The temperatures are going up, the snow and ice are melting. Guess that means it is time to put away my snow sailboard and ice sailboard. I am always sad to see them go into hibernation. They are so much fun ...
Well, so is water sailboarding !!!
OK, let's see where to go from here ...
My fins are covered from 34 cm to 48 cm in the power box version
and for the BIC Techno Formula/BTF trimm box as well - 58 cm weed and 66 cm race.
The sail range is covered well for my skills, light wind in the area and my weight - 6.3, 7-oh, MS-2 8-oh to be replaced with a TR-6 8.4 and a TR-4 10-oh. An 8.5 was my first new sail and that size is still my most used ...
The boards are covered, butt feel like they could use some "amelioration" or improvement.
The BTF has a trimm box that is prone to losing fins and the board is known to NOT be super fast. So far this has NOT been an issue, butt i do like to look at potential replacements well in advance. So far the replacement potential is Tinho's Z2 {Florida is far}, JP SLW92 {slow? } and perhaps SB US {fast}. There are now MANY other options in this category - freemoves are getting bigger and there is now a Falcon 152 which is quite wide ...Some of these boards are around $2000 %^&*()
The Fanatic Ultra CAT has seen better years. Will try to repair it and see one more time which board i prefer - BTF or CAT. The potential replacement for this is the Phantom Race 320 - the 377 is too $$$ and new - with those batwings ... The SB Phantom 320 is about $1400...
The AHD FastForward 160 is still a good board, butt feel i can do better. Discussed with Yvan of auventfou and Planchemag did a study where the AHD FF 130 was rated better than even the Fanatic Shark 130 !! AND there is a "white version" which only costs about $1100. The fin sucks, butt i have others ... Yvan feels i can sell my 160 for about $500...
The Fanatic BEE 124 LTD will NOT be replaced - will stay my high wind practice board :-)
If i went through with all of these changes - it would cost me about $4000.
Obviously i CANNOT do this and i have stuff to carry me through the year for now ...
Last year the CAT and BTF were the most used boards....about 73 % of the time ...
Another 25% of the time the AHD 160 was used and was fine.
Thus NO change for the shortboards - analyze the FreeFormula and the CAT...
AND So, my analysis of FreeFormula versus longboard will start soooon ....
Oh yeah - since i now have a GoPro capable of 720HD - there will be video coverage :-)
All i need to do is find some decent video editing software. Windows Movie Maker really sucks :(
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When I analyze what to use and under which conditions, I think I am well covered :-)
under 10 knots/ 20 kph - Fanatic CAT longboard with 8.x or 10-oh
around 10 knots - BIC FreeFormula with 10-oh and 66 cm fin
around 16 knots / 20-40 kph either BTF or AHD 160 with 8.x using 48 cm fin
around 20 knots / 30-50 AHD 160 or BEE 124 with 7-oh using 40 cm fin
around 25 knots Fanatic BEE LTD 124 with 6.3 using 34 cm fin
over that - i'm dunn
i only use weed fins when absolutely necessary - NOT a big fan
so, what is my dream quiver ?? :-)
under 10 knots SB Phantom 377 with 8.4 or 10-oh/or in excellent condition Fanatic Mega CAT :-)
around 10 knots SB US or JP SLW92 with 10-oh and 8.4 in more wind
around 16 knots 135 free-race board with 8.4 => probably not required
Tabou Rocket 125 somewhere in here/JP Supersport 125 somewhere in here
around 20 knots 115 litre more manoeuverable board with 6.3 or 7-oh
around 25 knots 115 with 5.7 or 6.3
and be able to go in stronger winds and bigger chop/waves :-)
sometimes wish one had the cash to just try different boards and sell what does not work
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
how about analysis by board type
at this time - ready to invest in longboard - not really
ready to invest in Formula - NON
in mini-Formula = YES
in free-race = YES
so, without any testing, IF required i would be willing to save towards free-race and/or mini-Formula
am guessing the mini-Formula will beat out the longboard and one day i will end up with a wide, large board - like the JP SLW92 ....
