North Race LTD 2010 ?

[paulOz]

Fins

Rear --> ~185mm
Front --> ~110mm

Cheers

[Peter_Frank]

Fins

Rear --> ~185mm
Front --> ~110mm

Cheers

Hi Paul - have you had the 2009 LTD too, or is it just OzBungy (it seems) ?

I have ridden a lot on the 2009, and it is really easy and relaxed to go upwind on this one.

Downwind it works quite easy too - although a bit more "scary" sometimes because of the pure insane speed in small waves/chop
EXCELLENT, but somewhat demanding !

In flat water you feel like a rocket with no upper limit - a great feel
Have tried it in harbours behind rock piers where the water is silk smooth - really cool just to blast away on a broad reach here

Regarding the "why not put something to hold the board down flat and get some support" thing (meaning, a formula windsurfer) - well, this is exactly why I dont like Formula windsurfers for freeride - as all this "leverage" gives you a really dull and heavy "thing" out there - instead of a natural (IMO) board that just feels so light and "perfect sized" instead of a big bulky constellation.

One experience I should share - with the 2009, when there was small waves or big chop, I had to mount the rear footstrap at the far back position !

Now it was VERY easy and natural to ride in these waves/chop, instead of being a "tough" task that felt weird

Have kept that position ever since, both in light wind and waves as it works so much better.

Just to point out, that very small adjustments might make a huge difference on how it works/feels.

Just like on waveboards, where a footstrap mounted one inch further forward or rearward might be the difference from so-so-just-getting-along to perfect

Another thing I would share, is:

Almost everyone who rode TT's, and tried a raceboard, immediately said it went totally unreal upwind and started early (when you used the "apparent wind" technique and not the beginners "huge kite" technique of course).

But they also said they felt the nose bounced a lot up and down !

Everyone who rode waveboards, and tried a raceboard, felt it "natural" right away, and did not have any issues with the nose.

So I honestly think it is a mental issue, and what you are "used to" - regarding this very point

Havent got mine yet - so just envious on you who has

But we got lots of wind here, as it is autumn/winter - and a lot of waves, so going waveriding tomorrow instead

Kindly, Peter Frank

[paulOz]

Hey Peter,

Both OzBungy (my kiting buddy) and myself demo''d the 2009 over a few days..
the 2010 is substantially bigger in most ways. Including twice the finned up area.

After 3-4 hours on my new 2010
I am very comfortable going upwind and yes flat water is very nice...
You are also quite correct that surfboard riders will adapt to some aspects quicker..

But downwind or reaching in choppy water is for me so far very difficult..
Well difficult to go fast.. I have tried back foot back ,, forward etc,, but it rails up very easily and I am yet to find an ability to go fast off the wind with any control..
I did find on my last ride, that it is far more stable off the wind when "not"ridden flat, ie. railed to windward.. I wonder if tehniques such as this are what the pro's use..

I will try further what you have suggested,, and look forward to other input..

One thing for sure, if there are any doubters out there,, the board delivers upwind performance unparalleled, but as yet I am to enjoy going off the wind..
I am however, keen to get on it again.. cant see myself riding anything else in under 18 knts for a while...

cheers
Paul

[mikelet]

I'm also into search for a free-race board for next summer lighter winds.
Almost all the time riding a kite-surfboard,last summer had the chance to give the LTD 09 a ride,true it's a blast for going upwind but i doesn't like so much the not forgiving feeling,IMHO it has a lot to do with the full board hard edges that most race boards seems to have (reason they are not so comfortable riding downwind).Why doesn't brands come up with something more freerace oriented by just simply working on softening the rails from forward foot placement to nose??
Would be great if anyone comment on the rails and general feeling of the new LTD 2010,but i doubt it will be what i'm lookin for...

[Peter_Frank]

I'm also into search for a free-race board for next summer lighter winds.
Almost all the time riding a kite-surfboard,last summer had the chance to give the LTD 09 a ride,true it's a blast for going upwind but i doesn't like so much the not forgiving feeling,IMHO it has a lot to do with the full board hard edges that most race boards seems to have (reason they are not so comfortable riding downwind).Why doesn't brands come up with something more freerace oriented by just simply working on softening the rails from forward foot placement to nose??
Would be great if anyone comment on the rails and general feeling of the new LTD 2010,but i doubt it will be what i'm lookin for...

Hmm, I am a bit worried if you think the 2009 is difficult downwind ?

As I find it VERY easy downwind - of course tough if you want to blast max speed and take out anyone near you - but just going really fast downwind is easy for me, in chop/small waves.
(or maybe I just ride too slow, even when going fast )

So an almost "real" raceboard would be even more difficult for you it seems

Although - the experts says that some of the boards really "over" finned, actually rides easy downwind, depending on shape, so it is not that simple in fact...

