On the 3rd January 2012 Steve Thorp broke the sailboarding speed record by traveling 50.48 knots. What intrigued me was that Thorp weighed 76 kilograms and added a further 12 kilograms by wearing a lead laden vest. So the question is: what is the ideal weight to maximise speed? I also note that Antoine Albeau is a big, chunky guy and is also a world speed record holder.

Yeah , doesn't seem to work for me

bigger is usually faster although it depends on the discipline. If you look at guys like Kiran Badloe he is 1.95 m tall and I've heard he is less than 80 kilo's. He does have a world class fitness level though. For the racing he does I guess his light weight keeps him competitive in the light stuff and his height and fitness make him competitive in the windy stuff as well. It must be nice to be physically elite. Personally speaking I'm a corpse with a pulse but we do the best with what we have.

Usually I like to be about 80 kilo's for windsurfing and freeride foiling. However now I am running some decent race foil gear I find that my current weight of 86kg feels pretty good. 88kg would be fine but I don't want to hit 90kg. My pants wouldn't fit and I cbf buying new clothes lol.

In Windsurfing, for speed, (and moderate to strong wind slalom I think), the taller and heavier you are, the faster your potential speeds. There is no optimum for speed AFAIK see. The bigger, the better (given parity in all the other areas of skill and equipment optimisation)

It's interesting that faster can often be either 'taller' or 'heavier'. My observations are that some taller, but 75-85KG guys do exceptionally well for their weight, and some shorter 90-100+Kg guys do very well for their height. .

Personally, I miss out badly on on both counts, but try to make up for it a bit, by just being in the right place, at the right time, on the right gear.

Of course, you can stack on extra lead weight in your vest, but so can the bigger guys. And then you run into the issue of being fit enough, and strong enough to control all that extra weight, not to mention how it changes your balance and setup. I try to resist using much, if any, in the way of extra lead weights these days. My old body is getting too fragile to risk it. And besides, the power of evolution seems to have mysteriously produced a bit of extra natural ballast around my middle.

By the way, Steve Thorpe is also an exceptionally skilled and experienced sailor, who was in the right place at the right time and on highly optimum gear.

I like this-
boards.co.uk/how-to/how-fast-can-we-go-the-science-of-speed.html

Thanks guys I needed a laugh..' corpse with a pulse' / ' extra ballast '. I can relate to both losing fitness in lockdown..

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mikey100 said..
I like this-
boards.co.uk/how-to/how-fast-can-we-go-the-science-of-speed.html

That was a great find.. Not that it helps me

What a wonderful sport sailboarding is - a sport where extra weight is an advantage. I have always felt that with 94 kilos I could hold down a bigger sail and go faster than the lighter guys. A power to weight physics thing.

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After decades of windsurfing and taking many notes, I reckon it works like this...

1. Stand on the scales in a state of denial and don't look down.


2. Only buy equipment that is good for what you dream about and not what you are capable of and/or the conditions you actually sail in.

3. Arrive at the beach (preferably in a commercial vehicle that is capable of carrying all your wrong gear) and discuss with your mad-cap buddies about how much better it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

4. Lift your phone into the air taking note of the inaccurate meter reading and ignore it.

5. Now with all the info at hand, divide the peak wind strength by your perceived weight adding the inverse of your board volume multiplying the square of the sail that will be too small by 1/2m then subtract the surface area of the fin and lastly, hold your breath as you get into your ever shrinking wetsuit and harness. This will give you a number.

I hope this internet proven, 5 step plan to fast-ness helps with your VMG.

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Brent in Qld said..

After decades of windsurfing and taking many notes, I reckon it works like this...

1. Stand on the scales in a state of denial and don't look down.


2. Only buy equipment that is good for what you dream about and not what you are capable of and/or the conditions you actually sail in.

3. Arrive at the beach (preferably in a commercial vehicle that is capable of carrying all your wrong gear) and discuss with your mad-cap buddies about how much better it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

4. Lift your phone into the air taking note of the inaccurate meter reading and ignore it.

5. Now with all the info at hand, divide the peak wind strength by your perceived weight adding the inverse of your board volume multiplying the square of the sail that will be too small by 1/2m then subtract the surface area of the fin and lastly, hold your breath as you get into your ever shrinking wetsuit and harness. This will give you a number.

I hope this internet proven, 5 step plan to fast-ness helps with your VMG.

This is about right

Weight is good, as long as there is plenty of leg and core strength to send the force to the board. Big sails need lots of leg power.

I tend to believe that (body) weight distribution also plays a factor.

My excuse for being slow. 60kg when "fat". Only head to head objective data was from a GPS run. Fast guys including a retired Pro were breaking 30kts. I didn't average over 28kts. Thinking the gap would have been greater if the wind was stronger.

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Manuel7 said..
I tend to believe that (body) weight distribution also plays a factor.

Up here the typical body shape tends to pear shaped. Where the largest measurement of the body is the circumference around the midsection. I guess I could add 30kg of fat belly mass. But how do you keep a waist harness from slipping up around your neck or down below your butt?

Seat harness.
If you're short, get to 230 lbs.

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Reflex Films said..

Brent in Qld said..

After decades of windsurfing and taking many notes, I reckon it works like this...

1. Stand on the scales in a state of denial and don't look down.


2. Only buy equipment that is good for what you dream about and not what you are capable of and/or the conditions you actually sail in.

3. Arrive at the beach (preferably in a commercial vehicle that is capable of carrying all your wrong gear) and discuss with your mad-cap buddies about how much better it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

4. Lift your phone into the air taking note of the inaccurate meter reading and ignore it.

5. Now with all the info at hand, divide the peak wind strength by your perceived weight adding the inverse of your board volume multiplying the square of the sail that will be too small by 1/2m then subtract the surface area of the fin and lastly, hold your breath as you get into your ever shrinking wetsuit and harness. This will give you a number.

I hope this internet proven, 5 step plan to fast-ness helps with your VMG.

This is about right

I agree. This is one of the most accurate rigging guides i've seen to date.

The problem shows when big dudes get passed in a straight line by little lightweight tykes.

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LeeD said..
The problem shows when big dudes get passed in a straight line by little lightweight tykes.

what problem?

Ha ha.
I'm sure you have never been passed by a little tyke.

Maybe I am a little tyke... or maybe not... at the end of the day most of us have limiting factors besides body weight to how fast we go, mine is definitely just skill level, I can't blame my bodyweight unfortunately

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cald said..
Maybe I am a little tyke... or maybe not... at the end of the day most of us have limiting factors besides body weight to how fast we go, mine is definitely just skill level, I can't blame my bodyweight unfortunately

I know a fella, he's lighter than me (i weigh in at a bit over 65kg) He had previously not gone any quicker than me. Not much over 30knts

then one day he went to a flat water speed spot in mandurah. Someone lent him a weight vest, speed went straight up to 38+knts

little bastard

edit: yeah ok, he's actually quite a good sailor..