Aching arms, sore knees but I sailed in 40+ knots and lived to tell!!



At 70 kg I have been really struggling with sailing in anything above 30 knots, not that I can't do it but I have never really enjoyed it.

I am on a '11 76L twin fin Starboard Evo and run 16.5 Maui Ultras which are smokingly fast and point really well when up to speed. Which is great in smooth, consistent conditions but in gusty choppy conditions with a shonky knee, the last thing I need is too much speed.

The original fins have never suited my sailing style, to me they feel like I am dragging something however they do limit your top end and are not too bad in the stronger winds if you don't mind the drag in your turns.

Heard good things about the K4's and demoed a set of 14 cm yesterday in gusty 20-25 knots with my 4.7m S1, apart from being too way small they felt really smooth and were great in the turns.

Went back to shop this morning and handed over the $$ for a set of 16 cm to use in the nuclear conditions we go today, couple of gusts around the 50 knot mark and not much below 35knots, it was pretty freaky.

Slapped them in rigged my 3.7 S1, crossed my fingers, toes and anything else I had handy and hit the high seas!


Image courtesy of Sean at TribeCraew.com, see more here www.tribecarew.com/cms/index.php/jmgall/windsurfing/big-wed-5-9-2012.html

Couldn't believe the difference two bits of yellow plastic could make, would never have generally contemplated going out in conditions like these but actually enjoyed it for the short time I was out there before my lack of fitness kicked in.

Board was controllable even in the gusts, fins stuck like glue, rarely spinning out and then only in the most severe gusts. You just stomp on them and they do the rest!! Turns are greasy smooth and they don't feel all draggy like the originals do.

At $95 for the pair they are a bargain and have certainly added to my sailing wind range. Good on you Al for bringing them into OZ and winding back a couple of years on my sailing clock.

Here are a couple of profile comparison shots of the three fin types.