Summer came for 3 days last week and we did some sailing but winter has taken hold again and all is cold wet and gloomy. I sailed for two of the days and my body is completely broken. We are going to need to toughen up big time for the season. Our new VMax fins have arrived. I purchased a 39cm fin for my 113 Falcon and to be one of the controls against which to test some F4 fins (providing we are able to arrange something with the guys).
This post comprises some random commentary on equipment.
FANATIC
The new Fanatic Falcons have been spotted. Not easy to find on the Internet, but they are out there.
The sizes are as follows:
80 56 235
90 58 235
100 63 235
110 69 235
120 74 230
130 81 230
140 85 230
150 90 230
All of these boards except the 80 incorporate cut-outs
I favor the 63, the 74 (good width!) and the 85 but as you will know by now, but I would personally swap the 63 for a Tabou 3S 96.
STARBOARD
Here is the new iSonic in the flesh
The left hand picture is of the 117 nicely decked out with Kovalski footstraps. Very tasty!
The picture on the right is of the iSonic 90 and I include it because of the extreme thinness of the tail - virtually a needle. This is going to be really easy through the chop but the upper wings still provide the width for lighter wind, getting started and to enable the board to accept longer fins.
SEVERNE
I need to report some trouble we are experiencing with Severne NCX sails. The stringers in these sails are breaking under downhaul tension causing immediate failure. The stringer is the reinforced strip which runs from the pulley all the way up to the top of the sail. My North Ram also failed on the stringer so it is not only Severne with this problem. Anyway, if this strip breaks, you will see strange effects in the sail panels. They will rip or the stitching will pull out. If this happens to you, don't just replace the panels and expect the problem to go away. The reason the panels tear is because the downhaul tension needs a place to go. With the stringer broken, it goes immediately through the panels which cannot withstand the strain. It pains me to report this because I have such a high regard for Severne sails. These guys get things right as a rule but they need to correct this problem on the NCX. I still rate it as an awesome sail (if the stringer decides to hold).
MATERIALS
I have had some inquiries from readers seeking clarification about grades of carbon fiber. You will see on North's website that their Platinum Aero masts are made from T 800 carbon fiber. Avanti's top masts are also made from this. The Starboard iSonics now incorporate T 700 fiber in their decks and undersides.
The T in these descriptions does not refer to some scientific measure - it stands for Toray (probably the top carbon fiber producer on the planet). The T numbers are Toray's own internal grading designations. T 800 is stronger and lighter than T 700. Both these grades are exceptionally high for the requirements of our sport. Toray's top fiber is designated T1000G. This is their lightest strongest material and if you plan to make a vehicle to send into space, this is the stuff you will use to build it. My hope is that someone will use T1000G for our stuff (boards, masts, booms) some day. Not cheap I suppose, but overkill appeals to me.
Talk to you soon
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