I am now windsurfing on a Starboard GO 152L (80cm width) and tried an older Tabou Rocket 125l (69cm width) in 18 knots with 5.4m? sail (I am 190cm high and 75kg).

The experience was quite horrendous for me. My waterstarting isn't perfect, my gybes neither. And I couldn't really uphaul the sail on the Tabou. Should I try/buy a windsurfboard with 75cm width to overcome the "big" gap in width?

Kind regards, appreciate any advise!

That size would be perfect . It will feel smaller and wobbly , that's the point. At 75 kg you will easily uphaul a 125 litre board and will be safe . That wobbly feeling will quickly go away and turn into exciting . Everything your doing on the bigger board , you just have to do it more central on the smaller board . It won't take long to get used to.

Everything 30+ of your weight is safe. A board of that range you will most likely keep long for those lighter wind days(ideally with foil)
Maybe check the rocket+ for some extra width and stability.

Sounds like you could spend more time on your GO board. Work on your water start before you go smaller, and you won't depend on uphauling.
Or go smaller in shallow water if available, so you can step on the board.
GO boards are good for beginners, but also for intermediates. Explore it a bit longer.

Been sailing 30 years and maybe down half a dozen uphauls.

18 knots with a 5,4 - water starting should be easy.

A light boom say 2.7kgs or less makes water starting much easier.

Waste of money buying a board between the two.

If anything, your third board should be 90 to 100litres max.

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Thomas123456789 said..
I am now windsurfing on a Starboard GO 152L (80cm width) and tried an older Tabou Rocket 125l (69cm width) in 18 knots with 5.4m? sail (I am 190cm high and 75kg).

The experience was quite horrendous for me. My waterstarting isn't perfect, my gybes neither. And I couldn't really uphaul the sail on the Tabou. Should I try/buy a windsurfboard with 75cm width to overcome the "big" gap in width?

Kind regards, appreciate any advise!

Extending your learning will always involve a little bit of pain as you adjust. It will be easier in a short time. Wide is not always better because, as a general rule, it will be more sensitive to choppy conditions. I think that the basic design purpose of the board is a more important consideration. For example, a freeride board will be easier than a slalom board.

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Obelix said..
Sounds like you could spend more time on your GO board. Work on your water start before you go smaller, and you won't depend on uphauling.
Or go smaller in shallow water if available, so you can step on the board.
GO boards are good for beginners, but also for intermediates. Explore it a bit longer.

Yes it sounds like a good idea to learn how to beach/water start. That will make board size, with the properly sized sail, a little less relevant. And it makes dealing with waves a lot less of an issue.

Good advice above although i think learning consistent waterstsrting on a smaller narrower board than the Go would be better--Waterstarting big boards is harder than waterstarting little ones. If one of the difficulties is rope starting the narrower board, then that is actually irrelevent once you waterstart or beach start because the main thing that creates instability is having no power in the sail and nothing to balance with. Id get a smaller board, say 115-125 and no more than 75 wide, bit narrower maybe and commit to waterstart consistently whenever enough wind. When not enough keep using the Go. Just remember you need a fair bit of wind when first getting consistent in waterstarting, but less as you improve.

My theory is ; waterstarting is an essential tool . But so is pull starting . Unless your seriously wave sailing or speed sailing , your board will be floaty enough to pull sart . To me it's about energy conservation. Cos I'm fat and old , if the sail falls wind side , I'll water start . If it falls downwind , I climb on and pull start . It's much easier than swimming around a sunk sail. Especially the big cammed sails I use. So tiptoeing around a sinking board is also a good skill to have . It's a great skill to have when the wind drops off.

Try a small fin on your Go. Until you feel it's more survival then actual sailing on your Go, keep at it.

When you feel like it's becoming too cumbersome, goes way too much upwind and hard to control them swap down.

The best way to learn how to waterstart is to practise gybing. If you fail with the gybe then you will get to practise a waterstart. Uphauling is still important for the times when the wind drops right off.

When coming in, always do a gybe then step off. That way you are practising the same number on each side.

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remery said..
When coming in, always do a gybe then step off. That way you are practising the same number on each side.

