Just got a GPS and have had it out about half a dozen times. Love it.

However, pretty quickly I seem to be consistently hitting an apparent glass ceiling in terms of top speed . I'll keep the board and sail confidential to avoid bias, but on the afore-mentioned modern, short, wide slalom board, on both 44cm and 32 cm fins, and with a 7.4 no cam freeride, 6.6 tri-cam race and 5.8 no cam wavesail, I keep consistently maxing out at high 28s to low 29s.

Am I simply running out of ability, or sufficiently sized kahunas, or am I hitting the hydrodynamic limits of a reasonably wide board?

I find it remarkable that across two quite significantly different fin sizes, and three quite considerably different sales sizes and types, the maximum speed tops out so consistently.

Should I be content or ashamed with my efforts?

Eckers.

PS - how do I join an NSW GPS Team Challenge Team? Do I ask, presume or seek nomination?

Sounds like a hypervomit... Should be able to crack 30. My 75 wide sonic will do 30s. Prolly go quicker with a better rider

I can consistantly crack 30+knts on my F2 SX XL (80cm wide X 235 long and 135L)
I have done this with 7.2 and 7.8 and 8.4m sails

My PB for this kit is a 2sec of 34.876knts.with a 8.4m RSR and a 48cm weedy(ex drake 70cm fin) It's even done a 31knt NM.

Perhaps you need to sail deeper(broad) and find some smoothish water

Bender has gotten some amazing speeds out of his big wide board (Pong), not sure how wide it is but I think it's close to your board in size.

I think the biggest factor is flat water, this makes a huge difference. This means tucking up next to a sandbank, or putting on a weedy and finding an estuary with lots of natural chop-stopping ability...


Regarding which team to join, the easiest way is to post on here with the subject saying something about wanting to join a team. Chances are you'll get snapped up very quickly

[Edit: Man you just beat me to it by mere seconds Bender!]

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nebbian said...

Bender has gotten some amazing speeds out of his big wide board (Pong), not sure how wide it is but I think it's close to your board in size.

I think the biggest factor is flat water, this makes a huge difference. This means tucking up next to a sandbank, or putting on a weedy and finding an estuary with lots of natural chop-stopping ability...


Regarding which team to join, the easiest way is to post on here with the subject saying something about wanting to join a team. Chances are you'll get snapped up very quickly

[Edit: Man you just beat me to it by mere seconds Bender!]

Hi eckas,

those are pretty good speeds. I found that before getting a GPS I had an idea of how fast I was sailing. After getting a GPS I had an actual figure of how fast I was sailing. Unfortunately the idealised was lower than the actual. So the challenge is to improve.

I mainly sail on a 74cm board and haven't got it over 26 knots so can't give you much advice there.

If you want to join up you need to fill out the form here:


www.seabreeze.com.au/info/gpsrego.pdf

If there are some others in the Gong interested you might be able to start a team there. Otherwise you could join one of the NSW teams the Double Demerits or the Cockroaches.

Mark,

all of the above correct. I've got 75cm wide board & so far!! maxed at 25.4knts.
As Nebs said look for smooth water - the bigger the board, the harder it is in chop & rough water. Near the runway in N/E is one of our few smoothish water stretches.

Also bear away - 120 to 130 deg. Sometimes you think you have but a check of tracks will show only 100+.
Fins, stance & rig settings. Search here and you'll find lots of discussion & tips.

Lots of GPS Team guys at Botany - Kyeemagh, Ramsgate, Sandringham or Kurnell depending on wind direction. Ask around or put message on NSW forum. Lots of advice, chat & general bullsh^t on the beach while you rig
(And I like to finish a session with a Coopers Green)

Join the mob - Cockroaches or Double Demerits - it's all good fun, you won't be disappointed & it improves your sailing

Thanks eckas for the post, I have the same problem, 74cm wide AHD and I can't go over 25 knts (well on only 3 sessions). I tried with my 7 or my 5.5.
But my question is also on weight.
I am very light (may be 65 Kg all wet) and I seem to be taking-off with too much surface under the big board, and when I get my small Mistral (wave) I am way too bumpy and I can't stay confortable to accelerate properly.
I saw few sailers on the GPS site that seem to be light (like Isaak in Tassie) and they get good speed...
Any advices ?

