Looking to go faster, have a GPS watch, old Tabou 3s 110lt, collection of freestyle / wave sails. Current max shed is 27 knots in about 25 knots of wind.

What should I do next? I am thinking a smaller board. Older and cheap, would a smaller narrower freestyle board work?

One of these is for sale, AHD Maxx Ride 60DRT, any thoughts

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moo123 said..
Looking to go faster, have a GPS watch, old Tabou 3s 110lt, collection of freestyle / wave sails. Current max shed is 27 knots in about 25 knots of wind.

What should I do next? I am thinking a smaller board. Older and cheap, would a smaller narrower freestyle board work?

One of these is for sale, AHD Maxx Ride 60DRT, any thoughts

That's a better choice than my first "speed board". I went with a Magic Ride 104 and a 5.0 Neil Pryde Search wave sail and a 28 weed fin. I couldn't get over 30 knots for quite a while. Then I discovered that the spot for speed is real important. So I joined the serious people at one of the flat water spots in about 25 knots. I clocked 35 knots and thought I was going to die. The board was tailwalking and I was on the edge of control. Then I started to get the picture. I got a delta fin for the shallow speed spot and upgraded to a JP Supersport 100 and some Severne NCX sails. I was avoiding buying cammed sails because I was worried about water starting with a luff full of water. I couldn't get much over 33 with that set up. The no cam sails just seemed to have no guts. So i bit the bullet and bought Severne Overdrive 6.2 and 7.0. 35 knots was pretty easy but I wanted to go faster and bought a Windtech 57. 36 knots was routine and my best is 37.5. I reckon I should be able to go faster with that setup, I just need to improve my board trim and get out on windier days. On a crap days when its blowing about 15 knots, 31 knots is easy, but they could be because of the smooth water.

Welcome to the addiction.

Location and wind are the two most important things.
1 You need to find your local speed spot. Where are you located?
2 If you are new to speed sailing then then you are probably looking for around 20 kts of wind.

Take your current gear to your local spot. Talk to the locals, they will have the best advice and more often than not a load of secondhand gear.

You want to be powered, like properly powered, so you don't need too much board, bodyweight +10-15 will give you a board to float you + rigging just... when looking at second hand try to find old reviews of the board. Or go with the bigger brands that have information. I recently just got back into windsufing and my only aim right now is to go fast. The above info is what was given to me when I asked similar question. At 93kg I have gone with a 108ltr JP slalom pro.

For sails, imo to go quick two cams is a minimum, i'm sure there are quick no cam sails out there but the point of them is to be more user friendly so performance will be compromised to some degree. Then its just budget, get the newest best condition sails you can afford that hopefully match with masts/booms you already have.

Fins are a big part of it to, too much fin will limit your top end, the board will lift and tail walk on you. Too little and the board will be difficult to get up and going, also difficult to get upwind so you can bear off and beat that PB!

Good luck, i enjoyed the speed journey 22 years ago and just getting started on it again! I've relapsed into addiction again already!

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cald said..
>>>>> For sails, imo to go quick two cams is a minimum, i'm sure there are quick no cam sails out there >>>>

The trouble with no cam sails, is they need wind pressure to "set" them. Deep downwind there's less wind pressure and they can loose a bit of shape. I managed 33 knots on wave gear, with a 4.7m sail but the sail was oscillating, as it lost and regained entry shape.

There's different opinions on water state. Some will swear the flatter the better, others that ball bearing chop is faster.
There's a few things at play here, wetted area is less in smooth water with a greater angle of attack, ie mast track back. choppy water needs the mast track further forward to flatten the board out so it glides over the top of the chop. Also glassy water is likely to have lamina wind flow, so the whole sail works more efficiently. If in very choppy water, as long as the chop is organised in lines, I find it best not to go too deep. Often the chop isn't square to the wind, so follow the chop in the direction that's most downwind, sitting on top of the chop gives the best wind. I've done 32knots in open ocean and 20kts like this.

As to what to buy, that depends on your conditions, if you have 25kts regular and flat water, you could go with a semi sinker, ie board just over your kg weight in litres but a little less than total weight, what you're looking for is a straight rocker from back strap for about a metre, with slight rocker behind back strap. On older boards check rocker between fin and front strap. Use quite often compresses the core foam and gives this area negative rocker. In other words if you put a straight edge there you'll see a gap in the middle. This will slow the board down by making lift behind the rider, pushing the nose down and increasing wetted area. It can be bogged out, if you have the ability.

If you haven't already get some slalom fins for an instant extra couple of knots.

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tbwonder said..
Location and wind are the two most important things.
1 You need to find your local speed spot. Where are you located?
2 If you are new to speed sailing then then you are probably looking for around 20 kts of wind.

Take your current gear to your local spot. Talk to the locals, they will have the best advice and more often than not a load of secondhand gear.

+1

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tbwonder said..
Location and wind are the two most important things.
1 You need to find your local speed spot. Where are you located?
2 If you are new to speed sailing then then you are probably looking for around 20 kts of wind.

Take your current gear to your local spot. Talk to the locals, they will have the best advice and more often than not a load of secondhand gear.

+2 THIS!

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moo123 said..
Looking to go faster, have a GPS watch, old Tabou 3s 110lt, collection of freestyle / wave sails. Current max shed is 27 knots in about 25 knots of wind.

What should I do next? I am thinking a smaller board. Older and cheap, would a smaller narrower freestyle board work?

One of these is for sale, AHD Maxx Ride 60DRT, any thoughts

Save your money and avoid the AHD Maxx Ride 60DRT and wait until a small slalom is available (or at least a fast freeride or free slalom).

Your Tabou will defo go more than 30k, you just need more/stronger wind.