My first impressions of the F-One Frigate 5.5 are excellent. It retains all the best qualities of the smaller sizes: it is easy to start, relaunch, and maneuver.

Heineken jibes and tacks are just as intuitive as they are on the 4.7. In fact, tacking feels even easier because the 5.5 delivers more lift, almost like a standard kite during the maneuver. At 182 cm tall, I found the line length to be perfect.

This was my third session, following some bigger waves in Corralejo and moderate conditions in Majanicho. The only issue I had today was stowing the parawing in the stash belt, but it definitely seems doable with a bit more practice.

Wind 12-15 kts, 92 kg, FOne SK8 950, Skywalker Vuelo 6'0. 85L. Also a new board, designed for parawingfoiling.

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czareka said.. My first impressions of the F-One Frigate 5.5 are excellent. It retains all the best qualities of the smaller sizes: it is easy to start, relaunch, and maneuver. Heineken jibes and tacks are just as intuitive as they are on the 4.7. In fact, tacking feels even easier because the 5.5 delivers more lift, almost like a standard kite during the maneuver. At 182 cm tall, I found the line length to be perfect. This was my third session, following some bigger waves in Corralejo and moderate conditions in Majanicho. The only issue I had today was stowing the parawing in the stash belt, but it definitely seems doable with a bit more practice. Wind 12-15 kts, 92 kg, FOne SK8 950, Skywalker Vuelo 6'0. 85L. Also a new board, designed for parawingfoiling.

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Great stuff! seeing the 5.5 in action on those board dims and Sk8 is super helpful!
Any chance of video edging hard upwind in harness fully lit with the 5.5, say, 20+ knots?
thanks so much for posting!

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flowstate said..Any chance of video edging hard upwind in harness fully lit with the 5.5, say, 20+ knots?

20 knots + get the 3.5 out

In this video the wind is 14 up to 20 kts:

alright Cezary finally a video of the 5.5 frigate looks nice for bigger PW couple questions What's your take on LE grunt compared to the 4.7?
how's line length on stowing is it a dbl grab like the 4m,and all the extra material
any noticeable manufacturing difference than from the 4.7/4.0 frigates besides size ofcoarse
top end of 5.5 if you come close yet to hitting it?
Any more info great thanks

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czareka said..
In this video the wind is 14 up to 20 kts:

thanks for posting Cezary! the 5.5 Frigates a big wing isnt it!

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pitbulldoug said..
alright Cezary finally a video of the 5.5 frigate looks nice for bigger PW couple questions What's your take on LE grunt compared to the 4.7?
how's line length on stowing is it a dbl grab like the 4m,and all the extra material
any noticeable manufacturing difference than from the 4.7/4.0 frigates besides size ofcoarse
top end of 5.5 if you come close yet to hitting it?
Any more info great thanks

I don't think the 5.5 offers a significant power increase over the 4.7-maybe only about 1 knot. I actually felt the jump in power from the 4.0 to the 4.7 was more substantial than the 4.7 to 5.5.

I can gather all the lines in a single pull, as you might see in the video; it's not a problem in my opinion.

The 5.5 has additional stiffening buttons on the three tip sections to reinforce the profile (unlike the smaller Frigates). This makes it a bit trickier to grip the leading edge correctly when folding it.

I've only tested the 5,5 up to 18-20 knots so far and didn't feel close to the limit. I estimate the top end is around 22-23 knots maybe 25.

The material seems lighter, but I'm not sure. Overall, it handles just as well as the smaller 4.7.

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flowstate said..

czareka said..
In this video the wind is 14 up to 20 kts:

thanks for posting Cezary! the 5.5 Frigates a big wing isnt it!

I don't feel it is too big; that depends on the conditions. If the waves are breaking and you land into them, it could be an issue, but if the waves are not messy, it's fine.

Another session with my 5,5 m Frigate in lighter wind conditions. After a while and a few sessions the 5,5 m don't feel too big for me and it's easy to handle.

First time on the Frigate 4.0 today here (I usually sail BRM - Kanaha). It does feel much better balanced when sailing and the upwind angle is glorious, but I felt the gybes are more difficult to handle.
Is there any trim necessary with the FOne Frigate?(Czareka, it amazes me to see how well you tack!)