Light-wind Blaster 140-155L - iSonic or Futura?

[Deja Vu]

Remi, you recommended the Is 150 to me back in 2009 and I bought one. What a great board! This thing is fast on all points of sail and very comfortable with big sails. Now that I've spent some quality time on it I love the way it gybes - it is my favourite light wind board to gybe. If I could only have three boards I'd take the Is 150, Is 111 and Is 87 (147, 107, 87). I made a mistake and had a look at the new 2011 Isonics - damn! I can't get over the amount of deck concave these new boards have.

[Remi]

Hi Deja vu,

You love your curent boards, great and can tell that the 2011 make a big step, particularly for the Ultra Sonic 147 who is a big evolution of the iSonic 150 who didn't change since 2009.

All the range make big step with more control due to deep deck concave, but also the footstraps position, acceleration with the new rails and very light in Wood/Carbon and Carbon and more stronger at the same time.

Enjoy it

All the best

[PG]

The German Surf Magazin has now published a large set of equipment tests, and one of the tests is particularly interesting for this thread: http://www.surf-magazin.de/test-cent...ur-leichtwind/

[ChrisN]

PG, thanks for that reference. We have used it before both in this tread and also in the specific thread dedicated to the WoodCarbon <> Wood deltas - see below:
http://www.star-board.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8705

There is NO doubt in anyone's mind, even attested in the latest SURF test, that the lightest more rigid boards would plan more "freely". So, I would not even blink about it - if early planning is the name of the game, then I'll go with CARBON version of the UltraSonic 147! More rigid, durable and quick at 7.2 kgs with an 11m2 Overdrive it will accelerate for my weight of 89 kgs from 8 knots and survive nearly as many lulls in comparison to a HWR Formula.

Regards ChrisN

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by Remi

Hi All,

iSonic 150 was a machine for light winds with 10m, the new Ultra Sonic 147 make a big step and plane earlier and easier and can use bigger sails & fins.

In non planing condition, it will be more stable also a point who was not so funny on the iSonic 150 with bigger sails.

Star-Board continue to propose and increase their ultimate light winds boards since many years, this start with the Free Formula.

Enjoy it

All the best

Remi, thanks for your explanations on the UltraSonic147 - it certainly concluded this thread! I have to say, that you back with a vengence in this forum - highly appreciated!

Just as this thread's popularity attests there are a lot of us with similar questions - which would be the best light-wind board for my weight, conditions, sails, fins, etc.?

So, I was thinking about what we have learned from this massive discussion. It's my subjective opinion that SB should expand & improve the amount if information provided PER board! I know it would be overkill in some cases, but if you check how many have seen this thread and Emil's thread on JP's SLW90 plus other "light wind" conversations, you should really consider to "cluster" such boards into classes and provide a subsection in the iSonics/Futura/etc. board's main page.
Certainly the UltraSonic would demand more explanations as it is a "free" design - outside the PWA rules, so it should have it's own web-page.

In the wishfull thinking domain, would it be great if SB could get someone with the proper background like Peter Hart (yet it could even be a respected distributor) to TEST and PUBLISH the detailed results per Board Group on such pages. In this case the US147 will have a separate test as it is a group of its own; I am not talking about the comparative tests you typically will find in magazines, but rather a detailed overview of the board, its uses, windranges, fins-to-sails and other constraints in various conditions.
You could also use OTC in El Medano or UK for a broader test of a group among testers. See an example that "sells" well at Riks Windsurfing site on the JP SLW90 test at: http://www.rikswindsurfing.com/news/news.html...

While I am considering what to do with my beloved HS105, I am certainly putting a ticket in for the US147C asap! When would it be released??

Hang Loose & keep up the great work

Chris

[Remi]

Hi ChrisN,

I like the idea of a seperate web page for this board with a max info. You can order your Ultra Sonic 147 and see that you choose the Carbon one, good choice.
I will discuss with the Marketing Managers about this issue when come back to Thailand.

All the best

[agrelon]

Just for reference, I took my anemometer out on a session the other day to see how early I was planing.

With an Ezzy Freeride 8.5m and Bic Techno 130l (70cmW, 250cmL), 44cm Select fin I could plane in about 8-9 knots. 8 knots with pretty radical pumping, 9-10 knots with lazy pumping (sheeting in and out). I'm 60kgs now, with a good skill level. Straps inboard for better underpowered strap action, absolutely no outhaul. With gusts at about 11-12knts I was flying.

Conclusion: For lightweights formula boards (or new SLW style boards) are probably not necessary. If I had say a Futura 122l in WC I could plane even earlier thanks to weight/stiffness gains and probably experience more topspeed/better jibing than on the bic. I can start planing on my Futura 93l as of about 14knots with a 5.8m so I would say 93l + 122l would be a good combo.

The club where I now sail has an old Formula 158 with a 70cm Drake fin, and an Ezzy 9.5m. Next time the wind is light and I'm there I'll test that setup against the Bic + 8.5m to compare.

[jackoo]

that's nice information

[agrelon]

Originally Posted by jackoo

that's nice information

I'm going to contradict what I previously said, as I have now tried the Formula 156 with a 70cm drake fin and 9.5m Ezzy Infinity.

This setup is soooo much better than the bic and 8.5m for one reason: I can fly upwind even when I'm marginally planing. On the bic, in just enough wind conditions, it is impossible to stay upwind for very long. With the formula, you're upwind all the time, and man can that thing point! Using a formula board gives you so much more freedom in your local spot.

Ofcourse the formula board is really difficult to carve jibe compared to the bic, especially at my weight, but to be honest I don't even go for jibes in marginally planing conditions because there simply isnt enough wind to get you through the jibes fully planing. So a lack of jibing ability for me isn't a significant reason not to ride formula, as I'm always tacking in light winds.

Here's a quick go pro edit I made after my last formula session, for those who haven't had the chance to try a formula board it will give you an idea of what is possible in <10knts, no white cap conditions:

http://vimeo.com/15913514

[BelSkorpio]

I agree with you, Agrelon.
I love my F161 and will never give up on it.
It helps me point & plane at unbelievable angles from 8-12 knots with a 11m2 (I'm heavier than you, i.e. 86kg). It's great fun. I know that I will not be the fastest, c/w the big slaloms, but I know that I will plane the earliest and the most.
Cheers.

PS: Nice video.