Hello

We have a couple of Mistral 137's on order coming to Singapore.

Has any one sailed this board and can comment on its performance?

Any idea on expected weight?

We would also like to know suggested fin sizes for 95kg sailor, 9.5 Racing Blade in marginal to powered wind and 8.6/7.8 powered conditions

Thanks

It appears Anders thinks customers should modify Mistral production boards for the conditions!

spotty has used it info in this link

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Mistral-Speed-47/

Choco,Spotty's feeds are not very usefull if you take care more on slalom than pure speed.
Looking forward for more news or for different feeds from Spotty.

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w100 said...
Choco,Spotty's feeds are not very usefull if you take care more on slalom than pure speed.
Looking forward for more news or for different feeds from Spotty.

w100,
the information I provided there I let the numbers do the talking, I tend not to get to technical and leave that for others to discuss. What I can offer is general info re the feel of the board etc, anyhow here's a bit more...

Is it easy to ride? Yes, if it goes over 40 easily keeping good board trim and does not kill you it is a good thing. Rail shape is important when your going fast in chop, if it allows you to recover and wash off a mistake at high speed it's a good thing. It's also important for gybing and not catching a rail as they say mid gybe, the 137 does not have any problems there either.

If your into slalom its about racing back and fourth fast, or going downwind fast, this is where the 137 excels wether the water is flat, choppy or open ocean swells. It keeps it's nose down and just goes fast. Upwind ability is ok as we'll, but if thats what your sailing session is mostly about use a slightly deeper fin or get a board with sharper rails that may be more difficult to handle depending on your skill level.

Biggest sail I have used on the 137 is a 8.5 Koncept with a 48 FO fin, and also a 380 Drake as well having much the same surface area, both are probably a bit small for me at times but it's all I have at the moment. 7.5 and below I use a Ka SL37, works really well but, use a 40cm plus fin if you want more lift and upwind performance.

Board weight with slightly damp straps, chinook deck plate, and 380 fin was around 9.1 kg, I think it measured around 7.9 bare?

A few of the WA guys may have the 137 as well, so maybe they can offer more feedback and help you get more info , re 9.5 etc, also Slowboat can expand on any finer details and attributes.

Hope this helps
Cheers Spotty

Also heres some more dribble I wrote....

gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2012-09-08&team=16

Spotty
Thanks for the reply. Sounds just what i am looking for.
I have an Exocet RS7 that covers the real low end with the 9.5, so if the 137 matches mainly the 8.6 and odd days with a 7.8 that will work fine.

Happy to hear comments from any other users.

I haven't ridden the board yet but Spotti smoked me the other day on his doing a downwinder in Port Phillip Bay chop. I was on an F2 SX 82 (which I like) and had a really rubbish fin in which kept letting go, thats my excuse but seriously Spotti looked so on it in the chop, was doing it easy. The Mistral looks like a great allround slalom board to me.

What does 137 mean? 137 liters of volume or something else.

Pretty sure its the volume. Craig had the board at the Pit and it looked sweet.
The Slowy designed Mistrals seem to be going just so-so at Luderitz

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ka43 said...
Pretty sure its the volume. Craig had the board at the Pit and it looked sweet.
The Slowy designed Mistrals seem to be going just so-so at Luderitz

Nah, 137 is the width !!

I had a very short (1 run out and back) on Spottys Mistral 137 yesterday. Marginal conditions with a KA Koncept 8.5.
Well I jumped off my 2012 F2 SX82 with a KA race 7.9 and it was amazing to me how two boards can be so different.
The Mistral got going easy, maybe a touch easier than the F2 but it did have a bigger sail. It felt very smooth and solid, tracked really well and gave me the impression it was very safe and secure. It felt like it was asking me to give it more power. However it did not feel anywhere as fast and lively as the F2 and in comparison was maybe a bit dull. Now this is all feel, I did not have a GPS to compare speeds and I would say it was going fast, it just felt slower.
The F2 is way livelier and more spirited, feels like a much lighter board underfoot.
I would love to try them back to back again with a bit more wind and fully lit up. I suspect the F2 will get troublesome as it gets windier and the composure of the Mistral will mean it is faster in powered up, rougher conditions, in fact I could guarantee it will be more composed when the going gets rougher.
An interesting first sail.

