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Starboard iSonics 2015

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Created by sausage > 9 months ago, 16 Aug 2014
mark62
501 posts
14 Jan 2016 11:28PM
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Yep, its the Isonic W44, the old wood version from 2010. Very nice session, I'm very impressed with the 40k 5 x 10 secs so not just a lucky gust, nice:)

Steve Charles
QLD, 1239 posts
17 Jan 2016 7:35AM
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Spocktek said..
www.gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2015-12-24&team=10

I'm Spock. Max speed was 43.01 on the dail with a 2 sec peak at 42.7.
I'm using a logsys gt-31 gps like most the crew.
Mark, Is your 54 litre speed board a dunkerbeck iSonic?


Paul that is a really impressive speed on that board, well done. Who needs a speed board

Lindz1510
WA, 71 posts
27 Jan 2016 12:19PM
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would a 150lL 2010 isonic be ok for a 110kg intermediate with the footstaps on the inboard position for lighter sea breezes or in winter when the winds got holes in it?... and an 8.2m ka koyote?
i asked in another forum but thought this thread might have lots of experts on the subject :)

sausage
QLD, 4873 posts
27 Jan 2016 2:33PM
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Lindz1510 said..
would a 150lL 2010 isonic be ok for a 110kg intermediate with the footstaps on the inboard position for lighter sea breezes or in winter when the winds got holes in it?... and an 8.2m ka koyote?
i asked in another forum but thought this thread might have lots of experts on the subject :)


What are these inboard footstrap settings on an iSonic you speak of

Lindz1510
WA, 71 posts
27 Jan 2016 3:00PM
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Just a tiny bit inboard :)

mark62
501 posts
30 Jan 2016 9:38PM
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That is150 will do the job nicely. It's a slightly detuned iSonic so not full on. The short length will make slogging and taking more tricky, but do-able. I've been looking for an is150 in the uk to replace my F161, there like hens teeth over here

Jonesyboy
2 posts
1 Feb 2016 6:57AM
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Got one myself, fantastic board. Up at West kirby a bit Mark, but never with the 150, water is too shallow!

mark62
501 posts
1 Feb 2016 9:09AM
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Your right, fins can be a bit dodgy on tide. Perfect for summer breezes on the lake, let me know if you ever decide to sell it??

Jonesyboy
2 posts
2 Feb 2016 3:26AM
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Will do Mark. Found it best with 9.5 simmer scr and a 55cm select fin. Endless summer fun, very under rated board would be interesting to compare to ultrasonic

petermac33
WA, 6415 posts
2 Feb 2016 5:03PM
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I did an extended test (5 sessions) of a 2015 carbon 90 against my 2012 wood 87.

Below 18 knots the 90 was faster as it powered up better.

In 25 knots and above the 90 was the worst board I've ever sailed.

The trim was so difficult to maintain. The board is super sensitive.

Would sail on a reach with the leeward rail engaged--then I would lose that trim and then found I was sailing more on the windward rail.

This trim change would happen many times over a minute! Tried many fins but still found it impossible to trim well.

Above 25 knots I was going a good 2-3 knots slower on it than on my 87,possibly by as much as 5 knots.

That 90 should never have went in to production. It's fast in medium wind but is seriously SLOW in strong wind.

Yet to see anyone make it work in really strong conditions.

Absolute nightmare board to trim! So happy to get rid of it.

gavnwend
WA, 1366 posts
2 Feb 2016 5:38PM
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Has anybody tried the 114 isonic.l know its a bit wide but good for light wind's.l think the 107 is the go from reading some of the previous posts.

mattspoonersurf
38 posts
2 Feb 2016 6:33PM
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petermac33 said..
I did an extended test (5 sessions) of a 2015 carbon 90 against my 2012 wood 87.

Below 18 knots the 90 was faster as it powered up better.

In 25 knots and above the 90 was the worst board I've ever sailed.

The trim was so difficult to maintain. The board is super sensitive.

Would sail on a reach with the leeward rail engaged--then I would lose that trim and then found I was sailing more on the windward rail.

This trim change would happen many times over a minute! Tried many fins but still found it impossible to trim well.

Above 25 knots I was going a good 2-3 knots slower on it than on my 87,possibly by as much as 5 knots.

That 90 should never have went in to production. It's fast in medium wind but is seriously SLOW in strong wind.

