162 and R20 smelling bubbles ?

[Papounet]

A smell of the past...
Tow & the right Fin and all is fine...

http://www.formulawindsurfing.org/story.php?id=91

Curiously, the discussion which start's on the forum of a well-known brand in the beginning of 2005, is no longer available

yep,I'm geo's friend who has bought his 162 with huge expectations (as many of us) but it seems to me that I've coming back at 2006 when sailed an Exo warp formula! Same identical feeling. I mean,in the end of last season my level was more than accettable (considering my TOW and my skills).I was easily in the top ranking of the crew which I sail with but now it seems I've fallen down and down and down like when sailed the Exo warp farmula.Please note that in 2006 Starboard has made the 160 (probably the best fw of the brand and one of the best overall).
So what? My TOW is almost identical to the last season one and I've got also 2 brand new '08 fw sails!
Ok probably I've not all that "finesse" to easy understand what the board loves to sail fast and comfortable but I've choosen Starboard for its well known easyness and relative problem-free feeling.I guess that this year I've wrong and just when,according with rules, the board would have last 2 years.... I'm going to ne not so lucky!!
Why now the top team guys don't put here their tricks to make us improve our performance with the board?
A very good example comes from Fanatic website.If you look at Falcon's section there are lot of different advices for different sailors with different sail and fin brands.That's why the Falcons are very fin sensitive.
Someone told right.In 2005 Fanatic has big troubles for having wronged its Fw shape and they have stopped to re-build some for their incapacity to quick react at all the questions the sailor's made.
Please Starboard,make youself a favor,help us seriously and quick....

Originally Posted by Unregistered

let me explain again :
- I had the opportunity to sail the Gaastra board for the first time.
That means ZERO TOW on that board.
- From the first second the Vapor was going much faster than my sailing partners and much faster than I was able to sail my own 162, on which I have some TOW now.
- I have used the same rig on both the Gaastra and the 162 and tested the same fins. THIS INCLUDES KASHY TYPE .
- The Gaastra worked well with my rig and the Kashy type fin and had amazing speed and stability . much faster than the same gear on the 162.
- Also much better upwind angle and something nobody mentioned yet, the Gaastra was not picky regarding trim.
-I tried lower boom, higher boom, mast forward and back, and the Vapor board was still sailing well. I'd say it has a very wide sweetspot , as opposed to being very trim and tuning sensitive, as my 162 appears to be.
- also Gaastra went thru chop with amazing speed, without slowing down or bouncing . That board rocks.
- what I asked here was for the guys who were able to tune their 162 to be competitive with the Gaastra to just TELL WHAT FINS THEY USED. Instead I hear this BS about TOW, what works for one doesn't work for another, they all sound like excuses instead of just ANSWERING THE SIMPLE QUESTION.
- so in conclusion, instead of 5 posts that say "you need more TOW" , which I DID NOT NEED on the Gaastra , please just simply ANSWER WHICH FINS WORKED FOR YOU .

Thanks

I believe you've answered your question. Sell your 162 and buy a Gasstra Vapor. End of the story.

Have fun on the water... and remember TOW

Or an Exocet Warp 08 (plug and play, no TOW required!!) or an F2 damn quick!! *bo#ze is not the only one performing this season, others have caught up whichis for the best for the class.

well, the fact that nobody from Starboard is answering here is telling enough.
I recall months ago I read here first rumors that the R20 fin was not working with the 162 and Starboard guys were quick to jump and said these were just rumors, etc, R20 was supposed to be released "next week" (that was 2-3 months ago). Still no R20 yet, it's not mentioned here or on Deboichet website.
There is one R20 allegedly that might've been used by Allison Shreeve when she came to the USNationals but there was also a 2nd fin she had , which nobody that I spoke knows what it was.
I tried to gain whatever equipment info from equipment lists that are supposed to be posted before races but none of the races is posting the equipment lists anymore it seems.
The Formula Windsurfing website is useless in this respect also. This website is also not posting anything useful.
I just jumped on a Gaastra board recently and without any extra TOW I was visibly faster than on my board , after the first 10 seconds of sailing .I am buying a Gaastra , which I have on order, but until I receive it I wanted to give my 162 a chance .It seems the Starboard team knows there is no way to be really competitive with the Gaastra, or else they would've simply posted the equipment info I requested, something like "sailor x used this fin, sailor z used that fin , etc.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

- I have used the same rig on both the Gaastra and the 162 and tested the same fins. THIS INCLUDES KASHY TYPE .
- The Gaastra worked well with my rig and the Kashy type fin and had amazing speed and stability . much faster than the same gear on the 162.

Hey Unregistered,
What does it mean Kashy Type? What brand what model?

Thanks

Is this what you were after??
http://www.star-board.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3706

Kashy type could be a R07 Select, R20 Deboichet or these new ex C3 actually named KXX... super soft flex at the tip I believe

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey Unregistered,
What does it mean Kashy Type? What brand what model?

Thanks

the fin I was talking about is a Kashy 70cm XS

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Is this what you were after??
http://www.star-board.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3706

Kashy type could be a R07 Select, R20 Deboichet or these new ex C3 actually named KXX... super soft flex at the tip I believe

thanks for the link to that older thread regarding the 162 tuning and fins , that's exactly what I was looking for , although I was hoping for something more clear cut regarding the fins. The fin I was referring to as Kashy type is a 70cm Kashy xs .

[geo]

Don't know if this will be solved, maybe yes, I hope yes for all the people that poured their money in the new Formula board.
BUT.
If this will not be solved, it will be a greatly deserved lesson for many board makers. Change for change's sake: a purely commercial attitude, used to boost sales at the expenses of customers that, at best after one season (if one orders blindfolded and buys the new kit immediately after release, taking all the risks; but in average much less than that), will find their investment in materials depreciated and hard to sell, and themselves salivating for the newest model year kit. Starboard is master in this.
I am not a Formula sailor, but from what I read it seems both 160 and 161 were hugely successful boards, 162 seems to be a mistake. This happens now, when designs are locked for two years. This will probably lead to put Gaastra and F2 in the same position where Starboard was until now: the safe "default" choice. I think Starboard has just destroyed their precious reputation as builders of strongly and reliably competitive Formula boards; an this happens just because of their commercial politics. Hope this will make things change. The lesson is easy, after all: when something works, let it work. Just that.