From: Guy Racette
Subject: News You Can Use
Date: Friday, December 22, 2000 11:00 AM

Holiday Greetings:

    Finally got on the fins in "meaningful"conditions.  I didn't think you'd care for platitudes about how they performed in sub-planing conditions or with sails six sizes too big.  Here Goes:
    Foreword:  I was completely unprepared for how much I like the performance of these things off the wind.  My intuition told me that they would be too small in surface area to achieve enough low-speed lift to fly. I thought there would be a problem re-attaching after accidental air.  I was  wrong.

    I bolted up the largest  fin (the 16") to my 22" Bassett slalom with a Nitro 6.6 rig.The Delrin insert is a brilliant idea.  Yours? Launching off Ropes Park ( CORPUS CHRISTY, TEXAS ac) with peaks around 30, I was surprised at how the fin gripped
despite the fact that I was slamming out through the choppy shore break, and airborn about every 2nd wave.
   Once through the break, I pointed a while.  This is probably my least favorite thing to do with this fin and board.  They both need speed, and I tend to be somewhat of a "pincher".  Not a good match for my style...Anyhow, after a while I selected a trough and dove in.   WOW!  Very little jacking of the board at speed, but plenty of lift and I was unable to break the fin away.  No spin.  None. Zilch.  This is a very fast fin on a reach.  I'll need to get used to the speed-with-control thing.   The potential of this is enormous, but I'm not used to contending with chop coming at me this fast, and consequently making more "dynamic" errors.  (Zigged when I shoulda zagged...) 
      Now I really want to go  down behind the sea wall to test these things. but the direction was wrong yesterday.
More news as it happens.
Guy

From: "Whitley, Leon"
To: "'Andrew Cohen'"
Subject: Fins
Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 2:38 PM

Andrew,

Wanted to get this to you now that things have quieted down. 
Having been a user and a big fan of your fins for some time now, let me share with you what I've found to be a good combination of your fins and my gear, bouncing between spots in Corpus and Galveston. I've been using the 16" on the Bassett (9' @ about 115l); I'm 6'1", 195 lbs. With sail sizes from about 6.5m2 to about 8.5m2 (race sails), this really is a great combination.  I have no problem with spin out and the off the wind performance is incredible; a very stable ride while tweaking for speed.
It's nice to know I can push myself w/o having to worry about the board coming out from under me (unless I hit a fish).  I have been known to run the 14" w/a 5.5m2 to about 6.5m2, if it's really flat and windy; the tail of that board is a bit much for that fin when the chop comes up and at that point it feels a bit small. When the Bassett gets too big, I'll move to an 89l Pro-Tec slalom shape. It's very narrow and goes like a rocket.  I've put the 14" on this w/a 7.4m2 at Bird Island (on a wound up, no weed day) and was blowing by people like they were standing still.  I'll stay on this board down to a 5.0m2, changing fins to the 12" when it gets about 5.5m2.  BTW, the weed fin of yours works really well w/this board.  Will have to get the bigger version for the Bassett.
What I really find amazing is the range for the conditions.  I've found I can hold onto bigger sails longer by changing fins, allowing me to remain incontrol and concentrate on sailing.

Also I don't have to change fins as often, whereas before it didn't take much and I was tail walking from too
much fin (maybe inefficient fin?).  They are very stable and they are very fast. Plus it's a blast to have folks look at my fins and wonder where they came from, and then have me blow by them downwind.  Would like to get w/you and try your speed sticks sometime. When the wind comes back up in the Fall, we can hit Corpus or a little place close to Surfside.  Hope all is well w/you and the family, and I look forward to hearing from you soonest.
Let me now if you need anything from me. 
Take care...........Leon