Sail smaller than (rss) recomended sail size slalom board

Skyhunter · Joined: 22 Oct 2014 Posts: 2

Hi,

I have a question? Does anyone have experience in using smaller sail size than size rcommended on board?

Particulary, i have slalom baord 116 l with recomended sail size 7,1 - 8,6.

I have good opportunity to get nice, well mantained 6,2 race sail. Will it work from your experience? Im heavy weight, 105-110 kg, surfing mostly on flat watter conditions..

cgoudie1

A 116 ltr Slalom board should carry a 6.2 no problem. You may
however have to fin down if it's a wide slalom board, to get it
under control past 20MPH winds.

-Craig

adywind · Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Posts: 665

It will work of course-even a 3.0 will work-but it won't feel right. From my own experience with slalom boards you can use bigger sails then recommended successfuly but smaller ones feel wrong . In case u get the sail try using a smaller fin aswell.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

The primary criterion for the upper/higher wind "limit" of a board's sail range is chop: too much and the board rides too roughly. As long as your board's ride is suitable when that 6.2 is powered up at your venue, enjoy. It may not be optimally balanced with a board designed primarily for bigger sails, but the differences are subtle and certainly not worth buying a whole 'nuther board for recreational sailing. I've seen experts using tiny sails on MUCH bigger boards in 5 mph breezes just to practice their sail handling, and I've had a ball using tiny sails on 240 liter boards in 40 mph winds on mirror-flat water simply because we had never heard of small boards 35 years ago.

Mike \m/

Skyhunter · Joined: 22 Oct 2014 Posts: 2

I was thinking of combo for high wind for my weight at local place..
Manta 71cm, 6,3 race sail, and thinking between 34 or even 36 fin.

For 7,3 i use 38 cm fin, same board of course..

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

At 150 lbs., I have used my 5.0 Naish Nalu on my 109 SuperSport 3 times so far, and all have been very successful and rewarding.
Flat water, 18-30mph winds, mostly fast sailors on the water, 5.8 being the minimum sized recommended sail for that board, with a 43cm wide tail and 65cm wide. Fin was stock 38. It sails little different with a 32.
That board is rated to 8.8 meters, and carries an 8.0 perfectly.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935