This month in Adelaide, we've had some honking 28-32 knot days (onshore/cross). In these conditions, I've been using my 85L FSW board and a 2nd hand 4.2m sail, de-powered to the max. I brought my 4.2 about a year ago. Last month was the first month I used it and I have used this gear combo three times now. Sailing in these conditions is good fun !, and I want more. However, at this wind speed, I am over powered. My gybes are ****, most of them I end up burying the rail trying to get the sail under control/get my balance and sliding out or not being able to carve the board.

I've been thinking about buying smaller sails and a smaller board, but I am a minimalist sailor. I hate lots of gear "less gear, less confusion". I'm 70kg and 175cm high. I sail in cross to onshore conditions. I like sailing underpowered (or rather, once I'm over powered, I can't sail). If you were me, would you buy smaller gear, or just deal with my current gear in 30 knots for maybe four sessions a year ?. If you were my build, what would be the optimal gear for 30 knots ?

Thanks.

J

sailing in strong winds can be hard to get used to just because you dont experience it often. I dont think smaller gear will make that much of a difference.
4.2m is pretty small anyway!
Just get out in those conditions as much as you can and youll probably find that sail doesnt feel so overpowered.
Just go for it!

I like sailing a 74 l single fin in the windy bump and jump conditions. These are usually pretty cheap 2nd hand and are lots of fun to sail (mine is an Acid which is pretty quick but brand may not be that important). I cant imagine myself not owning a board this size.

You have very big gear in those conditions - I am 94kg and would use that same gear comfortably in a constant (seabreeze) around 30kn.

3.7 and a 75L would be very comfy for you I think. If cost is an issue, especially considering the gear is for only 4 days a year, you could go down to about a 19-20cm fin in same board and buy a 3.7 and 370 mast together. The sails are usually cheap-ish and in good nick in those sorta sizes.

BTW, as the 4.2 is used so little you are not rigging it on a 430 with heaps of mast sticking out the top are you? That would make things a lot worse with no twist...

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Mark _australia said...

You have very big gear in those conditions - I am 94kg and would use that same gear comfortably in a constant (seabreeze) around 30kn.

3.7 and a 75L would be very comfy for you I think. If cost is an issue, especially considering the gear is for only 4 days a year, you could go down to about a 19-20cm fin in same board and buy a 3.7 and 370 mast together. The sails are usually cheap-ish and in good nick in those sorta sizes.

BTW, as the 4.2 is used so little you are not rigging it on a 430 with heaps of mast sticking out the top are you? That would make things a lot worse with no twist...

I use a 3.8m on a 400cm mast ( sailworks) & I even found a 3.2m Sailworks sail that's designed for a 400 mast..the 3.2m only cost $150 2nd hand too..mind you I've had it for over 6 months & haven't used it yet but I will in the big winter gales ( I'm 63kgs).So if you look around you might be able to find a 2nd hand sail that fits your existing mast ( if its 400) which will keep costs down.
I'm in the same boat..you dont want to spend much as its only a few times a year but it is nice to be not totally blown off the water..
As Mark says I used to rig my 4.2m on a 430 mast which was too long - it had c 30cm of turban at the top.. I hated it! It had no bottom end power & didn't twist off so it was uncontrollable in the top end. I thought it was just a crappy sail but now I have the coprrect length & softness of mast its one of my favourite sails..Glad I didn't sell it!

You mention FSW85, is it a JP? The earlier JP's have a fairly powerful tail and fin. I have a FSW78 and I comfortably use it in a solid 20+ (I'm 92kg). I use a smaller wave fin on it 25-30 which calms it down nicely in severe chop.

Tray a smaller fin but for your weight a smaller narower board will be better.

Thanks all.

Mark: My 4.2 is a 2007 Severne Gator (recommended: 370, compatible: 400), and using it with a Severne Blueline 400. Interesting what you said about the twist off. The shape looks great when I rig it up with my 400, but do you reckon the recommended 370 mast would make a difference ?

Waitingforwind: Yeah, it's a JP 2011.

The 370 will certainly make it a little betetr at the top of it's range. I'm guessing on the 400 though it only has about 5-6cm of mast poking out the top? If so that is not a major difference.
Advantage to buying a 3.7 and a 370 Severne is you can try the 4.2 on both :-)

A bit more than that Mark. About 20cm.. but I have enough space on the extension to make this adjustment smaller. Should I be doing this ?

You shouldn't have that much - you need to minimise it. Luff on most modern 4.2 wavesails will be about 392 - 396 .... I can't find any info on the Gator from '07 though.

You need to set your extension to zero and downhaul the sail. If you can't get enough downhaul, shorten the headstrap. Repeat until you get max downhaul (like floppy leech to the third batten).
That will get you set with minimum mast poking out the top

Are you sure it's a 2007? I could only find a 2008 listed for a 4.2:
http://2006.severnesails.com/products/gator.asp
2008.severnesails.com/sails/p_gator.asp
2007.severnesails.com/products/spec_gator.asp

Mark sounds right, 20cm extension on a 400 sounds wrong too much.

Thanks for your info. I've always wondered about this and wasn't sure. I'll take on your advice next time I use this sail.

paddymac: I brought this 4.2 2nd hand. The seller said it was 3 years old when I got it.. so, yeah, it's probably an 08 as you said.

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Al Planet said...

I like sailing a 74 l single fin in the windy bump and jump conditions. These are usually pretty cheap 2nd hand and are lots of fun to sail (mine is an Acid which is pretty quick but brand may not be that important). I cant imagine myself not owning a board this size.

x2. I'm 72kg, 180cm and love the Acid 74 in anything over 25kts. And anything up to about 40kts!!!

My 86 litre Freewave is way too bouncy over 25kts.

the 4.2 is OK, even with your relatively light weight. You can downhaul the ** out of it if you're overpowered, but the board is too big for those conditions. 70l or less would be ideal.