Thinking of getting a small slalom for the flat water of Budgewoi..Any feedback on 2008 model 79ltre falcons?

Agreed, still competitive with the latest designs- i've had one or two of them & would happily have another. They seem to work for all sizes of people also.

1st sail yesterday Gps sailing so flatwater but not as flat as normal 4_6inch chop. Little ripper!

And that was a choppy day Greg! It was weird as it lookedflat as you came up to it but as you entered it was small ripply chop 4-6" high.. At it's best it can be like a mirror with no sign of wind but still blowing 20kts +
Actually I posted more than that about the Falcon but the stupid tablet didn't work so I will add a bit extra now.
I could get upwind at a similar angle to everyone else!( big plus ) gybes like it's on rails ( although default radius is wider than my waveboards ) and tracks better on the bearaways in the small chop. My pocket wave would have been skittery as and sliding out all over the place.
Very happy! Bring on a big gust and flat water..

Windxtasy said..

sboardcrazy said..
And that was a choppy day Greg! It was weird as it lookedflat as you came up to it but as you entered it was small ripply chop 4-6" high.. At it's best it can be like a mirror with no sign of wind but still blowing 20kts +
Actually I posted more than that about the Falcon but the stupid tablet didn't work so I will add a bit extra now.
I could get upwind at a similar angle to everyone else!( big plus ) gybes like it's on rails ( although default radius is wider than my waveboards ) and tracks better on the bearaways in the small chop. My pocket wave would have been skittery as and sliding out all over the place.
Very happy! Bring on a big gust and flat water..

You've just reminded me why I don't like waveboards. - too loose.

Ignorance is bliss.. I used to love it.. I did find it a bit of a handful in chop powered up as it tends to skip around a lot and you can't put any pressure on the fin..I thought it was just me.
With the Falcon the only thing I don't like is that my outer toes in the rear strap hurt like hell going upwind..Not sure if its just my technique ( getting used to railing it up /trying to point the toes) or setup..my heel is angled forwards a long way.
I started with the mast foot in the centre ( 35) as people suggested and I could see that's where it was usually set but found it too big a reach back to the straps so I reset it to 33..The boom was set too high early one ( 6m sail- ext wrong so wasn't going to go back in the change it) so I don't know whether that would have been a factor.Still I changed sails later and the boom was ok then..
I also felt I had to get inboard to be able to rail it up / point my toes and put pressure on the tail..???
Any ideas?
I'll fiddle around next sail but thought maybe others have had similar issues and fixed them.

aussieboats said..
Maybe move the back straps forward a couple of positions to narrow up your stance , leave the front ones in the rear settings

Ok. I'll see if it's possible to do that. Thanks.
I just remembered I had to do that with one of my other boards..

2035 said..
Hi Sue. I picked up a FF 101 (2011 model) a couple weeks back haven't had a chance to get her wet yet, but itching. Sorry I can't add any positive comments to the thread other than she looks so damn sexy and I know our affair will test my marriage ;). I'm hoping to catch you up on gpstc with the FF under my feet ;) I've pm'd some of the crew up there to tip me off on a good time to travel from south Sydney and hoping I'll get an invite to join you all in some flat water, which will be a novelty. Enjoy the board and keep posting your progress with her. Peace, Nige

I can identify with that. My partner is on hols for a week or so so no sailing for me..
Still all sailed out..
It hasn't been as flat at Budgy the last few times and the flats are getting pretty shallow.Still if you want to get pb's it's the place to go! With the right wind direction and wind getting into the flats it's amazing..
I think you will catch and pass me . I'm thinking I eventually would like to get a 102 or similar falcon for light winds at Budgy.. Tempted to sell the 115 Xcross but I'll need it for Autumn / lake sailing when we are lucky to get 10kts in a month..

I moved the rear straps forward a hole and put the mast foot back and the stance feels better. Will fine tune as I go along.

sboardcrazy said..
I moved the rear straps forward a hole and put the mast foot back and the stance feels better. Will fine tune as I go along.

What... you have enough wind up there to get planing on a board that small

2035 said..

sboardcrazy said..
I moved the rear straps forward a hole and put the mast foot back and the stance feels better. Will fine tune as I go along.

What... you have enough wind up there to get planing on a board that small

Yes we have had some good wind lately - got a 5m cammed sail coming and could have used it 3 x in the last 2 weeks!. Mind you I only weigh 64kgs..( + or - depending on how much junk I've been eating )
I never used to use my 78ltre pocket wave until it was 20kts plus but it didn't suit my larger cammed sails.
Now I have this one I am going to start using my bigger sails on it and see how I go. Should be able to use it in 15kts + maybe even less at Budgy as usually it's beach start type depths and pretty safe sailing.
How much wind do you think you'll need for your new one?

sboardcrazy said..

