Christian, good word for the chaps indeed! However, I'm suprised you left the true "Best Light Wind Inflatable" from your list but admire you for your honest review's. For you are living by the oath of the wise and have not ridden this sacred resource I am referring to.

I'd like to make a suggestion... Please add the 16m Cabrinha Crossbow to your list. You dont really see that crew pimping this forum cause it aint cool. Unlike some we are witnessing on hand presently.

Back in the day, I'd have to give the nod unfortunately to Ken Winner's invention the R620m. What a powerhouse! In that particular year the 18m and 20m were a different cut/design than the rest of the Rhino quiver. Still have one laying around somewhere in the piles of old quivers rotting in storage. Now days, I cant imagine wanting to kite in anything less than what a 16 XBow can handle. If the kite can launch you can get going right up wind with a good LW board. And what a smooth recliner she is!

WG

Wally

you just blew my mind!

I thought 13m was the biggest size the Crossbow came in.

list updated accordingly!

What about the 2009 Rhino 16m............

the original was the Rhino 2 -20m, that kite was a beast! - Pulled in 8 knots but had a very limited top end.... I had a Flysurfer 15.5m which was about the same in terms of pull, but had more float.

Weights for Ozone 2011 Light wind kites
2011 Zephyr 17M brand new kite only 4.2kg
2011 Edge 15M used kite only 4.0kg (maybe some sand in the kite)

Using the 15M Ozone Edge, and Nobile Flying Carpet I can stay upwind and cruise all over our bay in winds as low as 9/10 knots.
Have not used the 2011 Ozone Zephyr yet, last years had less bottom end than this year Edge in my opinion, but it was more that it did not have the lift that this years Ozone Edge has. This years Ozone Edge is the most efficient inflatable kite I have flown, the upwind angles I can get on this kite are amazing. We have a lot of Moth yachts in our area and last saturday I turned and matched one for upwind and speed for a few hundred metres until I saw that the Moth sailor was a bit worried about the massive kite sitting a few meteres over the top of his mast and I dropped away behind him and accelerated upwind at a less steep angle. I was close enough to the Moth to say hi and to tell him not to worry about me, but he was clearly shocked to see a guy on a kite matching his upwind speed and angle. If I had been on a Race board I would have out performed him for sure. ( I was on a Cabrinha Prodigy 1.44)

StarKites Sbow 16m works well in light winds a bit slow but has alot of low-end

Have to agree with Gozo.

The larger Sbows are really good. Nice lowend and you can hold them insanely long. A bit slow though. The smaller Sbows (atleast from previous years) sucked.

Personally i have my hopes on the Epic Renegade Infinity. Which i hope to ride this summer. So far i have heared many good things of the kite.

I got a 16m Xbow for the low wind and it's surprised me on occasion ... but it's still not up to the Flysurfer for low-end shunt or relaunch in SFA. It seems to me that there's a point where it just crashes out of the sky, whereas the FS will keep flying - just won't pull much ...

Also FYI apparently the 2010 (and on?) 13 and 16m Xbows have lighter (thinner?) either bladders or leading edges, to keep the weight down ... can't remember the details now.

I always though that LEI was a direct translation of the French grammar ... in honour of the originals?

Here, kite = LEI and anything else gets sideways looks and a "Huh what's that then?"

We have a guy with a Zephyr here and he's usually the first out (of the pumpies) on a directional. Hopefully, if Ozone Japan gets finger out of nose, we'll have a demo Zephyr at the club house ...

The smaller Sbows rock I have 8m kills it in the waves and turns fast. the only thing is in high gusty winds 35knt+ the kite looses some of it stability

Anyone tried a Screamer yet?