Messages

331

Wind Powered / Windsurfing mods to 10'4" Angulo Surfa

« on: February 17, 2015, 11:36:38 AM »

Thought I'd share this with y'all-

A while ago I modified my 10'4" Angulo Surfa to change it's windsurfing performance. It already came with a mast track, so I could sail it as soon as I bought it, but I made various changes for various reason.

Change #1- I added a finbox in the middle of the board to give it a "poor man's daggerboard". This helped a lot with its usuability as a beginner board for my wife. When I use the board myself I remove the dagger fin.

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2012/04/adding-center-fin-to-sup-for-better.html

Change #2- I created a flat-rocker section in the tail to allow the board to plane. This was quite an elaborate change, because I had to add two finboxes in the new tail section.

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/01/sup-windsurf-modification-mufin-wave-fin.html

It works in waves

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/03/angulo-windsup-and-exocet-cross.html

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/08/mast-mount-cam-windsup-session.html

And in flat water

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/05/zipping-on-step-tail-twin-fin-windsup.html

I think that if my totally uneducated hack-job of a modification can have results this good, that there's a lot of potential in the design concept. (Twin fin swallow-tail step-tail windsup.) I'd like to see others try similar experiments.

332

Wind Powered / Re: Fastest sailing WindSUP?

« on: February 16, 2015, 04:15:47 PM »

James, really like your blog. If you had to choose 1 board for wind sup would it be the 11+ Exocet? Supplementary question, has anything better come along to sup sail in your opinion? - Cheers!

James, really like your blog. If you had to choose 1 board for wind sup would it be the 11+ Exocet? Supplementary question, has anything better come along to sup sail in your opinion? - Cheers!

Hey Flathead,

The 11'8" is a heavy beast, but I think it's still the best all-around windsurf paddleboard out there. If I had to switch boards I'd probably just get the same board again, but in the lighter wood construction.

The length gives it lots of glide so it's smooth and fast in flatwater SUP and sub-planing windsurfing conditions. With the daggerboard down you can sail a very high angle into the wind, which is useful in a variety of situations such as "explore the lake," "get back upwind to catch another wave," "prevent beginner from drifting downwind," and "return to the beach when the wind shifts offshore."

The volume, width, rail shapes, large fin option, and outboard footstrap setup make it plane early and let it sail in full-speed "locked in" style over flat or bumpy terrain. Yet with a small fin and inboard footstraps it's loose enough to do fun turns on a swell or wave. Footstraps help a lot with the awkwardness of carrying a big heavy board and sail into and out of the surf.

It's nearest competition, which might be superior in some situations, would be the the Exocet Curve 11'5", which is 10 cm narrower and 50 liters less volume with no daggerboard. Very fast planing, nimble, and good at catching waves with sail power, but reportedly doesn't pick up waves as naturally with paddle power.

Another similar board is the 10'0" windsup, which I have yet to try. Same construction, footstrap setup and daggerboard features as the 11'8" but a lot shorter. Should have reduced swing weight and do better turns on waves.

Exocet has a 10'2" and 9'2" windsup with thruster fin setups and no daggerboards that some people love but others who like the 11'8 and 11'5 aren't as crazy about. Apparently they're really good on the wave but not as good at early planing and upwind sailing. I'd like to try one for myself.

Then there are a bazillion different sailable sups that have a more typical "surf rocker" tail without the exocet stair-step tail to enhance water release for planing. Some of them have flat enough rockers to plane when given a good breeze (AHD SeaLion and Wardog's Hammer look interesting) but my experience has been that they're pretty sluggish about going upwind and planing, so they're not really fun to sail unless you have good waves and/or lots of wind. And if you have lots of wind you might as well be on a true windsurfing shortboard.

333

Wind Powered / Re: Adding a sail to fanatic fly11'

« on: February 08, 2015, 09:11:49 AM »

5.8 sail should be fine, although windsurfing is tricky and non-intuitive, so you'll save time if you get someone who knows how to give you a lesson the first time.

I recently put a windsurfing mast track on my Fanatic Falcon and posted some pictures of the way I did it online.

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2014/12/using-14-fanatic-falcon-race-sup-for.html

Mast track should go a couple inches in front of the carry handle.

Ingredients you need are: 1) Router, 2) Chinook mast track which you can order online, 3) Some high density foam, 4) West systems epoxy, 4) Fiberglass.

If you're having trouble staying upwind, you might want to put center fin in the bottom of the board, a little behind the carry handle. Process for installing the finbox is the same as for installing the mast track.

334

Wind Powered / Re: Fastest sailing WindSUP?

« on: February 08, 2015, 09:02:35 AM »

Are there any WindSUP's out there that could be considered an "early planer"?  I tried my Starboard Avanti, then a Formula Windsurfer, now I'm wondering if there might be something half way between the two that's worth looking at?

I have the Exocet WindSUP 11'8". It is definitely an early-planing and fast board that is the closest I think anyone has come to makeing a true combination of a SUP and a great-planing formula type windsurfer. With the powerbox finbox and outboard footstrap positions you can put a big fin in it and sail it as if it were a slalom or formula style windsurfing board. With center footstraps or strapless it's good as a windsurfing waveboard (in mellow waves) and it sups pretty well, too.

Here's a video where I'm sailing it fast in flat water with a 9.5 sail. http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2012/10/got-new-tractor-wheeeooo-doggies.html

335

Downwind and Racing / Squeezing flatwater speed from 2014 Fanatic Falcon 14' - Tips?

« on: February 08, 2015, 07:43:30 AM »

Hi Y'all- First post on this forum. I'm trying to get my 2014 Fanatic Falcon 14' (the 27.5" wide model with the bulbous nose) going as fast as possible in my glassy flat water Florida river. After a couple months of practice and tuning I'm hitting a plateau around about 5.5 mph average over a 4.5 mile course. That has been good enough to get me second place in our small local races, but the top guy gets about 5.8 mph so he's way ahead of me. I'm looking for tuning/training tips and techniques that might help me close the gap. Here's some more specific info on me and what I'm doing now:

35 years old, 5'10", 170ish lbs, windsurfing background
Pretty fit- do some jogging and calisthenics but never did any real athletic training

Paddles- I usually use a relatively short Angulo carbon fiber paddle with a narrowish 97 in2 blade, but sometimes I use a heavy adjustable aluminum Epic brand paddle with a fatter 107 in2 blade. It's easier to do a fast cadence with the former, but it's easier to get a good catch and smooth pull with the latter and my speeds are about the same with either one.

Standing position- I'm not sure how much of the round nose of the Fanatic should be in the water. I get more of the nose in the water when my toes are about 2" in front of the carry handle, but I kinda feel like I'm plowing water then. I suspect I'm faster when my toes are mid/aft of the carry handle.

Fin- I'm using a small windsurfing weed fin.

Specific Questions- 1) Is my type of board (27.5" wide with a bulbous nose for ocean conditions) a lot slower than the 24" wide pointy-nosed recessed-deck type flatwater boards or do I still have a chance against them? 2) Is fast cadence short-stroke paddling the only way to go really fast?