Having used the 137 a lot, here are a few points of difference to be aware of:

1) You can use small sails on it and it remains competitive (and heaps of fun). I've had some great days sailing it with a 7.0m, reaching speeds >37kts in open water. Its really fast like this. Lining up with WA's fastest on their smaller gear there was no disadvantage in the gusts. On GPS those days I was still a few knots faster. So it still works like a smaller board when you need it to. Which means you spend less time waiting on the beach for a wind change, or swapping boards all the time. It stays fun and competitive over a bigger range.

2) It holds big sails too. 9.5m seems OK. (Matty uses his from 6.6m up to 10.5m and reckons it works great).

3) Early planing- it planes super early for its width.

4) Gybing- it stays on the plane really well- out of gybes its unreal. And you can snap it around for some crazy tight gybes.

5) Trim stability. It handles a lot of chop, wind, and power before it gets out of control. It feels very neutral to ride, which means you dont get fatigued easily. Coming off a "lively" unstable board it might feel comparatively "dull", but if you actually check how fast you are going you'll find that its at least as fast. You can really push it with total confidence. The most fun setup is when a gust comes through and you can use the "nitro button" instead of sheeting out/backing off.

6) fin size- takes a pretty big range of fins. Ive used from 35cm up to 47cm depending on sail size and conditions. With 8.6m I run a 46 unless its lit, 7.8m I use 42-44, and 7.0m smokes with 40-42. In speed sailing mode you can go a lot smaller.

Overall its my most used board, and I'll say its the most versatile in the range.

Accepting that it is different to other boards, it does take a little while for some people to get used to.

You might take my comments with a grain of salt due to my involvement, but the guys over here who have seen the grin on my face when I'm sailing it will hopefully vouch for my honesty in making these statements. I'm enjoying my sailing more than ever.

Thanks guys for all the info. Sounds like all the reasons why i decided to order one.
It's been stressful waiting for the boards to leave the factory, what with Anders smoking world production speed records as first priority, but sounds like shipment may happen very soon.

Chris, Sorry if by using the work "dull" it sounded negative towards the board, not intended. I was just trying to express the difference in feel between the 2 boards, one very lively the other really composed.
I am really keen to try the board in more powered up conditions as I think that is where it will really come into it,s own. As you say you can use it with small sails where as I am sure I will be dropping off the F2 82 onto my smaller board alot earlier than I would if I had one of these.

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slowboat said...
Having used the 137 a lot, here are a few points of difference to be aware of:

1) You can use small sails on it and it remains competitive (and heaps of fun). I've had some great days sailing it with a 7.0m, reaching speeds >37kts in open water. Its really fast like this. Lining up with WA's fastest on their smaller gear there was no disadvantage in the gusts. On GPS those days I was still a few knots faster. So it still works like a smaller board when you need it to. Which means you spend less time waiting on the beach for a wind change, or swapping boards all the time. It stays fun and competitive over a bigger range.

2) It holds big sails too. 9.5m seems OK. (Matty uses his from 6.6m up to 10.5m and reckons it works great).

3) Early planing- it planes super early for its width.

4) Gybing- it stays on the plane really well- out of gybes its unreal. And you can snap it around for some crazy tight gybes.

5) Trim stability. It handles a lot of chop, wind, and power before it gets out of control. It feels very neutral to ride, which means you dont get fatigued easily. Coming off a "lively" unstable board it might feel comparatively "dull", but if you actually check how fast you are going you'll find that its at least as fast. You can really push it with total confidence. The most fun setup is when a gust comes through and you can use the "nitro button" instead of sheeting out/backing off.

6) fin size- takes a pretty big range of fins. Ive used from 35cm up to 47cm depending on sail size and conditions. With 8.6m I run a 46 unless its lit, 7.8m I use 42-44, and 7.0m smokes with 40-42. In speed sailing mode you can go a lot smaller.

