From: westes@netcom.com (Will Estes)
Subject: Re: New Board Advice.....phase two.
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 03:52:40 GMT
Organization: Mail Group
Distribution: na

felixc@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (felix.cabral) writes:

>In article <h9fmp4n.westes@netcom.com> westes@netcom.com (Will Estes) writes:
>>felixc@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (felix.cabral) writes:
>>
>>>They are also coming out with an ultra fast slalom board measuring 8'10" with
>>>95 liters of volume. In a couple of weeks I'll know the weight and a bit more
>>>about the '93 stuff.
>>
>>Oh great, just what Bic needs: another fast 8'10" board with something
>>around 100 liters of flotation!  :(  Aren't the Adagio and Electric Rock enough in
>>that size range?

>Would you say the F2 Sputnik or the Mistral Energy to also be in that range?
>Size and flotation is something but you also have to consider weight, bottom
>shape, rails etc.

>The new 8'10 is not going to be an all-around slalom board like the adagio.
>Take a look at the shapes on the E-rock compared to the adagio. They are
>created for different conditions. One excels over the other in different
>situations and conditions.

I'm not saying that any board that is 8'10" is the same.  I'm just
saying that Bic already has a board, the Adagio, with about the same
length and flotation that is very, very fast.  What does the new board
do that the Adagio doesn't do?  If it just goes faster, then I wonder
how many sailors will really be able to use that speed.  Only 5% of the
sailors I have observed can do anywhere near the top end of a board in
5.0 or under conditions.  The chop just makes it too hard for all but
the best to sail efficiently in those conditions.  And I hope Bic isn't
going to get into the business of making macho speed boards that only 5%
of us can really sail well.  

What those of us who are recreational sailors would probably rather see
would be boards like the Mistral Ecstacy, Stinger, and Screamer, but at
a Bic price!  To me, *that* would really round out the Bic line.  Bic
does not need another fast board that travels straight like a bullet but
jibes poorly and turns only with a lot of effort. 

There are a lot of us, like me, who only have one board that needs to
take them anywhere from 3.5 to 5.5 conditions.  When I was in 4.0
conditions last weekend at Rio Vista going over three foot swell, I
wasn't thinking how can I get maximum speed out of my Adagio.  I was
thinking something more along the lines of how the hell am I going to
survive another 10 seconds in *this*?!  For me, I would rather have an
all-purpose board that goes fast but turns very, very easily through
swell.  


>>Personally, what I think Bic needs is a high-wind board that can match
>>up to the Mistral Ecstasy.  

>The Alto is a board worthy of challenging the ecstasy especially with a good
>fin. It handles the waves with great maneuverability. Its probably better in
>waves than the ecstasy which is more of a wave/slalom .

But that's just the point.  The Alto is a wave board only.  The Ecstasy
is more of an all-around board that will take you through a much wider
range of conditions.  And I think that Bic needs a companion to
the Alto that is a wave/slalom.


>>They also need 8'6" and 8'10" boards that jibe great rather than just being all-out race boards.

>The 8'6 is called the RAP. 

My nickname for this board is the BULLET.  Like a bullet it goes FAST,
and STRAIGHT.   It doesn't have a very turny feel to it.  It's a great
race board, but I wonder whether it is really an all-around board. 
So, again, I think that Bic needs another board in this size range that
is more like the Mistral Stinger.


>The 8'10, well I don't know yet what they will call
>it. If a person knows how to jibe then any board will jibe great once they get 
>used to it. Even a Hiper-Tech.

I distinguish between jibing and having a board that turns well.  If you
are on a Screamer or Stinger you can't help but notice that the board
will turn easily with very little pressure on the rail.  An Adagio or
Rap has no such gift for easy turns through swells.  These boards love
to go fast in a straight line.  They do turn, just not as well, or as
easily.  And, yeah, an expert can make any board do anything, but I'm
not talking about qualities that the top 5% would care about anyway.

I am a very satisfied Bic customer.  I am simply pointing out that
they should round out their line rather than continue to specialize
around fast slalom boards.  Variety is the spice of life.  

Will Estes         Internet: westes@netcom.com