Lao Shi, this shape has too much area behind the fin for a light guy. It will be hard to keep the board in a fast and safe (spin-out free) angle (nose slightly up).

I expect once you build up speed the area of the bottom pushes the board higher on the water, but the fin can't take the lift and results in sudden spin-out. Also the rails shape isn't probably perfect for this high ride on the water

If you like to search for more speed I recommend another design for suitable light guys. But if you like to go faster with this board you need to:
-try to sand some tailkick in (might be a good plan to search someone with experience who could help)
-use only raked fins with plenty of surface/thickness to deliver enough lift
-go to gym and train your backleg so you can push the tail down once you feel like the spin-out might come

I think in this one unique case where you could find immediate improvement when using another boarddesign. Plenty of experts in Australia that can help you decide, I would search improvement at the board instead of trying to fix the balance with the sail.

Thanks for the feedback, Erik. The board does have a few mm of tail kick. I appreciate that the design is probably not the best otherwise other brands would have boards like it.
S018, I have not used it more than once with a sail smaller than 6.3 as we just have not had the wind. Every time I try moving the track that far back I get in to spin out again.

Thanks to all the contributors to this thread. It has given me plenty to think about.
Come on Huey!

When it all comes down to it if you can sail at a place with flat water like Lake George all the time your speeds will increase significantly, the flat water enables quicker tuning of your gear simply because it takes the chop out of the equation and any mm adjustments can be felt in performance instantly I'd go as far as to say a good week sailing on flat water would take 2+ years or more for the same progression under normal choppy conditions.This was proven this year at the Lake there was a huge leap in speeds/Pb's for all who have sailed there which when it comes down to it was only possible because of the unreal flat water/wind.
So find a spot in WA or get the Windsurfing Assoc to approach the government to build a recreational lake/canal or better still contact jimbob and get him to send over a few boxes of the Lake George weed and plant it in a nice sheltered spot on the river which will let it get a foot hold and spread

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choco said...

So find a spot in WA

Everyone's been looking for years, nuffink like lake george in WA, the Closest to anything like Lake George is Amigos in Shark bay, which is 1000km north of Perth to the Boat Ramp, then you need a boat, and a 45min boat trip across the roughest water, and the trip back with stronger winds is potentially life threatening. The main run is approx 2km, square to the wind, but boomerang shape in the opposite angles so you sail up wind both wayz if you stay close to bank. But it does have a 5km sandbar, and at the right tide, and right wind angle could be awesome, but it is tiger shark territory, and the boat trip back is dangerous Major Logistical exercise with too many variables needed for it to be right, and enough negatives to give it a miss. If it was accessible by road, and you could camp overnite, might be worth it????

And thats why Hopefully see you in Lake George January 2013 and I'm prepared to do a 6,000 km return trip coz WA hasnt got a Lake george!!

Lake George Can produce the speeds
but it is fickle and does require the right water level and as always.. Wind
hard to predict a long way out!

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S018 said...

Lake George Can produce the speeds
but it is fickle and does require the right water level and as always.. Wind
hard to predict a long way out!

Yes I realise the 2 or so weeks I'll be around that there may be no wind, Windy Always (WA) has not produced the winds in last 2 years (around Mandurah or Perth) so dont mind travelling away just for a change and to catch up wif a few of the SA boyz & go over to Vic, catch up wif family, and hopefully the Pit Crew, so plenty to do even if no wind. And hopefully Lao Shi will have sorted his speeds out by then