AS a newbie to hard core GPS sailing ,what size or literage board should I look for in 25 knots plus.
Im 95 kgs .I was thinking 95 litres .slalom board .
i do have a 115 thommen .

is dropping literage a good move for more knots .?

Whilst some of the more talented sailors are able to do high speeds on big boards, reducing board size will generally improve your speeds in 25+. Think more about board width than volume. I'm 98kg and use a 52cm wide board in those conditions because that is my smallest board, but I wouldnt hesitate to hop on a 44cm board in a genuine 25+ if I had one. More width is supposed to be fast in choppy conditions, but I personally still prefer narrow as I am more in control

I'm 92kg and I have a 92 litre slalom board (59cm wide) which is great for high wind choppy stuff and great for the flat. However now having sailed GPS for a while I would prefer a 100lt slalom board (64cm wide) and a big speed board 54cm wide say 81 litres. Lately the question was asked about a really good Alpha and it was basically done on a big speed board. What water conditions are you sailing in? Basically the smaller the tail, the smaller the fin, the faster the speed. The thing that I have been spending the most on lately have been fins, and have ended up with weed fins, shallow water/weed fins, and slalom fins.

Must be April 1st where you are...

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Dean 424 said..
I'm 92kg and I have a 92 litre slalom board (59cm wide) which is great for high wind choppy stuff and great for the flat. However now having sailed GPS for a while I would prefer a 100lt slalom board (64cm wide) and a big speed board 54cm wide say 81 litres. Lately the question was asked about a really good Alpha and it was basically done on a big speed board. What water conditions are you sailing in? Basically the smaller the tail, the smaller the fin, the faster the speed. The thing that I have been spending the most on lately have been fins, and have ended up with weed fins, shallow water/weed fins, and slalom fins.

Thanks,Dean.
water conditons will be flat ,when i will gps sail.
so lagoon sailing .i can get and looking at buying a 94 litre /60 wide board ,32 fin .slalom board .
will it be a waste of money ?
i do have a mistral Syncro,2011 freeride 104,nice board but not the fastest .
the thommen 117 is the fastest i have ,but can start to max out in the 28 knot days .
i too prefer the bigger boards ,but looking to cut down on water friction ,is there is such a thing .

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Stretchy said..
Whilst some of the more talented sailors are able to do high speeds on big boards, reducing board size will generally improve your speeds in 25+. Think more about board width than volume. I'm 98kg and use a 52cm wide board in those conditions because that is my smallest board, but I wouldnt hesitate to hop on a 44cm board in a genuine 25+ if I had one. More width is supposed to be fast in choppy conditions, but I personally still prefer narrow as I am more in control

thanks stretchy ..looking for a small board .94 litre slalom board .= my weight 94 kgs .

Board mix sounds good to me Tardy. Maybe get a 34cm fin as well down the track if using a 7m on it. I basically run a 59.5cm wide, 70cm wide and 81.5cm wide boards. 92,115,128lt. In GPS I can go another 6 knots faster on my 92 than my 115.

When you say '25 knots plus', I am assuming that means 25 knots and a little over???

'Speed Sailing' is really only starting at that wind speed. For many of us, "Speed Sailing' starts at 30 knots plus winds and 40 knots of speed, and that a quite a different kettle of fish. For me at 72 Kg, that means my 40cm wide, 60L Carbon Art speed board. Even in just over 25 knots wind, it is faster on a speed run than any of my small slalom boards.

But of you also want to do Alphas and 1Hr's etc, then you will be better off on a small slalom or large speed board.

For that sort of sailing, at 25+, unless you sail in a spot with very fluky winds, you should be looking at narrower boards from 55cm down to 50cm and roughly 10-15 litres under your body weight (but Litres is the least important factor - width. length and rocker shape are much more important).

Fins are also important. Not so much the brand, but the style of fin to suit your purpose and conditions, and the size. They are often dictated by the conditions you sail in. Weed fins for ...well... weed! Short, wide, Delta type fins for shallows etc. Smaller is faster off the wind, but sometimes less forgiving. Larger is faster beam reaching and upwind but can be a control handful downwind at high speed. Assy is definitely faster on good speed courses but don't get an Assy that is made specifically for a canal where they ferry you back upwind on a trailer! Better are the less extreme Assy fins designed to work on the upwind as well - (Time machine, KA and Tribal Assys all get you back upwind well).

Everything is a compromise. If you seek your ultimate speeds, less compromise helps speed but makes equipment choice and skills more vital.

And best speed is made but a really balanced combination of Board fin and sail for the rider in the prevailing conditions.

More board width is not faster in choppy conditions. More control is. For many, that may be a wider board they are more comfortable on, but ultimately, narrower boards of suitable design are faster.

Have a browse of the posts of fast sailors of your weight and similar general sailing conditions and see what they are using successfully.

Some great advise ..sail quick .I have checked the speed boards out .yes narrow ...

i guess I really am just after a good speed and goal to beat .unfortunately,we don't get many 30 -40 knot days .
but quite a few 20-28 knot days ,so I guess I will have to work with that .so sinking my board will be a issue .
I guess it's trial and error .but I think a smaller 94 litre and narrower board will improve my chances of a good speed.fins are not a problem I have plenty ..ultra 32 ,34 's and 36'

i have done 68 km / hour .a jet ski followed me .he then over took me ..man those new 1400 cc can go
but have a watch now ,gw60 so will get a true reading .

For sure it will help a lot.

Don't limit yourself to 94L though. There are some very good slalom/speed boards around in the 85-90L range that would probably suit you well in 25 knots.