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John C. and myself put some Duotone and Fanatic gear to the test on yesterday’s light wind at Kershaw East launch at Canandaigua yesterday, where the SW wind (meter not terribly accurate on a SW) cycled 8-12 most of the day, with an upper teen bump late in the afternoon.
First up was the Duotone Drifter Stopper and Mast Base strap-on accessory kits intended to convert any inflatable SUP to an I-Rig Sail capable lake cruiser. The Drift Stopper kit straps 2 fins under the board, near the center-point, a couple of inches from each edge, while the mast base designed for the Duotone I Rig sail attaches a foot or so forward of the fin kit. An 11 foot Solstice inflatable rigged with the Drift Stopper Fins and a Large size I Rig Sail performed admirably upwind, with close haul angles equaling any center-fin equipped board. The Mast Base kit twists up a bit on the strap when not under powered condition, but holds very securely on the board when underway. The I-Rig Sail provided surprising power in the light winds, and handling was accurate and intuitive. The manufacturer guarantees stability of the sail in winds up to 12-14 knots. Uphauling 2.2 kg of floating sail was effortless and should provide light-wind sailing accessibility by anyone able to stand on a board and grab the boom handles. Consensus was that the accessory kits represent a great way to convert any inflatable SUP to an upwind capable light wind cruiser with an I-Rig Sail.
Next we paddled the Fanatic Tandem Air inflatable board ( 505 liters, 16 f00t length, 34 inch width, 6 inch thickness…two fins, 19 Fly rear, 22 or 24 Fly middle fin) Board was very fast and stable on knees with 2 people using synchronized canoe paddle technique; also quite stable with one person standing, and a bit trickier with both persons standing; but within a half hour our comfort level increased greatly.
Moving to tandem sailing mode, the board features 2 mast base attachment points, ideal for I-Rig inflatable sails. We rigged the board with a Large size I -Rig in the fore position and a Medium size aft… stability, handling, and upwind ability when underway were exceptional. Front person getting up first to get the board underway, and second person rising from knees worked great. Sails are so light that second person can hold and flag their sail while waiting on their knee. We were totally blown away by the the speed this configuration reached in very light winds…. it was truly faster that any single sail sub-planing rig could achieve…not sure of the physics or aerodynamics behind the speed of this 2 rig clipper ship configuration, but it was shocking. Handling was intuitive and accurate, with gybes much easier than tacks, as having the feather light sails powered and the board moving made the 2 person balancing act much easier. Verdict…a total buzz… get your kids, girlfriend, or wife out for a paddle or light-wind cruise on a Tandem board if you get the opportunity. Also check out the I Rig Inflatable sail concept for light wind cruising on an SUP and to introduce newbies to the concept to wind sailing. It’s definitely not windsurfing, but it can help with the basics and it’s easy to learn and it’s great family accessible fun.
Total bonus after the test session was the late afternoon high teen SW bump that sent us ripping the lake center on our foils for 40 minutes…grand slam finish for sure! See you on the water.
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