Hi Everybody , Hey has anybody out there Know much about these Slalom boards , Would be Stoked to hear from anyone who has had the chance to own or ride one of these fantastic racing machines , Thanks for your thoughts and any info is much appreciated on how they compare with other Big name brands .

Hi Bazz,

I am lucky enough to be a local rider for AV Boards thanks to 2ndwind in Perth. COVID impacted deliveries to Oz so far but hopefully in December and January we will see more boards on the water.

I currently ride the Modena 98ltr/62 wide and 118ltr/72.5 wide - both are exceptional boards. I haven't done detailed head-to-head testing with the current models from other brands but I think acceleration and high wind control are the main advantages. The build quality is top notch from the Kinetic factory.

For 2021 there will be 3 additional sizes - for more info contact Jez at 2ndwind and check out avboards.com.

Scott.

Hi
I have all three slalom boards, and they have lifted my average speed quite a bit. I came from Patriks in the two smaller ones and a fanatic falcon as the big board. The Modenas are just better in almost every aspect, only the 72,5 demands full commitment in the jibe compared to the Patrik, but then you get awarded with a higher exit speed. I have put some links to YouTube where I am using the medium and the small one. Don't have any videos with the big one.

And the build quality is second to none. I am never going back to boards from the cobra factory. 2 weeks ago I hit some driftwood full speed, fin was gone(pretty sad about that as it was a Z fin), but the board and fin box was intact.

Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

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Kasper79 said..
And the build quality is second to none. I am never going back to boards from the cobra factory. 2 weeks ago I hit some driftwood full speed, fin was gone(pretty sad about that as it was a Z fin), but the board and fin box was intact.

I wouldn't put too much weight on one random data point.

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MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

PM'd you Martin.

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scottsimms said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

PM'd you Martin.

Scott was really honking around on Sat on his board. Looked sweet

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MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

Select to expand quote

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

The 62 is really easy going and pretty fast. I am looking forward to going to defi in the spring of 2022 and see what it can do. Here is a couple of videos with some of the new 2022 models.

Select to expand quote

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

Hi Mark, Jim at Puravida has them listed on his website but at ?2,679.99 not sure how many takers there will be!
Cheers, Bryn

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Kovert said..

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

Hi Mark, Jim at Puravida has them listed on his website but at ?2,679.99 not sure how many takers there will be!
Cheers, Bryn

I think in the UK GBP 2,679.99 will be the price of several top end carbon boards next year due to shipping costs going stupid. Windsurfing brands/shops cant soak up increases.

Thanks Bryn, I didn't realise Jim was the UK importer

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Kasper79 said..

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

The 62 is really easy going and pretty fast. I am looking forward to going to defi in the spring of 2022 and see what it can do. Here is a couple of videos with some of the new 2022 models.

I ordered a Modena 60/88L ... but it will probably be mid Winter before I receive it and post some feed back. Probably a great board that can sail better than I could ever do! Judging from the performance and easy sailing of my Futura 71 2021 the wide-front/parallel/narrow-back style shapes are just fantastic.

Select to expand quote

duzzi said..

Kasper79 said..

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

The 62 is really easy going and pretty fast. I am looking forward to going to defi in the spring of 2022 and see what it can do. Here is a couple of videos with some of the new 2022 models.

I ordered a Modena 60/88L ... but it will probably be mid Winter before I receive it and post some feed back. Probably a great board that can sail better than I could ever do! Judging from the performance and easy sailing of my Futura 71 2021 the wide-front/parallel/narrow-back style shapes are just fantastic.

Nice one, are you in the UK?

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mark62 said..

duzzi said..

Kasper79 said..

mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

The 62 is really easy going and pretty fast. I am looking forward to going to defi in the spring of 2022 and see what it can do. Here is a couple of videos with some of the new 2022 models.

I ordered a Modena 60/88L ... but it will probably be mid Winter before I receive it and post some feed back. Probably a great board that can sail better than I could ever do! Judging from the performance and easy sailing of my Futura 71 2021 the wide-front/parallel/narrow-back style shapes are just fantastic.

Nice one, are you in the UK?

No, San Francisco, USA. It will come handy in the April to September season!

Here is a video with the medium in some chop at my home spot from today's sailing.

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MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.

the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

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WindFlyer said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.
the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

This is going to be fast!


The AV Modena 88 is finally here.

Don't let Bazz get his hands on one of those AV-Boards, Modena Slaloms.
He already goes FAST enough!

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duzzi said..

WindFlyer said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.
the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

This is going to be fast!


The AV Modena 88 is finally here.

do you have more photos of the board so we have a better look

Select to expand quote

Deman73 said..

duzzi said..

WindFlyer said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.
the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

This is going to be fast!


