I've tried raceblades and they're certainly way better than nothing but not a substitute for full fenders. Without that little piece in the front that's giving you trouble, I found that my tire and fender were working together to dump all sorts of water directly onto the front brake. Similar thing happened in the rear, with the tire throwing water at my feet. Course, if it's wet enough out you're going to get soggy anyhow, and raceblades still prevent spray from tagging you directly.