I've been wanting to try the 9.4OD with the fox 120 for ages now, I always thought it would be ok as the 9.4 really doesn't feel that different to the 8.6 (harness lines even end up in same place)
Well what a success, 14knots of wind, MUF 28cm delta 50 fin, fox 120 with OD 9.4 is awesome. Cruising around at 50kph and it all felt perfect.

Nice, big sail/small board combos are often overlooked, most at my local spot go the opposite way, small sail/big board. I get a lot of strange looks from other windsurfers when they realise I'm using a 7.7 or 8.4 on an 82ltr XL speed board. But I'm actually getting a real buzz being able to (kind off) speed sail in light winds, although I appreciate big sails isn't proper speed sailing as such. Speeds are still fairly decent, usually peaks between 35 to 37 knots, so feels nice.

A few years ago, a group of Swedish speed sailers used to regularly sail their 9.5 on their Carbon art SP60's, they regularly hit 36/37 knots in light winds.

Gybing and tacking is crap, and it's hard work if the wind dies off, but as long as your powered up, it's a blast

Upwind with a 9.4m on a 70cm wide board is going to be difficult if not a nightmare.

Gybing will be much harder and slower.

The 9.4m will sit the board down lower in the water. A 7.8m sounds about right for the Fox 120.

Advantage - off the wind you will be able to sail at deeper angles in light air and remain planing longer than others on the same gear with smaller sails.

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mark62 said..
at my local spot

I was at WK once when the wind didnt turn up and someone went out on a BIC Electric Rock and 9m Gaastra race sail. He got a big cheer when he got it planing. Funny how some things stick in your mind.

2008 9m Naish Redline and 2009 Fanantic Falcon 125l/73cm is the biggest large sail/small board I've used. It was ok for speed if there was enough wind.

I've used a 7.8m RSR on a JP54 speed, worked ok(ish)

I used 8.5m on a Tabou Rocket 145 - which is listed as a max sail size, and it's a hard work. The sail clew extends too far behind the board tail.

Wondering if the width of the sail is a problem.
I.E. would more narrow but longer sails of the same size perform better on smaller boards.

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Pcdefender said..
Upwind with a 9.4m on a 70cm wide board is going to be difficult if not a nightmare.

Gybing will be much harder and slower.

The 9.4m will sit the board down lower in the water. A 7.8m sounds about right for the Fox 120.

Advantage - off the wind you will be able to sail at deeper angles in light air and remain planing longer than others on the same gear with smaller sails.

I find if it's windy enough for the 7.8 the fox starts getting to big, 8.6 has always been my go to for that board until now,, I think the 9.4 is going to get a fair bit of use.

no problem going upwind even with the delta fin which is not the best upwind and as for sitting lower with the 9.4 if anything it sat higher. Only 10cm difference between the boom lengths of the 9.4 and 8.6, harness lines are in the same place I just moved the mast base forward a couple of cm's. I to thought it would push the nose down to much but it really didn't.

I swapped between the fox and my ultrasonic with a 54drake fin a couple of times and you couldnt tell the difference looking at the gps plots, same speed same angles. In lighter winds I could tell the ultrasonic would get going earlier but in the 14knots it was very even.

Some riders were using let's say 8.0 on 105 and made it work remarkably well. I had a hard time with 7.0 on a 105 but the board sailed well with a 4.2 !

So it's surely dependent on the board! Usually you'll want to be more powered and certainly not underpowered.

You do not see foilers use their 9 and especially 10 metre sails much anymore.

The reason is pretty simple - big sails FEEL crap. The overall performance might be better but most these days just want to have fun.

I remember trying a 8.4m Maui TRX on my Mantra 116 a few years ago and i sold it a few days after buying it.

Yes it planed better than my 7.0m TRX but the way it made my board sit so low in the water i had no top end especially in the chop.

Upwind was hard work

I tried my 5m last week on my Patrik 110 but that felt a bit wrong but my 5.6 with my 110 is probably my most used combo.

It sits so high out the water that sailing upwind is so easy.

Using a smaller sail on a bigger board the board can lose control in the gusts as you create too much board lift.

This is where technique and a sliding hook harness help. You need to get as much of your upper body weight in the harness forward to control not reduce the lift.

I would rather have my board getting overpowered than trying to fight too big a sail which tires me out in next to no time.

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PhilUK said..

mark62 said..
at my local spot

I was at WK once when the wind didnt turn up and someone went out on a BIC Electric Rock and 9m Gaastra race sail. He got a big cheer when he got it planing. Funny how some things stick in your mind.

2008 9m Naish Redline and 2009 Fanantic Falcon 125l/73cm is the biggest large sail/small board I've used. It was ok for speed if there was enough wind.

Its strange place WK, you can almost throw the rule book away here and try out any combination of kit, safely. I wouldn't want to try a 8.4 on an 82ltr board on the estuary tide. If the wind dropped, I'd probably end up in Northern Ireland on the out going tide. But that's the nice thing about WK, its safe and nothing in the water trying to take a chunk out of your leg :)

I noticed this year at WK (especially as its been pretty warm summer for the UK), light wind big windsurf boards/sail, wing-foils and wind-foils has become really popular again, loads planning or foiling in next to no winds, its a great feeling. But, I am looking forward to the UK strong winter winds and getting back on small kit.

Give us a shout if your up at WK again

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PhilUK said..

mark62 said..
at my local spot

I was at WK once when the wind didnt turn up and someone went out on a BIC Electric Rock and 9m Gaastra race sail. He got a big cheer when he got it planing. Funny how some things stick in your mind.

2008 9m Naish Redline and 2009 Fanantic Falcon 125l/73cm is the biggest large sail/small board I've used. It was ok for speed if there was enough wind.

I sometimes used a Sailworks Race 9.1 (maybe the T-X?) on my E-Rock but only if the tide were low enough that I could semi-beach-start. The mast track on the E-Rock was very far forward and it would hold a large fin, which made it work pretty well and if you kept your speed through the entry you could even jibe it.