Eric Kamminga e-mailed me while we were away, drawing my attention to the new MUF slalom fins. He recons that they are really fast. They are stiff as I have mentioned before and Eric says they are exactly what the Manta 113 requires.
Nice looking fins and the result of extensive testing with Kurosh and the other team members. Apparently the wide tip together with an entirely re-worked profile, enhances stability, upwind and downwind speed. Nice work Rick - now please make it in carbon! As I have said before, I'm not convinced that carbon fins are faster but they just feel so good underfoot compared to their more leaden G10 cousins.
Juan Alonso from Spain mentioned that his 430 North Platinum mast had snapped. I think we have all been there and it always saddens me when a windsurfer loses expensive equipment in this way. We see masts snap all the time here in summer - some belonging to seasoned racers. The problem is that a high carbon content mast which is put under extreme downhaul pressure will break when it reaches a certain temperature. In the blazing sun on a hot day this temperature can be reached really quickly.
Please ensure that you keep your rigged sails in the shade between sessions. If this is not possible, ensure that the mast sleeve is kept wet at all times. You should also consider not downhauling fully until you are ready to launch.
OK that's all for now. I will say a few words about some of the PWA guys in the next post.
Good winds
Was it Eric that had "issues" with getting his Manta 113 up to speed? I believe you posted something earlier about it. If so has this fin changed his mind about it??
ReplyDeleteAlso have you tried out the VMAX yet? I know one of your buddies did but was curious to what you thought about it. I just switched from a s09 to a vmax on my 05 rocket 61 and love it!
Thanks!
-Kevin