I'm an advanced beginner and am considering a Mistral Radar 140L that's for sale near me in NY. It's 272cm x 70cm. I weigh 150lbs. Any thoughts on this board? And what size sail can I use on it?
I currently have an inflatable Starboard Zen 11'6" and a 5.5 sail, and am looking for a smaller, lighter board that would be more maneuverable, and have decent upwind performance, as I often need to go upwind up a narrow channel to get back to my car.
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Hey,
Good to hear from you. Hope you are doing well and getting some time on the water!
A lot will depend on the price. It's probably about 18 yrs old now and a bit narrower than modern boards. Back in the day, we would have sailed it with something like a 6.5 or 7.5. Now, you can get a 75-83cm wide board around 235-240 long and between 125-135 liters that will actually feel more stable for your 150 lbs. The wider boards will also allow you to run a bigger fin which will help with getting upwind and planing sooner, too. It's not a bad board, it's just for a bit more you can get something easier to ride and a bit more range, especially at your weight.
I'd rather see you spend 300-400 on something newer than get this at anything more than 150-175. Those are my thoughts, maybe someone else can chime in.
Examples (realizing they may not be close to you)
A bit expensive but much better board: https://www.facebook.com/groups/425661507450784/permalink/3974930015857231/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/425661507450784/permalink/3950922348257998/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1727103254174491/permalink/2574884356063039/
Check your local clubs /FB groups if you can, too. Let us know what you find and what you decide. Last thing... a board that eventually can take a foil is really something to think about. We're finding that you can learn to foil at about the same time most people would learn to plane. Footstraps and harness are less important in foiling, especially starting out plus you don't need to spend a lot of money on bigger sails to enjoy light wind. Something to think about!
Edit: something else to think about if you have a way to get it around is an older race board - one of the good ones. Mistral IMCO (One Design), Equipe, Superlight, Superlight II, Fanatic * Cat, newer Kona. A lot of times you can find one for a couple of hundred dollars, they are from 66-68cm wide and go upwind really well. The drawback is you need a way to transport something that's 12 ft long.
Hi there! Hope all is well with you.
It's been a few months since I've gone windsurfing unfortunately. My wife and I moved our sailboat from the Chesapeake up to NY, and I've been doing some sailing, but we're now selling it and I'm hoping to do more windsurfing.
Thanks a lot for all the input. Those links you provided give me a good sense of what's available out there, and those are the types of boards I want. I just need to find one that's available in my area. Inquiring with local clubs or FB groups is a great idea.
An older long race board sounds fun, but the board I have now is also about 12 feet (I transport it on top of my car), and I'd like to try a shorter board.
My other option is to travel somewhere that has a windsurf shop so that I can try out a bunch of different demo boards and then pick one to buy new or used. Maybe I'll try North Beach windsurfing in Florida. This would probably have to be after we sell our boat though. I'm trying not to juggle too many projects at once!
Excellent idea. Maybe consider a lesson, too. You are at the point where learning a few tips will really pay off going forward. All the crew there is excellent. If you can't make it down to Florida, then consider a trip to OBX - Oceanair Sports also do a great job and are friendly.
The windsurfing classified and Hatteras for sale groups on FB are both fairly active and I do see boards from time to time up there.
https://www.peconicpuffin.com/
These folk a little closer to you and have been helpful in the past
sodani