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Light-wind lake sailing - Ulrasonic 147 or Formula?
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rangerider



Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 4:00 pm    Post subject: Light-wind lake sailing - Ulrasonic 147 or Formula? Reply with quote

I am looking to maximize my planing time as well as time on the water. I have my windSup for overall use, to teach and to get out there as much as possible. I'm thinking of adding a board to try to maximize performance on marginal wind days. The board will be paired with my Ezzy Lion 9.5M sail initially although I might go for an 11-12M race sail if I enjoy the board. I am not planning on racing. I'm not sure what would be more fun - I like the idea of the Ultrasonic as easier to reach and gybe, alternatively I was thinking about a Formula Experience board and like the idea of the upwind/downwind performance for getting around the lake.

What would you choose?
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any light 80+ cm slalom board will plane up much sooner than the heavier Formula Experience boards, and coupled with a 50=62 fin, go upwind almost as high with a faster boatspeed.
Tacking easily is a problem.
Jibing is a HUGE plus.
Fun factor depends if you like tactical tacking moves, extreme angles, but always needing a 60+ fin as opposed to the 10 cm smaller fins you can use with any companies light wind slalom board.
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adywind



Joined: 08 Jan 2012
Posts: 665

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd go for the Ultrasonic. It's as close to Formula as it gets but less technical, lighter and more agile. Your WindSUP fills the 0-8 mph perfectly and the US can take it from there. What will be your next one down? I'm asking becouse you need to consider this as well. I skipped this pricey step and went directly to an 80 cm freeracer. I'm losing 2-3 mph in the low end , but gaining a lot in the upper end. I also didn't want to go bigger then a 9.0 sail.
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joethewindsufa



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1190
Location: Montréal

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ah, the ultimate question
what to use on a lake in light winds ?
depends on the size of the lake and how light the winds are
{obviously personal weight and skills play factors too}

as a heavyweight i use an old longboard on the small lake at the chalet
either the Fanatic Ultra CAT or BIC Dufour Wing - depending on where the CAT is - keep it for local windsurfing on the small river
I typically use a TR-6 8.4 sail on these boards

If the wind is over 10 knots i might use my FreeFormula which is a BIC Techno Formula of 94 cm width - this is close to the SB US 147 and JP SLW {with a TR-4 10-oh sail}

SB US 147 vs Formula ?? There is MUCH discussion on the SB forum.
For me personally it would be the SB US because I am not ready for 70 cm fins and 11+ m2 sails.
{as adywind says - close enough to Formula- MANY happy posters on SB}

Good luck and keep us informed
jw/joe windsurfer
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

adywind wrote:
I'd go for the Ultrasonic. It's as close to Formula as it gets but less technical, lighter and more agile. Your WindSUP fills the 0-8 mph perfectly and the US can take it from there. What will be your next one down? I'm asking becouse you need to consider this as well. I skipped this pricey step and went directly to an 80 cm freeracer. I'm losing 2-3 mph in the low end , but gaining a lot in the upper end. I also didn't want to go bigger then a 9.0 sail.

Actually I find my Exocet windsup best for 10-20 knots, at 10-12 I'm gliding and on and off the plane and above 12 planing nicely.
A really wide board with a huge sail could lower the threshold for planing maybe down to 9 knots depending upon your weight.
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rangerider



Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Next step down is JP x-cite ride 145L

Beaglebuddy - what fins have you tried with the windSup?

I honestly have yet to sail the windSup but should be on it all 3 days over Memorial Day weekend. It comes with a 44cm fin but I will pair it with my 48cm fin for the 9.5M sail. Whether I buy another board depends on how happy I am with its light-wind performance this weekend. If it is great then I will be satisfied with what I have, if I feel like there is still more to get then I will probably go for the US this year and hopefully call my quiver good for a few years. I don't want to lose any time this year waiting to buy a board, when I get time I want to go sailing regardless of the wind.
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adywind



Joined: 08 Jan 2012
Posts: 665

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sorry we are talking different Windsups here. Yours are more like windsurfing longboards that have a solid wind range. While mine is actually a SB Converse with added masttrack rather small for SUP standards at 9'/30". I'm using it in wind below 10mph for old school freestyling and wave riding on Lake Michigan when it's not enough for a short board it's pretty good for this tasks and I never intended to make it plane. It is a tri fin with a 26cm wave fin and I have to sink the windward rail to make it go upwind.
Yours are different game wit their big fins and maybe daggers too and they will go well inside the range of the Xcite Ride. In this case I don't see a point in purchasing any other light wind stuff. Save your money for a high wind "pocket rocket " instead.
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rangerider



Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

adywind, you are right, they are different longboards. I don't expect the windSup to be "fast" in light winds. If it planes up nicely in low-ish winds and is fun in those conditions I'll probably just enjoy it. I have watched YouTube videos of formula and the performance is pretty enticing considering the apparent wind conditions.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

rangerider wrote:
Next step down is JP x-cite ride 145L

Beaglebuddy - what fins have you tried with the windSup?



Well I broke the 44cm fairly early on and I didn't use it much for fear of breaking it which I did. So mostly I have been using a 15.5" slalom type fin. I used a similar fin that was about 12" and narrower and It didn't sail near as well. I just acquired a 45cm fin that came with a 2004 Mistral Explosion 150L, it's a bit wider and more swept back compared to the 44cm.
Mostly I sail it with an 8M Superfreak UL but I need about a 10M sail.
I'm starting to learn that it's much better to use a long fin because it allows you to stay upwind and better avoid shallow spots or objects, I ran into things more with shorter fins.
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 5:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i've used a 9.0 very successfully with the stock fin and outboard straps on the windSUP 11'8". mast base really far back to all the way back has worked best for me from 9.0 and down. keep the radius short when jibing. it will remain on a plane in some pretty low power app's that way. an extended arc requires way more wind. dunno if you will feel the need for another board, but you win all around no matter what you choose. each type of board, when taken to its limits, will teach you more about windsurfing.
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http://www.epicgearusa.com/
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