Sport Today

Thanks for your help in advance.

        I have a Bic Astro Rock (120 l) that I sail with a 7.0m cambered sail
I am wondering if my fin, a stock "race 33" that is 13 inches long and has
an
area of 42 square inches might be too small.
         Also would shorter harness lines help to keep more pressure on the mast
foot
I have a seat harness and when I am hooked in the boom is at an arms length
away.
        I bought this gear last fall ( my first "modern" equipment i.e.:
shortboard, full battened sail)
I've been hooked in and sailing quite fast, but  I seem to be stalling out
when I get back near the foot straps which is a problem because eventually
I get launched.

Please respond privately as well. thank you    
--
Spencer

Hi Spencer,

I did post something similar something ago and the responses were pretty
good. I would take on the advice of what someone said about looking up
www.dejanews.com and searching in rec.windsurfing for past articles about
fins. There are really lots of them!

But just to test my understanding after all the good advice that I
received so far:

1) New fins, especially blade fins, don't take _sudden_ lateral pressure
too kindly, which means that being caught fully sheeted in in a gust can
sometimes mean instant spinout.

2) Fins are like sails in that they are supposed to behave like wings
rather than like walls, which means that water must flow, and must flow
fast in order to provide the force needed. Otherwise, the fin will give
way at slow because it is not much of a "wall".

3) Therefore, if you are spinning out while getting back into the straps,
it may mean that you are putting too much lateral pressure on the fin
before it has a chance to speed up gather enough force to counteract your
lateral pressure.

4) A bigger fin can get you planing earlier and perhaps take more "abuse"
at lower speeds in terms of lateral pressure (because it is more of a wall
than a small fin), but if you can get it up to speed, it's better to go
small.

I think you are basically not suppoosed to really lean out fully on your
fin until you are at good speed.

I had the same problem some time ago, with a 5.0 and a 10.75" fin, and
carried out the advice and really do see my problems mostly disappear. I
used to spin out when getting into my back footstrap, but no longer.

As for your question about harness lines - well I don't know enough to
comment about that... but modern techniques seem to emphasize short
harness lines.

Nik

Hope that helps a bit,
                          Volker

Hope it helps

Brian Weekes
Chalkwell windsurfing Club