I'm thinking about buying a board so I can sail in all wind conditions in Sydney. Now that I've got kids, time is at a premium and I can't wait for big winds.
I will keep my waveboard for when it gets serious. I had a Formula board about 5 years ago. It was great, but it didn't slog very well for light wind cruising.
I'm trying to decide between an RSX and a Formula board. Does anyone have any recommendations?
PS. My concern about the RSX or similar is that it would feel too 'boaty' and not high performance.
www.rsxclass.org/
Hi Yagon
I initially bought my formula board for light air cruising but I've since upgraded boards. The first was a Starboard 186 which was great for this. If you could feel breeze on you face then you could sail it. In under two knots you would sail around on circles but this was more a factor of the big cammed sails. The new board is a 161 and is not as good in the drifter stuff but has a better top end.
I agree with Gestalt. Although I've never sail an RSX, at 18ish Kg's compared to 8-9 for the formula board, it can't feel the same, although I know there will be RSX sailors that disagree.
i don't think any RSX sailors will disagree!
below 8 knots you would be better off on a RSX (then a formula) but you would probably be quicker swimming to wherever you want to go
however winds of 8knots + are pretty regular (even in Sydney!) and a formula board would provide a lot of fun (and perform very well). if its a question of RSX v Formula then Formula all the way and do something else under 8 knots
but if you really, really want to sail under 8 knots then maybe a old long board might be a better option (like a Mistral one design etc) then a RSX
So many great options, and the RSX is the bottom of the list. 20kg board for starters. try carrying that down the beach with you kids in tow.....
There is a fantastic Formula scene in NSW that is really family friendly. There is also a great race-board scene that is club based and again really family friendly.
There was over 70 kids leaning to sail on the weekend in Sydney.
Time management is a really issue these days, but with todays gear windsurfing does not have to suffer...
www.windsurfingnsw.com
www.storm-riders.com.au
Also check out the Dobroyd AC site...Cheers
Thanks for everyone's feedback. Some further questions:
Most of my prior formula sailing was at places like Botany Bay or Lake Macquarie where there's good open winds and easy launches. I think now I might be sailing Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and Pittwater (due to a shorter commute), which require more difficult launches - weaving through moorings and slogging through light wind zones. How would a modern Formula board cope with this?
I've also noticed the Starboard Phantom Race 320 - similar to the RSX, but perhaps a little more modern in design and weighing only 15kgs. Has anyone had expereince with or can comment on the suitability of this board:http://www.star-board.com/2008/pages/products/v_phantomRace.php
Hi Yagon
Most of my tooling around is done on Pittwater. Govener Phillip Park can be a pain in the arse at low tide with the 70cm fin but Taylors Point and Sandy Point (no, not that one) are good low tide options and as long as you can get some distance into your legs, rather than short tacking between boats, then getting through the moorings isn't a problem
One option (if you go the formula route) is to use a smaller fin than the normal 70cm.
Since formula gear is really suited to going upwind or downwind, they don't really handle all that well on a beam reach - partly because of the big fin. You could try using something smaller, say in the range of 50-60cm - of course this sacrifices your pointing ability, but does help somewhat with the water-depth problem.
Want one! It would be ideal - could teach the mates on the harbour, go for a light wind cruise from Fairlight to Balomoral/Reef Beach/Quarantine, surf the Bower on small days as a surf board, SUP or windsurfer.....
I just hope it really does only weigh 11.5kgs. Excellent retro graphics as well!
We've just unpacked a Jungle... looks ideal for what you're talking about yagon.
we don't have any scales in the shop, but it feels about as though 11.8 could be about right..
We'll be having the Jungle, along with the Starboard, Mistral, Naish & Oxbow sup's on demo. so if you're in Perth, drop on in.
Jez www.2ndwind.com.au
i've been wanting a lightwind funboard, and something to teach mates on as well. I think that exocet kona longboard looks awesome :D. gonna have to wait a while for some second hand ones to arrive on the market thou, can't afford a newy.
This is fantastic feedback. Thanks to everyone for contributing.
There's a lot to think about, especially since buying a new kit is a relatively significant investment (for me).
I'm leaning towards a board with a daggerboard for maximum versatility, but I don't know if it would be a hybrid (eg Starboard Phantom 320) or a longboard (eg Kona or Starboard Phantom 380).
Thanks for everyone's feedback - I'm really inspried to get a board that will get me on the water EVERY weekend.
I do have some more questions:
What is the performance of a raceboard (eg Starboard Phantom 380) in planning conditions (eg 15 knots, daggerboard retracted)? Can you drive it off the fin (downwind or on a reach) like a Formula board?
What is the top speed of a longboard compared to a hybrid or Formula board?
I had a go on the bic jungle on the weekend in really marginal winds <10knts. Great board very manouverable and really easy to sail, cant say how it goes when planning as there was stuff all breeze but otherwise had a blast on it. Went well with sail or paddle.
Not 100% sure about the old style drop in daggerboard but it did get it up wind quite well and i guess it would be better than having one with gaskets.
Sam at windsurf n snow has heaps of the SUP's for demo, I would definately recomend giving him a call and trying one out.
