Hi Charels,

You are correct..... 25 to 30 is sailable but is a test of survival (staying upright). I have sailed quite a few times in winds upto 30 knots and have had some of my wildest rides. But also did so taking appropriate precautions.

I think that racers would rather call it quits after 22 knots because your tacktics go from reading shifts, current and covering boats to just staying upwrite more often than your competitors. They would also rather wait for conditions to settle before they continue their series of races than blow everything (equiptment failure and injury) in a survival race and not be able to continue the regatta.

I have missed several weeks of racing due to equiptment failure such as broken masts, boards ect. Sailors serious about their sailing realy don't want to loose training time on their boats. If you don't use it, you loose it. And your competition stays in the groove and gives you a touch up when you hit the water next.

Best to have a toy boat to play in the big stuff and keep the good boat for your serious racing.