Author Topic: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race  (Read 259626 times)

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #495 on: July 30, 2018, 12:29:16 PM »
Yes, that’s the dilemma. The 24” board is actually 24.4” wide, and so I don’t know if going down only 1.6” is enough to warrant another purchase. But I’ve had a 23” wide board before, and I was pretty slow on it. So I need to demo one, ideally in the conditions I use it, either a 24.4 or a 23. My head is telling me that 24.4” is probably perfect for me, however. That extra 0.4” on the 24 might actually be just right for me. I’ll try to find a demo, or pay to borrow someone’s.
If you are talking about the 2018 models, I believe it's 24.5" wide.
SIC website says 24.4”, 62.2cm.

62.2cm is actually 24.488”. So who knows? It’s somewhere around 24.4-24.5ish.

https://sicmaui.com/rs-14-0-scc/


Lake Paddler

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #496 on: July 30, 2018, 12:53:39 PM »
Yes, that’s the dilemma. The 24” board is actually 24.4” wide, and so I don’t know if going down only 1.6” is enough to warrant another purchase. But I’ve had a 23” wide board before, and I was pretty slow on it. So I need to demo one, ideally in the conditions I use it, either a 24.4 or a 23. My head is telling me that 24.4” is probably perfect for me, however. That extra 0.4” on the 24 might actually be just right for me. I’ll try to find a demo, or pay to borrow someone’s.
If you are talking about the 2018 models, I believe it's 24.5" wide.
SIC website says 24.4”, 62.2cm.

62.2cm is actually 24.488”. So who knows? It’s somewhere around 24.4-24.5ish.

https://sicmaui.com/rs-14-0-scc/
I wonder whether that site is outdated. For one, it doesn't contain the 28" wide model.
https://www.storesicmaui.com/boards/displacement-hull.html
Note the difference in both volume and weight.

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #497 on: July 30, 2018, 03:16:28 PM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.

Lake Paddler

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #498 on: July 31, 2018, 01:14:32 AM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.
Oh, I actually meant that the 24.4" and 24.5" wide models have different specifications.
  • 24.4": 297 L, 25.8 lbs
  • 24.5": 288 L, 24.7 lbs
That's what made me wonder whether one of them is obsolete.

mr_proper

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #499 on: July 31, 2018, 01:26:57 AM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.
Oh, I actually meant that the 24.4" and 24.5" wide models have different specifications.
  • 24.4": 297 L, 25.8 lbs
  • 24.5": 288 L, 24.7 lbs
That's what made me wonder whether one of them is obsolete.

The link from Area10 seems to be the right one. Because there are 315l specified for the RS14x26 and this value is also printed on my board.
SIC RS 14x23, 2018
SIC RS 14x26, 2018
Lightcorp Signature Race 14x24.75, 2018 (sold)
JP Australia AdventurAir 12x36, 2017
Starboard Allstar 14x24.5, 2017 (sold)
SIC Bullet 14x27.25 TWC, 2015
Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder 14x25, 2016 (sold)
Sprint 14x23, 2015 (sold)
JL Stiletto 14x28, 2014 (sold)

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #500 on: July 31, 2018, 02:16:09 AM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.

It would have to because on a boat that size, you'll be stuck out on it all damn day.

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #501 on: July 31, 2018, 10:29:44 AM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.

It would have to because on a boat that size, you'll be stuck out on it all damn day.
Nah, many people would be faster on the 28 than the 24.

I tried the 14x28 Naish Maliko and really liked it for general fun ocean paddling. It reminded me of how much fun it can be to paddle a really stable board.

I think it’s great that these brands are bringing out 28” wide versions of their top raceboards for people who want a race/tourer rather than either a tippy dedicated racer or a totally barge-like touring board.

After the M2O this year, with Kai coming home nearly 1.5 hrs ahead of the winning UL SUP, I reckon many of the people who are currently on very narrow boards will next year be on foils, and then these super-narrow 14 boards might almost disappear. We are already seeing a resurgence of the UL class, which is where the rest of the “narrow 14s” riders (who don’t get foils) will go...

Lake Paddler

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #502 on: July 31, 2018, 11:25:13 AM »
Crikey - the 14x28 RS is gonna be a seriously stable board! 330L too. That should please some big guys. Would be great for very long trips I guess.
Oh, I actually meant that the 24.4" and 24.5" wide models have different specifications.
  • 24.4": 297 L, 25.8 lbs
  • 24.5": 288 L, 24.7 lbs
That's what made me wonder whether one of them is obsolete.

The link from Area10 seems to be the right one. Because there are 315l specified for the RS14x26 and this value is also printed on my board.
I see. That's really weird though...

JEG

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #503 on: July 31, 2018, 03:49:56 PM »
I think the future discipline will be UL, foil & 14.

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #504 on: August 01, 2018, 02:04:29 AM »
I think the future discipline will be UL, foil & 14.

