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rangerider
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 206
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 11:50 pm Post subject: Exocet WindSUP 11'8" Review |
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Sailed this board the last three days on my lake in northern MN. My first sessions this year and had lots of fun. Winds were 10-20 knots I'd guess in the windier parts of the lake. I sailed with my Ezzy Lion 9.5 but should've tuned for higher winds or changed down today. I weigh 175 lbs and am an intermediate at best.
The board looks really nice and seems to be well made. I purchased it because I had heard that it has a huge wind range of use, could be used to teach (I'm trying to get my kids going), and could be SUPed on calm days.
The board is very stable and seems reasonably durable so far. I started with the foot straps inboard with the single rear center strap - this didn't work so well for me when powered up and moved them to the outboard position which was better but I had to work hard to keep my feet out of the water while working onto the plane to avoid catching.
The transition to planing is very smooth and the board is very comfortable to sail. It is a great platform for me to work on my gybes as it is stable but turns fairly easily with direct input - I had to concentrate on getting my weight near the rear straps to pivot the board.
The bard doesn't feel particularly fast compared to my x-cite ride 145L and I suppose it shouldn't although frankly it probably has a higher average speed and seems to plane a bit more in my typically variable conditions. I liked being able to put down the dagger board and head upwind in low wind (or higher winds when the gusts were too strong for me and the 9.5 sail).
I am pleased and pretty sure it will be my most used board - it replaces an old Mistral longboard that I learned on, in comparison it planes earlier and turns quicker but is also a bit more stable. Once planing it isn't as tiring or as much fun as the x-cite ride but my conditions only call for the x-cite ride occasionally. I look forward to trying it with my other sails and fins this season. I paired it with my 48cm freeride fin which seemed pretty good as long as I wasn't overpowered. Thanks. |
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 5:52 am Post subject: |
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glad you like the board. it is versatile. saturday, i had it out in some very widely ranging conditions with my 7.5 phantom. wind hit 22 mph, and i just kept the pedal to the metal. base all the way back, this board will scoot along fine. one of the interesting aspects of sailing any large board with modern sails, for control in the gusts, send the board on a very broad reach. gains one comfort and control instantaneously.
try it some time. control does not mean one has to be at speeds one is accustomed to. let the kit go as fast as it can, but well off the wind. you'll be surprised at how little need there is to go scurry in to rig down that way. quite liberating. _________________ www.aerotechsails.com
www.exocet-original.com
www.iwindsurf.com
http://www.epicgearusa.com/ |
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rangerider
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 206
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Thank you. I thought base back raised the nose and made the board plane early but lost control - base forward to plant the nose and gain control? I'm missing something. I left the base towards the back in any case and did bear off to gain control but that even got a little hairy. I got launched right out of the straps at one point which I blame on the booties and being a bit rusty and out of shape but it spooked me a bit being alone on a lake that was iced over 2 weeks ago - hence the desire to change down. I'm sure I haven't seen the full speed potential of the board. |
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d0uglass
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Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 1286 Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:47 am Post subject: |
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I also have the 11'8" and I like it.
Ingebritsen gave me the same tip about putting the mast base at or near the back of the track. It definitely improved the planing and maneuverability characteristics of the board- a bit when freeriding with a 9.5, but most noticeably when I was using smaller sails like a 6.8 and when I was waveriding with centered footstraps and a smaller fin.
The whole mast track is already pretty far forward on the windsup, the weight of the big front of the board helps keep itself down, and the step tail in the back prevents "wheelies." I think that's why the usual advice about mast base forward for control doesn't apply. I actually want the nose to ride high so it won't catch chop and slow me down / buck me off.
I also use the board for SUP and for teaching windsurfing, and it's good for both. _________________ James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html |
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Darbonne
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Joined: 27 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:57 am Post subject: |
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Not trying to hijack this thread, however I have been struggling with mast base placement on my Kona One. I have been sailing the Kona 9.0 in 10-15 mph winds and have been placing the base about 2 inches from full forward. I haven't tried moving it back yet. I am planing but not in the straps yet. I just don't know where it should be. There are numbers on the Kona mast track, but I don't know what they mean. |
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d0uglass
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Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 1286 Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 11:26 am Post subject: |
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The Kona One is kind of different from the WindSUP as far as mast base placement goes. It likes the mast base more forward. There's a good article about it on the Kona One website:
http://www.konaone.com/Page/723/tuning-/
The only thing I would add is that with smaller sails, non-Kona sails, and conditions where you're more concerned with free planing or wave riding than with upwind racing, you should put the mast base further back than those recommendations.
A couple years ago I did a long-distance upwind/downwind open ocean race on the Kona ONE with a 7.8 non-Kona sail. It was really windy, 100% planing conditions. I had the mast base in the middle for the upwind part, but for getting back downwind I had to move the base as far back as possible to keep from stuffing the nose into the back of the waves.
-James _________________ James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html |
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rangerider
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 206
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Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 11:45 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. I'll try it all the way back next time out to see how it feels. I agree about the nose, I'm glad it isn't lighter actually as it gets pretty floaty at speed.
I meant to put some tyvek tape on the bottom of the board at the front of the daggerboard slot to keep the front edges of the rubber lips from opening - I think this will lower drag and help speed a bit. We'll see. |
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 6:29 am Post subject: |
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rangerider, agreed with the tape. i've had mine sewn shut.
darbonne. if you can't get in your rear straps, raise your boom.
everyone who has a long board. these can take mammoth sails. if one is using a huge sail and fin, base forward. if one is trying to run around a arce course, base forward. if one is free riding and wavesailing with much smaller sails and fins, base all the way back. _________________ www.aerotechsails.com
www.exocet-original.com
www.iwindsurf.com
http://www.epicgearusa.com/ |
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Darbonne
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Joined: 27 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 6:48 am Post subject: |
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jingebritsen wrote: | rangerider, agreed with the tape. i've had mine sewn shut.
darbonne. if you can't get in your rear straps, raise your boom.
everyone who has a long board. these can take mammoth sails. if one is using a huge sail and fin, base forward. if one is trying to run around a arce course, base forward. if one is free riding and wavesailing with much smaller sails and fins, base all the way back. |
jingebritson. I am 5'11" and I am sailing with the boom one notch down from all the way up. I think I just need more practice. A bit of instruction would also help. Two steps forward, one step back. |
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d0uglass
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Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 1286 Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
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Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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rangerider wrote: | I meant to put some tyvek tape on the bottom of the board at the front of the daggerboard slot to keep the front edges of the rubber lips from opening - I think this will lower drag and help speed a bit. We'll see. |
I put a strip of Gorilla Tape over the front of the slot on mine for that purpose and I think it helped increase speed and planing and reduce splash-through. _________________ James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html |
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