Lightwind kit for experienced lightweight sailor

[acalhounguy]

My favorite board for light wind is my Starboard Ultrasonic - at your weight a wide slalom would be similar (you can slog fine, it is just inefficient and slow, but at least when planing there is some speed to be had). For lighter wind I would look for a no-cam slalom or 2-3 cam rather than a full race sail unless you are getting formula gear due to difficulty with rotation unless overpowered. Obviously, to be overpowered at lower wind speeds you need to err on the big size for sails. The advantage of freerace in chop will be minimal at those wind speeds because there shouldn't be that much chop

[U2U2U2]

The light wind experience is not my forte. Down from 15 I'm on a WindSUP, with a small sail, it's time on the water, it's sailing, with little chance of planing, so I just enjoy myself.

The original post, Is it the first chapter in a Novel?

It is possible to make things overly complicated , the board type should be fairly easy.

You may get as many different answers as you get posters

[NOVAAN]

Lite wind = lite weight gear = carbon = expensive = worth it if that is what makes you happy. Consider the Kona if you have fun slogging around in lite winds and slower top speed if you do get going. After 36 years windsurfing, I still enjoy slogging around in lite wind. If you have to blast, than its a freerace board and a large race sail. Not fun for me but I get plenty of good wind where I sail. A happy medium would be a fast freeride board. Tabou Rocket 125 or the Futrua . These boards work if you have lite wind skills that aid in early planning. The new wide boards are great for passive planning, turn good and glide thru lulls. The ride can be a bit dull for an advanced rider. The best no cam freeride sails are the Ezzy Cheetah and the Sail works Retro. If you think you must have cams, than the Ezzy Lion would be a good choice. Go on a windsurfing vacation and demo if you can.

[konajoe]

I hope the op is still here, and I hope that he eventually posts his decision, and how it worked out.

I talked to some local owners of big freeride and slalom boards the other day. They felt like they needed a STEADY 13, maybe 12. They also find it difficult to stay on the big stuff as the wind picks up a little more. When I mentioned that folks on this forum were saying they could do well in 10-15 up and down wind, they said 'those guys must be REALLY good' to be planing in 10-13 up and down wind.

Yesterday I was out on my Kona. The wind was blowing onshore. For some reason, there wasn't much wind near shore, but you could see more wind ¼ mile out. So, centerboard down, easily sail upwind, retract the centerboard, and blast. Someone sailing near shore wasn't having nearly as much fun.

[keycocker]

75 kilos is not a light sailor in the design world. Much gear is designed with 80
kilos as the target weight of the average user.