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jlooby
Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 69
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:58 am Post subject: Aerotech Phantom 7.5 |
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Thoughts on an Aerotech Phantom 7.5?
Currently my big sail is an Ezzy Cheetah 8.0. Love its smooth power and durability. Don't like its weight and handling in the waves.
185lbs sailing Lake Huron with a Fanatic Blast 130 (and maybe in future Starboard Kode 135 or similar). For 12-18kts we get pure bump and jump sailing hence the reasoning to go to more of a big 'wave' sail.
Thanks,
Joe |
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dhmark
Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 376
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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Just offering up another similar option, as a Lake Michigan sailor I understand your situation. Hotsailsmaui offers up Firelight 5 batten wave sail in a 7.5. I have smaller sizes and love the sail, good mix of light weight, handling, stability. The 7.5 has shorter luff and longer boom than Phantom but still very compact. I've used tall short boom sails (HSM Superfreak which you could consider but an 8.0 needs a 490 mast) and prefer the slightly shorter luff. I also sail 5-batten freeride Goya Nexus in a 6.9 (that goes up to 7.4) but it is a very free-racy sail, stiff and pre-shaped like an Ezzy, not wavy at all but good blasting sail. |
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jpf18
Joined: 13 Aug 2000 Posts: 347 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: Aerotech Phantom 7.5 |
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jlooby wrote: | Thoughts on an Aerotech Phantom 7.5? |
I keep an older Phanton 6.8 Cuben around that I sail perhaps four times a season. Few years back, I had the mast head blow out when downhauling. Sane thing on an Aerotech Air of the same vintage. I had both fixed and reenforced in a sail repair shop. No issue since, same can be said for a new ca. 2015 Air that I got since. It looks like the head blowing out has been addressed by Aerotech. The mast sleeve of my particular Phantom is rather thin, but that was by design at the time, again I am sure that's been changed as well. At any rate, don't expect anything durable as an Ezzy. They used to and probably still do use the best materials and have the best workmanship by far.
As for handling, if you're a bigger dude, the Phanton's for you. Big low end tractor torque to get planing and push off to get on a wave. If you have lots of chop to sail in overpowered conditions, it becomes a handful though. |
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NOVAAN
Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1544
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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Consider the Ezzy Zeta 6.8... Its a power wave sail with a big tuning range and lots of low end.. Rigs on a 460 |
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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i use the phantom 7.5 extensively. works well on my planing long board, cross 114 and 104. in flat water or waves.
some people think having a big pocket is good for lighter winds with their sails. i disagree. i pull the down haul to 480 on either an rdm or sdm. out haul to 195. works great.
for lighter wind i raise the boom and lessen the out haul by 2 cm.
for higher winds, i pull the out haul to 197 and use the lower clew grommet, plus lower the boom a bit. the down haul i keep at max. |
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capetonian
Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 1196 Location: Florida
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 8:56 am Post subject: |
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What about the Aerotech AirX 7.7? The sail designer/owner of Aerotech compared the 6.8 Phantom and the 7.0 AirX sails like this:
"The Phantom has a bit more stability and the 6.8 will have a bit more upper wind range then the 7.0 Air X. The Air X has a softer feel with the draft slightly further back. Low end power will be slightly more in the Air X. The Air X is also a bit softer through transitions." |
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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