On Apr 10, 8:37=A0am, RobertBra...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Apr 9, 10:58 am, Zephyr <davedejo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > On Apr 9, 10:13 am, bertbarndoor <bertbarnd...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > where on Lake Ontario do you sail?
> > there is a club in Toronto, (that you may know about,) and a number of
> > My 2 cents... =A0I like the GO line alot for someone trying to
> > progress. =A0its a good comprimise between stability and fun. =A0You
can=
> > get a GO really going, and its not so narrow that you will spend the
> > bulk of your time in rather than on the water.
> > If you are serious about getting into the s****t you will ultimately
> > want to get 2 =A0boards (maybe 3 or 4 or 7 =A0:) ), =A0one for lighter
w=
ind,
> > and one for stronger wind.
> > if you are in the golden horseshoe a 140 ish litre board with a 7-8
> > metre sail will definitly server you well, =A0another plus about such
a
> > kit. =A0Starboard isn't the only one that makes a nice progress
oriented=
> > board, =A0anything in the 135 - 140 litre range with a bit of a eva
deck=
> > could serve well for you.
>
> Hi and thanks for the info. I will be sailing mostly in Ottawa at
> Brittania Beach I suppose, as well as trips to Kingston for Lake
> Ontario. The only thing that worries me about the GO is the lack of
> center board and extreme width. It has even been mentioned in this
> thread that I would be doing myself a disservice by purchasing a board
> without a center board. Some have also said that the GO is just a bit
> too 'beginnerish' to serve as an intermediate cross-over. I dunno,
> others have said that it is great for both. Does Starboard make a GO
> board with a center board? You mention a few other manufacturers in
> the general space I am looking at. Any boards you are thinking about
> specifically so that I can go read up on them? Thanks,
> Rob
Rob,
sorry bout the delay in getting back,
A center board is a great thing in certain situations,
in others, its a PIA. The centerboard helps you cut upwind much
better, typically in non planing situations. In planing situations,
the centerboard if not retracted or removed makes the board more
difficult to handle, and slows you down. Long narrow boards almost
always have them because a good % of the time they are used in non
planing winds. A wider board such as a go is going to be planing more
often than not. as such, when planing on a GO you really don't want
a centerboard. The exception to this is when you are not planing on
the board of course, and this happens mainly when you are at the very
early stages of learning, and, when teaching others.
To fix this situation the Manu's make retractable centerboards. If
you look at the Start by starboard older versions had a non
retractable centerboard and new versions have a retractable
centerboard. This would indicate that the start is really targeted at
begining windsurfers. The GO on the otherhand doesn't normally have a
center board because it is targted at the sailer who may be able to
get on a plane, but not much else yet.
Again, once on a plane if you have a decent fin in the back, a
centerboard is not necessary.
If you are an absolute beginner, then a centerboard is a must, but
with experience a centerboard becomes a burden.
As for the width issue... width is your friend. it makes it much
easier to balance, and try new things, jybes ect.
The width will also give you the ability to get planing earlier then a
narrower board and so it can make you faster.
Width is not a silver bullet though, and when non planing width just
makes you slower, but, if you are in non planing wind, the width
does still allow you the extra balance that a narrow board would not.
Also at some point width will make the board harder to control in
higher winds. wind can get under the board and lift it out of the
water when it is really blowing. I wouldn't worry about that at all
because, you won't want to sail in those winds untill you feel more
proficient, and at that time, you'll be looking to add a second board
anyways.
There used to be a guy named steve ?slaby? who was from the ottawa /
kingston area who posted here on recdot a lot, he might be around and
give you some good ideas for your local conditions
Dave
I found some contact info from a previous thread, check it out below.
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