Rider: 79kg
Style: Foil Race
Weather: 6-8 Knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: Ozone/Kitepower Team Rider

The video in the link below is from the same session as the review.

www.facebook.com/kitepower.sydney/videos/vb.133206584201/10153852835354202/?type=2&theater

As a chrono rider and foil racer, I was keen to see what the differences were between the chrono and the R1. Currently I ride a 12m Chrono and Ozone edges, so I can make a direct comparison with the 11m R1

On first impressions the kite was folded in the bag like a accordion as if it had been squished from either end. The bridals were noticeably thinner than the chrono too. The kite also has heaps more cells and looks different lying on the beach compared with the chrono. The bag also has a new zip design diagonally across the bag which looks pretty cool and opens the whole bag up.

Set up was pretty easy, hot launch on 27m lines in around 4-5 knots of wind. The kite inflated slightly faster than the chrono and had no wingtip folding during launch. Looking through the material into the innards of the kite, it looks like the holes between the cells are slightly bigger allowing for faster air transfer to the tips.

In the sky it looks pretty impressive. In direct comparison to my 12m Chrono I would say it has a slightly thinner chord length and foil thickness, with roughly the same span. I think it is also a little bit flatter arc shape making more projected area. There are less bridles per cell, and the bridles look a little less complicated because of this.

Flying the kite around on the beach in a seriously light amount of wind I was impressed with the stability. It didn’t need much input and could fly above my head with the rear lines slack. After a few loops generating a surprising amount of power I thought I’d give the foil a try.

Realistically there was no more than 8 knots. I’d call 6-8. For anyone who knows Dolls there is also current and it was flowing at the time around 1 knot cross upwind aiding. I kite light wind a lot and it would have been close to the lightest wind I’ve ever kited in. Saying that kiting through the points where there is no current I had no issue. I didn’t feel underpowered however until the end when the wind died completely, in fact I had the depower pulled whilst riding. I was riding my super high aspect Lister foil which I would say is also the board that gets me riding in the lightest wind of anything I’ve ever used.

The biggest difference I thought was the amount of power. It is seriously grunty for an 11m. I would say that this power comes from the speed at which the kite flies as opposed to the static pull. It loops and flies faster than a chrono which leads to more apparent wind and more grunt. Through the tacks this was very noticeable, and I was getting lifted in so little wind, an eerie feeling. In the sky the entire time it was super stable with no wingtip folding or collapsing.

There is no question that it is a super fast kite and in my opinion the fastest kite out there, definitely of the ones I have tried. It really feels like a refined Chrono, targeted even more heavily towards speed, but not at the expense of usability. I cannot wait to take this kite out in 15-20 knots and see what it can do. Very impressed.

Good review. I'm interested to know what you think in higher winds.

I will challenge this statement though.

"targeted even more heavily towards speed, but not at the expense of usability"

Ok course this kite targeted speed. But it is most definitely and the expense of usability. Teny tiny thin bridles that need to be replaced every 60 hours? can more easily be damaged on the beach when launch/landing.

Lets know try to ham up something that its not.

Plummet
It's a race kite, so all comments relate to its performance as a race kite. What Jordan means is the power and speed of this race kite is very usable - as a race kite.
It doesn't have thick cumbersome lines because that would negate it's purpose. If you were to remove all of these functional race performance features- you'd end up with a robust kite like the Catalyst or C4 etc.
I hope this helps ?

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Plummet said..
Good review. I'm interested to know what you think in higher winds.

I will challenge this statement though.

"targeted even more heavily towards speed, but not at the expense of usability"

Ok course this kite targeted speed. But it is most definitely and the expense of usability. Teny tiny thin bridles that need to be replaced every 60 hours? can more easily be damaged on the beach when launch/landing.

Lets know try to ham up something that its not.

usually you don't need to replace the bridals just tune them in if they out.

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Plummet said..
Teny tiny thin bridles that need to be replaced every 60 hours?

Ozone has issued an update and updated the website.
ozonekites.com/products/water-kites/r1/

"The R1 is for advanced riders only who have previous foil kite experience. It is not difficult to fly but there are techniques required to fly a high aspect ratio foil kite. The R1 will require maintenance just like any high performance equipment in racing sports, for example replacing tyres or piston rings on motorbikes. The R1's Speed System and Bridle Lines must be checked after every 60 hours flying time, if they are worn or are not to factory specifications (+ or - 10mm) they must be replaced or the kite will not perform as designed. Download bridle check and measurements pdf HERE."

The new bridle lines, be it thinner, they do seem to be stiffer than the Chrono bridle. Lets not assume they weaker than the Chrono bridles or more prone being damaged when launching/landing as you suggest.

ozonekites.com/images/uploads/products/R1-Bridle-Check.pdf

The Euro & USA race season has been ongoing for some time now, no issues regarding the new kevlar bridles as yet.
Alot of the French racing has been in high winds. There is thread in the Racing section.
We have a buggy rider in WA looking to test the R1 soon that might be of interest to you. Will get him to test a 8m, 11m and 19m

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MaxVMGRacing said..

