Hi guys, i was just wondering what slalom board you think would be most suited to me,i looked at the following boards
-starboard isonic 86 56.5cm
-RRD x-fire 80 54cm
-RRD x-fire 90 59cm
i currently use a sb futura 93(59.5) with a 6.7 severne overdrive(3-cam), and could possibly be getting a 6.0 overdrive, i'm 63kilos and about 188cm. i consider myself to be a fairly competent sailor eg no problems gybing, doing freestyle can ride big waves etc.
the only slight issue i'm finding with my current set-up is that the board doesn't quite have enough control when it gets rough. i also want more top end out of it which i feel a slalom board could just help me get the next 5kts.
so i was wondering which board you guys thought would give me the best control with a big top-end. i'm not totaly worried about loss of bottem end power but i would prefer to retain some.

thanks for any info
cheers
JC

Carbon Art 55 or 58 ...if you're dreaming of another 5 knots

The iSonic 86 is a great board. I've done over 40 knots on the one I had and it gybes really nice as well. Match it with a Venom 36 and it's very controllable off the wind.

As your weight is only 63 kilos a smaller board will give you more control.
Will you be keeping the Futura? It is capable of good speed with the right fin and water conditions. If you are then you can afford to go smaller.
One of the speed boards in buy & sell?
Sailed the Nude 54 yesterday and it was very well behaved through the chop at Woodies. That has lots of speed potential if you have the ability to sail it well.
I am 75kg and use a 50 wide board as my high wind board and have an old sonic 100 as my regular board.

Hi JC,

I’ve spent a lot of time on all those boards so may be able to help. I’m also a similar weight to you but much shorter .

Where are you sailing most and are you planning on keeping the future?

The iSonic 86 (and 86 slim) is more similar in size to the x-fire 90 than the 80. Although the isonic total width is less, the tail is much more square on the iSonic, giving it a lot of power. As such I think the smaller iSonics (of the last few years) are more suited to bigger sailors as it takes more leg strength (and kilos) to hold the rail down once you start to get overpowered. I seem to cruise over the chop much easier on the RRDs, and my legs are much less tired.

So my choice would be: If keeping the futura, get an RRD 80. This board has the ability to go very quick on flat water, but it still has control to be in the rough water in the ocean. I’ve sailed it in 25kt on the ocean comfortably… on my iSonics I wouldn’t have been enjoying it. I’ve hunted a long time to find a slalom board to suit my size for these conditions. This board is the best I’ve found.
It will comfortably take the 6.0, but the 6.7 is getting a bit big for it (ie you would need to be well powered up).

If your selling the futura, and want a board to cover the 6.7 in the lighter winds the RRD 90 might be a better option. It is still a smooth ride in the chop, but will be happy with a 6.0 or 6.7. Depends on where you sail most too. The 90 is more of an all rounder for the river… the 80 might be better for the ocean.

But the best thing is always to try them for yourself. Contact 2ndwind. They have demo’s of the RRD’s and the star board. Or send me a PM. I’ve got one of each board (star 86 for sale and two RRDs) you can try .

Cheers,
Annika

Hi JC maybe try investing in some good fins first much cheaper , for your weight I would look at the C3 Venoms they are great fins in the chop. the Tectonic falcons are also nice.

Select to expand quote

vando said...

Hi JC maybe try investing in some good fins first much cheaper , for your weight I would look at the C3 Venoms they are great fins in the chop. the Tectonic falcons are also nice.

Agree 100 %

Thanks for all the replys, when i'm blasting i usually sail at the river or safety bay. i have some mfc sl2 in sizes 32 and a mean line 34 as well as some dodgy drake and flying objects fins but i will be getting some jp weedfins soon for safety bay as i was told they were good fins. if i got a new board sb or rrd i would probably sell the futura as i have a 111 futura to use with my 7.5 overdrive which can take a 6.7 ok if its not too choppy. i have tried an rrd x-fire 80 but only breifly so i haven't had chance to get to know it properly but never the less it still felt very fast and way more control than my 93 futura. i really want to try an isonic 86 and rrd x-fire so i just have to wait for some wind then i'll go try them
jc

all small slalom boards i have tested on gps have the same top-end speed.

my choice would be f2 as they are made of carbon so lighter.the rails are also very

soft. they sit very high out of water. 2nd wind has a few secondhand.

carbonart 52 or 55 next best choice,not tried rrd.

the sonic sits lower in water than the f2 but has the advantage of better bottom

end.

the 10 year/old Kinetic Centurion slalom boards for me are still the best all-round

slalom board.

at 63kg a 6.0m is too big for topend. a 5.0m you will go 1 knot faster in 20 knots

of wind.

My 2 cents. I am ~70kg (some say I sail like a girl, so my "virtual weight" could be close to your 63kg - have I been reading too many Starboard promos???)**.

