www.designlessacher.com/Website/Uk_chamaeleon.html

Well I've had this fin for about 6 months, and for 3 months I was even reluctant to use it because it looked so weird. I'd been using another Lessacher which I was happy with so didn't bother. I damaged my favourite fin at hardie's so decided I'd give it a go.

After nearly 3 months of using it, I have just ordered 3 more from Wiolfgang Lessacher.

All my WA PB's are done on this fin. It's fast without being blisteringly fast, but doesn't spin out Doing high 30's in chop, tracks up wind like you wouldn't believe for a 23CM FIN, i'M IMPRESSED.

It is a quad concave with 2 opposing assymetric concaves on each side. I've had some so called experts look at it and laugh and say it looks crap etc. (The reason I didn't use it.) But don't knock until you've tried, I was reluctant to use it or write it up, but after 3 months of use where I've done high 37's in chop, 32.8 over the NM, 22.78 over an hour, 24.24 Alpha, it does everything well, the only problem it's got is that it looks weird.

Wolfgang is a top bloke to deal with as well!!!Wolfgang Lessacher 's email:[Wolfgang.Lessacher@t-online.de]

awesome speeds hardie! the things obviously work.....can you tell us what sort of price they are?

Select to expand quote

snides8 said...

awesome speeds hardie! the things obviously work.....can you tell us what sort of price they are?

Approximately $200AUD to land at home when exchange rates etc taken into account

It seems to work. My name is Lessacher Wolfgang. I work the asymm. fins.
They are so worked, that they work tour and retour. I am from Austria, but
I live since 45 years in Germany. Windsurfing since 1970. At first worked I all
it for myself, boards and fins.Now only fins.
www.designlessacher.com
Wolfgang

Here's a photo of the fin, unfortunately hardies run sea grass destroys all fins, and they need to be filled to keep them smooth: www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=9322

I have also corresponded with Wolfgang and have a large weed fin on order atm .

Cant wait for it to get here.

I suppose then I will have to get a GPS. (hope that the GO will give me some reasonable speeds to start with)
And then more sails.
And then a faster board..
and then...... where does it end!?!?!?

Select to expand quote

OceanBlue64 said...

I have also corresponded with Wolfgang and have a large weed fin on order atm .

Cant wait for it to get here.

I suppose then I will have to get a GPS. (hope that the GO will give me some reasonable speeds to start with)
And then more sails.
And then a faster board..
and then...... where does it end!?!?!?

Join the addiction

Select to expand quote

OceanBlue64 said...

and then...... where does it end!?!?!?

with an injury.

Hallo Ocean Blue! I hope that you got your fin? I worked some years with
Foretrex 201. It is okay for the whole day. But if you make holidays and
have no internet, than need you a leptop. Or you buy the new Amarillo.
There shell be place for more days. No time ro try it, but look , the most
dutch speeder use it. We must use it here in Germany for the ranking
Wolfgang

Just got an SMS message from Pat (OceanBlue64) that he has picked the fins up and will be dropping my 23cm chamaeleon off in about 10 minutes. Unfortunately no wind but about 38 deg C this evening but tommorrow is forecast for 30 plus knots so it will get tested soon.

Got my new fin - 36cm Lessacher
Got my new sail - 6.5 NCX Severne
Looks like SE - E 15 - 20 tomorrow so Lake Connewarre
N - NE 15 - 20 Sunday so Point Henry

I'm EXCITED (in big Kev voice) (just hope BOM isnt too far off in the prediction)

I misread OB64's sms yesterday and didn't see that he was going to drop it off after work today so it was 10 min plus 24 hours. The wind during the day was N.W gusting up to 35 knots but the temp was higher. As soon as the fin arrived I started fitting it to the CA44. The SW change arrived at the same time at about 35 knots. In the 10 minutes it took to fit the fin it went from 35 to 30 to 25 to 20 to 15 to 10 knots so fin still not tested.

By the way my fin is a 24cm. Not sure how that works.

Finally got to test the fin last night- Lessacher 24cm Chameleon Fin, Carbonart44 board and 6.6 Koncept. Wind came up at end of session to be overpowered,the lake is THICK with weed and direction meant that it was choppy. (no hiding to leeward of the weedbeds). The combination works well and I am pleased with the GPS max of 34.9 in the conditions.

Yep, thats a weird looking fin. But if it works it works!

Interesting writeup wolfy gives on his B + F speed fin...."a fin, that I never wanted to build" and. "Unfortunately, no spinouts".

Probably sounds right with a deep Arnie voice.

Been thinking about a chameleon 28 for a 101l futura with a 6m v6.

Also a 36 duo for the 136l with a 7m sail, reckon the 40cm is just a bit too big for the estuary, definitely too big for low tide. Although crabs dive for cover when they see the big weedie headed thier way.

Select to expand quote

pepe47 said...

