shortboard vs longboards

Question
QUESTION:

Dear Sir,

I have started  windsurfing in the 80's on an old technology longboard, with a removable dagger-board, very heavy and  unresponsive.( Just hauling it to the beach was somewhat of a herculean task !)
I progressed well enough to  keep my balance on it and to do some basic  light wind ( very light!)tacks and turns . But this is about all.
In the end ,I got discouraged, also because summers are very short here in Quebec and  I couldn't pack in enough time to practice. So, last yearI sold the board for a few dollars , but I am looking now into the possibility of buying a new state-of-the art short-board , since I am hearing (and  reading )wonders about their user-friendlyness and their performance, especially their planing capability.

I have  set my eyes on a Bic Techno 160, but when I tried it out with an older 5.9 sail which I still have and which used to get me going on my  superheavy  old Bertha, I got very surprised, because the super-light Bic simply wouldn't budge. It could not go up-wind and  it would slowly drift down-wind .
When I spoke to my salesman ( as a prospective buyer) ,  he said, that, of course, with a 10-12  knts wind I can't move the Bic with  only a 5.9, or even a 6.4 , sail, because The Bic  is designed to take a minimum 7.0 mt sail ! ( Which I was not planning to buy !)

May be he is right and all this technology, with its complicated water-dynamics engineering, is beyond my grasp, but I certainly fail to understand why a 10-12 knts wind would be sufficient  to power a  35 lbs board on a 5.9 sail, while  the super-light 9 Kgs state-of-the art Bic,  would need a much larger 7.0 sail under the same wind conditions !

My purpose in doing wind-surfing is not speed or tackling  hurricane-speed  winds  or doing fancy summersaults in big waves ! All I want is leisurely moving around mostly in light winds , possibly, but not necessarily and not always , planing, but I fear the Bic Tecno 160 is designed to move only  with relatively strong winds ( which is beyond my beginner's stage)  or with very large sails, which represent an additional investment. Yet I love the board !

I'd like to know what you think : should I buy the Bic ( and possibly a huge sail )to do what I explained above? Or should I look into a higher volume  beginners board, with a removable daggerboard?  The salesman says that I may regret it, because I would grow out of it quickly, while the Bic may take some short time and effort to get adjusted to, but it would carry me much farther. He says it is a fantastic board, they sell a lot of them, to beginners and advanced alike!)
It may sound weird, but I was even thinking of buying some oldish 2nd hand long-boards . I have seen people going as fast as the newer short-boards, even planing, with them!

I would appreciate your comments


Thank you


Franco V.

Montreal, Canada



ANSWER: Hey Franco,

You definitely should go with a newer technology board. In the long run it will serve you better for all conditions. The Techno 160 does want a larger sail than you are using. This is common for the newer wider/shorter shapes. These boards are much more stable for uphauling and light wind sailing but do tend to require larger sails especially for upwind sailing. The Techno 160 is a great board than can be uphauled and will work in light winds with a larger sail. Upwind is a bit tougher due to no daggerboard but can be accomplished with time and learning the upwind techniques of short boards.

You could go with  the Core 293 D which also wants larger sails but with the daggerboard and higher volume you could sail very light winds and higher winds and still have good upwind ability. You may outgrow a board like this but the Core line is designed to go into advanced abilities and still provide fun for the sailor.

I know you don't really want to buy larger sails but check out your local ebay and cragslist for used gear. There is plenty out there for a fraction of the new price so that could be an option for you.  If the new board idea just isn't for you, then the option of an old style longboard may be what works for you. If you go that route, try to find somthing that is lighter and faster than the old plastic boards. Look for Mistral Equipe, One Design, Superlight or Fanatic UltraCat for lighter weight longboards.

I would recommend trying some different newer boards and hopefully finding something that will work for you before going with old style. But the bottom line is what works best for you, your abilities, sailing desires, and local conditions.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

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

QUESTION: Thank you !

One more question. The width of some of the more popular shortboards is getting really huge. Some of the Bic and Starboard models are up to 80 cm , the RRD Easy Rider, which you recommend, is 85 cm and some are even larger.

Is there a price a " progressive " surfer like me ill have to pay , in terms of performance, for these large widths ?

Something tells me that the drag may become an issue . Is an 85 cm wide board, like the RRD Easy Rider, still safe ?

Thank you again


Franco Vivona

Answer
Hey Franco,

The great thing about the new technology of wider widths and shorter lengths is that performance has actually been increased due to better hull designs. If you were to look up Formula boards you would find that they are even wider than the boards you are looking at. And Formula boards are designed for racing and are very fast. The only reason you would be concerned about the width creating drag would be if you are wanting to get into speed riding which is something that some folks are doing. They spend $300-500 on a waterproof GPS and try to go as fast as possible. For this type of sailing there are specific boards built just for speed. From what you describe as the type of sailing you are wanting to be doing, the boards you are looking at will serve you well.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover