BWalnut said..AnyBoard said..
It would be great to get to the bottom of what PW's pull what angles.
So far I have heard that the PT skin is not as good upwind as a v1 PR. I have seen pretty good angles posted by frigate riders. It now seems the LTX is not as good either but I do appreciate they have a wider range and provide a lot more comfort going upwind. I have seen some extraordinary angles from foilers on the BRM double but although I hear good things about the Hybrid 777 upwind I haven't seen anyone posting great angles for them either.
All this tells me that much better is possible from a new hybrid or double in the near future. Maybe PPC or maybe the new afterburner will break the single skin rules when it comes to VMG or upwind angles.
For angles on a map, the Pocket Rockets are pretty amazing but there was a variety of issues with v1 and v2 (tangles on v1 vs too stiff lines and limited range on v2). The PT Skin doesn't have great angles, range, or comfort but has nice lines. The PT Hybrid has great angles and comfort, but normal double skin issues some people wont like. The LTX solves the Hybrid issues, but drops the angles. The Orbit may have great angles, no maps shared yet, but initial ride reports from locals complain about sharp lines, huge packing size, difficult to fly when using the PAL. I say all this just to point out that there's a lot happening in parawinging that isn't purely VMG and angles on a map. I don't want people to get too stuck on that. Totally support grinding on data to find what's best for any individual person, I love that, just want to make sure we remember there are some other fun elements that might be more valuable than finding the top upwind model.
What I've really learned from the last few weeks of looking at VMG is that it's not just the sail. It's the sail, rider, foil, conditions, etc. So, I think it may be useful to an individual for comparing their own setups and sharing which ones work best but I think there are too many factors impacting VMG to make it super useful from one rider in Australia in the ocean compared to another rider in the states in a river. I think that 1 person riding two sails back to back on the same day with the same kit is probably the most useful way to use it.
Here's my Hybrid angles on my first day out. Excellent IMO.
hilly said..
“The only time I am ever bummed is when I look at the GPS or try to put value in my ride based on a VMG score”. But you always do it 😂😂
Haha! Great point! I actually have never looked at VMG other than the last week or two. I just never thought it was especially important to me and I think checking it every session for the last few has kind of reinforced that. I'm glad for what I learned from those checks tho!
I think, at the end of the day, there are other attributes that I, personally put more value in. If those other attributes are the same on two parawings, the tie breaker would be the VMG for me.
