Hi guys

New to this forum, but been reading it for a while.
I hope someone can give me some input.
I got back to windsurfing 2 years ago after borrowing a RRD 125L (think it was Firemove)and an Ezzy Cheeta 7.5
I loved it and quickly bought a Loftsail 7.3 Oxygen, this is a perfect size for summer surfing here in Norway.
Initially it took me a few days to get to like the Oxy, I couldn't seem to rig/tune it right, but now I really like it.

It was time to buy my own board and I wanted something smaller , so I got a RRD FSW 96L 20113 model (I´m 73kg), got a great deal second on a Severne S-1 5.7 and Blade 5.3 with a 75% gorilla mast (2013 models)

I took the S-1 out in about 8-9 mps (16 knots), but I had a hard time to get it on the plane. The wind was a bit uneven. When I did, the sail never felt comfortable, and I tried to tune it different ways, moving harness straps etc.
I never felt I "cracked the code".
I now realise the S-1 might not be for me, or is it just a matter of tuning and getting used to? I have a 28cm fin that came with the board.

Any tips and pointers would be appreciated.

PS I can water start, and sometimes pull of a high speed carving jib. Jibbing is not a problem

Play with the sail and how it rigs, I can't remember for the 2013, But sails don't always rig exactly To what is printed on them and they stretch over time. ( as do all sails)

Rig it it so the leech looks right and don't pay attention to the luff too much.

I was once confused by the specs and was thinking the sail had now power but then I rigged it to how I thought the foil should look and it had plenty of Grunt

Sounds like you might want a larger fin than a 28 cm for around 16 knots and a larger sail too. Then you might be planning at 16 knots. That being said, 96L board doesn't seem like enough volume to me for 16 knots of wind. I am usually on my 115L, 65cm wide board with a 6.0 sail fully powered up with a 34cm fin, blasting along in 16 knots of wind.

Hi

Thanks for posting. I guess I'll try to be a bit more patient and.
I will try my Blade as well next time. I haven't tried it yet, not enough wind.

I think you are right about the board and fin size. I don't have the bigger board where I am at the moment.

I will try a bigger fin next time

I'm the same weight maybe minus 1kg but have the same board. Great board BTW. As Magic Ride said, bigger fin but definitely a bigger sail. Look for something around 6.5m freeride. I find i need 18kt+ wind for my 5.8m

That S1 is a very wavesailing focused sail that is going to feel quite different to your standard freeride rig particularly in gusty conditions.

If you are not planning in 16kts then do one or all of the following:
- larger board - 105 litres
- larger sail - 6.5m2 try a NCX rather than the S-1
- larger fin - 33mm

You may not need all of the above - the sail and fin increase may suffice

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Al Planet said..
That S1 is a very wavesailing focused sail that is going to feel quite different to your standard freeride rig particularly in gusty conditions.

+1 and I expected to see many responses along those lines.

I think the very short blunt answer is yes. Sorry

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YoakNor said..

Yep. I felt the same way with my 2013 4.7 S-1. I used it a season and decided it wasn't for me. My experience was exactly like yours, but some people like them a lot. (having said that, I was running a sightly soft top mast in it.. it will be interesting to see how it goes in my pure CC masts this season).

Late last season I got hold of a 2015 4.7 Blade Pro. 1st run I knew this sail suited me. After a few tweaks, it was even better. Maybe you should try the Blade or Blade Pro ?

^^ wave sails for freeride use... in barely powered conditions and a FSW

I'd not pick any wavesail...

I have a somewhat similar setup.

I have blades 5.3 and down which are my main sails I use on my 100 and 80 L freestyle and wave boards. However I still have a older 5.6 S-1 that I use and like. I only use this in light winds, what I like about it is rig it with a slightly tighter leech, its very stable clew first, and a very light sail for the wind range I use it in. i.e. I use it to improve my manoeuvring skills, otherwise I will get onto the 5.3 ASAP.

I like to reference the position of the batten above the boom without outhaul tension versus looseness of leech, particularly with the s-1 I have which are more sensitive to down haul, because of the repeatability of that approach.

