I'm looking to replace my 06 Fanatic Falcon 111 with a similar sized board for use primarily with a NP RSS 7.8. The 09 boards are out for most brands and the summer winds are starting to brew.

I'm looking for an early planer (like my 111) as it's my biggest board
Good control, as Sydney winds tend to start around 12 knots and end up gusting 15-25.
And blistering speed of course...I need all the help I can get.

So cast votes, give me your thoughts and experiences please. This should be limited to brands available in Sydney, ie. Starboard, Fanatic, JP, Exocet, AB+.

I reviewed the 104L JP slalom IV a while back and had to take it back after a short while as I liked it waaaayyy to much and couldn't afford it at the time.

It is now sitting in my shed after trading in my beloved F2 SX M for it, I seriously Loved my SX'y It was heartbreaking parting with it, but I'm all smiles now

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elmo said...

I reviewed the 104L JP slalom IV a while back and had to take it back after a short while as I liked it waaaayyy to much and couldn't afford it at the time.

It is now sitting in my shed after trading in my beloved F2 SX M for it, I seriously Loved my SX'y It was heartbreaking parting with it, but I'm all smiles now

I've ridden that JP and it is a beautiful baord, Oh to have the money to have unlimited toys Don't think uou can go wrong with most of the major brands tho. Another brand worth considering is the Tabou brand, have ridden those and very good. Have ridden and own an F2 and they are great boards. Starboards are all pretty good too. haven't tried the others you mention.

I own isonics and F2 SX's both are very sweet not to mention pretty darn fast. Any of the top brands should see you right.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the F2.....Should check out that camp

Elmo, is the JP104 an early planer. I can get my Falcon going in 12 knots (7.8m), I don't want to lose the light air capability.

12knots, I'm looking for a bigger board as I've only got a 7.2 a fat gut and a lazy disposition (I hate pumping)

It does get going a bit easier than my SX M used to.

Waiting4wind, I was going to post this when I had some $$$ to buy a board, you beat me to it. I would like 2 boards for GPS, I was thinking an Isonic 111 and 86. The May edition of Windsurf UK reviewed 100 litre slalom boards and included the isonic 101 and 111, and they both rated very high/highest overall. The 111 is stated as carrying up to 9 m sail so should cover the lighter range you are after, a few guys here went for the 122 instead. As Hardie and the mag said, all boards are pretty dam good, but I think the isonics win on control.

Haggar thanks, I'm swinging towards the sonic 111. I also own an Exocet TB62 and love it. I have an opportunity to demo the new Exo and AB+ so I'll reserve my judgment. The only -ve thing I see about the ISonic is the weight, seems a bit porky by todays slalom standards. Hopefully that means strong?

I was chatting to an Exocet guy recently, and he noted that the iSonics tend to have wider tails and might lose out on top end speed ever so slightly. If you have the opportunity to demo Exocets and AB+, then I think you've been talking t the same guy...

Hey Des,

You can try my JP 104 any time. Give me a call

Chris

I just got one of these www.carbonart.co.nz/boards/slalom.html and I can already see it's going to be a long love affair

Built in their own factory in NZ, not Thailand and you can talk to or email James who runs the show, very helpful guy

i'm with firiebob i weigh 78kgs and ive had a 55 94lt for two seasons, the board will plane in 12nts with a 7.3 sail and a 38 fin, james from CA has been testing a few slight changes in maui during our winter break, i can't tell you what the changes are you will have to talk to him, like the ADD says "they just keep getting better"

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Chris Ting said...

Hey Des,

You can try my JP 104 any time. Give me a call

Chris

Chris thanks, we'll have to catch up so I can hear all about your trip.

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shear tip said...

I was chatting to an Exocet guy recently, and he noted that the iSonics tend to have wider tails and might lose out on top end speed ever so slightly. If you have the opportunity to demo Exocets and AB+, then I think you've been talking t the same guy...

Yes that's Remi from the Windsurfing Shed, I bought my last Exocet board from him.

I've got an iSonic 111 which got heaps of use last year on the bay due to the crap winds... Next time I'm down you can try it if you like.

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laff77 said...

I've got an iSonic 111 which got heaps of use last year on the bay due to the crap winds... Next time I'm down you can try it if you like.

I'd love to , nothing beats first hand experience. I think we've met? You use north sails right?

Cu down there.

Des

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Waiting4wind said...

laff77 said...

I've got an iSonic 111 which got heaps of use last year on the bay due to the crap winds... Next time I'm down you can try it if you like.

I'd love to , nothing beats first hand experience. I think we've met? You use north sails right?

Cu down there.

Des

Yep That's me

Had a few runs on the AB+ 95l Slalom today, wind was 10 to 20 knots, using my 7.8m RSS. The board felt quite stiff and narrow compared to my Exo TB62, but well mannered in chop and good to gybe. It sat high in the water and very slippery off the wind. I felt it would make a very good GPS board, I was about 1 knot faster first time up compared to my board which is like an old glove. I had no hesitation in charging it down wind as it felt very safe and didn't stick at all.

I wasn't as comfortable upwind and couldn't drive it as hard upwind as the Exo, in retrospect it may have been a little under fined with a 34 Deb.

I take a while to settle into a board so a bit of dialling in would make a difference for sure. Will be trying out the 110L next week, which is the one I'm looking to compare with the Falcon 111.

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Waiting4wind said...

I'm looking to replace my 06 Fanatic Falcon 111 with a similar sized board for use primarily with a NP RSS 7.8. The 09 boards are out for most brands and the summer winds are starting to brew.

