Post number : #1 Topic :  Cross 117 Date :  12/24/2004 2:24:49 PM Author : IJ Today i had the first sail. hardly ideal, very gusty cross off. Sail 7.3 and more time off the plane than on. For my 95Kg uphauling is no problem, a little tricky keeping it off the wind in the no wind lulls. The outboard strap position is too inboard for a free race setting and i think may limit big sail big fin blasting. Compared to the FD70 that i was sailing, its a little slower to plane and not so fast(although it certainly goes fast if you bear away and let it run) Sails very clean with a loose feel. Certainly did not feel slalom like either in planning or acceleration. Gybing was the good part, best big board that i have gybed. I see no reason as to why it would not be a good board to sail in waves in light wind. Hope to take it out in rougher stuff next week   Post number : #2 Date :  12/24/2004 8:02:39 PM Author : WARDOG Just received a couple of the new Exocet Cross 117's myself... Here are some fresh pics: http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_deck.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_bottom.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_bottom2.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_nose.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_nose2.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_nose3.jpg http://surfingsports.com/images/exocet_cross117_volume.jpg I was initially under the impression that it was going to be an extension of the Exocet O-Wave 105 that I've been riding successfully in light air wavesailing for the last year, but it seems more EVO/Universal Wave short and stubby... These pics compare the '05 Universal Wave? 88 to the '04/'05 Original Wave? 85: http://www.surfingsports.com/images/uw2-88_ow2-85_compare1.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/uw2-88_ow2-85_compare2.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/uw2-88_ow2-85_compare3.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/evo_80_2005_deck.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/evo_80_2005_nose.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/evo_92_2005_deck.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_uw78_deck1.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_uw78_deck2.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_uw78_bottom1.jpg http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_uw78_bottom2.jpg Nose concave and bottom shaping is intriguing...looks like an early planer...loose and turny...fast , smooth ride...like the other Exocets... It's the joint friendly heel bumpers... DDSA (Double Density Shock Absorption)...this reduces joint strain and pounding dramatically...which results in making these boards more comfortable to sail over-powered in choppy conditions...less ankle strain while footsteering... http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_ddsa.jpg The Exocet ProFlex footstraps are killer...super comfy and they have a slot for micro-adjustments... http://www.surfingsports.com/images/exocet_proflex_footstrap.jpg Will be throwing my 10" FreeWeed Powerbox in this puppy... http://www.surfingsports.com/images/wardog_freeweed_10_powerbox.jpg Will also check out it's speed with the 13.5" (34cm) A.T.X. http://www.surfingsports.com/atx.asp Warm winds and waves...{:~) WARDOG http://www.surfingsports.com   Post number : #3 Date :  12/25/2004 8:28:27 AM Author : IJ Hope my intial report wa not taken as negative. In fact i am very positive. It's got most of the things i was missing in the FD70.   Post number : #4 Date :  12/26/2004 3:55:31 AM Author : RP93 IJ, I'd like to hear your impressions compared to smaller boards ie looseness, foot steering, lightness feeling, jumping etc. I am still trying to decide between 117 and 102. I have never had a board over 105 l that I really liked, so am a bit reluctant to go to 117.   Post number : #5 Date :  12/26/2004 10:02:37 AM Author : John I What your weight is and how light of wind do you wish to sail in will dictate your choice. Use the 1 liter to kg gauge. Add 10 kg for your rig. That's neutral bouyancy. Both Cross's are looser than the Compact Moves maybe at the expense of topend speed, but by how much is probably most noticable between the CM 115 and Cross 117 due to footstrap positions outboard more than anything else. Used the 117 twice, and is very loose and turny even when slogging out to catch waves. Once on the wave and nearly just surfing, without much pull from the sail, it is by far very surf oriented. I like that alot in a do everything board. I still have the S-4 for a speed/blasting kind of day when the waves are too small to ride seriously well.   Post number : #6 Date :  12/26/2004 12:09:50 PM Author : IJ RP93 I live in a very light wind area and at 95Kg i need volume, its been a few years since i have been on really samll boards so difficult to comment. The 117 offers me a similar volume to the S4 but for totally different conditions, the S4 covers 10/8.5, the Cross 6.4/7.3 The 117 for my weight needs a bit of wind to get going, it needs power in the sail where the S4 does not. Today i was out with a 7.3, it is exactly what i was looking for, easy to sail, loose and turny, hard to put it in words, but on a slalom type board you need to set it up to gybe, the Cross i can just do it on the spur of the moment with or without a wave. Its light, easy to get air. I think due to the short length it will be easy to handle in a blow/rough conditions. As John said, your weight and wind conditions should dictate the volume. One thing, i put in a 44 cm Curtis race fin to see how it worked, i was very surprised that it neg.effect on gybing. A 70 kg friend tried it, he had no problems to plane and really like liked it   Post number : #7 Date :  12/26/2004 12:26:53 PM Author : IJ And sorry about my typing, just so tired after a day on the water   Post number : #8 Date :  12/27/2004 3:16:38 PM Author : RP93 IJ, Thank you for your feedback. I am a bit heavier than you (100 kg), but have luxury of stronger winds so my boards and sails are smaller. Right now I am using Combats 5.0 and 5.8m. but am considering going to Aerotech's Charge 4.7,5.5 and 6.2. My main board right now is the new UW88 and I can use it for most conditions that I would like to sail in, except when there is strong shorebreak and light inside. For those days I am considering the 117 or 102. The "feel" is everything to me and I want something that will get me out, but not feel like a tank on the way in. I do not intend to go larger than 6.2m, so I know either board will be OK there, but which one will get me out in the critical conditions and still feel fun...that is the question.....I really need to try both.   Post number : #9 Date :  12/27/2004 11:57:36 PM Author : John I Did a sesh today with the 6.2 Charge and the Cross 102. Wind was 12-14 knots on the very inside and 16-18 outside. Waves were up to 10 feet. Down the line conditions were set up nearly perfect. I traded the OW105 for the Cross 102. And also picked the 117 for another board. Based on what I have done with both recently I'd say get the one that appropriate to your weight and don't worry about any tank like feel on the wave. These boards are fast yet loose. No regrets trading the 105 even today. As much as I like the OW's these Crosses are even more versatile. I weigh 92 kgs and used to weigh 96. I use both Crosses to maximize my wave riding.   Post number : #10 Date :  12/28/2004 5:53:57 PM Author : RP93 Went ahead and ordered the 102 today and should have it tomorrow. With four days of medium wind coming up, I should be able to get some time on it and provide a report.   Post number : #11 Date :  1/2/2005 3:27:32 AM Author : Patrice Yesterday I made a very interesting test on the Corss 117 by using a VMG 7.5 and a superfast 32 cm the board was actually going really well, especially when it was getiing rough, then I change to 6.8 Phantom and a smaller free ride fin the board became looser and lost a bit of speed wich was better for wave riding, on those 2 test I was actually surprise to see that the reaction of the board are simillar, with the slalom combo the board was really nice to jibe at top speed while you got the same feel at lower speed with the wavw sail Patrice   Post number : #12 Date :  1/17/2005 2:53:55 AM Author : IJ Patrice I have sailed the 117 with a Naish Sprint 7.3 and the stock fin. Wind is offshore, gusty with very strong currents. Its difficult to point and get upwind, my speed is also not good(but very fast when bearing away) As you say it handles the rough stuff real well(bad chop, no waves), but i think i need a more upwind/bigger fin for freerace/freeride mode. I can trade off looseness for pointing, what fin would you suggest?   Post number : #13 Date :  1/17/2005 8:16:14 AM Author : Patrice From my previous experience, sailing gusty wind and strong require bigger fin. I could imagine that you can easy go 4 cm bigger, you will gain speed and angle upwind but also your board will be driving in the turn, rigth now it is turning more with the back in a kind of a slash style, I guess that when you try to lean forward in the jibe with that current the board tend to catch rail. a bigger fin will be definately better similar style of fin 4 to 5 cm bigger with maybe slight wider base will be OK Patrice   Post number : #14 Date :  1/22/2005 1:13:24 PM Author : IJ Today i tried the 117 in extreme freerace mode. 44cm race fin and 8.5 Nitro 4 Was not so bad, good speed, great to gybe and smooth in the chop. But the the board really needs another set of more outboard strap inserts and the track is too far back and needs to be a few cm further forward or longer for this set-up. This would extend the sailing window for the board, then the 117 really would be an excellent 1 board for wave, freestyle, and freeride. Just my thoughts to make a good board better.   *Name : Email : *Message :