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an element NOT to be overlooked are the current SKILLS !!
for example : i read on the Auzzie forum about heavyweights planing in 15 to 20 knot winds with a 6.5
in 15 knot winds i am with an 8.x and 6.3 towards the 20 knot point ...
all this to say - a quiver is useless without some skills
unfortunately last year winds were NOT great and i did NOT practice footstraps
i DID practice beachstarts and a little bit of waterstarts
to GET to the next level i MUST overcome my fear of footstraps and MASTER water starts
part of the problem is : it is difficult for a heavyweight to practice these things in light winds
the footstraps WILL be mastered on the BTF/BIC Techno Formula which is already used in lighter winds
the waterstarts need stronger winds or the sail is too large to master - Helmut suggests 7-oh and down
once i get IN the footstraps , water start anywhere and BLAST i hope to get a GPS
it seems the standard is the Locosys GT-31 which can be found on e-bay for about $150
another thing to start saving for - or is this really required ??
ideally could just use something that shows current speed - how about car Garmin in an aquabag ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
regarding the longboard and FreeFormula discussion:
I just re-read an article in the June 1999 edition of the Windsurfing Magazine. It was about the F2 380, the F2 Phoenix and the AHD 299. The F2 380 was classified as a full-length longboard, the F2 Phoenix 320 was classified as a transition longboard and the AHD 299 was classified as a wide shortboard. In today's world I would extrapolate this to the Starboard Phantom 377, SB Phantom 320 and the JP SLW92. In the article it was clear that under 8 mph the wide shortboard did NOT have a chance. The 380 was better than the 320 by about one or two mph. At about 10 mph they all did well and if there were no lulls, the wide short board was unbeatable.
So, as usual, it all comes down to wind speed and consistency.
Under 10 knots one should use a longboard and if into racing - a full-length 380 longboard.
If racing open class and wishing to save some money - transition 320 longboard.
Over 10 knots it becomes a personal choice where the wider shortboard will be faster.
Personally enjoy the speed and ride of my FreeFormula 94 cm wide board. As such, I do not see myself purchasing a modern longboard - nor even a modern hybrid.
If and when the BIC Techno Formula breaks down - the JP SLW92 will probably be the replacement board.
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Have picked up my MauiSails TR-6 8.4 and tested it on the water with the Fanatic Ultra CAT twice. Now the sail quiver is definitely complete. In terms of boards I am covered as well. Now all i need is some wind and the time to go out :-) As stated thus far it has mostly been light winds with the CAT and 8.4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are now in August 2013 and I can describe what has worked so far this year, what has not and the "events" of the year. First event was the MauiSails TR-4 10-oh head cap no longer retains the mast. The mast pops through the top. This is apparently a known problem and local sail shop can repair this for under $100. In the meantime the BTF and 10-oh combo is NOT being used :-(
The clip broke on the mast base of the FUC board {Fanatic Ultra CAT}. I was able to repair it with crazee glue - epoxy did NOT hold. Unfortunately this is now a weak point on the board and i am now reluctant to take this board far out into Lac de Deux Montagnes. I started analysing and looking at SB Phantom 320s and Kona ONEs. They are too much money. Mostly use the CAT on the local river - will use the Dufour next spring instead and keep the CAT in the country until replaced.
The MS2 8-oh now has broken battens that i tried to repair and in the end i removed the cambers on the sail. This works well on the CAT/longboards and the AHD 160 when choppy ie easier to uphaul than the TR-6 8.4. Also, the AHD has been going really well with 8.x and 7-oh ie i am enjoying that board.
Tried Sailboarder's KONA ONE - which planes well after about 12 knots, but does NOT glide as well as the FUC / CAT. Was also looking at a Phantom 320, butt not ready to spend $900 on board that needs repairs on the bottom ...
And so, i will continue with what i have, but replace the CAT with the Dufour when spring comes - for sailing on the local river, and get the TR-4 10-oh repaired.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now in OCT 2013 - Tried to fix the CAT and purchased a Mistral Equipe I LCS-XR. Could NOT see myself starting 2014 without a good longboard - nor ending 2013 with the BIC Dufour... Both the CAT and the Equipe are like a modern hybrid, but glide better than the KONA that I tested. I almost purchased a KONA and then considered selling almost everything to cover the cost. The fellow selling would not go for $1200 and now his price is even lower. Feels like we both lost out. In terms of the TR-6 8.4 sail, I do like it, but find with my skills - when winds are tough with some chop , i do not like having to uphaul this sail. I MUST learn to water start - especially the TR. The first experiments indicate that I must get a new life jacket that will sustain me up while water starting. Unfortunately the season is ending with few windsurf sessions -- September had four(4) sessions and this month only three(3) so far with the month half over... Helmut will be putting his stuff away soon and the mitts will be out with the next session surely.
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1) need a new life jacket for water starts and safety - purchased in 2014
2) really like and use a no cam 8-oh - mine is OLD - purchased in 2014
3) one day need to replace the 7-oh - purchased in 2014
4) the 10-oh needs a $100 repair - sail NOT used this year - found work-around in 2014
Well, so is water sailboarding !!!
OK, let's see where to go from here ...