I'm looking for an early planer (like my 111) as it's my biggest board
Good control, as Sydney winds tend to start around 12 knots and end up gusting 15-25.
And blistering speed of course...I need all the help I can get.

I need all the help I can get. , yep you need help ,(waiting4ashrink) whats your problem

Have a look at the CA,s. Love my 40 and if i could afford another i,d go for a Slalom 70 or the speed 50 if you could cope with 83l. The isonic,s are pretty good too.

hey kato he is replaceing his 06 111 falcon for a 09 110 exo?, and he loves his falcon cos it plane's in 12 knts with a 7.8 sail my CA 55 will plane in 12 knts with a 7.3 03 rs ,and is still there at 25knts with a 5mt ka koncept

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Waiting4wind said...

I'm looking to replace my 06 Fanatic Falcon 111 with a similar sized board for use primarily with a NP RSS 7.8. The 09 boards are out for most brands and the summer winds are starting to brew.

i have a 08 rs 6/7 & 08 rss 5/8 and my best sail is a rs 03 7.3, i dont think ill be changeing the 7.3 just cos its an 03 sail

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keef said...

Waiting4wind said...

I'm looking to replace my 06 Fanatic Falcon 111 with a similar sized board for use primarily with a NP RSS 7.8. The 09 boards are out for most brands and the summer winds are starting to brew.

i have a 08 rs 6/7 & 08 rss 5/8 and my best sail is a rs 03 7.3, i dont think ill be changeing the 7.3 just cos its an 03 sail

I'm over the colour of the Falcon!, I think it's time for a new season colour! My shrink said that colour is important for good speed.

I'd love to try a CA, but not readily available for test.

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Waiting4wind said...
I'm over the colour of the Falcon!, I think it's time for a new season colour! My shrink said that colour is important for good speed.

I'd love to try a CA, but not readily available for test.

i'm not sure you will like the CA's there a basic white (boreing) and they dont have wide tails and jibe like you have the handbrake on, ((like the boards you are looking at)
i'm getting the impression you just wan't to try different boards to compare with your falcon
if your down my way you can try mine, but if you ding it youll have to replace it

Keef, whereabouts is your way? I have the 'you ding you buy policy' as well, I like to have my gear in top condition. Fortunately I haven't bought a board under these circumstances yet.

Just doing a bit of careful research on this upgrade as this is my biggest board and realistically with the crappy winds we get, it's the one I use most often. Once you get the Falcon dialed you'd be surprised how agile and fast it can be in the gybe. But I'm always open to learning something new, even though my shrink tells me 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'.

Just had a look at the CA web site, these boards a well priced and 12 colour graphics to choose from.
Do you get slugged with import duty & how much

i sail at santurypoint south or jervisbay, what you need is a bigger fin or a bigger board,my light wind board is a rrd advantglide 245x700x125lt and weighs 6.8 kgs,
and i think thats your problem you need a bigger volume
the falcons are great boards, if you can get a 06 131lt that weighs 7.1 kgs for a $1,000 and sell your falcon 111 for $1,000 and get a CA or an isonic at 94lts you should have it in 2 boards (then you can get a bigger sail for the really light days)
CA'S are about $2,400 door to door and talk to james about your footstrap possioning, and take it in mind that the CA55's arn't a wide in the tail like the boards you have been looking at

theres a guy down here that sails a 08 futura111 and he hates it, ill have a chat to him and he mite be willing do do a swap, as long as your board hasnt taken in any water

Try Ian who,s in Canbera he may let you try his CA50 www.seabreeze.com.au/Members/Profile/Details.aspx?member=Ian+K
Delievered to my door the CA40 was $2100 with footsraps changed and painted a nice bright green (as seen on whitecaps) I also know of full carbon wraps done and any colour you can think of.

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keef said...

theres a guy down here that sails a 08 futura111 and he hates it, ill have a chat to him and he mite be willing do do a swap, as long as your board hasnt taken in any water

I've sailed both locations quite a few times. Get some great wind funelling down through the middle of Sanctuary Point. Actually the Formula races are on in JB this weekend, I was almost thinking of coming down.

Thanks for the heads up on the Futura but the Falcon is already spoken for. Generally I like to use the lowest volume I can get away with and get an efficient board that pumps onto the plane nicely. The new wider boards tend to be quite efficient once you get the hang of them. I have a 90L slalom as well, that's the one being used in my avatar with a 7.8m.

C U down there some day.

The 06 falcon is a great board, can be a bit fin sensitive - the problem that you may find is staying in the 69cm width is that the board volumes have generally all dropped by 10 litres. From the 2008 ranges and what the guys are racing here in qld the mistral sl and fanatic falcons, are both very early planers as are the isonics - but you are looking around the 125 litre mark. There are one or two exceptional guys that do get there old 104 litre falcons going with 7.8 in the 12-15kts. But not as early as the 125 litre boards, and their board speed is no better than the larger boards, and they can get bogged down on the jibe with the lower volume. You mentioned that you have a 90 litre - so i would go up to the 125l mark.

Most of our top fleet now run a 2 board combo of 125l approx 73-76cm width and 95l 59-62 width. Our bottom wind limit is 10 knots - and most of our fleet race with 7.8 as their largest sail.

You're right bayside inc, I'm even contemplating jumping up a size. But it seems that the fuller figure is back for 09.

Quite a few of the manufacturers have upped their volumes to width ratio for 09, eg. Fanatic, Exocet, JP. The Falcon is now 110L for a 67cm board.