I have tried a fair range of high quality fins over the last two years. I use high quality sails KA Race 2012 sails and Naish boards SP ltd 95 mostly.

One fin that I can recommend everyone not sponsored by other brands that I keep using myself, if your peak speeds or confidence at the top end speed is not improving?

Is the Vector 32 Rocket perfect for your high wind slalom board. last weekend in rough water this fin held strong in 5.5m KA Race sail conditions to take me over 37 knots. also gybed so well over 23 alpha in rough water.

The best thing is the control and limitless speed and confidence I get at the top end deep off the wind.

They can be purchased from Jasper Orth for
$230 worth every cent.


www.vectorfins.com.au/fins/slalom

Cheers Russ

I use the 34cm Rockit in my 60cm wide sonic with 5.7m.

Particularly good in strong wind,the flex dumps the power somewhat.

Tried the 34cm last week with my 6.3m for first time and sailed sideways,too small by far.

Changed up to my 36cm Rockit which has a 10mm wider chord than the 34cm,it feels much less slipperly a fin than the 34cm rockit,but i could drive the board forward better,without feeling like i was going to spin out.

I tried the carbon volt 34cm for a couple of hours in 20-25 knots with 5.7m.It railed the board up slightly better than the rockit.Definately felt i was going upwind better,topspeed felt about the same.

I use the 30cm vector slalom fin [not rockit] for my smallest board with 5.0m and this fin has awesome control too.

Hi petermac33

What is interesting is I use the 32 with the 6.3 race as well, I have a 34 Rocket so I will have to give this a go and report any improvements. Any bigger than this I find I get tired quicker in the back leg when it's high wind. I have noticed a good sailing mate Dave (Red Barron) using a c3 venom 34 in the same conditions and he is cranking very high peaks.

Always fun to experiment

Used the 30cm Vector slalom fin today on my 53cm wide slalom board and 5.0m in strong to overpowering choppy conditions.

Then borrowed a Techtronic 28cm Falcon.Was spinny out real bad on the 28cm.

Board stayed lower in the water with the 28cm and could hold it in slightly stronger gusts,but the shorter length causes spinout!

Ideal fin for rough water and strong wind,a 30cm soft G10 with a ultra narrow chord to kill the lift.

I should be a fin designer i think.

fins ain't fins for everyone,

They are a real personal feel thing, the vector have a quality that is hard to pin down to one thing for me. I think they balance speed with feel at their top end so well.

The Rockit is amazing all round fins for any conditions and I always make sure to bring at least a few sizes, when travelling to the PWA events. They seam to work great in any board I have tested them in. Normally I would have sizes from 30-38cm

I do have some demo fins that I can lent out for any sailors to try.
Just send me a email and we can arrange and I see what sizes I have available..

Cheers

Jesper

Update:
Vector Rocket took me to 38 knots yesterday
Vector Delta 21 took me to over 41.32 knots yesterday as well
3 pb's for me yesterday!

Both are soooo good deep off the wind..

Cheers Russ

The C3's must be good then

Yeah right!

Don't get me wrong. The Vector Delta is a dam good fin. But look at this..

gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2012-05-11&team=27

Glad you like your c3 fins Izaac and your obviously sponsored by them but how about starting a new post about the c3's and stop hijacking other people's threads to flog your sponsor[}:)]

Lol I have tried a lot of speed fins. I'm just stirring Russ. Basically all speed fins are good these days so I'm not trying to put them down in any way. as I have had vector fins. And do like them but obviously some people are starting to think otherwise.

Hi Izaak

I also have some C3 fins and think they are very good.

I just found the Delta pointed back up the run so well and I felt rock solid on it deep off the wind.

For those that think my motive is about pushing gear just remember, This was my first real go on a speed board in a speed location that it was worth using it. The Naish SP60 and Vector Delta 21 and KA Race 5.5 gave me so much confidence. Just think for a moment, for first go on a speed board to get over 40 is a big thing so my 41.32 was a bit of a shock to me it actually felt so easy! I know heaps of guys want to reach the big 40 so this post is not about selling fins but finding gear that will get you to 40 easy and safe, granted that I know of.

Next time I get a chance to get away, I will push a bit harder and see what I can squeeze out of it.

Stay Happy Cheers Russ

I think the main contributing factor NO ONEhas mentioned, is that these speeds were 0btained in dead flat water. IMHO most decent speed or slalom fins will go this quick in the flat water you guys get to sail in.

I'm like to see how fins go in sizeable chop (shin to knee high) as you fly over the following chop at 35+knts.

Select to expand quote

Bender said...

I think the main contributing factor NO ONEhas mentioned, is that these speeds were 0btained in dead flat water. IMHO most decent speed or slalom fins will go this quick in the flat water you guys get to sail in.

I'm like to see how fins go in sizeable chop (shin to knee high) as you fly over the following chop at 35+knts.

