Fanatic Wave R&D Team in Cape Town

2010/01/18

The Fanatic Wave Team is on a test-mission for the next line of boards. Last week they were able to score some of the biggest waves ever seen breaking in Cape Towns table bay in the last years. Haakgat was the spot, when Brand Manager Craig Gertenbach and his team riders Victor Fernandez, Marcilio Browne and Klaas Voget took their quadfin prototypes out to sea for the ultimate test.

Here is what the guys had to say after their session:

Victor Fernandez:
“Well, I have to say that this day in Haagkat really impresed me. This is my 3rd time in Cape Town and I never saw such a big swell here like that. That day was my first day in Cape Town and just coming out from the plane we went home, then we had a little session in Milnerton beach, just in front of our place and after that we went to Haagkat and scored those big waves. It was actually very fun to sail with Craig, Klaas and Marcilio in my first day of the trip. This is one of those very big days I would never forget.”

Marcilio Browne:
“Most of the times I heard about Cape Town before I arrived here it always sounded like a place with strong winds and small waves. But since one week it has been some big swells pretty much everyday. The day we went to Haakgat was a special day, the waves were pretty big, and increasing as the day went by, also the wind was really strong, full power 4,2m² weather. I was impressed how good the new Quad was working. I had the 81 liter that day, beacause the current was really strong in the inside, winds were gusty and the last thing you wanted was to get stuck in betwen waves. The board felt nice, was getting planning really early and had a lot of drive on those big choppy waves. The board kept a lot of control pretty much most of the time and also was moving around pretty well.”

Klaas Voget:
“This was one of the biggest days I´ve ever seen here in Cape Town. It was quite windy and pretty choppy on the biggest ones, but still a lot of fun. The grip and control our Quad prototypes have made my day. For me this was also the first big day with my new Simmer sails and they rip. The ICON feels neutral and controlled and it’s very strong, as i got a few of these bombs on the head without any problems."

Craig Gertenbach:
“As a local who has sailed Haakgat for over 20 years, I was pretty suprised to see the swell picking up as quickly and as largely as it did on Monday. Last week I had a great session at Haakgat, without any swims or wipeouts, so on Monday I had to catch up...on my 2nd wave I got totally wiped out, held under and had a very long swim &walk. After a few similar situations I retired to the beach and enjoyed watching Klaas, Marcilio and Victor totally ripping in the huge sets. We have had 2 major swells and another 2 are on the way, so it´s definately the best January I have ever seen in Cape Town!”

More pics:Pic of the Day