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Fanatic Ultra Cat
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alap



Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:27 am    Post subject: Fanatic Ultra Cat Reply with quote

I bought today a Fanatic Ultra Cat, aka FUC, in excellent condition, mast track moves, mast base and extension, seems to work really nice. Weighs 15 kilo.
A 70 cm carbon daggerboard that slides easily, carbon fin, original straps.

It was an envy of board engineering 30 years ago. Original owner. Last 20 years was sitting on the rack.

Why I bought it? First of all I couldn't resist.... Smile
But seriously though, nowadays I do a lot of light air sailing, learning things like I never had time to learn. Like flare jybes, backwinding, heli, i.e. simple free riding. I was doing this on my biggest boards - Formula experience and Fanatic Ray 145 liters

The problem is that those do not go upwind easily, especially in the light air.
I think FUC will go upwind better with 70 cm daggerboard.

So Qs:
1. what is the wisdom with fin positioning (front back), and mast foot positioning.

2. what about dagerboard? If you ask me, I want to keep it extended all the time, like gain upwind, loose it on some tricks, yahoos, helis, light air ducks, light air flares etc. gain altitude back. But perhaps before doing this I should retract the dagger?

My smallest sail will be 5.0, because smaller sails use reduced diameter masts and this extension/mast base (integrated) is standard
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joethewindsufa



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1190
Location: Montréal

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 4:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to have a FUC board, but felt the mast base was too "fiddley"
sold it and purchased a Mistral Equipe 2 XR

I did not like the dagger sticking up and often ran it down just enough so it did not stick up above the deck
When I felt I needed the dagger I kicked it down easily
I never did ride the board railing to go upwind - did it well on its own

here is my post on the Ultra CAT - with fin placement discussion copied here

http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.com/2011/09/fanatic-ultra-cat.html

"During my first experiences with the Ultra-CAT, which i will call U-CAT from now on, i felt that the board did not turn as tight as i would have liked. This was with tacks since gybes/jibes were NOT attempted. At first I thought a longer or bigger fin might help. However, some readings showed that fin placement played an important role in this... The further up the fin, the more "turny" it would become and "less control". The further back and it is to be somewhat more traction and perhaps even faster, butt less "turny". I had put the fin in the middle. Before I purchase a new fin that will cost as much as the board, i will do some experiments with moving the fin forward some ...
One place that does carry US box fins up to 40 + cm is gsport. Have written them to see availability and shipping
!!"

for a board this large and with my weight over 100 kilos, I never ran this board with anything smaller than a 7 meter sail ...
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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great board, lots of fun in light wind ... once you figure out how to sail it.

In light wind, keep the dagger board down at all times, and the mast base between 2 and 3. This only changes when you approach planing.

One big difference for turns is that you need to move around on the board! For jibes, take 2 or three steps back. The Cat can be turned on a dime, but not if you stand in the middle! The thing to practice is to go downwind, hop all the way to the back, and have the nose come up. Good guys get the board at a 30-45 degree angle and get their knees under water. Adjust board angle by pulling the rig back and pushing it forward. Practice foot steering - with the daggerboard down, it works exactly the other way around compared to planing on a shortboard. Also move the rig to the sides for steering. Again, bigger movements than you are used to!

Don't hesitate to use large sails when it's marginal. Longboards have such a nice glide and no "planing hump", so they have little resistance, and it takes a long time before a sail becomes too big. But they can be fun on a smaller sail, too. The 5.0 is a tad small, though.
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systemslib



Joined: 11 Sep 2016
Posts: 37

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sailed one for a couple of years, great board but a bit tippy if you weigh over 175+ pounds. On mine the fin would slot in easily but only moved back halfway, but just sailed as is vs sanding it down, seemed to be fine. I kept the mast track at 2 (second from the rear) 99% of the time as easiest for me to get planing. Also sailed dagger free 90% of the time as the board tracks upwind well without one unless it gets really light wind. The dagger is fun if you like to rail. As mentioned it does stick up a bit and you can stub you toes if not careful--same with the back edge it is sharp so if retracted make sure the sleeve covers it. I did have an unfortunate incident with the mast base, make sure you keep is pushed all the way in vs 500N as otherwise it can detach, or tie a leash on it. Swimming after your board in high swell/wind can be pretty nerve wracking. Finally the deck can be slippery, might spray some traction paint on there if you like to sail barefoot.

I found it pretty fast in higher winds and seems to cut chop pretty well. As mentioned my only complaint was a bit tippy as gusts come/go and fell backwards more than once on sudden gust drop. Also found rarely would use the back straps as you need to be pretty light to keep the tapered tail from submerging or sailing in high wind. Sailed it mostly with a 8.0 but also had some old dacron 7.0 that I used a few times. I was pretty surprised just how light the board is given it's age. I only moved it on for spacing issues after finding a more modern used raceboard that worked better for my weight.
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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 10:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had one of these for a little while.

Not the friendliest board for freestyle because of the slippery deck with various sharp and knobby things sticking up, and the complicated breakable fiddly mast track.

