I have a question about recreational fw sailing. I’d rather post this in a forum but I’m not sure this site has one. I’ve got a second hand Starboard 147 with a 70 cm drake deboichet fin. I’m 150 lbs, sail in fresh water. What size should my first big rig be for planing starting in 12 knots?
This might be bad form posting this here but this is the only place online to get a straight answer on formula gear. Any help is appreciated

No problems asking here! That was the idea of the site as there is really nowhere else to ask other than forums (which can “sometimes” be useful, but “sometimes” not).
Ok, you’re pretty light at 150 lbs (68kg). If you are just recreational sailing and not planning to race (or even might like to race ‘one day’ but not right now) then I wouldn’t get anything larger than a 10m. It is unnecessary. The bigger sails (11-12m) are usually a step up in boom and mast size so the total rig weight is a considerable jump and might be heavy and tiring to sail with. Every tack and gybe is a little more work with a bigger rig and the early planning advantage is minimal if you don’t want to pump really hard.
If you don’t plan to use the rig in more wind than 18-20 knots then there’s a lot of good twin (or 3) cam free ride sails for light-wind slalom in the 9.5-10m category that would be nice as these sails are sometimes a bit more full in the profile and nicer for early planing (as well as lighter) than the full race sails. The race sails are usually more stable and have a larger wind range but come at a bigger price tag and heavier weight.
I’d recommend you save a few dollars on the sail and spend a few extra dollars on a good carbon boom versus an alloy one. On big sails, a stiff carbon boom makes a HUGE difference to the friendliness and stability of the sail. That’s a quick explanation of things. Shoot me an email from the Contact page if you want more info

J'ai pensé à une RS5 9.8 d'occas mais elle a une réputation de casseuse de mât. ???

Effectivement, ce sont des prix plus décents, mais en regardant les offres actuelles, ça donne les chiffres que j'ai.
D'ailleurs si je me fais un petit historique pour le matos light wind que j'ai actuellement ça donne :

- wish Xspar Full Carbon neuf mais super promo : 289 euros (499 normalement)
- Voile Gun Booster 2006 en 8.7 occaz : 150 euros
- Mat Gun Select 100 % C neuf en promo : 355 euros
- bouts de harnais réglables en nav. : 23 euros
- Flotteur AHD 945 2004 occaz avec house + ailerons 57/70 : 450 euros

Pour un total de : 1267 euros

et il me manque encore l'aileron de 64 pour ma 8.7 (je mets un 57), et le palan d'écoute.

Il va donc falloir que j'apprenne à mieux négocier les prix ??

Moi j'ai eu mon pack Formula complet à 250€ avec 2 ailerons et la housse!