windsurfsail

Question
hello.i started windsurfing 2 years ago in greece using very old sails and board from my friends. now i'm back in greece and i would like to continue. one of my friends gave me one of his boards, an old mistral screamer. now i'm missing the sail. i am not an expert at all and i would like to ask some help from you, which sail to buy, and how long it should be. actually i'm interested to do more tricks then to have speed. i'm a girl, 1,72 m tall and 52 kg. can you please give me some advise what i need to watch in buying of my windsurfsail. thanks bruni

Answer
Hey Bruni,

Great to hear that you will be able to continue windsurfing. The Mistral Screamer has always been a great board. I'm still sailing mine that is 27 years old. It is one of my favorite boards. The Screamer should serve you well for learning waterstarts, jibes, and general short board sailing. You need to know that the Screamer is more of a slalom type board and will be a fast board when you decide you want speed. It should work fairly well for learning tricks but be aware that they may take a little more work and finesse to master them. With patience and determination, you should be able to learn most of the tricks that you want. If you get to a point where you decided you need a different board, look for a freeride board as they are the best boards for tricks.

As for sails, you will want to find a freeride sail. If you are looking for new, all sail makers are making freeride sail. If you are looking for used, freeride or anything without camber inducers will be best for you and tricks. Sails without cambers rotate easier, are lighter weight, and perform better for tricks.

Your size and sailing ability will determine the optimum size sails for you. I would suggest you look for something around 4.0 for higher winds and around 5.0 for medium to light winds. You may want a 5.5-5.7 for light winds but getting a sail that size for you may be a bit large for learning tricks. It will really depend on your ability and the conditions that are most common for your area.

You can find many online shops selling new sails at windsurfingmag.com under links. For used sails, try windance.com, ebay, iwindsurf.com classifieds, and local shops & classifieds. When buying used, look for tears, repairs, all battens in good shape, clear sections not cloudy or scratched badly, general wear and tear. Sails are like most things, with a decent inspection, you can determine the general quality. If you find a private seller and can physically see the sail, you may be able to negotiate price. If you buy from online source, ask for good pics and don't be afraid to ask questions.

I hope this will help. Please feel free to ask more questions as you continue to shop and your abilities grow. Best of luck with your new board and advancing your sailing.

Keep on sailing,
Windlover