Board size/type and fin selection

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have been windsurfing for about a 1 1/2 years now and im struggling to get my head around board size versus performance.  I weigh 200lb and started off with a JP excite 145lt and 6.2m sail. This got me out in 15-25mph winds.  I then recently bought and JP excite 100lt and 5.2m sail for higher winds.  I can waterstart on both boards most of the time but does a smaller board mean faster??  Should you be on as small a board as you can get away with?  I also do not understand how fin size will alter the speed of my board as I am a heavier sailer and moving down the fin size will give me less lift at the back??
Lastly as I sail mostly on a lake if I were to buy another board bearing in mind I currently own two freeride boards would I then go for a freerace or slalom board?...and if so what litre??
Thank you very much for your time in looking at this but I suspect that rig selection may be a bit complicated for me ;o)

ANSWER: Hey Adam,

Board size doesn't always relate directly to performance. It is more the board type that affects performance. Some examples would be, wave boards work best on waves but have lower top end speed due to rocker and board shape. Freeride boards are designed to plane early and perform in a variety of conditions but overall top speed is more than a wave board, less than a slalom or speed board, but very user friendly. Slalom and freerace boards are designed for speed. They are sometimes hard to jibe and don't work well for tricks or waves. But for pure speed and high wind performance, that is what they are designed for.

Going to a smaller board is mainly to be able to handle higher wind conditions and performance will depend on the type of sailing you want to do.

As for fins, yes, the fin gives you lift. Too large a fin will cause too much lift and you sacrifice control. Too small and you lose speed and performance. You can probably go with a size larger fin than recommended due to your size.

For me, my favorite board is an older 9'2" 105ltr slalom board. I have two smaller boards but prefer the slalom board. It is my fastest board and gets me through the largest variety of conditions. I only go to a smaller board when the winds are just to high for the slalom board.

If you are wanting more speed, then going with a slalom or freerace board is what you should consider. Freeride boards can be fast but slalom boards are usually faster. The other big difference is sailor ability. There are many ways to make a board go faster. It is a matter of learning the techniques for speed. Check out windsurfingmag.com under instruction (advanced) for some good tips on speed. Also check out mastersofspeed.com to read up on going fast. Watch the videos and concentrate on body positions to understand what can make you faster.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: First off all thanks very much for spending the time to reply....its for once nice to get info straight from the horses mouth!  Its been of great help.  If I could just clarify a couple of things and maybe sneak in another question....?  
I am a very novice rider (still lots of use out of my freeride boards i think!) and am getting used to harness and straps...what is a good characteristic of your board being too big for wind conditions or the fin giving you too much lift(bearin mind I currently dont sail in the sea).  I ask because I have suffered some rather impressive wipeouts whilst having just got onto the plane and my board wants to skip sideways and I end up draped over the mast still hooked in (my 145 board has 48" fin)!  Obviously it may well be my technique as I have recently realised I have been using too short harness lines and too low boom...bought new lines but have not had conditions to try out yet.
Just to follow from the slalom/race board point as I have 100ltr board using 5.2M sail and 145ltr board using 6.2m sail in higher winds should I just use my 5.2 on may larger board following the idea that slalom/raceboards always seem to be wider/bigger but generate faster speeds....as at the moment I very rarely interchange the sails as I am not sure of the benefits.
Many Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hey Adam,

Some of your wipeout can be attributed to technique and most is probably too big of a board/fin for the conditions. If you are getting the ol' judo throw over the board, then you are probably a bit overpowered. There are a couple of things that can reduce this problem. Your boom should be just about shoulder height. Before you put your fin on, attach your sail to the board and raise it. Step onto the board and see where the boom is with the mast upright. The boom should hit between your pecs and shoulders. Your boom will lower a bit when you rake the sail back so it needs to be at my recommended height or just a bit higher.

For your harness lines, the rule of thumb is 1.5 shakas from the mast (shaka; thumb and little finger out, middle fingers closed around boom) for the front line. About 1-1.5 shakas back from that for the back line. Adjust accordingly to the CE (center of effort) of the sail. The CE is the balance point where the sail will not fall forward or back when holding it with one hand. Now grip the boom with your back hand and bring your elbow down 90deg from the boom. Your harness line should just slip around your elbow. Make minor adjustments until your arms feel comfortable when you are allowing the harness to carry the weight. Too short, it will feel like it is pulling you into the sail. Too long, the weight of the sail will be pulling on your arms instead of your hips.

As for interchanging your sails. If there is enough wind to use your 5.2, then your smaller board should be your choice. You could possibly use the 6.2 on the smaller board if the winds are marginal for the 5.2. The large board and the 5.2 would probably be too much wind for the big board. You could put on a smaller fin but you may still encounter some board issues. Bottom line is stick with what is working for you in the rig department. I think you have a couple of pretty good set ups. It sounds like you need to work on your techniques to get more dialed in. Be sure to read all the instructional stuff at the site I mentioned. Also check out Peter Hart videos for a variety of great instruction.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover