Sport Today

I'm considering selling my ASD 9'3" epoxy Course Slalom (late '90
vintage) and getting a thick tail, 1994, 9'4" or so board.  I love
how well my 9'3" works, but its older design just doesn't get a big
guy like me upwind or plane up that fast in light air  my feet are
often under water until I get on a plane since the volume just supports
my weight).  I can handle a 6.9 Race sail ('94 Syncro) on it in wind in
the low to mid 20's and it handles a 6.2 Syncro up to 30 as well as a
5.1 wave sail.  A friend is going to let me demo his 9'4 Forsyte which
both he and John (Forsyte) say should work for me.  I'd get a great deal
on this board since it is fairly new (the owner in now a team rider and
thus will sell me the board).  Are there any other boards I should try?
I was told that this new board will be even better handling chop since
more of the volume is in the tail and it will turn quicker and jibe
easier, though I find my 9'3" easy to jibe.

I'd like the board to be light (under 16 lbs....I think this one is
15+lbs) and for it to stay manageable in the choppy, flood conditions
at Coyote Pt when the wind is in the 20's.  I've heard a Seatrend
9'6" as well as an ASD 9'4" would also be good so I'm especially
interested in comparisons.  I also want the Course Slalom shape

Thanks
Kirk out
8'8" ASD epoxy RKT, 8'11" & 9'3" ASD epoxy CS, Malibu & 8'8" ChallengeFlex
Forsale:  Interested in my 9'3"?  
Wt 213#, Ht.  6'0", Usually sail on SF Bay, Cailf.

Oh, yeah, I'd also like the board to be sandwich construction for
relative durability.  Also, I tried the Tiga 285 and it just isn't
fast enough nor does it have enough tail volume though it is a great
board for sailing in chop (since it is so soft).
thanks again
Kirk out

Please excuse my ignorance if the following seems dimwitted or the like
since I haven't been reading Windsurf and I don't know all the theories
behind the new boards.  (Great Lakes Windsurf Mag is 10X better than
Windsurf, even in greyscale <grin>)

How does  a board with more volume in the tail handle better in the
chop?  If I compare tails shapes like round vs. pintail with more volume,
the shape would be the dominating factor and the pintail would seem
to "cut" through the chop better.  If I build on that assumption (which
could be wrong), why does one board that has  a pintail and more volume
sail better in chop than a normal volume pintail (normal being less than
more <grin>)?  Wouldn't more volume create more bouyancy and more
opportunity for bouncing on the chop?  Any thoughts are appreciated.

-Kevin

Northern Illinos surf report:  5.0 - 6.0 days and the water feels warm
once my feet go numb!

[lines deleted...]
|> How does  a board with more volume in the tail handle better in the
|> chop?  If I compare tails shapes like round vs. pintail with more volume,
|> the shape would be the dominating factor and the pintail would seem
|> to "cut" through the chop better.  If I build on that assumption (which
|> could be wrong), why does one board that has  a pintail and more volume
|> sail better in chop than a normal volume pintail (normal being less than
|> more <grin>)?  Wouldn't more volume create more bouyancy and more
|> opportunity for bouncing on the chop?  Any thoughts are appreciated.
|>
|> -Kevin
|>
It's not the volume in the tail that makes the difference, but the absense of
volume in the nose does!

Arctic Surf Bums:-)
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Volume...

From what I've seen in board shapes, a low volume board with thinner
rails works better in chop.   Of course, how a board jibes is a
combination of planform, rocker, bottom shape, and rail shape.  
Different combinations may work better in different conditions, for
sailors of different weight.

Other boards...

Mike's Lab boards are an obvious choice if you want a race board.

My friend just started "BoggyBuilt Boards" up here in Marin.  Bob the
owner/shaper/etc builds some really nice, extremely light boards.  The
boards are tuned to make them easier to ride and jibe than a full-on
race board, but are still very fast.  Last year I took his 9'-2" out
for a short test ride and really liked it.  The board immediately felt
very comfortable from the time I first slid into the foot straps, due
to the domed shape of the deck.  (Kind of like putting on your tennis
shoes after taking off your ski boots.)   The board accelerated quickly
and just felt great.   My first few jibes on the board were a bit
awkward as I just wasn't use to the thick tail on this board.  The
board I was riding was designed as a light-medium wind board for a 200
pounder, so I had to compensate a bit to jibe it. (I'm #175.)

Bob is an excellent sailor and is one of the nicest people you'll
ever meet.  Send me an email if you want to know more about his boards.

- Kevin