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JP Superlightwind
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dfthrash



Joined: 21 May 1998
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:58 pm    Post subject: JP Superlightwind Reply with quote

I live in the Lake Tahoe area and am considering buying a JP Superlightwind 165l in an attempt to get planing in the 10-15 knot summer breezes we typically get. I am around 195 pounds (sail "heavy") and the wind we get at elevation 6200' isn't as powerful as at sea level. Does anyone have any experience with these boards? What about the Kona One? I'm not sure about the short/wide vs. longer/narrow dynamic. Thanks...
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scottwerden



Joined: 11 Jul 1999
Posts: 302

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally I would just take up kiting.
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dllee



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

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, kiting a good idea in Tahoe waters of 47 degrees 3' below the surface, and all that steady daily winds make for no chance of Hindenburgs. Not like there are down and updrafts there.
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sube109



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dfthrash:

They rent the superlight at Vela - Aruba and I've sailed it for a 2 hr session. It's a great light wind board and I could get it planning (the 154 liter) around 12 mph (I weigh 165 lbs). the fun thing about this board is planning with barely any whitecaps. I was using it with a 8.5 m2 NP H2 2 cam sail and when you hit the lulls, it felt like the board would glide forever like a card sliding across a table. There are lots of youtube videos of the board in action and the board was tested in Windsurfing Magazines June 2011 edition. Hope that helps.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have essentially the same board a SB free formula from 2002, it's 90cm wide. You need really long fins, it's an all or nothing board, planing around 13 knots and not slogging well at all. I don't think you will plane at 10 knots and at much more than 15 knots it may be unmanageable due to it's extreme width relating to the condition of the water in higher wind. It needs flat water and steady wind within a certain parameter, if you have that great otherwise IMO a longboard like a Kona is a better option as you can still have fun off the plane and it will better handle rougher water due to it's narrowness. The Kona will of course plane later, BUT the Kona will glide which is almost like planing and you can rail it upwind.
On the wide board you need to be in the foot straps hooked in and planing or you will be hating it, holding up the rig not hooked in. The Kona is more versatile in lighter winds you can be out of the foot straps standing further forward railing upwind and still stay hooked in. It's about the gusts and the lulls, can you continue planing in the lulls? if not I don't think a wide planing board is the best option.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chasing the lower planing threshold proves very frustrating and expensive for most people.
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DAVIBO



Joined: 04 Jun 1996
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 3:21 pm    Post subject: super light wind sailing Reply with quote

For what it's worth I sail year round between the Richmond Bridge and Calf. City / Paradise Cay and launch everyday from Larkspur. I have had amazing success in light wind with a MikesLab L8+ and most recently with a Starboard Atlas Extra. The ML board is a formula board (meter wide w/ very wide tail) and have 3 different versions as the wind that I sail here is between 12.0 and 5.0 Warps and the L8+ is very comfortable (user friendly) when rigging a 8.0 to 12.0 (which allows me to plane in 10kts. - which isa very slow plane but efforless)... most recently have been sailing a 12.0 Warp on a Starboard Atlas Extra (36"wide x 12'long w/ 5 fins) and this board is more fun in the light wind range where I use 9.0, 11.0 or 12.0 and is super stable, glides really well and even planes if I get enough wind but has NO footstraps....the ML board is a bit like sailing a hubcap until it gets up on a plane then is soooo incredibly fast in light wind with a big fin....which is normally anything from super soft F4: 56cm to 86cm (I have quite a few) and the big fins are cut down so that they don't exceed 70cm just because there is debris in the bay and when the gusts come they are more manageable..hope this helps. My main rule is that wider is better when trying to manage a really big sail in light wind and you need a board that you can point upwind and sail by fanning the sail when the wind stops..otherwise your swimming with a lot of sea anchor.
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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3547

PostPosted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When you say Lake Tahoe area, are you going to sail at other places? Boca, Stampede, Donner, Gold or Washoe? If only Lake Tahoe then 10-15 knt wind makes sense but if you sail at the other spots it is far windier. I spend two to three weeks in the Tahoe-Donner region every summer so I’m a little familiar with the wind there.

Short & wide? Easier to get on a plane, easier to stay on a plane, potentially easier to jibe & potentially harder to tack.

Long & narrow? Better up wind, better glide/faster when not planing, easier to tack.

Kona or JP Super light depends on how much time you spend schlogging & what you want to do when you can’t plane. Are you exploring or just doing short BAF runs? How large of a rig do you have or are you planning to get? How good are you at getting & staying on a plane? Do you do light wind freestyle? Not enough info to give you a definitive answer.

Coachg
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dfthrash



Joined: 21 May 1998
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to answer my question and share your thoughts and experience. At 62 I don't think I want to get into kiting although the people kiting off Lake Forest and Kings Beach really seem to get in a lot of good days. Coachg - I mainly sail Boca or Donner; have never tried Stampede, and occasionally get up to Gold Lake. I'm way more into back and forth planning, don't bother sailing in non-planning conditions, and SUP to explore. I have smaller equipment for the fairly rare windy days but I'm a big guy and I seem to have a lot of days just below the planning threshold (beaglebuddy said it well). Maybe I'll have to try and get to Aruba and demo one of these.
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w8n4wind



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 278
Location: canada

PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

beaglebuddy wrote:
Chasing the lower planing threshold proves very frustrating and expensive for most people.


it doesnt have to be expensive. i bought an 07 ahd formula board for 500 bucks, a decnt fin for $130 and a np v8 9m for $150 ..i thought fairly cheap way to try chasing the lower threshold. but now that ive tried it, and know that for me its worthwhile, im now looking at spending a bit of cash for a newer mast/sail combo.
i got so many days in this year by showing up for a formula forecast..only to have the wind pick up, and end up sailing much smaller gear, typically 6.3/114l. those days i wouldve missed completely, because i wouldnt have even bothered showing up without the formula board.
and..also found out sailing in 10-12 knots..and being able to go 20, is kinda cool..and a great workout.

_________________
i like longboards.
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