Author Topic: Foote Downwinder takes shape  (Read 14113 times)

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Foote Downwinder takes shape
« on: September 24, 2008, 04:50:36 PM »
Here are some shots that Bill sent when she was fresh out of the shaping machine.  This is on its way to becoming a 14 footer.  Since these were taken, its been hand shaped.  Now it gets a bunch of holes bored out of it for weight savings, a thin EVA deck vacuum bagged on for strenghth, and then a nice carbon wrapper.  STOKED!






Dwight (DW)

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2008, 05:06:46 PM »
What was the design goal with this board?

Interesting that it has a more traditional SUP nose, as opposed to the F-16 or Vortice displacement hull style nose.

Really curious about what you were looking for different from your SIC boards.

footemaui

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2008, 05:45:50 PM »
Aloha... Let me explain why it has a more traditional nose... This board is designed specifically for our local downwind run (Maliko-west).Displacement noses are great for upwind paddleing, but tend to steer off in one direction or the other with the wind at your 6. This board has a progreesive longboard type bottom. Concave nose, to flat, with slight vee and double concaves running into the flats. Basically the idea is for the water to flow from the single concave nose into the doubles and releasing smoothly off the tail. The vee gives the board some control and gives it rail to rail control..The theory is ''planing and trimming''. Getting the board to get up on a plane and stay there as long as possible...We'll update photos as it progresses..Remember we are on Maui time......BF

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2008, 06:44:03 PM »


Hi DW,

The board above is the board that Jeremy has been riding.  I had the chance to try that board and a wider version that Bill has for himself.  Both have the same rocker line and bottom contours.  The boards were really fun and got into swells very easily.  Neither one was perfect for my size.  Jeremy's is too narrow for me and Bill's was too wide, but even so, there was something remarkable about them.  Bill had already scanned Jeremy's board so he could do others and make some 14's, and my interest was up.  This new one has the identical rocker, bottom contours, and profile, with the exception that I asked for a wider tail for a bit of extra stability.


Dwight (DW)

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2008, 02:28:51 AM »
This is great stuff guys. The wife and I look forward to getting into down winding in early 2009, after the industry figures out what works.  ;D ;D ;D

I was just wondering last week why downwind boards didn't look more like windsurf boards from the 80s. Now they do, just a little.

As long as the nose doesn't catch, it all sounds right to me.

Remember all the work windsurfers have done over the years to stop the nose from catching too much WIND. Spoon nose Berky's! Down winding with a huge nose acting like a weather vane is not the best idea, if your can go without it.

PonoBill

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2008, 08:10:01 AM »
Probably the fact that Bill Foote is an old windsurfer has something to do with that.

Speaking of 14 footers and wind, while browsing on Vimeo I recently stumbled over the video Randy took of Laird and Dave K on a windy day at what looks like Ho'okipa. I had forgotten what an excellent video that is Randy. As I recall it was one of the first you took with that slick camera of yours. What a fine job, looks like it was pulled from a professional production. Most impressive part is the action framing. My experience with video is all on the advertising side, as the guy controlling the budget, but the stuff we looked for when we hired pros is all there.

I embedded it on Ke Nalu on the off chance that some of our readers don't go to the Zone.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2008, 11:40:46 AM »

As long as the nose doesn't catch, it all sounds right to me.


Yeah...I'l let you know how that goes  ;)

These pics are a little off in that that they don't really reflect that the board is actually pretty streamlined looking.  It is realtively slim at 27 inches, and the tail (which looks huge due to the wide angle lens) is actually only 5 inches wide.  The concave Bill was talking about is pretty deep up front, and just looks like it will send and accelerate a lot of water towards the tail.

wadadli_waterman

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2008, 10:12:43 AM »
I will be very interested to hear how your ride is on this board.   Especially after your experience with the F16 and your upcoming F18.

Comparison in overall speed between the three boards will be very intriguing as I dont believe bigger is necessarily better.  I think the power/weight ratio is more important but its difficult to figure out.

To me the ideal board will address the relationship of the riders weight, paddle ability and planing ability for the given conditions.  After three months of side by side comparison between the F16 and Vortice XP on our runs (dead down wind in the 18-22knot wind and 6 to 8ft sea range) the XP appears to be faster, pound for pound, for my weight (175#) and ability .

The XP was definitely the trickier board to get used to at first with its narrow width and seriously rolled rails.  It also took longer to find the sweet spot than the F16.  But now that I am getting the hang of it the XP is pulling away on every run. 

The biggest difference to me is the "lighter feeling" of the XP.  I can now seriously pull my self into troughs and over bumps which makes me able to "railroad" and connect more often.  The F16 in comparison requires more paddle power to do the same thing, at least in our conditions.  Maybe in 25knots plus and 8ft plus seas the story would change but I still think the weight of the board relative to the power that can be produced will be the most important factor in finding the "right" board.

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2008, 10:28:41 AM »
Hey Wadadli,

That is good info.  Thanks for letting us know how that is going.  Have you weighed your F-16 or that XP?
Always interesting to hear what boards actually weigh.



stoneaxe

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2008, 07:06:49 PM »
Its amazing the variables that have to be considered. For the real competitor it would seem they need a wide selection of boards to choose from to match the given conditions of the day of a race.

I'm going to have to look long and hard at what I want in a board for downwind to match it to my weight and most common conditions.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2008, 06:58:34 PM »
...now with a carbon bottom, swis cheesed for weight savings, and routered for a thin EVA which will be vac-bagged into the routered area...that goes on manana.  Then the rest of the carbon and a paint job. 

More soon.

« Last Edit: September 29, 2008, 07:00:29 PM by Admin »

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2008, 02:21:48 AM »
Did you mean PVC foam (divinicell) vacuum bagged in the recess?

Awesome stuff.

« Last Edit: September 30, 2008, 02:23:46 AM by DW »

PonoBill

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2008, 03:23:24 AM »
Remarkable looking. Billy sure does know what he's doing, eh. What's the block in the back for? Leash plug?

I don't quite get how the EVA is going to work. Carbon first then EVA? I think you wrote it backwards.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

DavidJohn

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2008, 05:11:59 AM »
Jet surfboards here in Oz were making boards like that almost 20 yrs ago.

I even have an old can-opener asym windsurfer that is like that inside.. It works great.

I'm not sure that it's worth all the effort tho.. Nice board.. More pics please..  :)

DJ

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Foote Downwinder takes shape
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2008, 05:31:21 AM »
I think because of the cored holes a divinicell sandwich deck is planned. EVA is the deck pad material.

 


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