|
Formula boards - for everyone?
Formula boards are Gods gift for the windsurfers, who are eager to have lots of hours on the water, who wish to go wherever they like (independent of the wind directions) - and who love to visit distant coasts. And this is perhaps news for someone: Formula boards are not difficult to sail. Of course, for a start a 11 meter sail can be too much for the inexperienced windsurfers - but with just relatively few hours of sailing you can easily have fun with a 8.5 meter sail in 6-8 m/sec. Yes, even if it's perhaps not what the school books dictate, in fact you can start your windsurf career with a (used!) formula board - of course with not too big a sail, and with a little willingness to accept a couple of damages on the pretty fragile board.
In the other end of the spectrum formula boards are fantastic for older and "hardened" windsurfers, who still have the strengths - but who perhaps have lost some of their agility and the thrill by always sailing on the border of their ability. Windsurfers beyond the prime of their lives (and looks) are often not too tempted to display their (lack of) ability with impressive tricks close to the coast - and for those guys it's really a relief to enter the formula board, pump a few times and plane away, hunting adventures at distant coasts. |
Young and old meet at the sea. Mikkel at the left is sailing his Starboard 158. He is neither able to enter the foot straps nor the harness lines. But he's having great fun - and his learning curve is rising steeply. |
|
|
Some formula boards - experiences and feelings.
The valuations are a mix from personal experiences, talks with the guys on the beach, rumours and guesses.
Everything's very subjective, and be aware of the fact that the boards are not valuated by racers - which is not the same as we never race!
|
Starboard 158 | Starboard 159 |
| Starboard 160 | Starboard 161 | |
| Starboard 162 | ||
| F2 FX 100 III | F2 FX 100 IV | |
| F2 FX 100 VI | ||
| Gaastra Vapor | ||
|
More to think about ... |
Types of sails | |
| Fins | ||
| Chicken straps | Flaps | |