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LeStef said...

Thanks eckas for the post, I have the same problem, 74cm wide AHD and I can't go over 25 knts (well on only 3 sessions). I tried with my 7 or my 5.5.
But my question is also on weight.
I am very light (may be 65 Kg all wet) and I seem to be taking-off with too much surface under the big board, and when I get my small Mistral (wave) I am way too bumpy and I can't stay confortable to accelerate properly.
I saw few sailers on the GPS site that seem to be light (like Isaak in Tassie) and they get good speed...
Any advices ?

IMHO a 5.5m sail on a 74cm wide board would not work. As the sail is too small there wouldn't be enough power to pin the board down. Thus may be the reason why its gets all bumpy with the small sail.

eckas, if nobody will have you, Join Pinnas, or FNQ mob.

You only need two guys to get a team running, if your stuck let Nebbian know or Hardie on seabreeze, they will slot you in ASAP.
Over here, I usually keep an eye out for any stay sole

Reckon you will be in a team by end of week.

Your speed will improve as you work out how far off the breeze you can run, hang in there.
Mineral.

Thanks all - lots of good points.

Pugwash - you got it in one!! How on earth did you guess that it was a hypersonic?

I'm keen to get my old slalom board out (a similarly wide Fanatic Stingray) and see how it compares to the hypersonic - flat bottom vs concaves.

Looks like I'll also have to check the angle I'm sailing. Not sure how I get a true wind direction though. Anecdotally though, my speed runs downwind are virtually parrallel to my highest, planing upwind, pointing ability, which, if it was, say 60 degrees to the wind, would put the downwind legs at 120 degrees. Are these numbers anywhere the the mark?

We have a little speed strip tucked away in Lake Illawarra, in the channel near the King Street Warrawong shops.

I still can't understand why a 5.8 no-cam wave sail designed for grunt and not speed (2003ish aerotech charge) is keeping pace with a 6.6 3-cam race sail (2003 ish Gaastra nitro 4).

Still no offers to join a NSW GPS Team Challenge team. I'll fill out the rego form and see what happens.

Mark

Eckas, I think if you made a new topic called "GPS Team wanted in NSW" you'd have more responses.

if your on a hypersonic get rid of the 44cm fin, i found it useless, the biggest fin i use on mine (rarely) is a 38 on a 9.3, on 8.0 i use a 34 & 32 on anything under. For me the bigger fin didnt help much with early planing but really limited the boards speed.
To get speed out of it you have to go broader than most slalom boards, flat water helps but depending on how much you like being bounced around they will go quick in chop. I've done a couple of 34 knot runs out of mine with a 6.0

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eckas said...

Still no offers to join a NSW GPS Team Challenge team. I'll fill out the rego form and see what happens.
Mark

Mark,

Would you like to join the Cockroaches , we'll even fill out the form for you (ignore Mineral - he's from WA )

It's all good fun....& lots of sailing

Thanks for the invite Wineman - the Cockroaches it is!!

I'll put the form in tonight!!

Cheers...

Mark

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eckas said...

Pugwash - you got it in one!! How on earth did you guess that it was a hypersonic?

Easy... Width plus the 2 fin sizes... I had one a few years ago. Was kind of funny to ride (like a washing machine), but it would plane early and was really good across the wind and upwind. Hypersonic + downwind + chop =

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eckas said...

Thanks for the invite Wineman - the Cockroaches it is!!

I'll put the form in tonight!!

Cheers...
Mark

Welcome to the team Mark

The best thing about your first post is you get 5 PB's

Welcome Eckas!!!