Need info on Bic Veloce 298 and/or/vs Fanatic Gecko 298
Claudio Sfreddo
I'm an intermediate sailor and am thinking of buying a new board (fed up
with hiring...). Is there anyone who could help me make up my mind :
Veloce 298 or Gecko 298 ? Any advice ? Thanks a lot!
Claudio
ni...@hyperknowledge.com
Gecko 298 is a very friendly board. Great construction and fanatic have the
excellent quick lok footstrap system which makes it very easy to adjust
footstraps without the need for a screw driver. You can get the Gecko 298 in
the Class-X construction which is durable and much cheaper than the old
Geckos. If you don't want a new one I don't think you'll have too much
problem picking one up 2nd hand as they are a common board.
Veloce 298 is quite similar to Gecko but I think the Fanatic has better
construction. I had a Veloce 328 which picked up dings really easily, even
with 'careful' handling. The mast track on my 328 also came away from the
board because the plugs pulled out!! I won't buy another Bic board after this
experience.
Regards
Nick.
In article <35E3F188...@uni2a.unige.ch>,
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Brett
The Veloce 298 is a great board!
It is easy and fun to sail, turns well, gets on a plane early, and has a
huge wind range. The construction is very strong, and the price is right
because Bic owns their factory. I use it for light wind free-ride, and my
wife learned to gybe on it.
This has been one of the most popular boards in the world for several years
for good reason. It is the board that started the trend to wider shapes
and the new rocker lines. It's very fun from 5.0 to 8.5.
Aloha,
Brett USA-70
Bic, Hot Sails, Powerex, Fin Works
Claudio Sfreddo <sfr...@uni2a.unige.ch> wrote in article
<35E3F188...@uni2a.unige.ch>...
KretchmerD
Now I think it is an outstanding light to medium air board that can carry as
big a sail as you can handle.
TCSadt
the manufacturer's recommendation is for light winds, 10-20kt. with sails 6.3
to 7.5 of course that depends on your skill and size. I'm starting to try
jibing, which was the reason why I got it in the first place. WS mag
recommended this board for a sailor's 1st slalom board for its width (helps
jibing) and ding-resistances. Check the reviews.
Dan - Fairfax Station, Va.
Mark T. Anderson
enough to persuade me not to sell it.
I use the stock fin: 33 cm long, 307.5 cm2 area, a little swept
back. Would a big pointer fin help? How big? I'm about 200
lbs. and my biggest sail is a 7.0, although I'm looking at
getting an 8.5.
I also sail an Explosion 288, which at 130 liters, is 7 liters
smaller than the Veloce. The Explosion planes in much less wind
for me than does the Veloce. I use the same 7.0 sail on the
Explosion. The Explosion has a 37 cm pointer fin.
Is there some technique to getting a no-nose board to plane
in light air? Should I invest in a new fin for the Veloce? Or
is the Explosion just that much better?
I'll be selling one of these boards. I'd rather keep the Veloce
because it's livelier, sturdier, easier to jibe, and almost as
fast off the wind as the Explosion. But, if I can't get it to
plane quicker, I'll be holding on to the Explosion. On a recent
almost-planing day, I was passed by a ten year old with a Mickey
Mouse sail. Arghh.
Mark
TomBuckOb2
>back. Would a big pointer fin help? How big? I'm about 200
>lbs. and my biggest sail is a 7.0, although I'm looking at
>getting an 8.5.
>
>I also sail an Explosion 288, which at 130 liters, is 7 liters
>smaller than the Veloce.
Why do you have two boards only 7 L apart? Thats like having 7.0 and 7.2 M
sails in your quiver.
Put a bigger fin and a bigger sail on the 298. I sail my AHD 297 with sails
from 7.3 to 9.1 and either a 38 or 42 CM pointer fin - planes plenty early - I
weigh 185.
Tom O'Brien - Chicago
Paul Scrutton
In article <35e58a30...@news.clark.net>, m...@clark.net (Mark T. Anderson) writes:
|> My Veloce 298 won't plane. OK.. it planes, but not quickly
|> enough to persuade me not to sell it.
|>
|> back. Would a big pointer fin help? How big? I'm about 200
|> lbs. and my biggest sail is a 7.0, although I'm looking at
|> getting an 8.5.
|>
|> I also sail an Explosion 288, which at 130 liters, is 7 liters
|> for me than does the Veloce. I use the same 7.0 sail on the
|> Explosion. The Explosion has a 37 cm pointer fin.
|>
Well that in itself should tell you that your fin on the Veloce is too small.
I'm using a Finworks 395 (39.5 cm long?) with my 7.0 sail, and it works great. If you decide to get the 8.5, keep some cash left over for buying a 45-50cm fin.
--
Paul Scrutton
My views may not agree with those of employer.
Mark T. Anderson
> Why do you have two boards only 7 L apart? Thats like having
> 7.0 and 7.2 M sails in your quiver.
