Hey LeeD: Windsurfing question

[j]

I was flipping through the channels of the wonder of television and I ended up catching most of a wavesailing championship in Maui. Looked fun at OH -> DOH. What I noticed that was shocking to my surfer mind is that 100% of the windsurfers were using singlefins on their wavesailing boards. Why are wavesailing boards mostly single fins? Wouldn't a thruster or bonzer configuration suit wave sailing better than a single fin? Flat water I can understand the single fin, but for waves I don't understand it.

 

[LeeD]

Mostly board speed.
Windsurf boards, even wave boards, are mainly powered by the wind, not the surf, and the winds allow the board to cruise around at about 14-26mph, above the top speed of most multi-fin boards in almost any size surf.
Tri's, twins, quads, and bonzers were tried back in the late '80's, but proved too much lift, not enough control at high boardspeeds.
Looking at the bottom turns of windsurf boards, the turn is accomplished by adding the glide of the drop TO the windspeed already there, increasing the actual board speed by about 7mph, so the bottom turn is much faster in boatspeed, and longer, more drawn out, than surfboards.
Rider doesn't need to generate speed, the winds on the sail give the rider as much speed as needed.

 

[j]

Interesting. Thanks for the info.