2035 said..

sboardcrazy said..
I moved the rear straps forward a hole and put the mast foot back and the stance feels better. Will fine tune as I go along.

What... you have enough wind up there to get planing on a board that small

Yes we have had some good wind lately - got a 5m cammed sail coming and could have used it 3 x in the last 2 weeks!. Mind you I only weigh 64kgs..( + or - depending on how much junk I've been eating )
I never used to use my 78ltre pocket wave until it was 20kts plus but it didn't suit my larger cammed sails.
Now I have this one I am going to start using my bigger sails on it and see how I go. Should be able to use it in 15kts + maybe even less at Budgy as usually it's beach start type depths and pretty safe sailing.
How much wind do you think you'll need for your new one?

If it's 18+ kts tomorrow I'll try out the FF101 with my 7.1 twincam. I weigh about 87kg, so I would be more comfortable riding a 100ltr board in 20+ kts. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

2035 said..

sboardcrazy said..

2035 said..

sboardcrazy said..
I moved the rear straps forward a hole and put the mast foot back and the stance feels better. Will fine tune as I go along.

What... you have enough wind up there to get planing on a board that small

Yes we have had some good wind lately - got a 5m cammed sail coming and could have used it 3 x in the last 2 weeks!. Mind you I only weigh 64kgs..( + or - depending on how much junk I've been eating )
I never used to use my 78ltre pocket wave until it was 20kts plus but it didn't suit my larger cammed sails.
Now I have this one I am going to start using my bigger sails on it and see how I go. Should be able to use it in 15kts + maybe even less at Budgy as usually it's beach start type depths and pretty safe sailing.
How much wind do you think you'll need for your new one?

If it's 18+ kts tomorrow I'll try out the FF101 with my 7.1 twincam. I weigh about 87kg, so I would be more comfortable riding a 100ltr board in 20+ kts. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

So, I took the FF101 out for a test run yesterday in around 19-22kts with a 7.1 freerace and FO Nitro 34cm. I don't think there was enough wind coz I really struggled in the lulls. I'm so used to the float of my Tabou Rocket 115.

When off the plane, I found the board pointing up wind heaps and the tail sinking. I also really struggled to waterstart it for the same reason... the board kept pointing high and I was trying to climb on the board way too far back (hence it pointed high as soon as I got up). BUT...

once I got in the straps, the thing felt so sweet. Quite flighty, but still stable. And it just seemed to plane off the tail so much more than my Rocket, which feels like there's way too much board in the water sometimes. I also got one gybe on it and it was a pleasure.

When I did jump back on my rocket, when I thought I was maxing out, I was doing around the same speed as the FF101 only the Falcon felt like it was just getting started.

I have a lot of work to do to get used to the FF101... it felt a lot smaller than I expected, so I will no doubt struggle with it over the summer months... I don't think the Rocket will do much over 30kts, so I've got to get the FF worked out.

Nige

Trousers said..

sboardcrazy said..
... gybes like it's on rails...

Glad to hear your enjoying the board. I got the same model, but I have not found her a pleasure to gybe. Fast but very twitchy so I did not find it tracks through the turns confidently. It's seriously skinny compared to my 100l Manta which corners like an olympian iceskater. Although the Falcon lets me enter with eye-watering pace, the width punishes even minor imprecision in my foot changes. Usually I disrupt board trim and sink any chance of planning on the outside (admittedly, when the conditions call for me to bring out a 79l, it's usually quite choppy as well!).

My current opinion is that the Falcon (in these sizes at least) is a specialist in unbounded acceleration, but pays a penalty in it's ability to corner. But that might just be me. I suspect I might have different experience in flatter water, this summer I'll put that to the test at Lake George. I am determined to tame the shrew though, not giving up on it, just trying to learn this old dog some new tricks. I hear it's possible...

Hey Trousers,

Great to hear your experience. You've confirmed I've got a lot to learn.

By no means did I have fun on the Falcon yesterday... it was simply too small and it was too gusty. Those 15 liters less than my Rocket felt like 100 liters between gusts. I had about 10 minutes of fun once I got in the straps.

As for gybes, I'm no expert, but when on the Falcon yesterday, I just "typically" leaned forward, pulled hard on the boom and kept power in the rig... felt great. It wasn't massively choppy, maybe knee high, so I'm not sure if you call that choppy or flat. I must admit I sank the tail on it a couple of times after the flip though But the first 2/3rds felt awesome. Just missing that bit of volume I'm so used to.

Really wish it was easier, but then I might as well take up kiting

I had the mast track just behind halfway back... I'll definitely move it quite a bit further forward next time in the hope of making the board feel a little less "flighty" in the chop.