I don't think so as far as general racing goes. Foil is limited to decent downwind or swell based races for their full length. That's going to be a small pool and those races don't get huge numbers (and won't see many speculators buying foils for maybe one or two races a year). The UL revolution isn't coming (at least not in Europe) and its in a similar situation to foils (specialised and low number of races allowing it).

That just leaves 14's. I would like to see this length challenged but I think it's now so ingrained, it's unlikely. Whilst other sports such as cycling and sailing have seen equipment evolution, such changes weren't often legislated against from the outset. In SUP's case, it would need a huge push from manufacturers to warrant it. In my view, I'd personally like to see the UL become mainstream for all water states to kickstart some innovation but I think that ship has literally sailed.

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #505 on: August 01, 2018, 02:11:47 AM »
Nah, many people would be faster on the 28 than the 24.

1) I tried the 14x28 Naish Maliko and really liked it for general fun ocean paddling. It reminded me of how much fun it can be to paddle a really stable board.

2) After the M2O this year, with Kai coming home nearly 1.5 hrs ahead of the winning UL SUP, I reckon many of the people who are currently on very narrow boards will next year be on foils, and then these super-narrow 14 boards might almost disappear.

3) We are already seeing a resurgence of the UL class, which is where the rest of the “narrow 14s” riders (who don’t get foils) will go...

1) You're absolutely right.

2) I doubt it. The number of races is still too small, too expensive for an international market to get to and its too specialised a piece of equipment to train regularly with. It's always going to be cool but never going to be mass participation. The narrow raceboards will become more widely used in the majority of SUP races I feel, not less.

3) I think resurgence is stretching it. In the few international races there might be a few more but that's not where the racing footfall is. Until race organisers open races up to unlimiteds again (most just don't let them now), its going to [sadly] stay as a dinosaur in anything other than M20 and similar races.

mr_proper

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #506 on: August 06, 2018, 11:11:18 PM »
Area10, one question... where do you place your feet on the RS? Between the drainage holes or further back? I am not sure which position is best for speed.

Thanks :-)
SIC RS 14x23, 2018
SIC RS 14x26, 2018
Lightcorp Signature Race 14x24.75, 2018 (sold)
JP Australia AdventurAir 12x36, 2017
Starboard Allstar 14x24.5, 2017 (sold)
SIC Bullet 14x27.25 TWC, 2015
Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder 14x25, 2016 (sold)
Sprint 14x23, 2015 (sold)
JL Stiletto 14x28, 2014 (sold)

Luc Benac

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #507 on: August 08, 2018, 09:04:28 PM »
I'm specifically referring to downwind conditions, it really sucked for me with the new board and I wasn't having fun, I kept missing bumps and
connections and I felt my timing is really screwed up, so much that I could no longer blame my mediocre technic and conditioning.
This is how the GTX came about. I'll let the results speak:
Here is a video of the day with the GTX.
https://youtu.be/boN5djsEzkY

I know that Area10 will shake his head :-) in  a friendly fashion but I received from Larry a new fin the GTS which is a smaller version of the GTX that Burchas uses for its 16 footer.
I have used it a few times on the Vapor and I can say that it works perfectly. We had only smaller conditions i.e. under 20 knots and bumps less than hip high but the GTS has worked really good. I was on the tail for some of the longest glide/connections ever for these type of conditions and the board was really stable and easy to control and easy to turn into more bumps.
I know it might feel counter-intuitive because of teh large base but all I can say is that the proof is the pudding in my specific case.
Sunova Allwater 14'x25.5" 303L Viento 520
Sunova Torpedo 14'x27" 286L Salish 500
Naish Nalu 11'4" x 30" 180L Andaman 520
Sunova Steeze 10' x 31" 150L
Blackfish Paddles

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #508 on: August 08, 2018, 09:27:59 PM »
Luc - Large base fins can give more drive in light conditions so are not necessarily a bad choice, IMO. In some conditions they can also help stabilise an unruly tail too - although a 2+1 setup (no toe, no cant) is a better solution for that.

mr_proper: where to stand on the RS depends on the conditions. In flat water I stand either side of the handle (which feels too far forward but is fastest, at least for me). In mild bumps I move my feet back a little, eg. so my toes are level with the back of the handle. In bigger stuff it gets complicated... in general I find that speed on the RS is more about what the tail is doing rather than the nose: IMO it’s usually better to plough the nose than drag the tail (assuming one or the other has to happen).


Luc Benac

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #509 on: August 08, 2018, 10:22:25 PM »
Luc - Large base fins can give more drive in light conditions so are not necessarily a bad choice, IMO. In some conditions they can also help stabilise an unruly tail too

That is what I am rediscovering. SUP seems often non-intuitive. A small fin narrowish base will feel greet on side confused chop but a wider base will get where you need to downwind on the conditions we described. Get the balance wrong and a stalled board will get pushed around worst than anything.
Sunova Allwater 14'x25.5" 303L Viento 520
Sunova Torpedo 14'x27" 286L Salish 500
Naish Nalu 11'4" x 30" 180L Andaman 520
Sunova Steeze 10' x 31" 150L
Blackfish Paddles

 


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