After viewing the wind ranges for the RS-Slalom on the neil pryde website i think the top ends seem a bit exagerated and are the low ends fairly poor.
I currently have the 09 model in 7.0 and 7.8 and KA Koncepts in 5.8 and 5.0 and am thinking about a RS slalom in 6.2.
It shows the wind range for an intermediate standard sailor at 6.2m= 20 to 38 knots.For the 7.0m= 18 to 34 knots and 7.8m= 14 to 26.
The range is even greater for an expert on their graph.
I would normally never sail greater than 30 knot winds so i would not need any thing smaller than a 6.2 according to the graph but this is the wind range i would normally use my 5.0 Koncept so why would i bother using a 6.2 RS slalom when i could be more comfortable on a 5.0m Koncept. i could go a 5.5 RS slalom but this wouldn't get me going until 24 knots.(according to the graph )
Any advice/ experiences on RS slalom and KA koncept wind ranges would be appreciated.
Ive got a NP RSSlalom MKIV 6.2 and i think the wind range is brilliant. I am touching 70kg's and with my 59cm slalom board i use it with ease from 14-26knots (flat water), then i can still hang onto it if i put it on the speed board to 30knots.
It depends on what type of sailing you are doing. For speed sailing the more experienced you become the better able to hang on to larger sails in stronger wind. The sailing that you do is not comfortable! You go faster.
If you are slalom racing you will need more control so would perhaps use a smaller sail but you still need speed and acceleration so you are rigging for the lulls.
If you want to go comfortably quick and just have fun you might use smaller still.
Speed sailing I would now not roll out my 07 5m koncept until consistent 30+ and really choppy conditions for control, yet on the ocean in a slalom race in the same conditions I would get hammered.
Another important factor is bodyweight which you have not told us.
5.8 koncept for me would be 25+ at 77kg but for a lighter weight sailor could be 18+.
The upper wind range on the new RSS Mk IV's appears to be considerably higher than previous versions.
I've been using the 7.8m for a while now and can quite comfortably sail with it whilst others are going for mid to low 6's, which realistically is what I would have rigged for those sessions if I wasn't concerned about the wind dropping out.
Very nice sail with a better turn of pace to them than earlier versions
Using an adjustable OH I (90kg) use my RSS 7.8 in 12-20knots and I can hold on to it gusting 25 (but that's not fun).
I find it to be a great sail when the wind builds during the day or is very off and on, I can get out and sail all day without re rigging. I do throw my smaller board on for the upper wind range.
If you are looking for a big wind range go the whole hog and get a RS racing. IMHO they have much larger wind range.
I have owned and sailed RSS's in MK1, 2, 3 and 4 in sizes form 5.4m to 8.4m. I thought they were prety good until i got a RSR. The slaloms are good but due to their softness they can get a bit back handed in their upper wind range.
I now have RSR Evo 1's and 2 and they by far are so much better its incredible.
my 2cents anyway
Thanks guys for the input i'm 80 kg buy the way, I know in the last 12 mths in vic i used my 7.8m RS /slalom about 80% of the time with winds up to 20 knots and it felt fine. Didnt test the bottom end much in about 12 knots throu.
Bigger fin might help.
My 5.8 07 Koncept is getting a bit shabby so i may have to up date to either 6.2 rs/slalom or a newer 5.8 Koncept. My 5m 07 is still like brand new.
Thanks dale
I have the new RSS MkIV in a 7m and 6.2m, but due to the lack of wind this season and the late supply. I have not used them that much.
The wind range compared to the website for my 80kg weight seems to be incorrect. The bottom end of these sails is great. I came from a 2009 model V8s and the RSS MkIV are close to the same bottom end, but with a heaps better top end and speed.
My 7m does struggle with cam rotation, but after being used twice its getting better. The 6.2m has also been out three times and rotatation was perfect from day dot.
I use these sails on Starboard Futura's (Wood). A 111 for the 7m and 93 for the 6.2m.
The masts I use are X9 masts and adjustable outhaul with X9 180 boom. I have used the non adjustable boom X9 160 with the 6.2m and is felt so light. It felt like a very powerfull wave sail and I had to keep looking at the sail to remind me I was not on my wave gear and not to jump every bit of steep chop I sailed into.
I would first like to say that I have owned and used the following sails (all current sail I have are in bold)
2007 RS Slalom, MK1 8.4m
2008 RS Slalom MK2 5.4m, 6.7m, 7.2m, 7.8m
2010 RS Slalom MK3 7.8m
2006 RS6 7.8m and 6.2m
2008 RS Racing 5.0m, 6.7m, 7.2m, 7.8m, 8.4m2010 RSR Evo2 6.2m
I have rigged the sails on NPX6 and Tushingham 75% mast's and using a NP extension.
The RSS MK4
When the recommend extension is used (10cm) the sail is very easy to down haul (one handed) until it is block to block.
At this point the sail is still very tight leached. I have used the sail like this in winds from 12-25knts. On this setting the sail feels heavy and the COE moves all over the place.
In comparison to the RSR's and RSS MK2's I have had the MK4 feels very draggy and heavy even when fully powered up where all the other sails go light on the hands the 7.8m MK4 just gets heavier.
More down haul you say??
I have tried the 7.8m MK4 with 12cm (2cm more than recommended) on extension on the base giving up to 2cm more down haul. This does make the leach open up more but the sail still feels heavy. Unlike a sail that is over down hauled where its really easy to sheet in, the MK4 just gets all unstable and heavy.
The RSS 7.8MK3 I had was the complete opposite. The sail twisted off so easily that in a gust (fully powered up) the sail would just exhaust all the power instead of shooting you out of the gust and accelerating.
I will stick with my current quiver of 2008 RSR's as they rig/tune really easily even on my x6 and tushy masts. The best thing about them is when I am speed and slalom sailing I like to be really powered up, so last thing I want in a sail is to have to start wrestling it just when I am trying to milk a gust for a few more knots where as the RSR's I have, just go lighter in the hands and squirt you out of gust with more speed.
NOTE: these are just my thoughts and observations. (That waiting for wind asked for) I'm no expert and pay for all my gear. Please dont take it as gospel as i know heaps of people that are really happy with their MK3's and 4's
Regarding the 7.8m RSS MkIV
NP have recently changed the extension settings on their web page to read 14cm which coincides with what I found with my testing and tuning.
The sail is now seriously stable don't have to play around with harness lines.
It took a while to suss it out but now it's sorted the Mk IV is definitely a go'er
Agree with Bendyman that the RSR's are still a step up though
Thanks for the feedback. I've owned RSS 1 to RsS 3, currently on the Mk 3.
I found that unlike the Mk11, the Mk111 was a bit trickier to tune. The draft on the Mk111 is further back than the Mk11, which I found good for downwind speed but not as easy to dial in. The sail is stable and fast but when you pull in the OH (adjustable) the draft moves a fair way forward, almost needing an adjustment to harness lines.
I suspect this may be due to the bigger clew cut out, or should I say bigger clew overlap! When I got the Mk111 I was suprised to see how far the batten extended past the clew. Compared to the Mk11, the Mk111 needed a longer boom while having a bigger cut out.
