Add more fin till it planes?

[isobars]

Two fairly good sailors debated the fin size issue in WSMag decades ago. One preferred the smallest fin that doesn't spin out too much, the other preferred the biggest fin that doesn't hamper maneuverability.

The former was named Angulo, the latter Naish.

99% of this sport is about personal preferences, not rules.

[joethewindsufa]

hey iso

"rules are meant to be broken and guidelines are meant to be followed"

in order to plane with a 240 liter 91 cm wide board am sure you have some guidelines ??

[isobars]

Not a clue, beyond "add a bigger sail and fin until you either plane or admit that today wasn't the day".

[westender]

That seems odd?

[isobars]

Even long before I could jibe, changing fins -- even just brands of the same general size and shape -- often made a clearly perceptible difference when pressing their performance envelope. "Quantify"? No. "Perceptible"? Absolutely, in many cases.

Just for example, for decades magazine performance reviews often commented about a particular wave board's limited pointing ability. Well, of COURSE; most of them came with tiny little fins and got used with tiny little sails. Power the dang things up and bolt on some traction, and the performance -- including ripping upwind and blasting downwind -- comes alive even without ideal wave conditions. Skill matters, but the right accessories can really speed up the progress towards those skills.

[joethewindsufa]

here is a lightweight on a Viper 85 and a large Ezzy Lion 9.5
planing away in light winds ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfUqjB6xR0A

sounds like bigger sails and fins are the answer ...

now that is for light wind, but with 180 pounds and a 7.5 sail, I would hope one could plane in 15 knots using that 48 cm fin

i am a big, overweight, lazy windsurfer lacking technique
yet can plane on a 92 cm wide board with a 10 meter sail and 66 cm fin in about 12 knots
if i can do it, anyone can do it ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrQ9ZnsapuM