard (or a one handed duck gybe if you want) and on just about any longboard designed since about 1983...or even earlier.

I can also completely understand the people who would rather sail a shortboard in big breeze. There are so many different factors that make us love what we do that it seems odds for anyone to say one thing is better than any other.

who is that pulling off a full planing gybe on a one design,i can hardly ever do that on short board any more,impressive.

I admit it's me. They aren't as easy to keep planing as a Raceboard, partly because whether you are gybing normally or ducking the rig flip is slower, but it's still fun.