Overall its my most used board, and I'll say its the most versatile in the range.

Accepting that it is different to other boards, it does take a little while for some people to get used to.

You might take my comments with a grain of salt due to my involvement, but the guys over here who have seen the grin on my face when I'm sailing it will hopefully vouch for my honesty in making these statements. I'm enjoying my sailing more than ever.

Sounds cool Slowie.
It seems the Sl 137 is the "do it all" board for many Euro spots and sailors.
Wonder if using a 7,0 it stays as performant as it is using the 9,5.
Wonder also how's the accell "mark-to-mark".
Wonder what kind of fins the board needs for slalom (not talking about sizes but personality).

thx

I got last year's model 85 /140 this is a great slalom beast l should expect the model is even better Andes really no's what he's doing

Finally got the chance to get both the SL137 and the SL91 in a week or so.
Would you please suggest me where to put the foot straps and the mast base?
Usually in my Isonics I put everything as rear as possible and the mast base at 135cm from the tail.
What's the minimum wind to get going with the 91 without sink?
In progress for the 112 as well....

Finally got it (and the 91 as well).
It's pretty much different from anything I've seen in long time windsurf.
Guess I'd been hurted by the extra lenght but the only think that bores me it's that it doesn't fit in my van!
Great shape,great quality,great finish.
Can't wait to get it wet...

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w100 said..

Finally got it (and the 91 as well).
It's pretty much different from anything I've seen in long time windsurf.
Guess I'd been hurted by the extra lenght but the only think that bores me it's that it doesn't fit in my van!
Great shape,great quality,great finish.
Can't wait to get it wet...

Great to hear you got them and hopefully it won't be long till you can try them for the first time, when you do let us know what you think

Hopefully not too long till i can finally get to use mine that i got in February. It arrived the week i tore ligaments in my knee and that's kept me off the water since then. On the road to recovery now but still a couple of months away i think till i can windsurf

Watched slowboat sail his 137 today with a 7m and guessing 38 to 40 fin. Wind 15 to 25 knots and choppy. For sure he was going fast off the wind but across the wind a 82 cm wide board is never going to be that fast in choppy water. Guessing he peaked at around 30 to 31 knots across the wind,another 5 knots quicker off the wind. A smaller board will always offer better performance and enjoyment in these conditions.

Geez, I guess I'm going to have to sell mine now

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petermac33 said..

Watched slowboat sail his 137 today with a 7m and guessing 38 to 40 fin. Wind 15 to 25 knots and choppy. For sure he was going fast off the wind but across the wind a 82 cm wide board is never going to be that fast in choppy water. Guessing he peaked at around 30 to 31 knots across the wind,another 5 knots quicker off the wind. A smaller board will always offer better performance and enjoyment in these conditions.

I once ate a daisy

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petermac33 said..

Watched slowboat sail his 137 today with a 7m and guessing 38 to 40 fin. Wind 15 to 25 knots and choppy. For sure he was going fast off the wind but across the wind a 82 cm wide board is never going to be that fast in choppy water. Guessing he peaked at around 30 to 31 knots across the wind,another 5 knots quicker off the wind. A smaller board will always offer better performance and enjoyment in these conditions.

Those who have one wouldn't agree. The key is the 15-25 knots. Those boards keep planing through the lulls and keep up their speed and make riding in gusty conditions a joy.

A board with a good range of use is cool but,for me,the challenge is being competitive in that broad range of use.Plus,if the M SL are slalom boards then they need to be competitive for that game.The fact hat they're fast for gps is great but,as I see it,not determinant for the customers.
So,if the 137 is all about that written above,then it'd made the difference respect all the other boards in the market.

Board pics were showed in another forum section.I can confirm that the board overall thickness is quite thin for the volume,thinner than the Isonics.This together with the great footpads and footstraps deliver a very comfy and secure stance and ride.