The AV Modena 88 is finally here.

do you have more photos of the board so we have a better look

We had a week of overpowered 4.2 conditions and I only took it out once with a 6.0 (for now let's just say that she exceeded expectations!). I will post a bunch of photos when she goes out next, hopefully Sunday when this damn wind abates a bit!

Select to expand quote

Deman73 said..

duzzi said..

WindFlyer said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.
the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

This is going to be fast!


The AV Modena 88 is finally here.

do you have more photos of the board so we have a better look

Here we go with some photos.

thanks !
very nice board have a blast with it ;-)

For all Ozzies who were interested in the Modena boards, we have just a few left...... but I leave for Italy on Saturday.
I only have one of each size left... PM me for info!

Select to expand quote

duzzi said..

Deman73 said..

duzzi said..

WindFlyer said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,
What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

i got the chance to ride the 2021 60cm board extensively in choppy conditions, testing it vs. iSonic.
the AV was a more comfortable ride, and just as fast or faster. better acceleration also.

This is going to be fast!


The AV Modena 88 is finally here.

do you have more photos of the board so we have a better look

Here we go with some photos.

After three months but only just a dozen plus days (it was tooooo windy May to June), I am dialing in the Modena 88. Nothing unexpected but it took a little bit to figure a good set up. At 70 Kg this seems to be: Point-7 ACX 6.0 with Tectonics Phoenix 31, and ACX 6.5 with Phoenix 33.

Straps are now all the way back. At first 6.0 + 33 fin made the rear most position feel too flighty, but the 31 brought things back under control. Back straps and 6.5 work great. It has a very long mast box, especially compared to the recent boxes mounted on Starboard that are very short! So it took a bit to find the good spots. I have not tried it yet with a ACZ 6.8 but she is very happy with the 6.5.

The board is exceedingly easy to ride, and deceptively smooth. Point it downwind and it almost feels too easy to ride. I am very surprised by the pick up, at 88 liters it is a small board but it takes off very easily. Very happy with it, and for my sailing it is my perfect mid-wind board. Overpowered with 6.0 I can step down to 4.7 and B&J, and I can easily jump from the Modena 88 liters to the Futura 71 (109 liters) if the wind drops. Only negative? I do wish I bought a Modena 118!

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mark62 said..

MartinJerrard said..
Chaps,

What are the Modena boards like in open water in particular choppy conditions as considering the 88 or 98 for racing and Defi Wind? Sadly no UK distributor but Europe is only a stones throw away so a road trip could be the way ahead or whislt on way down to Defi ;-)

Sadly it doesn't look we'll be getting a UK distributor any time soon, and we will get battered on import duty/shipping costs if we order direct from AV boards as we're no longer EU members.

www.seaspritesports.com
www.avboards.com/contact/
SeaspriteSports are the official importers.

I had read the Windsurf test www.windsurf.co.uk/av-boards-nuvolari-119-2022-test-review/ on the freerace a while ago, but as I've recently started foiling I wasnt sure what size I would need. I currently have 110l/67cm (2015) & 125l/80cm (2004) freerace boards.

I had thought that if I was foiling with 6m - 8.5m, maybe I would get the Nuvolari 106l/66cm for maxed out 7.5m and below when the water is flat. The 66 would be great with my 6.5m, the 119 better for my 7.5m.
But as Poole Harbour gets shallow at low tide, to shallow for foiling, maybe the 119l/71cm so it would be my largest fin board. Wind direction sometimes means going on the sea isnt practical when its too shallow in the harbour.
I've been foiling for nearly a year now, and only used my 125/80cm fin board 3 times, 110l more, at 39 times.
What to buy, decisions decisions.
After a period of foiling on my 142l/83cm foilboard, going back to my 110l/67cm with a 7.5m felt like I was sailing a speed needle. So 119l/71cm it was. I rang the importer to see if they had any in stock, and no, but the board used for the Windsurf mag test was available, and still at the OTC in Weymouth, just 40 minutes drive from me. I drove over, and bought it. I had emailed AV with a couple of questions, and Aurelio Verdi replied. The bottom shape and rocker is the same as the slalom board, the Nuvolari has narrower nose and tail.
I sailed it for the 1st time yesterday, low tide, low wind, but 7.5m was ok to get planing and a few decent runs. Like the Windsurf test says, its extremely comfortable to sail. The pads are great, and the 'v' and double concave smooth out the ride. It wasnt windy enough for top end speed (mine more than the board) but flew over the chop generated by pleasure boats without a worry.

At 229cm, its 6cm shorter than my other boards, feels a bit twitchy until fully planing. Despite the volume, tacking can sink the nose if you step too far forward, but thats a minor point.
As the test says, the rear straps are close to the rail and with the domed deck and pads makes getting the foot in a little more difficult, maybe 1 in 4 times I had to shuffle my foot to get it in. The Severne Fox is a bit like that, but not as extreme, and nearly all full on slalom boards are more extreme. The AV straps are in between those. A few more goes on it and these minor issues will be gone.

