Hi. I'd like some help updating my board quiver.
About me: 110kg (retired weightlifter), 6'2", can water start, plane, 70% gybes but rarely full carving, love to try and go fast, and I do some local slalom racing which is not a downwind course. Most sessions are 2-4 hours. I only sail in salt water normally with short chop and sometimes relatively flat. I've never tried foiling but am thinking about getting into it this season for the very light wind days.
Current sails: cammed freerace 6.4, 7.0, 7.8, 9.4.
Current boards: FF136 (2018), Blast 130, and Hawk 111.
I'd like your help choosing boards for the following conditions:
1) 25kn+ and very choppy, 6.4-7.0 sails. I use my Hawk 111 for this now and it's great when maxed out and handles chop well but easily falls off the plane in lulls. I would like something that gets up and planes quickly, feels alive underfoot, and handles handles chop with ease. The priority is control over speed.
2) 18-25kn choppy days, 7.0-7.8 sails. I'm using the Blast 130 for this and it handles chop really well, great when overpowered but doesn't have the alive feeling of flying on the fin like my bigger FF136, which is fair enough given that it isn't a slalom board. Stick with the Blast or try a Jag? Which sail sizes work best with the Jag 125 and how would it handle chop with a much less than expert sailor?
3) Mostly 12-15kn but up to 20kn, 9.4 sail. I use the FF136 for this and this board is great when fully lit and I love how it just flies on the fin and seems to skip across chop. Great to gybe as well. The problem is that I struggle to get going in 12-15kn as I frequently sink the tail when pumping and need a really decent gust to get up and going. I need something that would be excellent for me in 12-15kn, can work up to 20kn with bit of chop, can tolerate poor pumping technique, doesn't need a full-on carbon fin or race sail, can fly on the fin and get upwind, and foil friendly. Should I go with Falcon Lightwind or is the new FF140 more tolerant of poor technique than the FF136?
Thanks for your help.
Rob