100 l board

Question
Hi,

I have been windsurfing for 3 years and I have a 126 Fanatic Eagle board with 5.3, 5.8, 6.6 and 8.5 sails. I can waterstart, sail in footstraps tack and jibe but no planning carve jibe just yet. In high winds my Eagle becomes to big and quite a handful, so I need a smaller board for 20-30 knots of wind. My question is: What's the most suitable board for me to go next?

I am looking at things like Fanatic Freewave, JP FSW or RRD FSW. Maybe even board like F2 Spice or XTC. All around 100 l size.
I would like to progress eventually towards wave riding. Do you think 100 l is to little at this point?

Thank you for the advice.

Andrej

Answer
Hey Andrej,

All of the boards you mention should work well for the direction you want to take your sailing. All are designed for freeriding performance with the added benefit of working well in waves.

I see that the boards you mention have a size in the mid 90's liter range and also offer something between 100-110 in the same model.

The key questions here are what conditions will you be sailing in the most with a smaller board and your size. 20-30 knots of wind is huge wind range when is comes to windsurfing. For most of us, high wind sailing is 20-28 knots. Finding 28+ is rare and not many of us own a board for winds in that range. You want to get a board that you will be able to sail in the 20-28 knot range.

From how you describe your abilities, something in the mid 90's to just over 100 liters should suit you fine. If you weigh less than 180 lbs, I would recommend something in the mid 90's. If you are over 180 lbs, then consider the 100+ sizes. Either of these sizes will get a bit shaky in 28+ winds when you occasionally encounter them, but a smaller fin will help.

As for the planning jibe, there are some good instructional videos out there that can really help you. Watching them multiple times helps get your mind thinking about what to do and when you are on the water you naturally apply what is in your head. Peter Hart has some of the best instructional videos and also great info on his website - www.peter-hart.com  Another good one is Alan Cadiz at www.hstwindsurfing.com. There is also some really good stuff in the 'how to' section at www.windsurfingmag.com

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover