New Equipment Feedback

Hi
In this post I will give some feedback on the Savage 7.8, the 2012 Falcon 113 and a brief comment on the Tabou 3S 96l but first let me tell you what happened regarding my search for a good waist harness.

As I mentioned last time I have planned to get a decent waist harness.  The hook on my old one rides up and my ribs and back get punished.  Waist harnesses are not generally used by my fellow slalom sailors here.  The local blasters are really seat harness people who give you strange looks if you rock up in anything else.  The upshot is that we know mighty little about waist harnesses.

I did some research and the waist harness I would choose is the Mystic Shadow - a serious and elegant piece of engineering.
 


















Unfortunately the Mystic suppliers here are all kite shops and do not stock windsurfing stuff.  Anyway, I decided to look at some kite harnesses and went into the Kitelab here in Langebaan.  A consignment of Dakine's Pyro waist harnesses had just arrived and the price was excellent.  I decided to buy one and give it a go.





If you decide to try a kiting harness I would avoid this type of hook.  I believe that they refer to it as a hammerhead spreader.  I suspect that it would be difficult for us to unhook quickly from this.







The good price on the Pyro allowed me to take a gamble on the thing.

  



Note that the hook looks a lot like a windsurfing hook and the whole thing is really well made (it is the top of their range).  I have now used the harness quite a few times and must say that on the water it is excellent.  It gives massive lumbar support and is ridiculously comfortable.  Hooking and unhooking is totally trouble free.  I'm stoked!  What a pleasure when a piece of equipment does exactly what it purports to do.  Who would have thought that the dark side could produce something this good for a windsurfer!

I have also had the opportunity to do some sailing with the 7.8 Savage against Gareth on his cammed 7.5m.  I definitely struggle to get going as quickly as he does.  I also battle to stay upwind of him on a run.  We are going to do a lot more sailing with these two sails and I will keep you informed.  The things I have no problem with, are sailing the Savage overpowered at speed, gybing with no rotating problems, easy downhauling etc.

I am getting used to my Falcon 113 and the process is interesting.  The board is nowhere near as quick to plane as my old Falcon 104 so it needs power.  When it gets going it is way more controllable over rough water at speed.  I need to re-set all my equipment combinations for the various wind strengths.  This board is going to be ridden in far greater wind strengths than the 104.  I know that a forward mast foot position is recommended but I go quite nicely with a mid track setting when using the 6.4m Cross.  With the 7.8 Savage it seemed to work well at the front but I'm not totally sure yet.

Andy very kindly suggested that I ride his 3S 96 and give you some feedback.  I took it out today with a Select Eagle 29 fin underneath and my Tushingham Storm 5.0m on top.  A nice combination I think, but the wind was far too strong.  I got flattened so could not give it a fair run.  The few gybes I managed were unbelievably easy however.  The 3S supports you beautifully through every stage of the carve.  A bit of witchcraft right there.  I look forward to doing more on this board and Anthony has said that I can take his 3S 86 out as well for comparison.    Watch this space.

Talk to you soon  

  

Savage 7.8 Feedback

Hi
Sorry for the break but I have been quite busy sailing.  The Savage 7.8m is proving a really nice sail for fully powered blasting.  As previously stated it is not good in really light winds but this should not be an issue for the type of sailor who is going to buy this model.  If you need to go in really light winds use a 9m+ cambered sail on a floaty slalom board.  This 7.8 is for the blasting specialist.  Gareth and I may get the chance to do some back to back comparisons (cammed freerace/Savage) today since the wind is lighter than it has been for the past week.

I discovered that I am able to sail the Savage using a waist harness.  This is interesting because I was never able to do this with my North Ram 7.8m.  I don't seem to have the strength or weight to trim a big cambered race sail with a waist harness.  The fact that I can sail the Savage comfortably with a waist harness indicates how user friendly it is.  This development got me thinking about waist harnesses.  My current harness is not up to scratch so I decided to get something which works properly.  I will cover this over the next few posts and give some feedback on my options, the choice I made and the results.

I have replaced my beloved Falcon 104 with a 2012 Falcon 113 and I will be giving some feedback on this board in the weeks to come.  I rode the 113 yesterday and it really hauls ass in strong wind.  Not as comfortable as the Manta 71 nor as floaty in the gybes but it is going to be a lot of fun getting to grips with it this season.

Talk to you soon

New Falcons and some 7.8m Feedback

Hi

Those of you who watch these things will have noticed that the 2013 Fanatic performance boards have been posted onto the site.  The new Falcons look great as usual and they have included a 152L (90cm wide) board in the line-up.  This is good news and will be something to consider against the Starboard Ultrasonic 147L.  I wish that I could get hold of these two boards for some back to back testing.  Not likely unfortunately.  The small and medium Falcons seem little changed from last year but the bigger boards now have cut-outs under them.


The Falcon teaser video is worth watching and contains some nice gybing footage.

Look out for:

• Entry speed (most of us enter the gybe way too slowly - watch these guys!) 
• Knees bent pointing at the center of the carving circle, arms straight
• Flare/step/flip (in that order!)
• Maintain weight on the inside rail and look out of the gybe in the direction of the exit line.

The other model of interest to me is the Hawk.  I watched them testing the new 97L here last year and it cooked over the chop.  Maybe not as fast as the Rockets but probably more fun.

If you're considering this board please go for the Ltd edition.  Much lighter!



I promised to give feedback on my new Savage 7.8 and a few of you have contacted me asking for details.  The wind has been a bit scarce over the last few weeks so I have only used this sail 3 times - twice in very light wind.  The one decent sail I had was great.  The wind was strong for a 7.8 and I could easily have sailed with my 6.4 Cross but the sailing was fast, easy and comfortable with the extra sail area.  The sail is extremely stable when powered up (solid as a rock) and the low swing weight and instant rotation make gybing a pleasure. 

On the down side I really battled in the light winds.  When off the plane the sail feels heavy and lifeless.  I have to say that there were times when I felt that I could definitely have got going with my old North Ram but just bobbed on the Savage, pumping to no avail and taking major strain to back and legs.

My feeling now is that if you are a heavy sailor you probably need to look at a cammed sail in the big sizes.  If you are a smaller sailor and 7.5 is going to be your biggest sail then also consider cams.  I am totally relaxed since I have 9m and 9.8m sails for light winds, both with cams.  I'm sure that I am going to have a really good season with the Savage.  I may need to hold on to the 9m a bit longer than when I was using the 7.8m Ram.  The wind strengths that I sail it in will be greater than for the Ram.  It is early days however and I will continue to give feedback as soon as Gareth gets here (3 weeks time).  We can then do some direct comparisons on the water between the Savage and his cammed slalom sail.

Talk to you soon     

New Severne Kit

Hi
Severne has uploaded details of most of the 2013 equipment onto its site.  These guys continue to improve and innovate.  The race sails are only due for release in December but everything else seems to be there.  The (non-racing) sails which are of interest to us here in Langebaan are Blade, Gator, NCX, and Turbo.  Each of these sails looks stunning and I look forward to seeing them on the water.

GATOR (SMALL)

GATOR (LARGE)

TURBO

NCX

The new Red Line rdm masts are also out and to my delight appear to be the lightest rdm's on the market.  I thought that North had cracked it with the Aero Platinum mast but Severne leads on weight.  Fantastic!  Severne seems really serious about becoming a one stop, quality shop for all sail and rig components.  Their carbon booms have been re-designed and now incorporate new ergonomic shapes and a cleaver "lock jaw front end".  They have also improved their excellent Grenade carbon wave extension.  All most impressive.
  



Talk to you soon    

Some Feedback and new Equipment

Hi
I will share with you some of the feedback I have had from readers because the decisions we wrestle with in this sport are quite universal.

Dani Bonamusa e-mailed me for advice about re-structuring his board and sail quiver.  He has a 122l X-Fire, a Manta 69 and a Freewave 95 with sails - 9.2m Turbo, 7.5m NCX, 6.7m Hellcat and a 5.2m wave sail.  In my opinion a great selection of sail and board sizes.  Dani wants to streamline and is considering going down to 2 boards - 1 slalom and a freeride.  His idea is that he sells his two existing slalom boards and replaces them with a Manta 71.  He would then buy an 8.6m race sail (to replace his 9.2, I assume).  This would leave him with the Manta 71, the Fanatic 95 and a nice spread of sails.  I have to say that if I were forced to pick only one slalom board it would definitely be the Manta 71.  It has the flotation to carry big sails but is also fantastically manageable over rough water in strong winds.  The 95 is also a great partner for this board.  I think that Dani's plan is absolutely correct.  What he has to recognize however, is that the 71 is not going to be able to sail in as light a wind as his current 122l RRD.  You can't have everything.

If Dani goes ahead with his plan, his equipment will cover a huge wind range.  Furthermore, if he finds that he is missing out too much in light winds, then he can buy a Manta 84 with a 10m (ish) sail to give a truly top notch quiver with the correct spacing between boards.  If I were Dani and I decided to go with the 2 board choice, I would try the 71 with the existing 9.2 Turbo before selling it.  The board may just hold the Turbo easily and he could save some money.

Both Tabou and Gaastra are getting their 2013 equipment loaded onto their respective sites.  The race stuff is still not loaded but the other equipment is there.  Tabou has quite a nice concept - the Product Lightbox which details on a simple diagram what conditions/sails their respective board shapes are designed for.  I note that the diagram has incorrectly placed the Manta and the Rocket on the wheel.  Not serious but it shows the importance of getting a windsurfer to proof read material before it is loaded onto the site.  You or I can pick this sort of mistake up in seconds.  A web design guy - not so fast.

North has put some new hardware on its site.  The new UNI.XT extensions look great I have to say (where are the carbon fiber ones guys?)  Their new Platinum Aero masts also look like something special.  Look at the weights of the RDM masts.  Excellent!  I am excited about these masts because I have found that North masts are compatible with most sail brands.  I have a current model 460 Platinum and it is a fine product but too heavy.  The new Aero puts this right.  Nice work North!