You may assume it to be flat water. but we are sling shotting off the flat water and into very very choppy conditions where we are hitting top speeds. That's is why dad had a big crash and I can see why Russ has mentioned how impressed he is with the delta. Holding in deep off the wind doing 41+ in the crap we had to deal with is Insaine.

Correct Izaak
I hope Perk's back is feeling better
Us older guys do not bounce so well.

Cheers Russ

My fastest time on gps is 31.7 Few years back,sailing on the river behind the fast,large ferry in 25 knots plus of wind i got a dream downwind pond run with less than 2mm of chop height. Did not have a gps on, but felt like i was doing upper 30's. Point being,it was not the fin,but different conditions.

The 2011 90 litre sonic is every bit as fast as the the narrower 87 litre sonic,that is till you get both boards sailing in rough water,then there is a noticeable difference,so comparisons with equipment should be done in comparable conditions.

In strong wind and rough water i have found using G10 fins to be superior than carbon fins. Carbon fins are harder on the back leg due to the increase in lift they give.

Select to expand quote

petermac33 said...

My fastest time on gps is 31.7 Few years back,sailing on the river behind the fast,large ferry in 25 knots plus of wind i got a dream downwind pond run with less than 2mm of chop height. Did not have a gps on, but felt like i was doing upper 30's. Point being,it was not the fin,but different conditions.

The 2011 90 litre sonic is every bit as fast as the the narrower 87 litre sonic,that is till you get both boards sailing in rough water,then there is a noticeable difference,so comparisons with equipment should be done in comparable conditions.

In strong wind and rough water i have found using G10 fins to be superior than carbon fins. Carbon fins are harder on the back leg due to the increase in lift they give.

So are you saying the 90 is faster in the chop or slower?

The 90 litre feels much bigger than the 87,believe it's slower in the chop than the 87.

Shane let me have a go of his 87,this board is very impressive in chop. Felt like it planed quicker than the old 76 litre.

I just love the way Russ gets sooooo excited about everything to do with windsurfing, hes a great mate to have around to go sailing with. Everyone needs to know that Russ doesnt just have a couple of Delta fins and a couple of C3 fins... He has a whole bag/bucket full of fins. Russ has an obsessive compulsive disorder that causes him to buy multitudes of fins for every discipline in every size from any manufacturer, just to give it a go and see how it performs. I've done the calculations and Russ has a saling session to fins owned ratio of 1:5. I have no idea what this means, but he sure buys more fins than he has sailing sessions.
Deltas are obviously good fins, so are C3. Which is better, who cares. Russ is getting some great results and feeling comfortable on the Deltas. His first session on a speed board in flat speed conditions he gets 41+. Thats awesome!
Izaak ribbed Russ and gets heaps of red thumbs cause he's sponsored by C3. Does Russ as a team KA sailor unwitingly have an allegiance to publically support Jesper and his Delta products.
Sorry Russ, couldnt help myself. I do know how much you love those fins

Buzzy is correct

I love the smell of a new G10 fin in the morning

p.s someone has to keep this industry going

As those that know me well know, I love windsurfing, the industry, the passion we all have for our sport is fantastic. Lets keep building our sport and suppliers to keep them as motivated as we all are.

If Russ decided to have a garage sale of all the gear in his shed, the windsurfing retail industry would have an ecocomic crisis.

Just ordered some Vector weed speeds for backup

cheers Russ

I am based in Maui for a few months and there is no doubt that the softer feel of the vector fins is critical in absorbing chop, particularly oncoming chop and keeps the board on the water. Going Faster.

Canefires, Rockits and the Volts are all great.

Volt 32cm g10 works sweet for control, grip, power and accelleration in the Isonic 87 in 20 to 30 knots of wind particularly in rough water!

I tried yesterday in wind 20-35 knots the 32cm EX Vector on the sonic 87 with 5.7m. Believe the EX Vector is the most swept back of all the Vector fins including the volt.
Found it had much more control than the 34cm Rockit,then again 2cm makes all the difference.

I might be grabbing a cheap "new second hand" canefire 44 for my SP135, to use with my 7.8RS. Would that be a good match ?

This would be fantastic for the Naish sp 135

Go for it!

Cheers Russ

Well I actually bought two !!
Both like new : a 40 and a 44 cm : 160 $ the lot !

The more upright the fin the less control/topspeed you have, particularly in the gusts. Advantage is you will point upwind to max and plane slightly earlier although i never noticed much difference here.

Had two 41cm carbon fins of same area,one was very upright,the other a very swept back Leading Edge b4.

The b4 felt much nicer to ride,softer and sweeter,downside was i struggled big-time to get it upwind compared to my upright fin.

Similiar with fin flex,stiffer will point higher due to increase in lift but at compromise of control.

For lightweights a flexy,swept back fin should be ideal.

I think my Rocket is the perfect blend of lift to control

This fin is a good foundation fin it's fast and will point and has a nice consistent flex in rough water

tried my 40 canefire on the 112 fire race with 6.7 hellcat today.

Top speed !!! Good upwind (nothing exceptional), and you can really push hard on it.
real happy with it !!