Mistral 17'6" downwind and flat waters boards

[Luc Benac]

There was a little bit of info on SeaBreeze but does anybody has the goods on these:

https://www.facebook.com/mistralsup/photos/pcb.1715795885106332/1715794621773125/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/mistralsup/photos/pcb.1715797208439533/1715796265106294/?type=3&theater

Beautiful looking boards but not as exciting as Mistral Sup is not distributed in Canada and USA so far.
The downwind board with no rudder would be a very yummy board.

[FloridaWindSUP]

Interesting that the flatwater board also has a rudder. I wonder what the advantage of that is supposed to be?

[Luc Benac]

As it has a very flat rocker and could be engaging the full line I can only surmise that the rudder is an attempt to keep the nose from been pushed by any kind of light side chop.
In a board like this, the ventral fin idea by Larry Allison would likely be of great benefit.

[Luc Benac]

I really like what Mistral is doing with their sup race line, simple but with nice touches like the wider Vortex and now UL.

[ukgm]

I really like what Mistral is doing with their sup race line, simple but with nice touches like the wider Vortex and now UL.

Mind you, they keep bringing boards out with a limited market but still haven’t produced a board to take on the likes of the Allstar yet. You would have thought you’d have wanted that one out first.
(There is a prototype though as one of my friends who is their team rider was testing it in the UK recently).

[Luc Benac]

Maybe without a large distribution network (not having the USA...) they are happy with specific niche in the market. It is strange because they were a power player in windsurf.

The Equinox could be a popular board here if it was available and the new UL looks like a longer version of the Equinox.
Not sure how it does on flat but if I had to choose between an AllStar and an Equinox I know which one I would take :-)

[ukgm]

Maybe without a large distribution network (not having the USA...) they are happy with specific niche in the market. It is strange because they were a power player in windsurf.

The Equinox could be a popular board here if it was available and the new UL looks like a longer version of the Equinox.
Not sure how it does on flat but if I had to choose between an AllStar and an Equinox I know which one I would take :-)

The board they needed out sooner is their new 'Vanquish' allwater board. If you go to the Mistral UK facebook page, you'll see team paddler Ryan James testing it. To my eye it looks a lot like the Naish Maliko but that would have been a better seller than everything more niche they keep putting out.

[Luc Benac]

Yes I have seen it - named like a British destroyer :-). Something between a Maliko and a SIC RS. On the pictures the nose looks almost symmetrical top and bottom and a fairly flat rocker. It looks very wide but the paddler also look like a big guy. Could be the perfect board to complete their line-up.

[UKRiverSurfers]

Interesting that the flatwater board also has a rudder. I wonder what the advantage of that is supposed to be?

You can lay down more power in your stroke without the need for correction phase, among other reasons...