Postby TomW » Wed May 02, 2018 10:08 pm
Got out today on the hyperlink 9UL. 76kg dry, on moses 590 wing. 25m lines on standard 50cm Ozone bar.
Wind was light, at first no white caps, windfinder say it's 6ms solid. Another site with observations saying it was 5,2ms. That's 10-11,5 knots. That would be my guess looking at it.
After 30-40 min started getting some increase to see white caps, probably 12knots.
My friend is same weight and foil skill on Lift 150 ( I think). He's getting going on his RPM 12m.
But he drops it in a lull and has to swim 10 min to get it up.
This is my first foil, takes some getting adjustment to it, it reacts slower, sheeting is a bit different. I still think I should shorten rear lines to shortest knot, but kites not "set" yet.
I'm amazed I can get up at all, there's almost no pull in kite static.
But dive it aggressively, sine it once, twice, and I'm flying. Builds speed fast, and man it's smooth and seamless power delivery. I can sheet out all the way and no flutter.
I do some kite up turn gybes, and it's so smooth power through the gybe, keeps tension in lines better and less jerky on/off than the lei. It's still really light wind.
Do some down kite loop toe to heelside carve, whoo hoo, it's super smooth power, much easier than the lei ( Mono) which has power spike and hard pull on trip through the power window. I just learned these last 2 sessions on the lei.
Towards the end the wind picks up a little, 12-13 knots and there's a lot of top end left. This kind of wind I'd be jerking around a little on my Mono 12, luffing and fluttering kite.
I can really crank some turns as kite drives upward from the bottom of the window and gives smooth turn exit power.: keep kite really low, drive up wind, turn kite up, follow with Hf turn and kite turns up 90 over degrees, pointing up and flys upward despite lite line tension, coming around smoothly with even power out of the kite and HF turn.
It's like automatic transmission.
I went in and took out the Mono 12 that was already pumped and rigged. I do think wind had picked up to 12-13 knots, and Mono was at its upper end, had to luff it a lots, and felt like a 4 speed stick shift with a broken clutch compared to a 7 speed dsg automatic of the Hyperlink.
Yes I could have had a good session on the Mono 12, but it's less controlled and refined.
It's only been one session, and I suspect the absolute low end power is less than the Mono 12, but with some skill and perhaps even longer lines, it might beat the 12 Mono in getting going on Hf due to power created with apparent speed and how light wind it will fly in.
I'm really pleased, and looking forward to getting out in 14-16 knots, because I suspect it will work great even on those winds, perhaps on 20 m lines, making my 9m Mono stay on the beach.
I'm still struggling with the launch. I think pre inflation is imperative.