VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Has anybody sailed a Go board? I'm looking at picking up a new Go 129. I can't seem to find any reviews for it so I figured I'd check here and see if somebody has tried one or has read any reviews. Alternative board ideas are welcome.

Cheers,
Matthew

What level of sailor are you Mathew? And how big, other people going to ride the board, etc. I didn't realize they made GOs that small. For an early beginner board, it would probably be too small, unless you are very light and/or very athletic. As a tough low and mid wind blaster for an average size intermediate or advanced sailor, though, it might be just the ticket. The GOs also probably have the lowest depreciation of just about any board so if you changed you mind later you're unlikely to loose your shirt over it. Anyhow, give us a bit more info.

Hi Matthew,

I've sailed older Go models and newer bigger Carves, so have a decent sense of how these boards sail, but have not specifically sailed the 129. They generally have a pretty easy-going feel; not being high-strung or too technical to sail. A width of 74 cm will make the board feel pretty stable slogging around in lighter air. The Gos are a good bet for beginner to intermediate short board sailors, but people tend to outgrow them once they want a bit more performance. Ít would be helpful to know what level of sailing you are at, type and size of sails being used as well as what types of board(s) you have sailed previously to get an idea of what other boards to recommend. However, you could cross-compare the other friendly large free-ride type boards from other companies by looking at the width and volume (length is not super important these days). If you are buying in BC, Starboard and JP are amoung the most popular brands. You`ll see more Fanatic and Mistral boards in Eastern Canada. Hope this helps a bit.

Hi,

I haven't used the 129 Go, but the 150 is a nice light wind board. I would expect that the 129 is good as well, but unless you are a lightweight, it may need appreciable wind to be used. I think of the Go as " I will always Go home" if it is a board you intend to uphaul, bear that in mind when deciding on size. For these boards, I would advise the 150ish board, as it performs satisfactorily in a wide range of conditions (I have sailed Nitinaht in 5.0 chop and also light winds with a 9.8 cambered race sail). As well, the 150 is the easiest to sell in event you move on to smaller boards later. They are always in demand - frends fought over one I sold used. Happy sailing....

PS: Buy the short fat/wide fin for wave/shallow water - worth the investment...

I noticed that there is a GO 139 at the Starboard site as well. It might be a better choice. I have a GO 140 so the comparison should be fairly good although mine is 4 years old and there have probably been a few design changes. I bought it for my sweetie to learn on. She's approximately 110 - 130 lbs (so I don't get into trouble) and it's a plenty stable platform for her and she has used it with a 2.8 (!) and a 5.0. The pleasant surprise was that it is a great low wind board for me (I weigh 215 lbs) using a 7.5 or 8.5. It sails like a smaller board in a straight line and is pretty quick to plane. It jibes relatively easily although I wouldn't call that it's forte. And if you're out on the lake and the wind dies you can ride it home with ease. The truth is, I really enjoy riding the GO 140. It's fun. I've ridden a Carve 131 and I would take the GO over it because the larger Carves feel awkward underfoot in my opinion.

I'm a new windsurfer but have been sailing for years, I was out on the water a couple times and with a really small board (88L and never got up) and a huge board known as the Crit (manufacturer? board style?) I've read up on the Go 129 but there were no reviews out there that I could find, I thought i'd check here and see if anybody had been on a similar board. The Starboard website says it's more of an intermediate board, but since the first time I was up and sailing a windsurfer I was tacking and gybing quite easily, I don't think it'll be a huge problem, plus the fact that I can take it up to a higher level of sailing. I vary in weight from 140 to 150 lbs and I've only got one sail, a 5.0.

Matthew

Well Matthew,

My 2cents worth are as follows:

The Go 129 will do you but I would suggest something just a bit bigger. The reason I say this is you should get as much TOW(Time on the Water) as possible to learn and progress quickly(you'll want to don't worry). With a bit more volume and width you be able to schlog(low wind/non-planing sailing) with better stability and you'll plane more quickly. Once you've got planing on your board you'll always want to be planing(skimming quickly on top of the water instead of plowing thru it at slower speeds)and the extra width and larger fin will help you do that.

You should also purcase a larger sail to allow you to sail in lighter winds. If you tell us what size(length) mast and boom you use for your 5.0 sail we can tell you the largest sail you can use with that set up without having to purchase a new mast and boom. Does this make sense..??

I would suggest the GO 155 as this board will plane up earlier than the 129, it will be more stable for you while you schlog. I've used the Go 150(previous model year) up at Nitinat Lake in 20kts and it was the most fun I had sailing at that time. It's manuverable, stable, fast and fun. Also the resale on the Medium sized Go will be best when/if it's time to sell it in the future to get a smaller/bigger board.