Due the great (really) stiff and strenght constructione the board weight is a bit higher than isial but no too much.Guess 300 gr plus.
Condition of the day was like the Gruissant video.. -dead off shore 15-20 kts with short lulls at 10kts-.
Sail Blade 8,6 '13 and F-hot s3 42.Mast base 133cm.
Other buddies were all with the mid boards and 7,8.I needed to choose between the 8,6 and 7,0 and,having no much time,decided to go for the big one.
Wind was enough for having no problem to quick keep going.Accellerations were fast but not easily noticeable.I mean,you are going quick but you mostly don't feel that.The board rides low but the wetted suface is really short.The water touch is super soft and the boards NEVER bounce because rails never catch

I have to say the the first part of the session was dedicated to have a good first meeting with the new stuff so I stayed a bit safe in the gusts but I can say I wasn't slower than my trusty IS 117 in the same condition.
As long as the session proceeded I got more and more confident and started to unleash the beast.Having noticed that the nose almost NEVER lit up I turned up to ON mode and pushed on the gas.I think I have no the right words to describe correctly what happened.I was already as fast as the other guys (which is already a good thing in those conditions!) but when for some reason (I'd say mostly for luck!) I founded the right push on the fin,the right angle of the sail respect to the wind direction and the right confidence to bare off the wind in the strong gust, the board got the overboost! LITERALLY! It's like an hidden gear was selected! It allows you for that extra accelleration which makes a HUGE difference in the leg. ...now remain to work on how to find that hidden gear more often...

When it comes to gybes I have a sort of contrasted feeling.At the moment I gybed almost always too large despite I was adviced to approach that a bid different than I was used to.But the istinct... I didn't succed to close the arc when or where I wanted. BUT I ended up to be always in planning mode.The Mistral never stops! Never got stuck and always playing... Need to work out about not starting the gybe off the front rail...

Another remarkable trick is that the board planes even at very slow speed and you won't need to push like a hell on the fin to lift the nose up and clear the nose hull.It just happens...

The (relative) thin rails scared me for the pointing.No way.I was always upwind of everybody.No problem for that.

I now understand why the aussies like to use it even with the 7,0.I agree when Chris says there's no performance loss compared to a mid board when the wind increases,or if you slow down a bit it's less than anything I've tried of this size till now.I tend to say that it will be possible to be comfy with a 47/48 and with a 38!! But will be more detailed on that later in the season.

Guess the board will benefit of a "lifting" fin most of the time but it can deliver also with more speed oriented stiffer fins.Just depends what it needs.


More to comes.

w100, for tighter gybes try to put your back foot a little bit closer to the back strap when you carve. This increases the sensitivity to foot pressure and lifts the mid-section of the board. When you do this it helps to bend your knees a bit more and apply some more mast foot pressure than before, to balance. The board will turn much tighter.

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w100 said..

Board pics were showed in another forum section.I can confirm that the board overall thickness is quite thin for the volume,thinner than the Isonics.This together with the great footpads and footstraps deliver a very comfy and secure stance and ride.

Due the great (really) stiff and strenght constructione the board weight is a bit higher than isial but no too much.Guess 300 gr plus.
Condition of the day was like the Gruissant video.. -dead off shore 15-20 kts with short lulls at 10kts-.
Sail Blade 8,6 '13 and F-hot s3 42.Mast base 133cm.
Other buddies were all with the mid boards and 7,8.I needed to choose between the 8,6 and 7,0 and,having no much time,decided to go for the big one.
Wind was enough for having no problem to quick keep going.Accellerations were fast but not easily noticeable.I mean,you are going quick but you mostly don't feel that.The board rides low but the wetted suface is really short.The water touch is super soft and the boards NEVER bounce because rails never catch

I have to say the the first part of the session was dedicated to have a good first meeting with the new stuff so I stayed a bit safe in the gusts but I can say I wasn't slower than my trusty IS 117 in the same condition.
As long as the session proceeded I got more and more confident and started to unleash the beast.Having noticed that the nose almost NEVER lit up I turned up to ON mode and pushed on the gas.I think I have no the right words to describe correctly what happened.I was already as fast as the other guys (which is already a good thing in those conditions!) but when for some reason (I'd say mostly for luck!) I founded the right push on the fin,the right angle of the sail respect to the wind direction and the right confidence to bare off the wind in the strong gust, the board got the overboost! LITERALLY! It's like an hidden gear was selected! It allows you for that extra accelleration which makes a HUGE difference in the leg. ...now remain to work on how to find that hidden gear more often...