Yet to see anyone make it work in really strong conditions.

Absolute nightmare board to trim! So happy to get rid of it.






Petermac, I agree and disagree with your comments

I also had a 2012 Is87 wood and a 2014 Is90 Carbon (which I believe is the same as the 2015 Is90 Carbon)

Firstly the Is87 is a brilliant high wind board - excellent control even in really windy and choppy conditions, you always know exactly what the board is doing. However, it does have some weaker areas - it can be slow out of the gybes, particularly if you are racing with lots of other sailors around you, ultimately it is not that fast, the wide tail restricts its max speed - I do a bit of GPS speed sailing and actually find that my Is107 is faster.

Where I agree with you is that the IS90 is a technical board to sail and it is incredibly sensitive to fins. Following a dialogue with Remi, I use Drake DW R2R fins, which I find work pretty well - the most important size is 30cm which I use with 5.2m, 5.7m and sometimes even with 6.4m sails, the 32cm works well with the 6.4m and 34cm works well with the 7.1 (which I sometimes use with the 32cm).

It is not just fins that the board is sensitive to, it is also very sensitive to sail characteristics - the greater the mast-foot pressure, the better it feels - this means that it works well with race sails, however, your smaller free-ride or wave sails probably won't work well. Just to put this into perspective, the Is90 feels much better on my new 2015 GA Vapors than it did on my F2013 North WARPs, the GA creates more mast foot pressure. The Is87 works well on all sails including wave sails - I even raced on a 4.5 North Ice in one very windy event - I don't think that there is any way that you could do this on an Is90.

When I first had the Is90, I found it almost unsailable with the 5.7m and 5.2m, it was impossible to trim and would spin-out coming into gybes, however, with the R2R fins I do not have trim issues and gybing is not a problem even in 35kts wind with the right size fin

Where I disagree is speed, the IS90 is undoubtedly faster than the Is87. Sailing on a broad reach, it has incredible directional stability, which is very unnerving at first - but live with it and it will go very fast. My experience is that it is 1 to 2kts faster than the Is87. This IS90 has a reputation, amongst the speed sailing community, as one of the fastest slalom boards - you just need to learn how to sail it and use the right fins and sails

MattFox107
5 posts
4 Feb 2016 3:29PM
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I have the 2014 and have used it a couple of times with z fins sl 32-
Used it 30 knots+ wind with 6.3, fin a bit big so i order a vector volt 32 to calm down the board.
The z32 is better with 7.0.

On pure flat water a guy i know who weights 73 kg used it with a hurricane weed 24 and pushed it up to 39 knots.

The vector volt seems to work good with isonic 90.. 40 knots + on max
Sonntag fins, 44 knots vmax.


Cheers,

Matt

shinobi
151 posts
4 Feb 2016 8:16PM
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I found the Z-fins quite difficult for the 90l, the 30cm where max for me, now I do run a 32cm LWS.8 and it does suit the board well.
To me it feels like it does prefer quite raked fins, once mastered, a very rewarding board, the start however can be physically

GrumpySmurf
WA, 230 posts
5 Feb 2016 9:49AM
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Would anyone care to outline the ride difference between a 2014 isonic 107 and a 2011 RRD X-Fire LTD 112?

I have the isonic, and then had a go on a friend's X-fire 112 (older model) and the X-Fire was sooo comfortable! I am thinking maybe I should look at changing to the X-fire. To me, the one I tried felt slow but not sure.

AUS 808
WA, 464 posts
5 Feb 2016 10:21AM
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GrumpySmurf said..
Would anyone care to outline the ride difference between a 2014 isonic 107 and a 2011 RRD X-Fire LTD 112?

I have the isonic, and then had a go on a friend's X-fire 112 (older model) and the X-Fire was sooo comfortable! I am thinking maybe I should look at changing to the X-fire. To me, the one I tried felt slow but not sure.


