FANATIC HAWK 111L LIMITED 2013 TEST REVIEW
FANATIC HAWK 111L LIMITED 2013 TEST REVIEW
BEST FOR
A competent intermediate sailing on lakes/harbours or on flattish water. Suits more powerful, race-biased sails with extra direct drive.
RECOMMENDATION
Try a smaller fin for everything other than very marginal winds. We found the board felt better with the mast foot further forward of the mid-point of the track, even in lighter breeze.
BRAND CLAIM
Blending characteristics of their freeride (Shark) and slalom (Falcon/Ray) boards the ‘Freecarve’ Hawk is intended to combines early planing and top end speed with easy gybing and “sporting style”.
OVERVIEW
Outline: Longest and narrowest on test, more traditional, drawn-out shape with rounded-off pintail.
Deck: Recessed between front straps and mast track.
Rail Profile: Tucked rails, sharpening under strap area and towards tail.
Bottom Shape: Vee at tail, fairly flat underneath the straps to double concave.
Rocker Line: Standard nose rocker with slight tail kick.
PERFORMANCE
Underfoot: Feels lightweight and stable off the plane and comfortable once up and going. Well balanced and consistent under different sail types and sizes.
Early Planing & Acceleration: Early planing isn’t the Hawk’s standout strength, but it is quick to reach top speed, especially in short, hectic chop.
Top Speed: The Hawk holds it own on all points of sail but is particularly rapid off the wind. On a well-powered up broad reach, we often felt on the edge of control, which was both terrifying and exciting.
Gybing & Manoeuvres: Compared to some it’s unforgiving of indecisive or tentative steps and harder to carry momentum in between small swells. Requires positive rail pressure throughout all turns. We found our front feet got stuck occasionally when trying to step out but there are plenty of footstrap options so this is probably easily fixed with some experimentation.
Handling & Ride: Deals well with steep, sharp ‘moguls’ such as in shallower water. In waves and swell however extra concentration is required to maintain the smooth ride. The mast track is the rear-most of all on test and we found it had a tendency to tail-walk when powered-up. Even in more moderate conditions it was lively and we were more comfortable with it forward, which didn’t detract much from early planing ability.
THE VERDICT
The Hawk performs brilliantly on flat water and skitters over serious chop like no other. The original super-x style is still as exciting as ever, albeit a little more technical to turn and control at times.
For more information on the
FANATIC HAWK 111L LIMITED 2013
go to www.fanatic.com
* Image shows 125L LTD model
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