Feedback of Valentin who left the GONG Space Center with new gear that he was able to test straight away. Here are his first impressions of the Ypra, the high aspect front wing dedicated to Race and Freerace:
“Test of the Ypra M with the Veloce H 36 Stab, last Sunday.
Rough body of water, not great, especially for racing, 15~17 knots. I’m 46kg, 31 years old, not an ambassador for the moment ?.
The rest of the gear for the session, 5 and 4m wings, Mast 85, Pro Aluminum Fuselage, Mint 4’6. Under the same conditions I would have gone out with the Veloce M-T and 4m or S-T and 5m, in Stab Fast 40.
“Pumping in freefly is magical”
I started with my 5m, telling myself that the take off on a high aspect front wing must be done with gliding first. I got a good planning out of the Ypra, 2 pumping strokes and I climb vertically. For a second I felt more or less at a standstill in the air, without gliding, it felt a little unstable. Then I quickly pressed on the nose and it glided directly and off I was (something I do very often with all my Veloce T), advantage of my size?.
On this session with this chop I stayed in first gear (let’s say I didn’t even start the engine), but the glide is just magical, it accelerates on its own, with the swell a good part of the front wing came out of the water and it remains super stable (I barely felt it but I could see the Ypra out of the water), you can edge as you want. With this chop I couldn’t make good speed runs so I had fun surfing the swell ???. The magic works, it surfs to perfection, pumping in freefly is magical (I think it can make for a good dockstart front wing).
The weak point is the guy, with the chop, the speed and too big of a wing, my confidence was a limiting factor ?. I had epic wipe-outs ?, now I know that the Mint paired with the Ypra can jump over the wing and me ?(we can see it differently and say that it must have a crazy pop).
With the Ypra we are rewriting the definition of going upwind.
Back on the beach, a little exhausted because the Ypra requires concentration especially in these conditions, I rigged my 4m. To take off with the 4m I had to glide more at first, on the other hand I was “much more” comfortable in the air, but exhausted by the effort ?, I think this combo could become my favorite combo, I have to retest my Veloce M-H before making a verdict.
In comparison with my Veloce T combined with the Fast 40 stab, with the Ypra I can fully control the attitude of the foil, I never wiped out because I had too much front foot, which happens to me regularly with the Veloce S-T. In surfing the Ypra is even more magical, it turns very well, not as well a Veloce S-T obviously but very well. With the Veloce I was already heading upwind very well compared with the other riders on my spot.
To conclude, it’s going to be a combo that I’m going to take out a lot.
The full 3kg6 foil set is a joy to carry ?, on the other hand for the next sessions I’m going to put on protection for my ears because they don’t appreciate falls at this speed. I also strongly recommend the impact vest and the helmet, clearly it is a foil for advanced riders. The Pro Stabs reduce the drag of the foil, it’s just incredible. I didn’t think there could be so much difference.
A Ypra S or XS would surely be very appreciated by similar body types to mine (and I would order it the day of the release, well I put a tracker on the site to be sure to be alerted the second of its release ?) and I’ll take a Veloce S-H just for fun if it ever comes out ?.
And a big thank you to the GONG team who was able to prepare my order while I was eating at The Slab last Saturday (the order was delivered to me directly on the restaurant table ?), well I think I did not go unnoticed with my two desserts ?.
On this day you not only made me happy but you sold me dreams.”