I usually do a tack then step off (or fall off) because I feel that it is a bit dodgy accelerating into a gybe when approaching shallow water. One touch of that fin on the sand and you're history.

The concern might be when you go to a different spot and wind direction and find that you can't gybe on the outside.

Sailing a 125 and 152 litre board - feels like a different sport compared to sub 100 litre boards.

Not saying big boards like a 125 lite are not fun but in 18 knots at 75kgs a much smaller board will be much more fun.

Interesting that Chis Adamson, who lets face it can sail a bit his biggest board is a 106 Tabou Manta and he is around 82kgs.

He has slalom boards in the same brand all the way down to 40 odd cm needles using tiny fins.

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MarkSSC said..

remery said..
When coming in, always do a gybe then step off. That way you are practising the same number on each side.

I usually do a tack then step off (or fall off) because I feel that it is a bit dodgy accelerating into a gybe when approaching shallow water. One touch of that fin on the sand and you're history.

True. I ripped a fin out of my Bic FV-1S showing off my gybing skills right at the beach. Amazing that it was just the fin and not the whole fin box. I'll never replace that fin

Maybe it is location specific.
I have been sailing a few years, approaching advanced from intermediate now, and I just bought my first snub nose short board which is a 165ltr 92cm wide JP Super Light Wind after riding an RSone 3m long board 80cm wide 209ltr for a few seasons.
Go-to sail for me is 8.5 Ezzy Cheetah.
I am 70kg.
Wind averages about 15-18kts most days.
I guess many would say it is the wrong gear as it is too big. But i like it, it gets me out there when guys are staying at home with their smaller gear waiting for stronger days.
My home spot is very flatwater. It wouldn't work if it was rough.
There are some wind-shadows from the land which we need to float through to get out into the wind.
I used the JP big board up north in 25kts wind gusting 30, i survived, but yes, only just, there i needed smaller board. When it was 18-20kts i had fun with 6.4 freeride sail.

Nico Prien says in a few of his videos, if still learning, like not power gybing yet, go bigger board.
On the JP this season I anticipate i'll be doing full body drags at 20kts speed, and if i am lucky, carving power gybes laying the sail down.
If i can do that on the big board, in this flatwater, i see no need to go to smaller board here at home.

I'd say, get a smaller board and try in stronger wind, but also learn to push the limits of the Starboard Go. I think you can learn some things faster on bigger boards, depending on local conditions of course.
Sailing is as much about skill and knowledge as it is about the gear you use. The gear wont do it for you, you have to learn.
Have fun!

I'd suggest you stay 120 litres plus. With your skill level you need something you can uphaul with a relatively high probability you will grab the boom first time. Waterstarting is hard work and a a few failures in choppy sea with solid wind and you need to get home . 18 knots is significant with white caps and chop. Reducing the risk of falling in every gybe is important and a wider board with volume will often make the difference. 100 litres is unforgiving. Guy above with JP slw is right in you can ride it and get away with lots. Bit hairy above 15 and can become an aeroplane.
Beach /bottom starts are a great simulation for waterstarts so sail somewhere where you can do your gybes in thigh or waist deep water. A lighter board may address your needs as will finding some carbon gear for the rig to reduce uphaul weight.

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Pcdefender said..
Been sailing 30 years and maybe down half a dozen uphauls.

18 knots with a 5,4 - water starting should be easy.

A light boom say 2.7kgs or less makes water starting much easier.

Waste of money buying a board between the two.

If anything, your third board should be 90 to 100litres max.

Doing half a dozen uphauls in 30 years is fine if you live in WA, but in most places that's just not realistic. It's like someone who lives in Alaska saying that they don't need boardshorts.

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Chris 249 said..

It's like someone who lives in Alaska saying that they don't need boardshorts.

Except that now... they do. Oops, let's not go there!!!

Back on topic, at OPs stated weight and skill level, a 125 lt board about 70 wide is a progression / keep for light winds board. I agree with those who recommend such a board, if you can find a reasonable second hand one. Yes, you can still develop skill on the Go, but progress will be faster on a smaller board and more fun.