I have a 105litre board and a 160litre board and I still find the larger board fun to ride and if I was able to get away I could sail it 20+ days/month where as smaller board I would only be able to sail possibly 10 days/month or less and while you're progressing you'll want to be out on the water as ofter as possible.

Hey Matthew, I hope this helps with your choice of boards. If you have any other questions or comments, don't hesitate to post them or message people directly as this site is fantastic for learning and getting opinions as you can tell....Ha, ha, ha!!

Enjoy!!

Hi,

I've owned both an original Go 180L and a Go 150L. Both can be sailed from 6.0 to 9.0 easily. Both have decent resale (the Go 129 probably would have good resale as it is a newer size and there would not be many around).

My avatar is me on the Go 150L on a 6.9M sail.....I was racing Bobson as I remember.

Given your weight I would get the Go 129.....its still pretty wide (72 cm)and would be uphaulable....and you could sail it down to 5.0 or up to 9.0. I think you could progress farther on it than a bigger Go and even sail it with a smaller fin in overpowered conditions at Nitinat.

As for bigger boards...they are nice if you are sailing flat water. I sail a JP FreeRace 142L overpowered all the time at Harrison on 7.0M and 8.5M sails. But if there were waves or bigger chop there then I would need a smaller board/sail.

Regards,

macghillechearr wrote:..since the first time I was up and sailing a windsurfer I was tacking and gybing quite easily, I don't think it'll be a huge problem, plus the fact that I can take it up to a higher level of sailing.

Take it to a higher level? Not likely.

I suppose I will be in a huge minority here but alas, wouldn't be the first time. The START is a great board to learn on for water starting and learning sail handling, maybe even the larger GO. After that stage I'm not sure what you people are doing with these things after you are past the beginner stage. If you wanna go fast, get a free or slalom board, if you want wave riding get a wave board or if you want to blast around on light wind days get the formula gear. Having a freeride sail or wavesail on a tanker like the GO's doesn't make ANY sense to me, sorry again.

I find myself apologizing cuz, gee, all those glorious comments about the GO's. I think the old one designs performed a whole lot better. Every time I rode a GO I felt there was a drogue attached to my fin. It gybes like I would expect a boat dock would. Their sheer weight and drag promote gear breakage (and/or back problems). Jump? Really? Not a chance, c'mon. Ride waves? Dream on.
I'm sorry to report that my view given my experience taking various sized GO's for a number of demos is that those GO boards perhaps even keep you from progressing after a certain stage rather than promoting it. I certainly wouldn't recommend a smaller size so you can "transition" into more advanced sailing. Perhaps I just don't get it. Oh, ahhh....sorry.

If you wanna go fast, get a free or slalom board, if you want wave riding get a wave board or if you want to blast around on light wind days get the formula gear.

Hey Kus,

Not one of us was talking about taking a Go and going wave sailing, or trying to jump it. Or racing it in light wind. You are going to confuse the issue.

The Go is for learning, then progressing. Period. You shouldn't assume a newer sailor can sail a small board/sail combo like you do in low wind.
Also, having sailed a Formula set-up it is a pain to have to go up and down wind all the time when overpowered, which is why I switched to the JP FreeRace, so I can sail across the lake at Harrison, not up and down the lake. Also, if you drop the Formulas they break, unlike the Gos.

But do I own a Go now?...no....but they serve their purpose for the first year or two.

KC7777 wrote:
My avatar is me .....I was racing Bobson as I remember.

Hey, you ARE looking behind you in that shot, right?

hmmm, couldda sworn the flavor of the discussion was for purchasing a smaller GO (129 over 180 or whatever) to keep it in the quiver for those "racing" and more advanced days

Maybe this is a good deal & a better board for along those lines : http://www.bigwinds.com/wind/store/clos ... ductID=821

I thought I was asking for an opinion of how it rode for a beginner that can't get out very often but wants to get up planing early. From what I've read the GO is that board for me and for the sails that I'd be using, the 129 or 133 would be the board. I was only asking for opinions, and I got a few, some were confusing, maybe because I wasn't clear as to my question. Thanks for the help. I'm going to look into it more.

macghillechearr;

It seems that the opinion is - go for it. Certainly I would recommend the GO, although as I said I think a slightly bigger one is a better idea. I'd go for the 139 not the 129. Others feel the same. It's a great beginners board and will be a part of your stable for years. It DOES plane early and will carry a wide range of sails. See you on the water.

Mike

Thanks guys,

They're both the same price, I am still leaning towards the 129, due to it's size, and my transport to the water. It's still big enough to learn on and uphaul while I'm learning to waterstart. I have been sailing Laser for 6 years so I have the stability down. Again, thanks for the help.