Our season is about to start.  Winter is releasing its grip and our summer wind patterns are beginning to return.  As soon as I have the chance to test any of the new equipment I will report back.  I have bought the Savage 7.8 and am looking forward to giving it a proper test.

Good winds

        




NORTH UNI.XT EXTENSIONS





THE NEW NORTH PLATINUM AERO MAST TECH SHEET

AERO SDM

Length (cm)	IMCS	Sail Range (2011)	Weight (kg)	Carbon (%)	Carbon Fibre Quality
430	21	5.0 - 6.9	1.4	100	T 800
460	25	5.4 - 8.4 (9.5*)	1.55	100	T 800
490	28	8.0 - 9.0	1.75	100	T 800

AERO RDM

Length (cm)	IMCS	Sail Range (2011)	Weight (kg)	Carbon (%)	Carbon Fibre Quality
370	17	3.0 - 4.5	1.15	100	T 800
400	19	3.7 - 5.7 (6.2*)	1.25	100	T 800
430	21	5.4 - 6.9	1.45	100	T 800

PWA Alacati

Hi

The Alacati event is well underway with the usual suspects at the front of the field.  The first three places in each of the winners finals so far are as follows:

Race 1                  Vd Steen
                             Dunkerbeck
                             Albeau

Race 2                  Albeau
                             Buzainis
                             Frans

Race 3                  Albeau
                             Vd Steen
                            Menegatti

Race 4                 Volwater
                            Vd Steen
                            Williams

Race 5                 Albeau
                            Vd Steen
                            Toselli

Race 6                 Albeau
                           Williams
                           Dunkerbeck

Points to note are Peter Volwater's great run in the 4th race and the fact that Ross Williams is making his presence felt.  Also, Taty Frans is causing some alarm.  Watch this guy if he decides to stay with slalom.   Bear in mind that the above heats are the culmination of all of the eliminating heats and just to get into them is the mark of a slalom master.
If you click on "Elimination 4 Mens Final" on the PWA TV section of the PWA site you can see the Volwater bullet on video.  Nice race and those of you keen on the Manta 71, watch Ross hold his own against the world's best (he is on the 71 and 7.9m Vapor.  Peter is on his Falcon 113 and Avanti 7.7m)  Ross comes in third after being pipped at the very end by Ben.
 

The standard of sailing at Alacati is off the chart.

New 2013 Equipment

Hi
I'll use this post to provide information on a few boards and sails which may be of interest to us and also to share some of the feedback I've had from readers.




The new Mantas are in the final stages of being nailed down and here is the up to date picture as far as I can establish.  You will note that the 85 has been dropped.  I have had queries about which model is best - 84 or 85.  I think that the 2013 line-up indicates that the 84 is the shape they are pinning their hopes on so if you want my  advice between the two sizes -  I would go for the 84.  Also note that they are marking the 61, 71, and 84 as new shapes.  My feeling is that they have used the same geometry as the 71 for each of these new shapes so each of these 3 boards needs to be taken really seriously.




This is the new Thunder, a model they bill as an early planing freeride board in 110/70, 120/75, 130/80 litres/cm wide.  I'm not all that interested in these boards but if you have a partner who is learning, then one of these could be something to buy.  Way better than any training board since you can use it yourself in light wind/ocean swells.




The Rocket continues to evolve and improve.  What more can one say.  The interesting thing for us is the fact that the 105 is now 63 cm wide (as opposed to 62cm).  This effectively moves it apart a bit from the 95 which is still 58cm wide.  Nice!





Gaastra's new Vapor looks amazing once again.  Note that they have dropped the enclosed clew for a more normal inset position.  I think that this is a good thing.  I am not a great fan of either the enclosed clew or the huge overhanging batten above the boom.  This overhang doesn't look too obtrusive - we'll have to wait until we have one on the beach and I'll give my verdict.  They have dropped the enclosed clew for all of their performance sails (Vapor, Phantom and Savage) and we await their appearance here for testing and comparison.




Starboard has taken the concept of its 117wide iSonic and tweaked it, reducing the volume by 7 liters.  They now have an iSonic of 110 liters in volume but 75cm wide - so an extremely flat, light board.  Interesting and something I would really like to test.  I have a good feeling about this board for light to moderate winds where I'm betting it is a rocket ship.

Feedback
Thank you to those of you who have given feedback on equipment bought.  I am surprised at how many of you have bought Manta 71's.  I'm not surprised to learn that you are enjoying them and setting personal best speeds for this size of board.  Great stuff.  What is coming through from the guys who have given feedback is that once you ride a 71, your intention to also buy a 79 Manta changes immediately and you start looking at an 84 or 85.  I have made my recommendation between these two boards in the text above.

Eric Kamminga reminded me of the floatability of the 71.  It's nose has that extra volume which gives so much confidence.  I don't think I commented on this specific attribute when I reviewed the board but as soon as I read his comment I knew exactly what he was talking about.  Eric was sailing with a power sailor who easily maintained a 79kph average on the 71 in (from what I gather) quite unremarkable winds.  Other comments regarding the 71 include the comfort afforded by the straps (how they are positioned and how they feel).  This is quite an important thing and one which we don't really pay enough attention to.  Remember comfort = speed!

Talk to you soon