August 2008 - Neil Pryde Windsurfing 2009 This is an exciting time of year with the arrival of the new 2009 collection of sails from Neil Pryde! In fact we've already had a small consignment come in during August but the main stock availability will be w/c 1st September. In the sail range there's three new models, also some fairly pronounced technological changes throughout to the designs as summarised below, and also to the appearance which has been so well received - check out the wicked new colourways including the sicko purple! These are going to look so good on the water the world over this year! The Matrix rig range continues with the X3-X6-X9 branding system, the backbone of achieving straightforward high performance from any Neil Pryde sail. There are some additional products, most notably new RDM masts for the X3 and X6 series, offering the softer performance and durability of the successful X-Combat but at a lower price level. The superb MXT mast extension system carries on unchanged, as does the range of booms with one-piece main body and tail end constructions. Lots of choice to cater for all needs and budgets. All 2009 collection sails have been constructed in a manner to further enhance durability whilst reducing the handling weight. Load specific reinforcements, most evident in the wave line, combines with the highest level of sail engineering available and component detail to offer unsurpassed quality and superb aesthetic finishing. The aspect ratio of the 2009 sails has been reduced (shorter & wider but with less head area) to make the sails size for size more powerful and easier to handle by bringing that power closer to the rider, and lighter in the hands. With the more manageable positioning of the power, a slight reduction in the luff curve has been accommodated, this softens the sail body to make the foil more forgiving. Notice that the compact clew feature found on the racing and flatwater collections has now also been adapted and introduced to the wave and x-over series sails. The idea in these new designs is to keep the boom lengths at or below the previous dimensions despite the overall lower aspect ratios, thus maintaining the popular lightweight & flicky handling enjoyed last season, but also greatly enhancing how the twists when under load. << Kauli on 2009 - The Fly WAVE Instead of it simply being a case of selecting a sail on the basis of rider weight and the predominant local wind direction, it is now much more than ever a case that riders have a set of specific needs to match in with their sailing style and the board being ridden. The design team have therefore introduced a new sail for 2009 called The Fly, developed in association with new team member and double wave world champ, Kauli Seadi. The Fly focuses on being agile yet aggressive, superb whether in the air or on the wave face, this sail never stands still! So with The Fly there's now four wave sails so no matter what you're looking for we'll have a sail to meet your needs! Zone remains as the most neutral of the wave line, great for down-the-line conditions. Our biggest selling wave sail, the Combat, continues as the durable work horse that deals with the widest range of riding styles and sailing conditions, and can cope with those beatings! Alpha is the wave sail that continues to deliver constant drive and stability ideal for those who like power or simply require it for less than ideal conditions just to be able to get out! X-OVER A vastly popular range of designs that offer a crossover in performance between that of the light handling smaller-board optimised wave line and the more power-stability specific flatwater-freeride series. The Expression has been replaced by the FireFly FOR 2009, a new wave-freestyle sail aimed at addressing the needs of those who want to combine the great flatwater abilities of the Expression in a more wave-suitable format, perfect for the new breed of manoeuvre oriented wave sailors. The updated Excess continues to deliver multi-purpose performance with plenty of power for speed whilst still being easy to handle and super durable. The Zen, new in 2008 and an absolute hit with all who sailed it, has been updated for 2009 continuing to provide the best solution for those into freeriding at any level and wanting to have the ability to try new skills and progress to the next level. The five Zen's all rig on a single mast and boom length and have size specific aspect ratios perfectly tailoring each to the kind of conditions most commonly encountered. FLATWATER Capturing the essence of mainstream windsurfing, the flatwater sail collection offers superb sails for blast & turn use on a whole range of boards. The 2009 range sees the HellCat, introduced last season, continue to offer performance charged speeds and electric handling in a quick and easy to use package, ideal for those who like to sail on the power without all of the technicality of a racing sail. Then there's the V6 and V8, both Twin Cam designs, delivering early-planing power and performance in accordance with their names, V6 being a superb all-round freeride option with easy handling, the V8 more highly charged for free-race use with a deeper and more rigid profile. New to the range for 2009 is a fourth model, a V8 variant called the Helium! It's been specifically designed to generate more planing power size for size than any other sail available today, so if you want to plane in lighter winds than ever before (approx F3-4) without the hassle and expense of owning a huge rig, Helium is the solution! (specific info here). Specific details and prices will appear in our product section very soon, but in the meantime please feel free to contact Rik or check out the Pryde website.