Dugouts for downwinds

[yugi]

Dugout style is so popular for those races. Top 10 it looks like.

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http://www.supracer.com/2016-king-of-the-cut-results/


I’m still not a fan of dugouts, I’m in this game for the planing feel and love to carve turns while downwinding. But I keep my eye on this trend and stay curious.

I know Titou also used to prefer an Allstar to an Ace when with Starboard because he like to work the planing. To see him in a dugout now means theres a good reason for the switch. Hmmmm.

Young gun (15) Clement Colmas, 2nd, looks set for a bit of career. He was on a custom Ace it seems. I know he’s proved that one can carve an Ace DW. In the video (yellow shirt) he pulls the most elegant glides. I hadn’t realised his father, working at Starboard, was on the Ace design team.

A 14’ took line donors. There’s some chatter with a lot of top racer support to have more racers in unlimiteds for this race. Strange this race favours dugouts and yet racers are keen to do it on unlimiteds. Anyway, between planing 14’s, dugout 14’s and unlimited the paddler still makes the biggest difference. 1st woman was on a Naish Maliko.

[Kieranrsup]

There is a lot yet to be uncovered in the whole dugout unlimited concept imo.
Some very interesting things ahead from a few brands.

I paddle a 14 x 25" Ace in anything up to 25kn but after that I prefer the planted feel and control afforded by a flat deck unlimited.
The Ace just slips and slides into bumps like nothing else. (There are some new 14 dugouts out from other brands that will be some interesting competition)
I reckon the dugout concept have the potential to be quicker than a flat deck BUT not as much fun as I reckon there is NO better feeling than hanging out on the tail of a big board while gliding from bump to bump, surfing away.
Happy to be proved wrong!!

You would also have to take a different approach to riding them; almost more OC1 like in that you would hang higher on the bumps waiting for the "door to open". Thats how I always try to run my Ace and it is faster.
The dugouts would be similar to the Ace in that not much movement would be required apart from some minor trimming. The rudder would be an essential addition to quickly follow the small bumps and get into the bigger ones without moving around.

For the KOTC on the weekend I paddled an NSP DC 17'10" x 26". I managed a 2:17:15. (I stayed on the rudder probably 90% of the time)
To put that in perspective T2 did 1:48:28, Sam Parker, the first unlimited over the line (NSP DC 17'10" x 24.5") did 1:52:53.

[Area 10]

I agree with the above. But the dugout is only one aspect of the design. Also critical is the extremely narrow tail. This means that the board just doesn't stop. But it also means that the boards are hard to control in surf. And of course if you fall off then you are going to waste time getting going again. And beach starts are very awkward. So dugouts work extremely well for some courses, but using them on others is going to be a big challenge.

[yugi]

Nice going Kieran. Cool to see Alain Teurquetil and Dale Chapman were rocking it on their unlimited too.

Tell us, do you think you’re faster on an unlimited than your Ace in those race conditions? I’d guess you’re right on the cusp between the two for that kind wind, but I have limited unlimited experience.

The dugouts are certainly developing. Very interesting to see the first woman do so well on her Naish Maliko amongst all those SUP canoes.

[yugi]

I agree A10. They look too specific for my (quiver-of-one) uses. Plus where I ride can be super-chop and crazysidewinds.

Still, when I grow up I want to ride like Clement Colmas.

[Kieranrsup]

Nice going Kieran. Cool to see Alain Teurquetil and Dale Chapman were rocking it on their unlimited too.

Tell us, do you think you’re faster on an unlimited than your Ace in those race conditions? I’d guess you’re right on the cusp between the two for that kind wind, but I have limited unlimited experience.

The dugouts are certainly developing. Very interesting to see the first woman do so well on her Naish Maliko amongst all those SUP canoes.

In the conditions we had I have no doubt I was faster on the unlimited. I think would have fallen in on my Ace or if not been much more fatigued which would have made me miss bumps. The last 2 or 3 kms were quite messy but I did not fall in once all race and I found the rudder invaluable for chasing all the angles.
I'm sure I would have had a ball on my Ace but the unlimited is the great equaliser of SUP downwind between the elites on 14 and the average paddler.

[coldsup]

"SUP Canoes" - that describes them very well.

[Eagle]

The pintail has crazy low drag that maintains a high average speed.  This is probs the difference - plus a low COG and boof.  The board remains more level.  So less pearling and less stalling vs a fat tail.  Clement will dominate soon as DW speed seems more about balance and skill vs muscle power.  Clement and his 14 yo pal use wave energy and good lines for huge power and high speeds.  His vid clearly demonstrates this.

Even as a old paddler with crappy balance - my speed is ok on a DW because of my light weight.  You just seem to catch so many more waves and not stall vs heavier guys I paddle with.  Get the line and catch the wave and you simply scoot off from your pals.  Add some muscle power to the mix and these young guns will dominate DW.

My pref is my AS23 for up down runs - but my fat Touring actually planes on a DW run even with a pintail.  Maybe not the normal definition of planing - but the whole front end of the board gets out of the water and skitters over bumps ahead.  Best for me has been to get out on all different styles of boards though - the variety seems to really help your overall balance.   

[digger71]