I sail a 2000 IMCO. Im 110kg, use 7m-8m sails 10-25kts. Board has standard fin. Mostly i sail beam to broad reach, no centreboard. Any advantage to using a larger fin? Ive got a Finworks 393 39cm pointer id like to try. Standard fin is 34cm broader chord style. Any advantages or dis advantages?

Get a centreboard, the only thing better than going upwind on a raceboard is coming back down

Hey ive got one. Damn thing gets in the way when im just fangin around. So i leave it behind. Im keen to see how quick i can get the IMCO. SO WILL FINS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Hey olskool,
Id definitely try the bigger fin , for us big guys big is beautiful.
I use a 56cm free-ride fin or a 54cm slalom fin on my 80 wide freeride board 7.8 and up.
Much easier to get planing and going up wind. Never have a problem tail walking or flying too much on the fin , ( almost never unless in a crazy gust )
Not sure if this will apply to a race board but it would be worth giving it a go.

i weigh about what you weigh and sail a MEQ2/Mistral Equipe II XR
with sails 7.0-10.0 and 8.x (8.4 race and 8.5 HSM SPF) being my favourite
when i repaired the gasket I never sliced it for the centre board i.e. also sail with NO dagger
just cover the top with tape to keep the water out
just recently i measured the OFO/one foot off from the tail and it is 38 cm
this corresponds with the fin that I received with the board
people are suggesting NOT to go longer than the OFO - tail walking, etc
however, not sure how that can happen with such long boards
i have used shorter fin / 34 cm when going with the 7 meter sail
have considered trying slightly more than the 38 cm fin, but nothing extreme - like 42 or so
let us know the OFO, test results, etc
so far the 38 cm fin has been more than adequate for me on the MEQ2
regardless of sail size
hard to spin out such a long board
and NO issues going upwind without the dagger - longer fin may help this
.
regarding the OFO "rule"- foils are sometimes one meter long in the mast - no more rules ...

Hi Joe, IMCO OFO measured 33cm. Standard fin 34cm. Last time i sailed an 8m Ezzy Cheetah, my new goto sail. Was pushing hard in 18-25kts when the fin let go a few times. Probably more poor technique than inferior gear. Longer boom more back foot pressure.But i have a Finworks 393 lying around n was wondering whether itd help or hinder performance? Lightwind test in the next day or so. Have seen F2 Lightning run 44cm - 9.5m. Bigger board though.

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olskool said..
Hi Joe, IMCO OFO measured 33cm. Standard fin 34cm. Last time i sailed an 8m Ezzy Cheetah, my new goto sail. Was pushing hard in 18-25kts when the fin let go a few times. Probably more poor technique than inferior gear. Longer boom more back foot pressure.But i have a Finworks 393 lying around n was wondering whether itd help or hinder performance? Lightwind test in the next day or so. Have seen F2 Lightning run 44cm - 9.5m. Bigger board though.

use it but keep a eye on the pb base to fin join they will crack there.i have used a 42 in the eliminator and it don,t over power me.in light wind i use a 38 and center board half down,its easy to push the board around in a tack,the standard fin was design around lighter sailors,not us supper weight belt guys so we will need more fin.

My F2 lightning has 43cm finworks like one in pic above. And works fine with 8.5 and 9.5 demon sails. Can't remember ever spinning out. Can see it in action in my raceboard cruising video.
I notice imco fin in pic has longer chord which should give more lift at slower speeds but more drag as speed increases.

Went for a light wind glide around with 39cm fin 8m cheetah. With everything as id normally sail, the board sails well n has lost its tendency to round up. Yet to try any strong wind. Thatll be the decider.

Square inches, or surface area of a fin allows for early planing.
Longer fins with less chord allow the fin to exert lift onto the tail of the board, good for reaching across the wind and upwind, but not necessary for downwind running.
Too long fins will rip out the finbox of older boards.