For anyone interested in this board - here is my initial impression...

whitelionwindsurfing.blogspot.com/2011/04/fanatic-falcon-111-review-2011.html

i have the 2006/7 model Fanatic 111,red graphics,i bought second hand last year.

i use it with a 41 b4 leading edge fin,performance in lighter wind [12-16 knots] is amazing.

i use it mostly with a 6.2m but yesterday thought i'd try my 7.7m on it.

board stayed heaps lower in water with 7.7m,was banging into lots of small chop that i would surf over with my 6.2m.

with 6.2m the fanatic 111 sails so high out the water.i put the mast-track right at back and did a back catapult in a big gust. now i keep mast-track in the middle.

with 7.7m was amazed howearly it planes and gets thru the lulls,that said still prefer the lighter feel of 6.2m on it.

also noticed i can sail a little higher into wind with smaller sail.

gybing is easy as 69cm width of board means those slow chicken gybes are so easy.

advantage of these shorter,wider boards over older designs is upwind and bottom-end are way better.

i hardly use my formula board now as the Fanatic 111 planes nearly as early.

I had the 2006 111 also and I agree, it did plane super early. I always had trouble with the monoconcave tail however as you had to be extra sensitive on the back foot or use a bigger fin than normal. The new 111 planes earlier and doesn't have the spinout issues of old.

when i bought the board i was spinning out repeatedly,actually thought there was something wrong with the board.

think this the reason the person who bought the board got rid of it.

was using a wide, upright carbon 41cm fin,put a swept back b4 fin in of same length and spinout problem disappeared completely.

also board felt sweeter and more controlled when powered up.

if the new 111 planes even earlier, i will be amazed.

I used to have an 06 Falcon as well. I found that once I got it dialled it was a very sweet board and one of the earliest planing 111L boards I've ridden.

Petermac, I found that the 7.8m was the sweetspot sail for the board, really helped to keep the board locked into a nice trim. But yeah, go too far back with the mast track and the board would take off vertically.

I've had a ride a 2011 falcon found control to be suberb and loved the way the board sails freely off the fin. However I wouldn't of said that it planed earlier than the 06. I think the 06 was a freak when it come planing.

I've still got an ~'05 Falcon 110, the one with the red tail cutouts. It's nowhere near 110 real litres but is also a very nice board. I've probably done more distance on this board than any I've previously had or are likely to have in the future.

I will get Sammy D to have a go on the new 111(he has my old one) and see what he reckons. He has the old one dialled after using it for 4 years!

One of the other problems with the old 111 was that you were compelled to make use of the 40cm fin supplied. Should have binned that one straight away. The 91 was the same...

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Kimba said...

For anyone interested in this board - here is my initial impression...

whitelionwindsurfing.blogspot.com/2011/04/fanatic-falcon-111-review-2011.html

+1 to what Tim has written, I have the Falcon 85, after 2 sessions on this board I'm stoked
This is the light wind speed board that I have been looking for all this time, conditions were very squally on both occassions, only got a few runs in, used a 23cm assy fin because of weed and it was the only fin I had with enough rake(until now)bigger fin would have been alot better.
First session got a max speed of 40.17knts(6.3m) on the screen and second time out 40.41knts(5.5m) it done these speeds with ease, the board feels very free and accelerates like the clappers, the deck shape is very comfortable as are the footstraps and the 85 turns on a dime.
In a constant 25-30knot breeze the 85 will easily do 44knots as has already been proven form overseas sessions.
The best thing about the Falcon 85 is that it handles the chop very well and can support a large range of sails/fins....an "everyday board" no worries about having this thing sitting in the trailer waiting for wind like some of my other purchases! this one's a keeper like my 131 falcon