My fins are covered from 34 cm to 48 cm in the power box version
and for the BIC Techno Formula/BTF trimm box as well - 58 cm weed and 66 cm race.
The sail range is covered well for my skills, light wind in the area and my weight - 6.3, 7-oh, MS-2 8-oh to be replaced with a TR-6 8.4 and a TR-4 10-oh. An 8.5 was my first new sail and that size is still my most used ...
The boards are covered, butt feel like they could use some "amelioration" or improvement.
The BTF has a trimm box that is prone to losing fins and the board is known to NOT be super fast. So far this has NOT been an issue, butt i do like to look at potential replacements well in advance. So far the replacement potential is Tinho's Z2 {Florida is far}, JP SLW92 {slow? } and perhaps SB US {fast}. There are now MANY other options in this category - freemoves are getting bigger and there is now a Falcon 152 which is quite wide ...Some of these boards are around $2000 %^&*()
The Fanatic Ultra CAT has seen better years. Will try to repair it and see one more time which board i prefer - BTF or CAT. The potential replacement for this is the Phantom Race 320 - the 377 is too $$$ and new - with those batwings ... The SB Phantom 320 is about $1400...
The AHD FastForward 160 is still a good board, butt feel i can do better. Discussed with Yvan of auventfou and Planchemag did a study where the AHD FF 130 was rated better than even the Fanatic Shark 130 !! AND there is a "white version" which only costs about $1100. The fin sucks, butt i have others ... Yvan feels i can sell my 160 for about $500...
The Fanatic BEE 124 LTD will NOT be replaced - will stay my high wind practice board :-)
If i went through with all of these changes - it would cost me about $4000.
Obviously i CANNOT do this and i have stuff to carry me through the year for now ...
Last year the CAT and BTF were the most used boards....about 73 % of the time ...
Another 25% of the time the AHD 160 was used and was fine.
Thus NO change for the shortboards - analyze the FreeFormula and the CAT...
AND So, my analysis of FreeFormula versus longboard will start soooon ....
Oh yeah - since i now have a GoPro capable of 720HD - there will be video coverage :-)
All i need to do is find some decent video editing software. Windows Movie Maker really sucks :(
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I analyze what to use and under which conditions, I think I am well covered :-)
under 10 knots/ 20 kph - Fanatic CAT longboard with 8.x or 10-oh
around 10 knots - BIC FreeFormula with 10-oh and 66 cm fin
around 16 knots / 20-40 kph either BTF or AHD 160 with 8.x using 48 cm fin
around 20 knots / 30-50 AHD 160 or BEE 124 with 7-oh using 40 cm fin
around 25 knots Fanatic BEE LTD 124 with 6.3 using 34 cm fin
over that - i'm dunn
i only use weed fins when absolutely necessary - NOT a big fan
so, what is my dream quiver ?? :-)
under 10 knots SB Phantom 377 with 8.4 or 10-oh/or in excellent condition Fanatic Mega CAT :-)
around 10 knots SB US or JP SLW92 with 10-oh and 8.4 in more wind
around 16 knots 135 free-race board with 8.4 => probably not required
Tabou Rocket 125 somewhere in here/JP Supersport 125 somewhere in here
around 20 knots 115 litre more manoeuverable board with 6.3 or 7-oh
around 25 knots 115 with 5.7 or 6.3
and be able to go in stronger winds and bigger chop/waves :-)
sometimes wish one had the cash to just try different boards and sell what does not work
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
how about analysis by board type
at this time - ready to invest in longboard - not really
ready to invest in Formula - NON
in mini-Formula = YES
in free-race = YES
so, without any testing, IF required i would be willing to save towards free-race and/or mini-Formula
am guessing the mini-Formula will beat out the longboard and one day i will end up with a wide, large board - like the JP SLW92 ....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
an element NOT to be overlooked are the current SKILLS !!
for example : i read on the Auzzie forum about heavyweights planing in 15 to 20 knot winds with a 6.5
in 15 knot winds i am with an 8.x and 6.3 towards the 20 knot point ...
all this to say - a quiver is useless without some skills
unfortunately last year winds were NOT great and i did NOT practice footstraps
i DID practice beachstarts and a little bit of waterstarts
to GET to the next level i MUST overcome my fear of footstraps and MASTER water starts
part of the problem is : it is difficult for a heavyweight to practice these things in light winds
the footstraps WILL be mastered on the BTF/BIC Techno Formula which is already used in lighter winds
the waterstarts need stronger winds or the sail is too large to master - Helmut suggests 7-oh and down
once i get IN the footstraps , water start anywhere and BLAST i hope to get a GPS
it seems the standard is the Locosys GT-31 which can be found on e-bay for about $150
another thing to start saving for - or is this really required ??