Been thinking about a chameleon 28 for a 101l futura with a 6m v6.

Also a 36 duo for the 136l with a 7m sail, reckon the 40cm is just a bit too big for the estuary, definitely too big for low tide. Although crabs dive for cover when they see the big weedie headed thier way.

The 36 is a big fin! I have one on a 155 GO and 6.5M NCX and I think its a bit too big. I have also noticed that if the weed is very thick (as it is in Lake Connewarre at the moment) that it will still occasionally catch a big clump of weed. But as I said, the weed is very thick in the lake in places. I am very tempted to sand the fin a little to see if it makes an improvement.

Select to expand quote

OceanBlue64 said...

pepe47 said...

Been thinking about a chameleon 28 for a 101l futura with a 6m v6.

Also a 36 duo for the 136l with a 7m sail, reckon the 40cm is just a bit too big for the estuary, definitely too big for low tide. Although crabs dive for cover when they see the big weedie headed thier way.

The 36 is a big fin! I have one on a 155 GO and 6.5M NCX and I think its a bit too big. I have also noticed that if the weed is very thick (as it is in Lake Connewarre at the moment) that it will still occasionally catch a big clump of weed. But as I said, the weed is very thick in the lake in places. I am very tempted to sand the fin a little to see if it makes an improvement.

Do you mean reprofiling or cutting it down to make it shorter?

I want to write something. Ocean Blue wrote something over the finish from the
36cm weedfin. Is polish a good finish???????? No,read in GPS forum : bottom
surface.Some years always polish,polish and now, read it,they answer careful and
say nothing. Why? Saw somebody from you the fin from Martin van Meurs ?
Over 50 Knots with such a fin. The next point. To big, okay that can be, he wrote
in a forum that he is a beginner and look for e weedfin. Some wrote 40 -45 cm.
Board 155l.Sail 6,5 m². I wrote 36cm, okay 32 can work,and she work.
Now for Pepe: He want a 36 for 136l and 7m² sail. There is 32 cm big enough.
I use 32cm with 140l and 9,5m². Shell I work the 36cm or write ,please the32cm?
Where catch the 36cm weed, can it be at the tip, we have here in Strand Horst
shallow water, from40-60cm. At the bottom weed. When I start with good 90kg,
I touch the bottom, weed and sand at the tip, I have to stop, to clean and new
start. Please Ocean Blue write how ,and where you catch the weed, with speed,
or.?? Wolfgang

Select to expand quote

Lessacher said...

Where catch the 36cm weed, can it be at the tip, we have here in Strand Horst
shallow water, from40-60cm. At the bottom weed. When I start with good 90kg,
I touch the bottom, weed and sand at the tip, I have to stop, to clean and new
start. Please Ocean Blue write how ,and where you catch the weed, with speed,
or.?? Wolfgang

To be honest Wolfgang I dont think that any 36cm fin would not catch weed in the Lake where I sail at the moment. The weed patches are about 1 - 1.2 meters deep and very very thick. Even the guys using small fins get slowed down by the weed. I tend to find it catches more towards the base of the fin, not the tip. And its big clumps of weed, not just strands. It feels like you are towing a wet sack! If I am doing over about 17 knots I dont seem to get hooked up in the weed as much. I think its more cutting its way through. I dont think that is an issue with fin design. I think that the fin is just a little too big for those conditions.

Hopefully in a few weeks I will be getting another board thats a little smaller and faster so I will probably be looking at getting a 24cm Chameleon Fin, the same as Frant and Red got.

Hallo Ocean Blue! I worked 3000 Chamäleons 24 cm (the thicker) All are happy.
Some said why not thinner? No reaction from me, 38 knots is fast enough.
(thoughts in my head) Hardie used the thicker , all it was okay,than the question
from him, if I can work the Chamäleons thinner. I wrote, okay I do it. I worked
3 moulds : 24cm 22cm 20cm . He got the thinner fins. We tested here the
fins in Strand Horst , and they are good and fast. Sam got the thin 24cm,
okay, Frant okay, Red,I cannot say,I heard nothing from him. Now are 8 Speeder
who says okay, you wrote that you want later the same thinner Chamäleon 24cm.
Hardie wrote. I tested the 24 and 22cm, THEY DONT WORK. I send the two fins back. No question from him what can I do. Siple,they dont work. But I told nothing
to other people. That is not okay from him. It can be so many other things.
Wolfgang

Hardie wrote, that the thicker Chamäleon (23cm) is the best fin he ever owned.
He cannot understand that the thinner do not work. I wrote that it is a difference
if a fin do not work, or she do not work with him. It can be many things...........
Wolfgang

Used my Chameleon 24cm today on a sonic 85 and a 5 mt. Quite choppy but fin felt really solid. When it did spin out very easy to recover. Very hapy with the purchase. Now i've just got to do some more overtime so I can buy a bigger version for my 114 slalom board!