When I bought my 5.5 last March, I noted that a 5.5 sail was usable on every windsurfing board I owned...from storm board to longboard, you might find the 5.5 on it.
Slut.
Yesterday the sail (a Naish Amp) made some rounds. With NW winds at Meschutt seeming a bit light, Jeff, the Wolf and I ventured forth with five meter sails on larger boards...I sailed mine on 109 liters of JP Freestyle ("Calamity Too") practically a cheater board with a 5.5. 
Watching the apparently marginal winds give Jeff and John some trouble (they on their midsized boards), Scott derigged without even launching. So of course as soon as he was out of his drysuit and his sail in its bag, the wind came up ("I skunked myself!" Scott lamented.) I boarded down to a 93 liter Freestyle Wave (Sally hasn't approved a name for it, and it's her board.)
After a fine hour or so, the wind kicked up five knots. Peconic Jeff (sailing a 5.2...it's rare that I'm on a bigger sail than him) switched to his tiger-graphic storm board, and so instead of rigging down, I was inspired to try the 5.5 on my 77 liter dancer (now named "Candy 77".) Moved the mast track fully forward, prayed that the wind didn't drop (this little plank is a bear to shlog with an appropriate sized sail) and launched. It was sweet!
(Top photo: A 5.5 handles easily on 77 liters...who knew?
Bottom photo: When helitacking 77 liters, there's going to be some sinkage.
Windsurfing photos by Jeff)
You just made me snort my lunch! Rice and broccoli up the nose. My 5.7 gets around an awful lot, too... But she's magically powerful over me, so I don't really care what a ho she is! More power to her!
Posted by: Andy | January 29, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Nice pictures! Why do you call the JP freestyle a "cheater board"? Planes too early? Too easy to sail?
Posted by: Catapulting_Aaron | January 29, 2008 at 10:16 PM
I learned the expression "cheater board" years ago to describe a board that is oversized and exceptionally friendly for a given sail size. A board that makes you look better than you are. For me I can do some tricks with that combination (donkey jibes, for example) that are otherwise very challenging, so it's definately a "cheater" setup for carving freestyle. (Obviously there is no way to "cheat" in windsurfing...if you're dry, you're good!)
Re the photos, Jeff is the man! Check out his Flickr page for all sorts of fine photography.
Posted by: Michael | January 30, 2008 at 09:49 AM