We have a buggy rider in WA looking to test the R1 soon that might be of interest to you. Will get him to test a 8m, 11m and 19m

Yeah, would be good to get reviews of these kites on land as opposed to just water and waves. Thanks

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Loftywinds said..

MaxVMGRacing said..

We have a buggy rider in WA looking to test the R1 soon that might be of interest to you. Will get him to test a 8m, 11m and 19m

Yeah, would be good to get reviews of these kites on land as opposed to just water and waves. Thanks

The buggy riders are keen to try them and we keen to try their buggies any tips for water kiters first time on a buggy would be much appreciated

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MaxVMGRacing said..

Plummet said..
Teny tiny thin bridles that need to be replaced every 60 hours?

The new bridle lines, be it thinner, they do seem to be stiffer than the Chrono bridle. Lets not assume they weaker than the Chrono bridles or more prone being damaged when launching/landing as you suggest.

If you have a clean beach then little bridle lines are ok. if you have a beach like mine littered in drift wood and seaweed then small bridle lines are a nightmare.....

Its real easy to damage them. The bridles on my ozone quantum fixed bridle race kite were very thin. there was some delicate moments gently removing sharp hard dried seaweed.

So.... Ulitimate performance has a price. The price is usability, robustness.

But as you state the racers wont care. All they will care about is winning.

I'm still interested to here what the performance is like in higher winds. But ultimately I wont be buying a r1 as I am not a hardcore racer. I do race in the form of kite buggy racing. But that is only a small portion of my kite time. So I can't justify such a high performance/high maintenance kite as this. Chrono is about as crazy as I want to go..... So chrono 2 will be more interesting to me in reality.

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Loftywinds said..

MaxVMGRacing said..

We have a buggy rider in WA looking to test the R1 soon that might be of interest to you. Will get him to test a 8m, 11m and 19m

Yeah, would be good to get reviews of these kites on land as opposed to just water and waves. Thanks

They would make an insane buggy race kite!.. Chrono is awesome on the landboard and buggy.

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Plummet said..

Chrono is about as crazy as I want to go..... So chrono 2 will be more interesting to me in reality.

Give the Sonic's a crack. Feedback is that they are 9/10ths as quick as the R1 but more forgiving to fly, offer robust German build quality and have an adjustable mixer to compensate for shrinkage over time. In fact, my sources tell me they only give up performance to the R1 deep downwind, and there is work being done to fix this. Cheaper too. For most riders, most of the time they are a helluva kite.

Sonic looks awesome.

But alas in this price range I'm a second hand purchaser. Flysurfers are like rocking horse sh1t over here. The chance of me finding my way into a sonic are slim to none.
Maybe in 3-5 years time.

But every year ozone bring out the next generation of kite. That means the hip crowd dump last years model and buy this years latest and greatest. That means I get awesome deals on near new ozones. That's how I got into the 12m chrono that I have.

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Plummet said..
Sonic looks awesome.

But alas in this price range I'm a second hand purchaser. Flysurfers are like rocking horse sh1t over here. The chance of me finding my way into a sonic are slim to none.
Maybe in 3-5 years time.

But every year ozone bring out the next generation of kite. That means the hip crowd dump last years model and buy this years latest and greatest. That means I get awesome deals on near new ozones. That's how I got into the 12m chrono that I have.

I am after a Chrono 12m too

Select to expand quote

Plummet said..
Sonic looks awesome.

But alas in this price range I'm a second hand purchaser. Flysurfers are like rocking horse sh1t over here. The chance of me finding my way into a sonic are slim to none.
Maybe in 3-5 years time.

But every year ozone bring out the next generation of kite. That means the hip crowd dump last years model and buy this years latest and greatest. That means I get awesome deals on near new ozones. That's how I got into the 12m chrono that I have.

Yeah, that's why I got myself a 15m Chrono! The Sonic is awesome but bit still pricey for my tight student budget.

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Loftywinds said..

Plummet said..
Sonic looks awesome.

But alas in this price range I'm a second hand purchaser. Flysurfers are like rocking horse sh1t over here. The chance of me finding my way into a sonic are slim to none.
Maybe in 3-5 years time.

But every year ozone bring out the next generation of kite. That means the hip crowd dump last years model and buy this years latest and greatest. That means I get awesome deals on near new ozones. That's how I got into the 12m chrono that I have.

I am after a Chrono 12m too

12 chrono is awesome. I can stay upwind on my light wind door around 8-9 knots and hold it past 20 knots. Its super lush in the buggy from crab fart to 15 knots and 10-18 knots on the landboard is O for Awesome!.

All the racers will be selling their chromos and buy r1's shortly so you should find a deal in the coming months.

Should have seen the special order Chrono Ultralights I saw in Switzerland... I didn't even feel the wind that the 15m and 18m were up in.

Safe to say you would need to sell your organs for them can only imagine what an R1 UL would be like!