If a board is really comfortable you feel like you are going slow but in fact could be faster than when on a nervous / lively board.
I prefer the comfort

sick_em_rex
NSW, 1600 posts
5 Feb 2016 3:26PM
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"Would anyone care to outline the ride difference between a 2014 isonic 107 and a 2011 RRD X-Fire LTD 112? I have the isonic, and then had a go on a friend's X-fire 112 (older model) and the X-Fire was sooo comfortable! I am thinking maybe I should look at changing to the X-fire. To me, the one I tried felt slow but not sure. "

I was a Fanatic Falcon rider for years and decided to change to a X-Fire V4. The difference is like you said, sooo much more comfortable which also felt slower. BUT, when I check my gps speeds I see that I am at least the equivalent or faster than I was on the Falcon. Sorry I can't compare with an I-Sonic but just thought I would share my experience with the X-Fire.

shinobi
151 posts
5 Feb 2016 5:41PM
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The 2014 iSonics where exceptionally hard, the 2015 and 2016 versions are way more easy and less physical.
Compared to the X-fire, I do run 1cm longer fins and don't find the iSonic more demanding, at least the current model ;-)

mattspoonersurf
38 posts
5 Feb 2016 6:11PM
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It is really down to personal choice. I think that if you tried a 2011 is101 or is111 (replaced by the is107) you would find that they are very easy and comfortable to sail, this was one of the features of the previous generations of isonics.

I feel that Isonics of the past 2 years have sacrificed a bit of the easy feeling for a little more performance. Saying that, my 2015 IS107 is my all time favourite board, in comparison, the earlier Isonics feel too tame - and the Is107 is blisteringly fast, I have seen over 36 kts, which is 3kts faster than I have managed on any other mid sized slalom board I have owned.

before using Isonics I used a Mistral Slalom 123 and fanatic falcons 105 and 90. The Falcons were difficult to sail, but felt fast, but my performance improved significantly with the Isonics, especially on rough water. The Mistral on the other hand is my second favourite all time board, fantastically easy to sail, would carry sails comfortably from 7.0m to 9.2m. I was told by some pro-sailors that it was too slow, however, I was the fastest amateur at Weymouth speedweek in 2013, and I was faster on the Mistral than the Falcon 105.

All slalom boards are a trade off between max speed and control, some brands, like my Mistral and older Isonics, are a little more control oriented, whilst others like Fanatic, and later Isonics deliver more speed. Where you are comfortable is entirely personal.

petermac33
WA, 6415 posts
5 Feb 2016 7:21PM
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The 2015 107 with a 38 Chris Lockwood carbon fin is the best all round performance board / fin ever!

Rowan Law borrowed mine with a 7m and never seen him sail so fast.

He was going a lot quicker than on his P110 / 7m setup,especially for low end speed and upwind.

The Patrik 110 felt good for me but it does need more wind to get it powered up.

The 2016 Tabou Manta 106 is 66cm wide and faster for peak speed than the 2015 Sonic 107 but not nearly as good for low end / upwind so slower overall.

Aus 1111 has a 2016 Manta 106 and is very fast....but only when its windy enough.

The X-Fire 112 is a bigger board than the Sonic 107. Same width but the tail is much wider in comparison.




izymiester
WA, 325 posts
6 Feb 2016 10:08AM
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petermac33 said..
The 2015 107 with a 38 Chris Lockwood carbon fin is the best all round performance board / fin ever!

Rowan Law borrowed mine with a 7m and never seen him sail so fast.

He was going a lot quicker than on his P110 / 7m setup,especially for low end speed and upwind.

The Patrik 110 felt good for me but it does need more wind to get it powered up.

The 2016 Tabou Manta 106 is 66cm wide and faster for peak speed than the 2015 Sonic 107 but not nearly as good for low end / upwind so slower overall.

Aus 1111 has a 2016 Manta 106 and is very fast....but only when its windy enough.

The X-Fire 112 is a bigger board than the Sonic 107. Same width but the tail is much wider in comparison.






Hey Peter Mac Daddy 33,

Just got my new Fanatic Falcon 112 2016 and 7.7 north warp 2016! using it with a 38 zulu fin im pretty sure its a better all rounder than your 107 and 38. I will smoke you any day on the river in 15 knots to 35 knots

This setup trucks upwind and downwind at amazing angles and crosswind its effortless. I sailed 180km in 2 days on river and was not even sore. It has a gliding sensation that is soft and easy on the legs , not jarring and hard like other boards.

I was amazed when i could push it back and forth across the river drag racing without even working up a puff in 18-30 knots. The speed potential is as far as your skills can take you there is nothing holding the board back.

The energy you would save in racing for gybing, acceleration and tactics will be its greatest strength



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"Starboard iSonics 2015" started by sausage