The Advance raceboard 2009 has 2x25 asimmetrical fins, the handling in choppy conditions in very good, no problem even in downwind high speed, this is the best board I have found to go upwind and in moderate downwind degees (lasco-traverso) but not very good in straight downwind (i don't know the english word, in italian we call it "poppa") as the board is too narrow.
The new version 2010 will be larger and quadrifin, I've tried some proto's this winter and for sure it will be better when going straight downwind and better upwind but probably will loose some speed at traverso (90°), but a long work trimming fins-set will be done as the new board will arrive (beginning of april) in order to get the best compromise between speed and upwind.

Of course you have to jibe and switch feet when you change direction, all the raceboard are made this way, no way to seriously race with twintip boards even with big twintips like Flydoors.

About the kite (Foil vs. pump) I can say that I often train with a friend that has a Flysurfer speed3 19, his kite has the advantage to stay in the sky easily with 6 knots instead of mine that requires 7 knots but over this limit (7-8 knots) my Kaiman 15 makes better angle upwind.
As in Italy the races never starts under 8-9 knots I prefer a LEI kite, but if your goal is to lower the lowend as much as possible take seriously in consideration a Speed 19.

Thanks, for the answers.

In my zone, I have seen fly perfectly in 7-8 knots (you can have stop the kite in the edge of the window) :

Rhino 09 16 m (my kite)
Airush Lithium 15 m
Flysurfer 19 m
Bandit dos 16 m
Rhino 20 m
Ozone Zephyr 17m



I want to know more kites that fly very good in 7-8 knots, because I want have alternatives to encourage to my friends to practise race with me when the wind is < 11 knots (many days and many hours in my zone spring-summer)

The race board is fundamental for kite race in 7-8 knots, but I know that many kites for your weight no can fly in <10 knots. This is the reason to ask for kites that fly good in 7-8 knots.

Regards

Have you looked into Peter Lynn venom kites (foil)? I've seen a couple of those around here and they're fantastic in the light winds. They'll stay in the air in 6kts and they have auto zenith, you can let go of the bar and use both hands to put the board on your feet. You wipe out and the kite stays in the air if you let go of the bar.

The new wind average minimum for kite course racing at th North American Continentals was 4 knots. That's average not lull. In literally 5 knots of wind (consider current here) my numbers are in the 15 knot range upwind (bow down) and 17-20 knots off the wind (bow up). (note that these are hard data numbers not my opinion). That's with the large Aguera board and a 17meter Zephyr with 25 meter lines. Now this does not mean that you are always moving... A pocket of zero knots is simple. Nothing works.
It requiers more patience and skill in under 10 knots then at 15+ knots. With the new race gear I'm just as warn out on under 10 knots then in 15+. With the zepher on the race board I get loaded up really quickly and thus overpowered. Which means my board is crazy efficient. When I used to ride the north LTD I was comfortable on the huge zepher in the rated wind range. My new board breaks all the rules from the past.... That's all I have personally experienced in that department to date.

AK

The new wind average minimum for kite course racing at th North American Continentals was 4 knots. That's average not lull. In literally 5 knots of wind (consider current here) my numbers are in the 15 knot range upwind (bow down) and 17-20 knots off the wind (bow up). (note that these are hard data numbers not my opinion). That's with the large Aguera board and a 17meter Zephyr with 25 meter lines. Now this does not mean that you are always moving... A pocket of zero knots is simple. Nothing works.
It requiers more patience and skill in under 10 knots then at 15+ knots. With the new race gear I'm just as warn out on under 10 knots then in 15+. With the zepher on the race board I get loaded up really quickly and thus overpowered. Which means my board is crazy efficient. When I used to ride the north LTD I was comfortable on the huge zepher in the rated wind range. My new board breaks all the rules from the past.... That's all I have personally experienced in that department to date.

AK