Boardseeker Windsufing Magazine

Wondered if you knowledgeable folk could give me some advice?

I?ve been getting back into windsurfing after a while out. I knew the basics back then using my dad?s F2 Phoenix 340cm, 196 vol, 66cm wide which suggests how long ago it was. I can?t wait to get back on the water at weekends but I?m still using this same kit. I?m doing ok but using that board seems to be like balancing on a pencil and turning a super tanker. Long, dagger board, loads of volume, lead boom, sail off the Cutty Sark. I?m no Pro, but wondered if you lot think a JP Xcite 130 would be a wise investment or a complete overstatement of my skill. In other words is this F2 a hindrance to my progression or is my school boy imagination lying and I?m going to sink to the bottom of a dirty lake on a JP?

Any advice would be appreciated!

you would notice a big difference between the boards. The wider JP will be more stable and will plane earlier, be faster and turn better. It really is a win win situation. Only points to cover first is how heavy are you? and although the JP is easy to uphaul if you are heavy with your front foot and have your front foot well in front of the mast when uphauling you will push the nose under. Same goes for tacks which do need to be reasonable unless you are very light.

John
[www.sailrepair.co.uk]

Hi Jon,

Cheers for your advice. I'm 75kg and not too heavy footed or forward when uphauling. As long as I don't actually sink and can still maintain the possibility of uphauling i'll be happy. I'm just trying to work out what is the limit of a board being neutrally buoyant with me +rig. Is it 1ltr of volume supports 1kg? Long time since I did physics!

Ok, I think I might invest.

P.s. May have spoken to you over the phone re. similar subject a couple of weeks back. (exdemo still not for sale?)

thanks again

Dear Andy

I was in a similar position to yourself and returned to windsurfing after some-time although because of work pressure I never got very far the first time. Following lots of reading I bought a Fantatic Viper on Ebay - 190 lt - after about 8 or 9 months I felt the size of the Viper was holding me up - further reading indicated that JP Excite 130 would be ideal - very controllable but also quite lively. Again bought second hand and it has proved to be an excellent purchase. It does what the reviews say - it is very lively but is straight forward to control - for me its been and still is proving to be a great board to progress on. I am a little lighter than you but I would guess you wont have any trouble. Hope that helps

Regards
Barry W