Hi everyone,

I'm new to windsurfing and this forum.

I recently learned to windsurf so i just got myself my first board this week: Jp fun Ride 160 and sail: Neil Pryde Tempo 5.7.

Can anyone help me understand the logic behind sail/board/fin combinations, i have been looking everywhere for an answer?

According to the board recomendation, the sail should have been 7.0 and larger, which means that my 5.7 is way out of this bracket.
I thought that the board is the right size and width for a beginner like me looking for something to progress on but i think a sail larger than 7.0 would be way outside of my abilities. Also coming from Malta we have lots of wind and a sail larger than 7.0 would be too much for the conditions we have.

My question is: Why do boards have sail recomendations? especially large freeride boards like my Jp and others in it's class. It seems like a contradiction to me, a board appropriate for a beginner with a sail so large.

What determines the sail size, is it the board itself or the 52cm fin it comes with? Incidentally the 52 fin also has a recomendation for a sail 7.0 and up..

Im asking these questions because i took it out for a sail for the first time this week and when up on a plane the board begins swerving from side to side and in no time im in the drink. I'm wondering whether the fin is too big or my sail too small. Would putting a smaller fin fix the swerving or would it just be a stopgap, compromising the performance of the board?

Am i looking in the right area or is there anything else i could do to tune my kit?

Would appreciate some help

Hi Rahal,
Most boards are supplied with a fin suitable for the average size of sail the board is designed for ie Formula boards will have 70+ cm fins as they mostly use 9 to 12 metre sails whilst small wave boards designed for a maximum sail size of about 5.5 metres will only have 25 to 35 cm fins
There is nothing wrong with using a 52 cm fin with a 5.7 m sail on your 160L but it probable only needs a fin size of 40 cm.
The only problems occur when the fin is too small for the sail when the board spins out as the fin stalls
Also don't forget that sails sizes are determined by your weight the heavier you are the bigger the sail you need to get planning
Regarding the problem of the board acting like a drunken cyclist the most usual cause is not committing your weight fully in to the harness
I seem to recall that there is calculator somewhere on the poole harbour website that helps to determine fin and sail sizes according to board size and wind speed
May be some body can post you the link to it
Regards,
Steve

Cheers, thanks Steve,

I came across that calculator not long ago, i'll find it and try it out.
Got myself a 38 fin which im looking forward t trying out, also i think i need to be more patient and improve my technique..

Hi
Rough rule of thumb for FSW & freeride boards
Take your sail size and multiply by 5 then add 3 = cm size
i.e. 6m sail = 6 x 5 + 3 = 33cm fin

You can then go a couple of cm either side depending on your weight and board size