If you just want to go fast in light winds, trade the 5.7 towards a 7.5M and ~70cm wide blaster, like your wise friend has

I beg to differ......
Wave sail of 5.7 is one of the IDEAL sails for winds of 14-19 mph.
BUT BUT, it's way too small for easy early planing, for top speeds, and for powered jibes.
If you had bought a slalom sail, 5.7, for 16 knots, it would not come close to planing, since it's made for 28 knots of wind.
If you had bought a freeride sail, 5.7, for 16 knots, it would barely plane you up, since it's made for 19 knots of wind.
So, you bought the best possible sail in 5.7, for light winds. A 5.7 wave sail is designed for the lightest possible WAVE SAILING winds, which is around 16 knots on small boards and PLANING conditions.

Thanks for all the input guys. Looking back I also have a feeling it was less wind than the forecast/weatherstation said. It was a new place for me so it was difficult to tell.
I'm used to sail that 7.3 very overpowered as its been the only sail I had last year. It's still kind of summer up here in Norway, so the really windy days are yet to come. Tempted to try the 7.3 on the 96l, but I guess it's a bit too big.
I started to look for a 6.5 sail, I see that I can rig a Gaastra Matrix 6.5 on my 460 Severne 100 mast, so that's pretty tempting. Problem is that it's just after the summer holiday and money is a bit tight right now.

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Mark _australia said..
^^ wave sails for freeride use... in barely powered conditions and a FSW
I'd not pick any wavesail...

I'm his weight, and blast around on 16 knots on a 85L FSW and either my 4.7 Gator or 4.7 Blade Pro. Not for everyone: some people (my weight/height etc) couldn't do that on my gear, but I can. Although this is a seabreeze 16 knots. Winter 16 knots is a different story.

Not one day of wind since first posting this. I got my 7.3 back and might try that out on the 96l of we never get any proper wind up here anytime soon

We are getting 20-25 NW winds today in Oregon, but I said a prayer to the Wind Gods last night.

Happy to hear that at least someone is getting on the water

I'm 73KG's and blast around on a 97L Nash and an old 4.5 Revolver, admittedly i stay away in less than 16 kts but that's OK. i do tend to run a larger fin which seems to work?

I got offered a 2013 Gaastra Pilot 6.0 for a very good price, but is that a beginners sail, or just a cheaper version of the Matrix? It´s a bit confusing on their website

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YoakNor said..
I got offered a 2013 Gaastra Pilot 6.0 for a very good price, but is that a beginners sail, or just a cheaper version of the Matrix? It´s a bit confusing on their website

Buy it! I have a Pilot 6.5 from the same year, and loved it. Sailed it until it started falling apart. Replaced it with a 2015 Matrix 6.5, which is fine, but I actually like it less. That's partly because the older Matrix sails had more top end, the new one does not (a test in a German surf magazine described exactly what I felt about the sail).

If you get the Pilot, keep in mind that it needs trim adjustments when the wind changes. Adding more outhaul when the wind picks up can give you a decent wind range.

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YoakNor said..
I got offered a 2013 Gaastra Pilot 6.0 for a very good price, but is that a beginners sail, or just a cheaper version of the Matrix? It´s a bit confusing on their website

I had a Gaastra Pilot 6.5 from around 2009/2010. Was a pretty nice sail, felt like an oversized Poison wave sail, just lighter made.

The 6.5 is really the size I want. Thats what holding me back. Might still get the 6 though.
Any tips on fin size, or is it just a matter of *5 the sail size?

I agree with the comment above if you want a small sail then a wave sail will get you planing faster than any other style of sail. The S1 5.7 should get you planing in 16knots easily but it's not a grunt sail it's an efficient sail. Just sheeting in against the fin will not work. You will need to bare away a little and build the apparent wind then you'll be set. I'm 75kg and would have an 85l wave board planing easily with that sail (I had an old S1 5.7 until I went completely through it last time out and it worked brilliantly on both my 85l wave boards in 15knots). I also found the S1s don't need a super floppy leech. Certainly the sail needs to vent nicely but it's not extreme

Thanks for the input. I might have been a bit to passive, being used to the 7.3 on a 125l where I usually just hang into the harness and speed away. It's been pretty flat water where I tried the sail a few times, so no small waves to help me up to speed either. Today was supposed to hit 22 knots, but the wind was predicted to be 10 knots by 10am and with a 1h15m drive to an easy wave spot, I wouldn't make it in time. It's pretty dim light 8am up here already when it's over cast

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Magic Ride said..
We are getting 20-25 NW winds today in Oregon, but I said a prayer to the Wind Gods last night.

The God is , Wonda The Wicked Wind Woman.