54 kg Rider - Formula Board necessary for super lightwind planning?

[agrelon]

Hi all,

I weigh 54kgs and was wondering whether or not a formula board would be necessary for me to get planning in 6-7 knots up or whether I could get away with something slightly smaller (Futura 144/133).

Using a 11-12m rig would probably be extremely tiring at my weight... I use a 7.5m with no problem at all.

What would be the best kit for me to get planing in as little as 6 knots?

Thanks.

Agrelon, I'm 62 kg, and I've being chasing low end planning threshold for a long time now,
currently I use custom (lower volume/shorter/lighter ver of Mike's Lab L8) with 10 or 11 m2
race sail. Here's some info for you, to plane extra yearly you'll need at least 10m2 sail, super soft/wide 70+ cm fin, formula or 90+cm wide race board, short lenght is also good since it's more reactive to pumping, and a really good pumping technique.
7.5 sail m2 sail is too small, you might be able to get relativelly good planning results
with Isonic 133 and 9.0 m2, but Futura will not do it, you need clean sharp release/low weight that only race boards have. Formula will also provide much better angles, on
I133 it still will be BAF.

[agrelon]

Yeah, iSonic 131 seems to be super wide for it's volume. Even the 121 looks massive in photos. What about formula experience? I'm guessing it doesn't plane as easily as the normal formula due to construction in Tufskin...

Apparently it's cheaper though... I can't find a price online for it.

I will try to test out some equipment, right now the wind is perfect at my spot for formula, too light though for my 106l.

Originally Posted by agrelon

Yeah, iSonic 131 seems to be super wide for it's volume. Even the 121 looks massive in photos. What about formula experience? I'm guessing it doesn't plane as easily as the normal formula due to construction in Tufskin...

Apparently it's cheaper though... I can't find a price online for it.

I will try to test out some equipment, right now the wind is perfect at my spot for formula, too light though for my 106l.

FE is too heavy, light does make a difference when it comes to early planning,
plus not as responsive to pumping..

[agrelon]

What sails do you use to optimise light wind planning?

Originally Posted by agrelon

What sails do you use to optimise light wind planning?

Unlike 2 previous post, I only use full race sails with adjustable outhaul with my formula board, currently have 2 sails 9.0 and 11 m2 09 North Warp, what I don't like about Free race/no cam sails, is range, specially in upper limit, if wind comes up all it sudden, I don't want to be out control, also, upwind/down wind angle, stability in gusty winds and average speed.

[Roger]

Hi Agrelon,
IMHO, the best sails for earliest planing are the Free Race designs.
Sailworks Retro, Gaastra GTX, NP V8, Severne Overdrive, NCX, and Glide.
Why?
These sails have the deepest draft (when rigged for light wind planing) so they give the best low wind power.
They have a huge tuning range where they work pretty well.
They are not the lean mean race sails that can be sailed grossly overpowered and are designed for top speeds, and stability in overpowered racing conditions.
These are formula race sails and normally have a somewhat limited range of tuning where they work the best.
They are also not flatter free race sails with even more limited tuning range, alot less draft.
The free race type sails (both cambered and camless) can be rigged with very deep draft, fairly tight leeches, so they have very good low wind power and can be pumped easily and effectively.
They can be leaned out, for better higher wind performance with more downhaul (to induce more twist and scallop in the upper panels) and more outhaul to flatten the lower panels in the sail. They cannot be leaned out enough to reach the same stability levels and top end speed as pure multi cam race sails, but the Sailworks Retro
has had some success in pretty high level races.

The width and lightness of a board for a 54 Kg. sailor can make all the difference.
If possible find a board that's at least 90 cm wide (older formula board, F-Type, or the one I think is the overall earliest planer on the planet for someone your size would be the '04 Free Formula 138.
Check this link:
http://2004.star-board.com/products/freeformula.asp
I had one of these, and I regret having given it to someone else on the team who has become the early planing queen at her sailing site.
It's very early planing, very fast once planing and goes through lulls like they aren't there.
96 cm wide makes it alot easier to sail, for a lighter weight sailor, than the larger/wider Formula, and F Type.
Also, you might want to look at some of the earlier Pro-Kids formula boards, the F-136
etc as they are designed for early planing for lightweight sailors.
Hope this helps,

For early planing I would personally recommend the neil pryde " helium" rather than the v-8.
Ive compared both , "compared " being in sailed/raced the helium and my friend sailed the V-8 in heavy airs , we sailed both in light airs. And compared notes.
While the v-8 has alot more range in the top end, and it remains a comfortable sail in big gusts where one needs good draft stability .
However for light airs its a heavily built sail and as such feels heavy in light airs on the boom.
The helium is a lighter sail,feels lighter on the boom. Its performs good in medium air but loses it in big winds. You can really slack off the outhaul and make a huge draft. This works great off the wind, and this draft extends higher up the sail into the leech, then with the v-8 which has a floppier leech.


It is also more pumpable then the v-8.

again this is IMHO.

Jeff E of Canada

P.S. just got a maui sails MS-2 9.5 we shall see how this sail compares when the ice clears.

[agrelon]

Yeah, my recently bought North F8 Ram 5.8m is fantastic for windrange. I can use it with quite light wind, more power due to the cambers and in huge wind too, again thanks to the cambers and shorter mast/longer boom. Used it in force 6 the other day an, having put my footstraps inboard and stuck a tiny fin on my board, was holding it no problem.

I guess a 8.5m Helium with say a iSonic Woodcarbon 133 would do quite a good lightwind job.

[Jean-Marc]

Agrelon,

Your best bet would be to ask Morane (56 kg) directly to learn whether or not she's able to start and sustain the planing as low as 6 knots of wind. BTW, she was using last year a Severne Code Red 9.8 m2 sail with a Formula 162 and a Deboichet R13 soft +8 rake 70 cm fin.

http://www.star-board.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7539

Cheers !

JM