Hi guys ! After read most of the thread above , i am quite surprised about this fuzz.
How many guys of you did actually raced a 'banana borads 'boat or did race against a banana boards boats with a canted straight boards boat ?
i had the first curved boards a class flyer mk1 in 2004. tested it , raced it in all european regattas and 2004 -2007 worlds etc. Also sailed last european in La baule agianst Bob baier with his Nils Bunkenburg designed Nikita with the curved boards . ( last two season i race a normal fLYER mk2 ( Egner) with normal canted boards ad are faster then on my old boat with the curved boards which i still owned untill last month)
I can assure you it is really difficult to judge if there is a difference at all between curved boards an sthraight ones , an even more , if it is faster or slower.
There might be some circumstances that it feels faster , there might be some circumstances that is might feel slower .
But clear is± difference between straight old style ´in the hull plane´ boards and common canted board like all new boats is BIGGER then difference between the 'normal'canted boards and curved boards .
When you have EXTREMELY curved boards ( let say Radius 1200 mm) , then off course vertical lift vs lateral is a difference you can detect , but the downside becomes also clear...
so , what makes the differcence then ??
DOWNWIND SAILING TECHNIQUE!
There is much more then 'going flat 'or 'going wild'
There is some 20 degrees of sailing angle in between where you can fiddle around : going mild , or whatever you call it .
Highly dependable on -waves / chop -stable or gusty winds -current/ wave, wind direction -windspeed of course -sailors weight : 70 kgs or 85 kgs makes a hell of a difference is the choose of optimal angle downwind. -rig set up/ mast rake
my impression is that most sailors ( incl myself) are are 'too much sailing wild thing' as you understand what i mean . Quite often sailing slippery down at deep angles pays off better . Lighter guys can do that easier off course then the big guys .
Thats a differerence no curved / straight or canted board will make in a 100 years...
