| So with the 2008 slalom season now well and truly behind us and the titles awarded, attention turns to what will happen during 2009! Here's some of the goss on the new offerings... |
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| The biggest news is the change on the world tour from what was known as 'Slalom 4:2' to a new 'Slalom 6:3' format. Previously competitors were allowed to register four sails and two boards for any event, but now that has all changed! Although more equipment is going to be allowed (6 sails and 3 boards), that equipment will have to be registered at the start of the season and will remain current throughout for each and every event! With such a wide variety of locations on the slalom tour, that actually implements a fair limitation on the competitors, all aimed at mixing it up a bit and reducing the cost of competition to allow newcomers a fairer crack. |
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| These changes have posed a real dilemma for the equipment designers as although the performance on offer with the current kit is better than ever, it is another matter whether a rider is going to be fully competitive when tasked with conditions ranging from 7-60kts! |
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| So as the new equipment ranges are reported into us, we are seeing some fairly exciting radical advancements in both board and sail technology. The buzz phrase has to be 'range of use' as focus on this alone is going to be key to facilitating the riders needs. |
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| Boards: The new MKV Slalom boards from JP consists of a range of 5 new shapes all with the same widths as in 2008, but with slightly larger volume sizes. This increase has been facilitated by the easier going characteristics so it will be possible to benefit from extra planing performance whilst still maintaining control. |
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| These awesome new models are set to arrive in early December and will as normal be delivered without a fin. We have all sizes due in but in limited quantities so if you're looking to grab one then get in touch. Special offers on MKIV versions (saving £400) are on the site here. |
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| Sails: The RS:Racing series will be launched in Evo II format seeing a wholesale change of the entire range before from then on reverting back to the size by size evolutionary programme as and when improvements are sought or deemed necessary. |
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| RS:Slalom will also be launched as the MKIII, taking everything learnt from the RSR programme and delivering that in a more useable format. For many users these will be faster and more fun to use than the full-on range, so do not disregard them! The MKII showed plenty of championship winning form and formidable speed potential and this latest version is going to be the best ever, reports from testing are very positive. |
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| Sizes RS:Racing Evo II: 4.7, 5.1, 5.5, 6.2, 7.0, 7.8, 8.6, 9.5, 10.7, 12.0m |
| Sizes RS:Slalom MKIII: 5.0, 5.5, 6.2, 7.0, 7.8, 8.6, 9.5m |
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| Notice the radical new outline shape, being much lower aspect than ever and seeing a much more pronounced compact clew design. The enhanced ability for the sail to twist and adapt is the key to how these sails will deliver so much more range of use. Apparently the new 7.0m goes as early as the 7.2m but has the top end of the 6.7m...so that's the kind of improvement on the cards across the size range, hence why the number of sizes being produced has been cut. |
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| The new sails will start to filter into us from March, although some less key sizes, because of the limited production capacity of these full-on designs, may be a delayed until slightly later. There's various special offer RS sails available here now but they are going quick... |
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| So not only does 2009 look like being a very exciting year on the tour, it should also be better than ever for us more performance biased recreational sailors, as with this new kit it will be easier than ever to push the GPS to the max and race around with friends. |
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| As always, if you're interested in getting on this new equipment from the word go, please do get in touch and we'll be happy to assist your needs. |
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| Board Type |
Length |
Width |
Volume |
Weight |
Fin Box |
Ideal Sails |
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| JP Slalom V 54................ |
236cm |
54cm |
72 litres |
4.9kg |
Tuttle |
< 6.2m |
| JP Slalom V 60................ |
238cm |
60cm |
92 litres |
5.6kg |
Tuttle |
5.8-7.2m |
| JP Slalom V 68................ |
238cm |
68cm |
112 litres |
6.3kg |
Tuttle |
7.2-8.4m |
| JP Slalom V 76................ |
238cm |
76cm |
122 litres |
6.8kg |
Deep Tuttle |
7.8-9.0m |
| JP Slalom V 82................ |
238cm |
82cm |
132 litres |
7.1kg |
Deep Tuttle |
8.4-10.0m |
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| Web Links: PWA World Tour / JP-Australia Boards / Neil Pryde Sails |
