hi there
i recently got into windsurfing again and picked up a couple of sails, a SAILWORKS quadro 6.5 and a syncro 7.1.
I know they are not the latest and greatest but plenty good enough for what i can do.
Now my issue is that i have only a very old boom that i got for free with an old TYRONSEA and that does not fit either sail in length. The mast is also an old fibreglass stick and i do not know whether it really would work?
On the sails it says mast recommendations are MCS 25-28, IMCS 27-33 and curve 14-15%. my mast extension is a NEIL PRYDE UXT26.
Basically i would like to know what mast and boom would allow me to use these sails and what the least expensive option would be.
And yes Luff for both sails is around 4900 and boom needs to be around 2100mm.
Thanks in advance.
Dont spend any money getting these sails on the water . Buy something 2 or 3 years old that will be much more user friendly especialy if your board has no centerboard . Equipment is so good now dont go back to the bad old days
Booms these days are adjustable in length with a variety of size ranges available.
ie) one boom - 1.6 - 2.1 metres. Best to get a boom where you are not using maximum extension very often as the boom is less stiff when maximally extended.
Fibreglass masts are heavy but usable as long as the length is right and the mast bend curve fits the sail. (IMCS)
If in doubt rig it at your local beach and ask some other windsurfers if they think it looks like it is rigged correctly.
Hi there Razza,
Depends on your finances.
If you are looking at second hand, I would try WindSurfnSnow in Sydney. They usually have some reasonably good quality used masts and booms. (I do worry about the life left in some of these though). But they are a cheaper alternative and will do the job for a while. Don't forget to look at the second hand ads on this site. Trouble here is you can't see the quality of the gear. Be careful....
If you are able to afford it, then new a mast and boom from say windsurfingsales.com.au is worth a look. I think you would need a 460 mast and an adjustable alloy boom say 160-210cm. Their range of product is good and I do use their booms. You may also get a package deal. Try it. Should suit sails you have.
(I am not sponsored or associated with either of these places in any way).
PS: I have 2 NP sails (6.5 & 7.5) and a NP 460 X6 mast with Loft & Gun booms. Thought the NP booms were too expensive for what I do, plus have heard of some problems with their newer booms. My old NP X3 let go one day while sailing off Jimmy's Beach which resulted in a 20 minute swim back to shore. Not far but difficult. Didn't hear any "duh-dah" music so I was lucky!! Gone off NP booms since then.
Good luck.
I sshould have mentioned that i want to sail this stuff on my JP 144 freeride.
Why are these sails supposed to be so bad and why is the new stuff supposed to be so much better?
The monofilm may be brittle but otherwise I think those sails will work fine for someone getting back into it. I got 10 years out of a syncro, bought second hand as well. It was a great sail. Changes since then have been incremental. Spending money on a mast/boom is not wasted since you can upgrade sails latter anyway. Main thing is to get out on the water.
I still have a syncro and a quadro also a 440 sailworks carbon comp mast that was made for these sails you need a 500 for the 7.5. Used them when doing the raceboard circuit for many years. The main diffrence is these sails have a much tighter leach than current sails . A loose leach exausts the air much better with the newer sails being much more managable and a greatly increased wind range also allows the mast track position on the board to go further back . IF you want an old sailworks sail go for an xt or newer but dont expect to get much use before the mono gives out . I took the 7.5 syncro for a spin 2 years ago couldnt believe how bad it was compared to the newer sails
You can have a lot of fun on older equipment.
Newer stuff is just easier (as well as ritzier).
but more expensive...
