425 posts
there is also: duotonesports.com/en/us/clothing/
not sure if they ship to Oz though
425 posts
Yes, first and last 😭SlalomX of the season was a banger.
Ben is not wrong when he kept saying during the commentary that it's very difficult to really appreciate how hard it is to sail full power in those conditions, and with others around pushing as hard as they can, without experiencing it yourself.
The level of racing, action, and quality of coverage has never been higher -- and sadly seems inversely proportionate to the size of the fleet and calendar of events.
Here is to hoping for more action in 2027!
425 posts
I'm very happy with my 2025 models, which apart from the color scheme are identical to 2026 afaik.
Their light weight stands out as soon as you lift up the bag, but also carries through on the water as well. in addition, they're very efficient across their full tuning range, so both with minimal as with maximum downhaul/outhaul. I can therefore agree that they cover a very wide wind range. My quiver is 5.3 - 4.5 and 3.7, and there is probably still some overlap depending on conditions. For instance, I never much liked 3.7s -- too twitchy, too much on/off, either too small or too big..., but the Dlab 3.7 is great.
No issues so far with longevity, though I have to admit that I don't get to sail them as much as I would like.
425 posts
Lots of variables, but on the whole, in extreme gusty conditions I would (1) prefer foil over fin, and (2) a slightly larger front wing/smaller sail combo than I would use if the wind was more stable in the middle of that wind range.
That being said, it also depends on ability; very gusty conditions can be challenging on foil, but if you are a reasonably good foiler you will be able to have more fun in such conditions than on fin, which is much more 'stop & go' even with optimized gear choices.
425 posts
water state makes such a big difference -- in addition to what's already mentioned. with the same set-up and technique messy water (chop, shore bounce back, or even worse messy boat wake -- all of which can occur in very marginal wind) you easily need up to two knots of extra wind compared to flat water to extricate yourself from that pesky surface drag.
