New Phantom Essentiel: Video footage
Video sent by Alex Udin – The Phantom Essentiel weights 171Kg and it has a base cost around 22,000Euros, using latest A-Class ‘Z’ foil tech which was also adopted by Nacra / Morrelli Melvin for the new Olympic Nacra 17 MKII.
This first video (previous was a teaser) shows the Essentiel with the wing seat configuration and the crew finding the sweet spot to get the new platform airborne. More hours and fine tuning is needed as with all new boats but what we can see here is how the 4pt foiling provides (specially in double handed platforms equipped with jib/gennaker) a more relaxed and controlled ride for your first foiling steps.
If you grab an FP /F20 for the first time , you are going to need some rides to adapt and maintain the platform leveled, even once you learn , you will have your share of wipeouts, mostly windward drop downs.
Add to this fact you don´t need to raise one board in each tack/gybe on the Essentiel and you are sailing this new platform just like we sail floating ones.
So the Essentiel is providing at first glance what is offering, a more relaxed and easy going foiling program.
In the other hand the FP & F20 once tamed will also get you ballistic and rock solid flights, some short videos from past weekend in Arg to follow.
Will be interesting to match new nacra MKII 4pt Foil setup, and the Essentiel sans wing and double trap vs these two weapons fitted with original TNZ 3pt Foil system.
Z foils & L rudders designed by Gonzalo Redondo seem to offer good stability, check at 0:48 for instance. In our experience with the A-Cats, the T rudders are more stable, but the Essentiel team chose L for safety reasons.
Still Gurvan & Ben or other experienced FP crew needs to give it a try and put the new boat to a good test in a wide range of conditions, they will find the limits and optimal fine tuning of the Z foil and L rudder conf.
Below details on the video above , more data on the tests at Phantom International fb
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“Foiling with the Essentiel in 15 knots of wind and 2°C air temperature! Arthur Boc-ho (18) and Leo Lefebvre (21) were testing the new Flying Phantom foiling catamaran yesterday and after a few minutes of sailing, they were fully flying! For those who might not know him, Arthur Boc-Ho is a young but already experienced cat sailor who won the Red Bull Foiling Generation in La Baule (France) in 2015. He took his friend Leo, a windsurfer who only sailed a beach cat twice before, out sailing on a cold and beautiful winter day, and his first impressions are extremely positive…”
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