Exocet 11'8 and Bic 293

[outhaul]

I have the Exocet 11'8 WindSup and love it but want to add a second board both for myself and family to use. At the top of my list is the Bic 293— regular Core not OD, or Nova 205 (same board but with a 3/4 EVA deck pad and smaller fin)
Reasonably priced, light for size, durable, etc. I'm pretty sure my 13 year-old will love it but was wondering how it might perform for me, 210 lbs, with a 50cm fin and 8.5m sail, vs the 11'8 in 15-22ish mph Lake Michigan swell, common conditions here.
I was thinking the 293 might actually be faster, with the right fin of course, and provide a bit of variety. I know the Bic will be more rigid when hitting chop, but not sure about speed, it'd be great to hear from those who have sailed both or at least the Bic properly finned and powered up.
The Bic now has a deep tuttle box so adding a big fin is not an issue. Thanks.

[outcast]

Actually, you may have a blast.
Bic ran a Techno 293 race series for a while, as a one-design slalomyy thing (and with a junior division)

8.5 might be a tad much, but it's fast enough.

13 would love either. My kids track better on a longer board with tracking more of an issue sice they are either daydreaming or have no idea where the wind is from. 13yo might sup the 293 pretty easy

[outcast]

Oh...
They are still running same
http://www.techno293.org/

[boardsurfr]

I sailed the Techno 293 for many years. Mine had two 29 cm fins and no dagger board. It handled an 8.5 m sail without any problems. The 43 cm fin that comes with the Techno 293 D will probably be ok for an 8.5, but if you get the Nova, you'll definitely need to get a bigger fin. But the soft deck on the Nova is a big plus for learning and light wind freestyle.

The board is quite fast for its size, wide enough to learn on, durable, and long enough to have a decent glide in light wind. I liked it a lot while I sailed it.

While the Techno 293 is nice for learning, light wind, and some high wind play, it is not the best board if you want to improve quickly. The high volume and width means it will forgive minor errors, like incorrect foot placement. That's great when you start, but if you stay on it for too long, you may develop bad habits that will limit your progress later. The same is true for the Exocet, though, and the BIC will be livelier. I think you'll like it.

[Sailboarder]

I also considered a Bic and finally settled for a Kona One for similar use.

The kids love the soft deck and the daggerboard is good. The lenght makes it faster for them than a shorter board that would still float them well. They prefer it over 2 older longboards and a shorter Starsurfer. It's way preferred also compared to a Starboard Start that was available at some point, as soon as they figured how to balance a bit. They like the better glide.

I unfortunately never tried a Bic 293. What made me choose the Kona is the larger volume to support my own 210#. The standard fin is 46, and I use it with 9.0. People say that you can use up to 50 on the board if you are heavy.

[jingebritsen]

i watched for years every summer, the kids at calema's kids camps would vie or argue for using the kona one's the most.

i thought the 160ish liter nova was fantastic for its price when we tested it for the mag. didn't have any expectations for super high performance, but it was lots of fun.

[d0uglass]

In non-planing conditions, the much shorter length and somewhat lesser volume of the Bic boards will probably make them slower and less fun for you than the 11'8". (To get non-planing performance that doesn't feel like "shlogging," you generally need at least 300 cm of length, and more volume in liters than your body weight in pounds.)

In 15-22 mph planing conditions you might like the "shortboard" feel of the Bics... but you might also miss the swell-riding smoothness and maneuverability of the 11'8". The Bics might have a little better speed and acceleration than the 11'8", but I don't think they will plane earlier.

Your kids might like the padded deck on the Nova 205 better than the unpadded one on the 293.

I'd say the Nova 205 would be a safe bet as a second family board, if you're looking for something with a more shortboardy feel than the 11'8".

[TheAdmiral]

Hi, I'm in Florida(west coast)and regularly sail a bic 293od.This board planes very early,handles sails up to 9.5. Long length gives it glide and it sails like a much smaller board.I removed the center board and used plexi glass to close the opening. This lightened the board and made it plane both early and smooth.Go to U-Tube and watch (Karolwaluszewski) both plane and gybe a 293.The video is under how to gybe a windsurfer. Mark

[outhaul]

[d0uglass]