Interesting to hear when Paul and OzB gets some more experience on their 2010

Peter Frank

[OzBungy]

....
In flat water you feel like a rocket with no upper limit - a great feel
Have tried it in harbours behind rock piers where the water is silk smooth - really cool just to blast away on a broad reach here

...

I find both the 2009 and 2010 boards kind of slow in absolute terms. The drag from the fins feels like the hand brake is on. My other boards are much faster in pure downthe line speed.

Of course, if you add in an upwind component the race boards have much more total speed but on a broad reach or downwind they feel slow to me.

I am thinking in course racing terms a raceboard will gain so much ground on the upwind leg that other boards cannot catch them in time.

We played a little game the other night (I call it Hare and Hound. It was surprisingly good fun and gives you the thrill of racing without all the rules and the need for everybody to be on raceboards). I was on a standard TT and had a good 20 minute head start and I started pushing upwind for all I was worth to a mark 4-5km up the coast. I thought I was doing rather well but the raceboard cruised past me within 15 minutes and continued straight to the mark.

On the downwind leg I was able to literally ride rings around the raceboard. Even taking into account that the rider was new to raceboards the difference in speed was huge.

I don't find the raceboard uncomfortable in downwind riding. I find it more uncomfortable if loading up the back legs and the fins and trying to get maximum upwind performance. It's not really necessary to try so hard. There is upwind performance to burn and it is better and more fun to maintain a comfortable stance and ride a bit faster.

[Peter_Frank]

Aaah - okay, I agree and understand what you mean now - in absolute terms they are not the fastest, no.

But compared to a waveboard, even a fast one like mine, they (well, the 2009) are fast and somehow feel so light and really accelerates in a different way.

A TT with a good release (and small fins) is the fastest downwind of course

Others, used to TT's that tried a raceboard, was stoked over the pure flat water speed, as you could go incredibly fast back and fourth in light wind without losing ground at all if you wanted.

It is not always an advantage to ride downwind in terms of getting max speed, if you have efficient gear.
Just like the world records in speed for saling vessels, where they can obtain huge speeds in much lighter wind, because they dont bear away, but instead increases the power by using the apparent wind (I know you know that - but maybe some dont ?).

I dont really use my raceboard in other than light wind - except for two times out waveriding, where the wind faded a bit, and I was too lazy to rig up after a good session where I was about to drive home now - but took the raceboard with my rigged small 9m2, and out again as the sun was shining and summer
The wind had faded so you could not in any way ride with a 6 foot waveboard no more
But the instant swap to the raceboard did the trick !

First I rode up behind the rock pier on silk water, and took some speed runs here - awesome.

Continued up to my friends who was riding (had been, as too little wind now) with really big kites further up along the coast, and went in to say hi to the guys/girls I knew - there was packed here as a sunny weekend day.

Then I rode up around a new ship wreck up north, always "interesting" to see up close.

Finally I took a 7km tack straight upwind - as I WANTED to go ashore just to see if possible.

It went really easy, but the last part was tough, as it was dead offshore wind with big hills and slopes all the way out to the water - so had to loop the kite around a lot just to keep it in the air
Still aiming for the narrow spot with the lowest hills.

But managed to get ashore, and just dumped the kite in the water as so little wind that it could stay there without any pull.

After having felt a bit like Christoffer Columbus going ashore - I launched again - lots of time for relaunching as I could just stand on the shore and "fiffle" till a gust could turn the kite around and then up.

Going back downwind to my starting point, down in the right corner, where I had left from alone, but had gone out with another wavekiter earlier when wind for the 9m2.

So I "just" wanted to ride a little more, when the wind died - before I drove home - but it was so fun this day, that it ended up on this little trip that clocked 50km distance on the GPS before you knew it.

GPS track :

http://www.kitesurferen.dk/images/XBook ... 620_50.jpg

or see as google earth KML file here

Peter

[naishdude]

Nice!!
which Gps did you use......?is it waterproof( I think so)
Frank

[catamarum]

Fins

Rear --> ~185mm
Front --> ~110mm

Cheers

The standard fins seems a little bit small for racing, in the video Stephanie Bridge has a board with much bigger fins, do you know what is the size and angle? Can I buy those fins with North?

Thanks,

[paulOz]

Sorry Catamarum,

I know nothing more other than what I see on my board.
Our local shop doesn't have much info as yet either.
I certainly wont be looking for bigger, but I wont be racing either (so far)

Paul