ideally could just use something that shows current speed - how about car Garmin in an aquabag ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
regarding the longboard and FreeFormula discussion:
I just re-read an article in the June 1999 edition of the Windsurfing Magazine. It was about the F2 380, the F2 Phoenix and the AHD 299. The F2 380 was classified as a full-length longboard, the F2 Phoenix 320 was classified as a transition longboard and the AHD 299 was classified as a wide shortboard. In today's world I would extrapolate this to the Starboard Phantom 377, SB Phantom 320 and the JP SLW92. In the article it was clear that under 8 mph the wide shortboard did NOT have a chance. The 380 was better than the 320 by about one or two mph. At about 10 mph they all did well and if there were no lulls, the wide short board was unbeatable.
So, as usual, it all comes down to wind speed and consistency.
Under 10 knots one should use a longboard and if into racing - a full-length 380 longboard.
If racing open class and wishing to save some money - transition 320 longboard.
Over 10 knots it becomes a personal choice where the wider shortboard will be faster.
Personally enjoy the speed and ride of my FreeFormula 94 cm wide board. As such, I do not see myself purchasing a modern longboard - nor even a modern hybrid.
If and when the BIC Techno Formula breaks down - the JP SLW92 will probably be the replacement board.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have picked up my MauiSails TR-6 8.4 and tested it on the water with the Fanatic Ultra CAT twice. Now the sail quiver is definitely complete. In terms of boards I am covered as well. Now all i need is some wind and the time to go out :-) As stated thus far it has mostly been light winds with the CAT and 8.4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are now in August 2013 and I can describe what has worked so far this year, what has not and the "events" of the year. First event was the MauiSails TR-4 10-oh head cap no longer retains the mast. The mast pops through the top. This is apparently a known problem and local sail shop can repair this for under $100. In the meantime the BTF and 10-oh combo is NOT being used :-(
The clip broke on the mast base of the FUC board {Fanatic Ultra CAT}. I was able to repair it with crazee glue - epoxy did NOT hold. Unfortunately this is now a weak point on the board and i am now reluctant to take this board far out into Lac de Deux Montagnes. I started analysing and looking at SB Phantom 320s and Kona ONEs. They are too much money. Mostly use the CAT on the local river - will use the Dufour next spring instead and keep the CAT in the country until replaced.
The MS2 8-oh now has broken battens that i tried to repair and in the end i removed the cambers on the sail. This works well on the CAT/longboards and the AHD 160 when choppy ie easier to uphaul than the TR-6 8.4. Also, the AHD has been going really well with 8.x and 7-oh ie i am enjoying that board.
Tried Sailboarder's KONA ONE - which planes well after about 12 knots, but does NOT glide as well as the FUC / CAT. Was also looking at a Phantom 320, butt not ready to spend $900 on board that needs repairs on the bottom ...
And so, i will continue with what i have, but replace the CAT with the Dufour when spring comes - for sailing on the local river, and get the TR-4 10-oh repaired.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now in OCT 2013 - Tried to fix the CAT and purchased a Mistral Equipe I LCS-XR. Could NOT see myself starting 2014 without a good longboard - nor ending 2013 with the BIC Dufour... Both the CAT and the Equipe are like a modern hybrid, but glide better than the KONA that I tested. I almost purchased a KONA and then considered selling almost everything to cover the cost. The fellow selling would not go for $1200 and now his price is even lower. Feels like we both lost out. In terms of the TR-6 8.4 sail, I do like it, but find with my skills - when winds are tough with some chop , i do not like having to uphaul this sail. I MUST learn to water start - especially the TR. The first experiments indicate that I must get a new life jacket that will sustain me up while water starting. Unfortunately the season is ending with few windsurf sessions -- September had four(4) sessions and this month only three(3) so far with the month half over... Helmut will be putting his stuff away soon and the mitts will be out with the next session surely.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) need a new life jacket for water starts and safety - purchased in 2014
2) really like and use a no cam 8-oh - mine is OLD - purchased in 2014
3) one day need to replace the 7-oh - purchased in 2014
4) the 10-oh needs a $100 repair - sail NOT used this year - found work-around in 2014
Placed my comment on wrong topic, so forgive me if redundant. I have the SB Phantom 320 and works very well in 5-25 mph winds. I supplement with a Fanatic shark 135 for winds >15 up to about 30. Just change fins and works well. I have 95% of my sailing met and will rent smaller boards when I go to a high wind area. My usual windsurfing is in-land lake.
ReplyDeleteNO issue - deleted the "other" comment
Deleteyou seem to have a dream quiver :-)
both boards favour high on my short list !!!