But very nice for cruising around and racing in light or variable winds with a powerful 7.5 sail or so. I loved the "railing" mode of reaching and upwind sailing with the daggerboard fully down and the mast track forward so that the center of effort of the sail was over the center of resistance of the daggerboard. With feet in the railing straps and the board tilted to leeward you'd get a powerful sense of lift and efficiency as the board sliced upwind like one hull of a catamaran. Downwind and planing with the daggerboard up was fun, although the planing threshold of the board wasn't that impressive due to the narrow low volume tail, and one needed to be quite powered up to get into the back footstraps. Furthermore, the low foot and forward center of effort of modern sails made it hard to get the force of the sail far enough back to align with the rear fin, even with the mast foot all the way back and the sail raked back as far as possible. I always felt contorted and off balance when reaching in the back footstraps.

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alap



Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe, system - I read your comments from few years back before I posted it, google helps Smile Joe - saw your pic on seabreeze with chinook mastbase, system - saw your tread here with description of your disconnecting story Smile

If I am not mistaken in this same thread there was excellent greg's description of all the details about bungee, 500 newton, etc.

yes I 'll start with 2..3 and fin in the middle position and yea I will be sailing light wind, and yes boardsurfer I'll start with 6.0 or may be even 7.0. And it is good to know that dagger will be extended all the time. The plan for a moment is - gain altitude as fast as you can, flair it wetting your knees Smile or backwind it.... or light air duck - thats why I was thinking about smaller sail, like 5.0

yeah I understand at 66 cm wide it is exactly like my Blast 115, but in the light air should be fine me thinks... to retract the dagger completely - probably not, if there is a promise of a wind threshold that will support my Formula or Ray planning on 8.5 - I think I will go on those. But who knows...

My next Q may be about removing the mast track. It is working now perfectly, but it is different mast base. I would love to have it exactly like all my others. Without going into all the details, to remove mast track? I should unscrew all those screws on top, besides those numbers 1, 2... etc. and then what? pry it out with a screw driver? there is a rounded plastic part in front that looks like a plug, what the purpose? to center the mast track during assembly, disassembly?
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alap



Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

d0uglass wrote:


Not the friendliest board for freestyle because of the slippery deck with various sharp and knobby things sticking up, and the complicated breakable fiddly mast track.


This crossed my mind... I am in booties though... and with dagger down ... this should be easier, but will have to think about it...

d0uglass wrote:

I loved the "railing" mode of reaching and upwind sailing with the daggerboard fully down and the mast track forward so that the center of effort of the sail was over the center of resistance of the daggerboard. With feet in the railing straps and the board tilted to leeward you'd get a powerful sense of lift and efficiency as the board sliced upwind like one hull of a catamaran.


I recall this feeling Smile

But as I said, this is light air machine for me, light air machine to get altitude. Formula is easier of course in terms of stability and flat deck, but in light air it is really difficult to get altitude. As always tradeoffs Smile
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the same board I think. I put a foam deck pad on mine and removed most of the foot straps. Mine came with the carbon dagger board and another smaller one from a Hi-Fly. Does your mast extension detach from the mast foot? Mine did not come with an extension but had two mast feet / universals with standard cup that fits both standard diameter and RDM.

I usually keep the mast track on #2 but it is very easy to move on the fly just step on the pedal and push or pull. I took the entire track out and cleaned it. Easy to do there are six screws holding it in place. It works flawlessly.

I leave the dagger board down all the time except when the wind picks up and I can sail on a beam or broad reach. As far as the fin position goes it won't matter much except when you are powered up and sailing without the dagger board down. If the board feels squirrelly move it back.

This board can handle high winds with ease! I did once sail the board in about 30 mph wind on a very fast broad reach through very rough conditions in Nantucket Sound from Craigville beach to Kalmus. The wind had picked up very suddenly and the board just mowed through the chop and felt very secure even though I was well over powered with a 5.4. I'll post a few shots of my board.



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alap



Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, board exactly like this. Will unscrew those six screws on top at the first opportunity Smile

The universal is a mechanical, with Chinook standard cup.
It clicks into older North Sail extension.

As for rigging though. I will have to rig with universal attached to the extension. Means pushing the foot against this universal. Hope I won't brake it!

I mean it is different from modern day, when you push against extension, universal is attached to the board.

Then bring sail and board separately to the water and click universal into this slider on the mast track with 500 newton / fixed slider. Correct?



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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alap- It strikes me that another very good "light air machine to gain altitude" so that you can playfully spend those gains downwind is foiling.

Since I've been using a freeride foil (Slingshot Fwind 2019 with Infinity 76 wing) on my formula board I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to regular formula sailing. Regular formula in marginal winds is SO frustrating- rigging and pumping a huge cambered sail, straining to stay planing, not being able to get good angles, having zero maneuverability, etc. But when I put my foil on the same board, and rig a 30% smaller sail, everything becomes magically light and easy. Last night I was flying upwind with a 6.8 in conditions where I'd normally be struggling to stay planing on a reach with a 9.5. Then I could weave downwind like powder skiing over the chop, working on jibes and whatever other foil skills I might want to try.

I've been trying to do a head to head comparison of the upwind distance I can get with conventional formula versus with the foil, doing a standard zig-zag of 4 x 2 minute upwind segments. But I always end up shlogging in marginal wind when I'm trying it on conventional formula, and it's just painfully obvious that the performance of the foil is light years better, as well as being easier and more fun and playful.



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_________________
James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html
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