Any way....
I would say it is very important to try a board before you commit to it. As a lighter rider aim for a board with a relativley narrow tail, as this should make it easier to keep control in chop.

Also, don't think newer boards are necessarily better, just because they are new. I moved to an older Sonic85 (2006 I think) after having a 90LF2SX Carbon. For me the F2 was great in lighter winds and flat water, but I couldn't sail it in anything too rough as I found I did not have the leg strength or weight to keep the tail under control. The Sonic85 is great with sail sizes 5-6.7 , and is still balanced with my 7.7 (though needs a "steady" breeze to make it fun with the big sail).

That said, I am a fan of the XFires - My light wind board is a 102, chosen for its good manners in chop (and general ease of use - my old Sonic110 was very wide in the tail and not an easy ride for me). If I had to replace my Sonic85 then the XFire80 would be top of my list. Other boards that I would want to test would be the JPSlalomIV56 (I am curious about their concept of having sizes designed for lighter riders, though their idea of light is 80kg!), and the new Tabous (photos of the new Manta54 look like it has a narrow tail, and they say it is designed for "small" people - though at 74L may be getting too small to comfortably fill the gap to your 111. unfortunately in the past I haven't found it easy to arrange test rides on JPs or Tabous......

Vando makes a good point about fins. The cheapest option could be to get the 93 Futura working with the right fin. Next cheapest option is to hunt out a second hand board like a Sonic85 (you should have some (lots of?) spare cash from the change over with your Futura). Yet another option is to get a 2nd hand speed board and keep both Futuras (if finances permit) - seems a shame to be turning over the 93, as they have a good reputation.

I agree with petermacs comments about sail size. My top 4 speeds have been with my 5.1 Code Red, with my next best on my 5.6. I have also found Annika's advice very helpful in the past - she knows her stuff, and if she is willing to let you try out her gear then that is an offer too good to refuse!

Best of luck finding the right board for you!

** attempt at self depreciating humour - not intended to offend any one that is 63kg and/or sails like a girl and/or writes Starboard promos

Hey JC

I have sailed both of those boards F93 & I86 with 6.7 Rs Racing sails. Both are very quick, and on the GPS there wasnt much in it in 15-20+ knots of wind. The Isonic can give you the feeling of going faster initially because it accellerates quicker, and has a slightly bumpier ride. The Futura on the other hand slices through the chop a bit better giving a smoother ride, and therefor feels a bit slower, but in actual fact theres bugger all in it. Having said that if you could find some flatish water somewhere, the I86 will have a better top end.

Also at your size the 6.7 is a big sail, so I think it may be a good idea to try a 6.0 first on the F93 before trying a smaller slalom board. The sail size, sail setup, fin selection and your technique will all play a part in your comfort.

If you go for a small slalom, as Rindwider says, make sure you go for a reasonalbly narrow tail. The F93 is 40cm and the I86 is 38cm, which is quite a powerfull tail for a small board. Not sure about the RRD's.

Have fun

Hi Jason

Interesting to read about all the replies.

I hope I can help you a bit, like the other sailors, as I have been lucky enough to try all the board combos you are talking about. As I either have the boards (RRD 90, 80) or had the boards (Isonic 86, 86S and 76). Futura 93 I did have as well.

Also your sail I had (Overdrive 6.7) I was a part of developing it with Severne Sails.

I sail both the river and Safty Bay so I know the conditions.

You have good gear, but I can kind of follow where you want to go. Some more top speed and more slalom feeling like board.

All the boards you mentioned is excellent and have the potential of top end speed you are after. In a competition (slalom) I have to be honest to say that SB or RRD will properly do equally well.

What I find though is that the RRD is more fun. Especially when you do longer reaches of sailing or many hours in a row.

To make it simple (in my point of view).
The RRD has the most forgiving feeling over the distance. You don't get tired so easy in the legs as the stance is very comfortable. The boards has a great mixture of control / speed off the wind and then enough rail to push it more on a reach and slightly upwind with not much effort.

If you were purely after top end speed for more windy days then RRD 80 would be great. (You can still easily use 80 with sails up to 6.7)
If you want a more “all round” slalom speed board, then RRD 90 is the go.

Don’t be scared that the RRD 90 is larger in volume. It rides like an 85 liter board and is very forgiving.

So what is I actually saying with all this? Well looking at it, the best thing you can do is to try the boards, as they are all good and it probably comes down to personal preferences.

You are welcome to try my boards here on the river (RRD 90, 80) and maybe you could also try out the Isonic 86 from 2’nd wind shop to compare.

Ups I nearly forgot! The RRD boards is heaps better behaving with weed fins, than any other slalom board I have tried.


Jesper