sailbord size

Question
is there a calculation for own weight vs minimum litres to be able to uphaul in light winds?  I have 2 boards and can waterstart easily on the 88lt, but want to replace my larger board.  I need this new board to be stable enough to uphaul due to many low wind days in Sydney.  Any advice?  My weight is 80kg.

Answer
Hey Jim,

It will depend upon the average range of the light winds that you will be sailing in. If they are averaging 6-8 kts, you will need about 8-10 meters of sail to get going and possibly plane. For this range of sails, you will be looking at a board in the 130-145 ltr range. If the winds are 10-12 kts, then you would be looking at 7-9 meter sails which would put your board range in the 120-135 ltr range.

As for stability, that is somewhat relevant to the sailors' ability to balance with light winds. The questions to ask yourself are; Can I handle a board that will sink a bit while up-hauling? Do I want a board that will stay afloat during up-hauling? Am I wanting to plane in light winds or just putt around and practice on light wind maneuvers?

The newer style boards are shorter and wider which adds stability for up-hauling and light winds. Many light wind boards are designed to get on a plane easier and also perform well. My advice would be to test ride a few boards in the ranges mentioned above in light wind conditions to determine what might work best for you. Check out windsurfingmag.com for light air board tests under Gear. Also check out links to go to specific board manufacturers sites.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover