Between the Falcon slalom board and the Blast freerider, Fanatic is launching the Jag in 2018. This is designed to combine sporty behaviour on the water with a less sporty price. We asked the Fanatic design team about it.
surf:Craig, why does an additional board model in your range make sense? How does the Jag compare to your other models?
Craig Gertenbach: We have noticed that there is a great demand for sporty boards that are easy to ride. Compared to our Falcon slalom board, the Jag is slightly narrower in the centre and tail area, it has smaller cut-outs under the tail and a slightly flatter bottom curve. As a result, it doesn't rise quite as quickly when powered up and can be controlled for longer. Jibing is also a little easier, especially thanks to the narrower tail and the slightly less pronounced loop positions. All in all, the Jag is a sporty board for anyone who doesn't want to ride a thoroughbred slalom board but wants to be just as fast.
How big are the differences in performance in practice?
The Falcon and Jag are on a par in terms of planing, the Jag is clearly ahead in terms of control and comfort and the Jag has around five per cent less potential in terms of top speed - but only if you are using racing sails.
To what extent does the type of sail used influence the top speed on both boards?
If you surf with racing sails, you have, as mentioned, about five per cent more speed potential on the Falcon, you can then exploit the advantages of the shape. This advantage is lost when motorised with camberless sails, because the sail's centre of pressure moves slightly backwards in gusts and the Falcon becomes uncontrollable sooner. The Jag, on the other hand, sits more stable and fuller in the water, which means that you can travel at least as fast and much more comfortably with camberless sails.
You also have the Blast in your range. How does it differ from the new Jag?
Once again, the Jag is a slightly softened slalom board in terms of shape, ideally ridden with 2-cam sails. This also manifests itself in the fact that you get a matching race fin with the Jag and don't have to buy it separately as with the Falcon competition board. Compared to the freerider Blast, the Jag can handle larger sails and is even faster and sportier, whereas the Blast is noticeably designed for early planing and manoeuvres, and works best with camberless freeride sails.
What sizes will the Jag be available in and how much will it cost?
The Jag comes with a reinforced, foil-compatible fin box and carbon race fin for 1990 euros, which is around 20 per cent cheaper than our Falcon slalom board. Three sizes are planned with 108, 125 and 135 litres, all in our Biax/PVC construction, which we also use for the Gecko LTD and Blast LTD.
Further information at www.fanatic.com
Technical data Fanatic Jag:
Construction method: Biax/Full PVC //Volume: 108/125/135 litres //Lengths: 235/235/235 cm //Widths: 69/75/82 cm //Finns: 38/42/46 cm (Choco Black Pearl; Tuttle-Box; Foil-ready) // Prices: 1990 Euro
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
Manuel Vogel, born in 1981, lives in Kiel and learned to windsurf at the age of six at his father's surf school. In 1997, he completed his training as a windsurfing instructor and worked for over 15 years as a windsurfing instructor in various centers, at Kiel University sports and in the coaching team of the “Young Guns” freestyle camps. He has been part of the surf test team since 2003. After completing his teaching degree in 2013, he followed his heart and started as editor of surf magazine for the test and riding technique sections. Since 2021, he has also been active in wingfoiling - mainly at his home spots on the Baltic Sea or in the waves of Denmark.
