Fanatic Ultra Cat

[dllee]

Makes very little difference, foil vs formula.
Here, we see Cal Cup about 4 times a year.
The guy fastest 3 years ago is fastest today switching to foil the year before.
The perennial 4th place finisher on formula is now the 4th place finisher on foil.
What matters is how much and how well you practice.

[alap]

d0uglass, I feel now that I am committing a federal offence pls. don't report me to the foil police! reminds me Seinfeld's episode - who is not wearing a ribbon??

many reasons I don't want to foil, like, don't want to ehhh... how to say it... upset my wife, or may be don't have money, or may be have but don't want to spend, or may be don't want to injure myself, or god forbid cut myself in the water, or may be I am not a good enough wsrfr to abandon it and start something new, or may be I just dont want to wear a ribbon....

and speaking about light wind I mean nonplanning conditions. Non planning on Formula, and not planning on the foil

[grantmac017]

Foil is definitely much more fun than formula in less that 14kts, more fun above it too unless speed is the only way you measure fun.

Regarding the FUC. Definitely always bring the centerboard and keep the mast track operational. More than half the fun is railing windward while adjusting for maximum waterline length.
I had a F2 Lightning which was 64cm wide and it was wonderfully fast in very light wind. Became a handful downwind in planing conditions and good luck gybing it though.
I now have an Equipe2 which is doesn't have quite the same glide but far less demanding on the plane.

[alap]

wynsurfer, did what you said, and you was 100% correct it was a breeze

moreover, I am so impressed. Those german engineers are amazing. Too bad their official goal is to stop making cars by 2030 to save the planet.

So I'll post a bunch of pictures. They don't fit in one post, so I'll spread it over a few.

Seven easy screws to unscrew and this thing came up. No prying, no pressure, no parts falling apart. One single assembly. Unlike a mistral where there is a slot and a car with wheels riding on the rope inside it - there is absolutely nothing below the truck, except the locking mechanism.

The car that rides is on top in plain view! the only thing that I siliconed is this double SS metal pin spring (that sounds ominous, considering this comes from Germany, I must say), that locks the universal. Otherwise - no rusting parts and nothing to spray on. The track itself with numbers 2, 3... (that identify the locked positions, everything between is not really locked) is definitely an aluminium, but it appears that everything else (the slider, the "rails" it is sliding on) is plastic? plastic that wraps around aluminium part with numbers? is it possible? Or this is all aluminium? but it doesn't feel like aluminium...

So when I took the whole thing out ... there was nothing much underneath.
Only the white profile - obviously a metal, not plastic - with few rectangular indentations see pic 01 and 05

This metal part rests right underneath the rail.

On pic 7, and 9 I press the pedal and one can see a gap between this metal part and the rail

What actually happens, is that when I press the pedal it rotates this metal bar - pic 12. The axis is just the centre of the track assembly. On this pic one can see the spring that wants to rotate the lock so there is no gap between the rail and the lock.

Finally for this post there is a pic 15 where I pressed the pedal, created the gap, and now slid the car.

[alap]

... continue with five more pictures

Pic 18, I had moved this pink part under the pedal towards the centre of the system, it doesn't allow the lock to rotate, so the gap doesn't open, so even by accident I can't unlock

Pic. 19, 20, 21 - the view of the car in locked position. The metal bar is against the rail, no gap and the car is fixed. No sliding for you (no soup for you )

Pic. 22 is this rope - in my case it is a rope, not a bungee, to prevent disconnection. (BTW I was disconnected once, after 4.5 hours on 4.5 I decided to make one more reach. The euro pin failed and it was three hours of vigorous exercise. I didn't loose the rig, and my board wasn't damaged hitting the shore 2 kilometres downwind - a miracle. Slept well and changed all my universals next week.) Anyways this rope rests along the side of the assembly.

[alap]

... three more pictures

basically the front view (last pic. upside down)

notice the rail, white lock, and the round black things - this is the second point that serves as an axis for the rotating lock

[alap]

three last pictures

not related to the track, but there is some part in front of it and completely separate.

It was not easy to open, but silicon does the magic.

All in all, amazing engineering, so simple, so functional and so easy to disassemble.

Yes this universal connection is an only point that may wear out, and yes I wouldn't loop it, it may rip off the whole truck.

But to be completely honest - I am not planning to loop it.

If and when it fail - I ll disassemble it again and probably install a two bolt chinnok....

[alap]

grantmac, I don't know how to say it more clearly, but I have no plans to use it if the wind has a promise of 14 knots or higher. I have 7 other boards from Formula to 75 litres for that scenario.

[joethewindsufa]

for me such a board glides so well that it is fun in really, really light winds
i have been out with NO-ONE else on the water and loved it
after about 12 knots there are plenty of other options ...

i know i "suck" at windsurfing technique and this is the only board I would dare sail on the local river with a TR-6 8.4 !! At 240 pounds in light winds, it was more like a boat than a planing machine ... but fun, fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imdg2hdoV5c

[alap]