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We need advice to buy a windsurfer for our situation.
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iandmflahive



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:16 pm    Post subject: We need advice to buy a windsurfer for our situation. Reply with quote

My wife and I sailed boats in Boston, then moved to Western Massachusetts. In 1978, we bought a Windsurfer for local lakes, and occasional trips to the coast. Sailing on 100-500 acre lakes, mostly lined by trees and surrounded by hills, usually means light winds and frequent tacking,sometimes for multiple wind currents.
We're now in our mid-60s, and looking for a lighter hull with a daggerboard, to track upwind well. It must be large enough to float my 175 lbs. and the rig. We have a Bic Calypso rig, which we might replace with something easier to rig and/or lift from the water.
We have good skills for these places, but haven't sailed many windsurfers, and no modern ones. We would like to try out some used or new ones, before buying one. Please advise us.
Sincerely, Irene & Mark
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any 90+ cm wide, 200+ liter board would work, but most don't have centerboards, and those that do, use small centerboards. Good enough for the job at hand, if you are expert sailors who don't try to sail directly upwind.
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joethewindsufa



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1190
Location: Montréal

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

this may be of interest to you

http://classified.iwindsurf.com/classifieds.pl?db=boards&website=&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=long&db_id=20208&query=retrieval
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leosantanalg@gmail.com



Joined: 11 Aug 2011
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bic Core 295OD its a great board!. I started in the same situation and learned with the bic board dagaboard down. you can have a lot of fun in a variety of conditions.!! satisfaction guaranteed
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leosantanalg@gmail.com



Joined: 11 Aug 2011
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

joethewindsufa wrote:
this may be of interest to you

http://classified.iwindsurf.com/classifieds.pl?db=boards&website=&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=long&db_id=20208&query=retrieval


the board above is alright but very little room in the nose for a beginner!. when Jibes are not within capability, beginners must learn to tack and short nose makes it hard
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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

zirtaeb wrote:
Any 90+ cm wide, 200+ liter board would work, but most don't have centerboards, and those that do, use small centerboards. Good enough for the job at hand, if you are expert sailors who don't try to sail directly upwind.

If Irene & Mark were complete beginners, that would be a good recommendations. But the original Windsurfer was 66 cm wide, and so were most other boards that area. Switching to a 90+ cm wide board would take away all the fun from light wind sailing. So would getting a board without a dagger board.

For light wind cruising, some of the old longboards from the 1990s are very hard to beat. The best ones, like the Fanatic Ultra Cat, are very hard to find, too. There are not too many new boards that can compare. The Kona One would be one option; sailable SUPs would be another one. Many sailable SUPs do not have a daggerboard, though. Some, like the Exocet WindSUP 11.8, do, but they tend to also be quite heavy (around 35 lb). Another option would be the BIC 11'6" Ace-Tec SUP Wind. The construction of the Bic is very sturdy, the weight similar to the Exocet, the price a lot lower. I own a smaller version (10'6") without a dagger board, and love it for light wind sailing. There are some lighter sailable SUPs out there, but with lighter weight comes more fragility.
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DelCarpenter



Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 499
Location: Cedar Falls, IA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New boards lighter than a Windsurfer, for sailing small lakes: Kona One (350 cm long, 220 Lars) or RRD LongRider (340cm long, 180 Lars), both 70 cm wide & with retractable center boards. I think the Kona's extra length makes it the better choice. (I love racing in the Kona One Design class so I'm somewhat biased.)

Used, older boards for the same conditions: most boards are lighter than an original Windsurfer, good examples include Mistral One Design, or Equipe, F2 Lightning, Fanatic Megacat or UltraCat, Bic Bamba and others.

For the holey, up & down winds of the small lakes I sail on I prefer my longest boards up to about 15 mph then switch to my ancient, 325 cm F2 Comet which is very similar in shape to the much newer, 320 cm F2 Phoenix.
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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have some money to spend, the Starboard Phantom 320 seems like a winner for being light and compact (for a longboard) but still going upwind well.

I have the Exocet WindSUP 11'8" which is also great, but fairly heavy. Kona ONE is similar; great but not light. (Both boards are still lighter than the original Windsurfer, though.)

The advantage of the Kona, Exocet and Phantom, is that they can both glide well and plane well. Boards like the Bic 295 and other wide-bodied longboards will plane well but trade some glide for stablity.

If planing is not a goal for this phase in your windsurfing careers then there are a variety of other sailable SUPs that may work just as well, some of which may be lighter and/or cheaper than the Kona/Exocet. Bic 10'6?

The yellow Phoenix longboard in the craigslist ad could be good. It has similar dimensions to the Starboard Phantom 320. But I've ridden one a few times and for some reason it didn't quite "click" for me. Was neither particularly stable nor particularly good at gliding and going upwind.

A lightweight sail, mast, and boom could be your biggest breakthrough for easy windsurfing in your retirement.

_________________
James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html
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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Starboard Phantom 320 is a nice board, but it is also surprisingly heavy - about the same as a Kona One, and heavier than a Fanatic Ultra Cat. It's nice in high wind, since it planes like a shortboard. In light wind, the shorter length makes for a somewhat less fun ride, even though the huge daggerboard allows very good upwind angles. Anyway, Starboard stopped making it. The Phantom 377 is still available and appears to be a great board, but costs $3500. If I had the money, I'd get one. For someone who wants a new longboard for less money, there's also the Kona Step One - the same shape as the Kona One, but cheaper at $1400.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mistral Superlight comes to mind, and may be easier to find than an Ultra Cat.

BTW, my original Windsurfer barely floated my 180 pounds. Its deck was awash if I was barely moving.

Mike \m/
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