When it comes to gybes I have a sort of contrasted feeling.At the moment I gybed almost always too large despite I was adviced to approach that a bid different than I was used to.But the istinct... I didn't succed to close the arc when or where I wanted. BUT I ended up to be always in planning mode.The Mistral never stops! Never got stuck and always playing... Need to work out about not starting the gybe off the front rail...

Another remarkable trick is that the board planes even at very slow speed and you won't need to push like a hell on the fin to lift the nose up and clear the nose hull.It just happens...

The (relative) thin rails scared me for the pointing.No way.I was always upwind of everybody.No problem for that.

I now understand why the aussies like to use it even with the 7,0.I agree when Chris says there's no performance loss compared to a mid board when the wind increases,or if you slow down a bit it's less than anything I've tried of this size till now.I tend to say that it will be possible to be comfy with a 47/48 and with a 38!! But will be more detailed on that later in the season.

Guess the board will benefit of a "lifting" fin most of the time but it can deliver also with more speed oriented stiffer fins.Just depends what it needs.


More to comes.

Great review w100, can't wait to try mine

Hallo everybody,
I'm on my way testing different stuff to make the board track at its best.
First step is find the right set up. I think I'm still not super right trimmed but feel I'm on the right way.
Second step is finding the right fins for the board.
Tried to check on GPS team about the different options used but the info provided are mostly referred to GPS clocking (which I don't care).
Wonder what was your feeling when firstly used that board and how you solved the fin question.
Off course I've read Chris advices but have no idea about his fins was trying to figurate out how the ideal fin for the board should be and how different options work with it.
In that respect if someone using the latest CL's would try to explain its ride I'd really appreciate that.
I've currently tested all my carbon isonic dedicated fins and still searching...
So far think short is better. Too lifting,humm.. Maybe it needs an even lift,horizontal way.
As well as don't think it needs too much because the board tracks flowless with no lateral bounce.
I think that a too flexible fin doesn't make a great job when the going gets rough.
Next step will be testing a 9,6. Think it will be very useful test...
Sure the 7,8 performs super good. Got couple of runs yesterday.

Hope you want share your feelings.

Btw,gybes now are lot more better...

Kevin let me borrow his Mistral 112 with a 38cm CL fin. Wind was 12 to 18 knots,used it with a 6.3m rigged full. Had a long run on it,around 6 Kms. First thing I noticed was it gybes amazing,so tight,board never bounced through gybe though that gybe was on flattish water. Next sailed it across the river in moderate chop. Felt this board sits extremely low in the water,too low for me. In the gusts it did lift slightly higher though still low. Felt I could sail this board comfortably in 20 plus knots,more comfortably than the other 110 litre boards I've tried. This board does not fly like some boards,more glued to the water! Then swapped back to my own 110 litre Patrik which feels more lively and rides much higher. That said,the Mistral in the stronger winds felt faster,especially for peak speed. This board could be a good option for intermediate sailors who are looking for a fast board that is super easy to control.

Better keep mine now...........

Got the chance to have a small test 137/7.8 Loft Blade 2013/Z sl 38. Side shore wind was 16-25 kts.Pretty flat. No way. Din't liked the combination.Felt no balance between board and sail size.As soon as swapped for the 112 I was clearly faster overall.Just to tell you,same day there were very different combinations in the water (for same level guys): IS 127/e5 9.5/46 (!!) ; IS 117/7.9/38 ; FF 113/7.8/36 . We all were packed up the whole session (around marks) !
CONFUSED !
At the moment I like the board the most with the 9.5 in light wind.
Wonder what the new 120 will be....