Exactly. That's why I'll be selling one of them. I'm just
trying to decide which one.
> Put a bigger fin and a bigger sail on the 298. I sail my AHD
> 297 with sails from 7.3 to 9.1 and either a 38 or 42 CM
> pointer fin - planes plenty early - I weigh 185.
Several people have suggested that a bigger fin will help a lot.
I'll try a 40 - 45 cm pointer and see how much of a difference
it makes.
Mark
i-2000
Veloce 298 and was unhappy with it. I wanted it for 7.5 sailing, however,
I found it to be too heavy to be an early planer for 165 lbs. intermediate
guy. I traded it for a Xantos 295 which proved to be the best decision I
made. The Xantos is much faster to plane, much better at maintaining a
plane, and really easy to jibe (for an intermediate). Also, the F2 is
about 2.5 lbs. lighter.
There is a major price difference between the two boards, so I bought a demo
Xantos with no more scratches and dings than I can put on a new board in a
two week period, and saved few $$$. Good Luck.
Boulos.
Claudio Sfreddo wrote in message <35E3F188...@uni2a.unige.ch>...
Boulos
however, I found it to be too heavy to be an early planer for 165 lbs
decision I made. The Xantos is much faster to plane, much better at
maintaining a plane, and really easy to jibe (for an intermediate). Also,
Ray Sauriol
>Don't know anything about the Gecko, but I recently purchased a '98 BIC
>Veloce 298 and was very unhappy with it. I wanted it for 7.5 sailing,
>
>Claudio Sfreddo wrote in message <35E3F188...@uni2a.unige.ch>...
>>Hi all!
>>
>>I'm an intermediate sailor and am thinking of buying a new board (fed up
>>with hiring...). Is there anyone who could help me make up my mind :
>>Veloce 298 or Gecko 298 ? Any advice ? Thanks a lot!
HI..
Not only should you put in a bigger fin but point that 298 straight
downwind, let your arms go straight on your new hopefully larger sail
so that it acts like a spinaker and get your feet back. Then kick on
that new fin like a linebacker in heat. I routinely sail a 7.0 V8 on
a saxo 270 and don't seem to plane all that much later than the guys
on the bigger boards and I weigh 185. But I really pump and kick the
hell out of the 15 inch teardrop fin I'm using. I know it sounds like
a ridiculous set-up but Im going south soon and I'm not buying a big
board now. Amazing what you can make this gear do when you have to.
cheers
ray in toronto
Brett
Glad you're happy with your new board, but that's an odd story.
Both are super boards, but Windsurfing Mag rated the Veloce HIGHER than the
Xantos for quickness to plane and power ( max sail capacity), and most
people fine the 298 VERY easy to gybe. It is unusual for an intermediate
to notice that order of weight difference much on the water. I suspect the
fin size, rather than the weight was the main difference using the 7.5.
For sails that size and bigger, a larger than stock fin is needed. I too
am 165 and have run up to an 8.5 on the 298 with no problem using a 45cm
fin. I think you were experiencing the difference in power of the stock
fins more than the boards, which are both excellent shapes and not all that
different ( In fact when the current 295 replaced the original, the major
changes were making the outline and rocker more like Bic's 298 ).
One could also get the Tiga version if lighter is a priority.
To each his own, but in three years, you are the first person I've heard
complain about the performance of the Veloce 298 for recreational sailing.
It's good that things are working for you now anyway.
Warm winds,
Brett
Boulos <bou...@i-2000.com> wrote in article
<6se2ga$86d$1...@news2.i-2000.com>...
> Don't know anything about the Gecko, but I recently purchased a '98 BIC
> Veloce 298 and was very unhappy with it. I wanted it for 7.5 sailing,
Ernesto Torres
i-2000 <bou...@i-2000.com> wrote in article
<6se2c2$867$1...@news2.i-2000.com>...
> Don't know anything about the Gecko, but I recently purchased a '98 BIC
> Veloce 298 and was unhappy with it. I wanted it for 7.5 sailing,
however,
> I found it to be too heavy to be an early planer for 165 lbs.
intermediate
> guy. I traded it for a Xantos 295 which proved to be the best decision
I
> made. The Xantos is much faster to plane, much better at maintaining a
> plane, and really easy to jibe (for an intermediate). Also, the F2 is
> about 2.5 lbs. lighter.
>
> There is a major price difference between the two boards, so I bought a
demo
> Xantos with no more scratches and dings than I can put on a new board in
a
> two week period, and saved few $$$. Good Luck.
>
> Boulos.
>
>
> Claudio Sfreddo wrote in message <35E3F188...@uni2a.unige.ch>...
> >Hi all!
> >
> >I'm an intermediate sailor and am thinking of buying a new board (fed up
> >with hiring...). Is there anyone who could help me make up my mind :
> >Veloce 298 or Gecko 298 ? Any advice ? Thanks a lot!
> >
> >Claudio
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>