I also tried the Nuvolari during my Cocos trip, thanks to Jez who had brought a brand new 106l.
The board is really nice, if I didn't already own a Modena 108l it would be my choice for effortless blasting.
Our days at Cocos had strong winds and tight chop, the Nuvolari was surprisingly comfortable and able to fly on top of the chop well, a better sailor could have pushed it way further than I did.
As usual a suitable fin will be needed to get the most out of it, I borrowed one of Jez's decent fins and that made the ride much better for me.
Please note that the decking is very very abrasive and grippy, I stacked a gybe and scraped the whole skin of my left knee!

I've sailed the Nuvolari a few times more now, 3 times in the last 4 days. All in 18-19 knot southerly wind, with gusts, which at my local spot at Hamworthy Park in Poole Harbour is straight onshore, Lowish tide, but no flat water like other places, its still a bit choppy.
6.5m Ezzy Lion and did the fastest 500m speed for 7 1/2 years. 26.1 knots isnt fast by most standards, but it was across the wind and not bearing off, and felt quick to me over the chop. Maybe I've been gybing at 499m in recent years
Really impressed by the comfort, my knees really appreciate it.
My right foot now goes into the rear strap automatically, but the left foot sometimes takes a bit of prodding. I just checked and that strap is slightly tighter, so slackened that off a bit.
I cant see myself going faster than I did with a 6.5m Naish 3 cam free race sail & Falcon 80l/Mistral 110 I had many years ago, 30.77/28.46 10s avg, as I am now many years older and the Lions arent racy sails, although easy to use. My PB for nautical mile in Poole is 24.5, that might be within reach. or 21.25 alpha.

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PhilUK said..
I've sailed the Nuvolari a few times more now, 3 times in the last 4 days. All in 18-19 knot southerly wind, with gusts, which at my local spot at Hamworthy Park in Poole Harbour is straight onshore, Lowish tide, but no flat water like other places, its still a bit choppy.
6.5m Ezzy Lion and did the fastest 500m speed for 7 1/2 years. 26.1 knots isnt fast by most standards, but it was across the wind and not bearing off, and felt quick to me over the chop. Maybe I've been gybing at 499m in recent years
Really impressed by the comfort, my knees really appreciate it.
My right foot now goes into the rear strap automatically, but the left foot sometimes takes a bit of prodding. I just checked and that strap is slightly tighter, so slackened that off a bit.
I cant see myself going faster than I did with a 6.5m Naish 3 cam free race sail & Falcon 80l/Mistral 110 I had many years ago, 30.77/28.46 10s avg, as I am now many years older and the Lions arent racy sails, although easy to use. My PB for nautical mile in Poole is 24.5, that might be within reach. or 21.25 alpha.

The Nuvolari sounds very nice. My Futura 71 turns out to sail quite small, the Nuvolari is about the same size, and I was getting ready to purchase instead the AV Modena 118 to pair it with the 88, but "unfortunately" a friend gave me his almost new Patrik 122. Now I cannot really justify the purchase of the Modena 118

The Patrik Slalom II, from 2016/17, it is a big board 77.5 wide by 122 with a massive tail (and big cut outs), but I am really surprised by how easy it sails. It takes off in a blink, jibes like it is on rails, and erases all chop until ... it gets big for my 70Kg, overpowered 6.5 is the pilot limit. But I am very impressed by how well all these new shapes work.

Speed ... I do not think I crossing 30 knots any longer. I always forget to carry the GPS but it feels a bit slowish. It might be the Point-7 ACX I am using, although they are capable to get well over 30 knots, or maybe is the easy control that makes it feels so. The Modena 88 is seemingly just cruising no matter how powered I am ...

ah!!!!!! The Modena 88 with extra power!!!!!!! I had probably the best day ever on a slalom board last Friday, in a fresh breeze around 20 knots. With a Point-7 ACZ 6.8 the Modena 88 comes even more alive. It is a a flat water spot but the chop is there, the wind very gusty with some cannon balls occasionally barreling through. Even at my current 68Kg I was in complete control, where with past equipment I would have retreated back to the beach with the tail between my legs! The stability of the board under the extra power is outstanding, it flattens the chop. And as expected (but still is a 6.8!) there is a significant gain in stability of the sail with respect to the ACX 6.5. The ACZ moves around way less, it is just locked in place, drives the board forward and keep its nose nicely down. What I did not expect was how easy it is to jibe, and how soft is the power delivery. You can actually de-power it by slightly opening it up, something I discovered with surprise when returning to shore. Past cam sails, but we go back a few years with HSM GPS and Loft Switchblades, just could not be de-powered ... ugly beasts they were

Thank you Aurelio Verdi and Adrea Cucchi!!!

... moral of the story? I ordered a 2023 AV Modena 100