NP RS:Racing <-> NP RS:Slalom MKIII

BelSkorpio · 25th June 2010, 06:15 PM

Hi,

Last week I was on my NP RS:Racing 6.7 (2007) with the IS101 and my friend on his new NP RS:Slalom MKIII 7.0 (2010) with the Fanatic Falcon. Wind 15-20 knots. Spot on.

My friend could't keep up with me. I was way faster. So I asked him to use his gear for a while and find out where exactly was the difference.

The Falcon board felt good, but the MKIII was really far inferior. It was very nervous and uncontrollable in the gusts. Because the sail was quite well downhauled, we started tuning with the outhaul. That didn't change much.
The MKIII was rigged with the NP X6 mast.
I used in my RS:racing a tribord mast, which I find delivering excellent performance.

Althouh my RS:Racing is 3 years old, it has so much more power and control c/w the brand new MKIII of this year.

Does anyone have the same experience ?

I would be very reluctant to buy a MKIII, knowing what I know now.

25th June 2010, 11:44 PM

Yes- the stability of the wide sleeve luff is unparalleled.
Mk3 is noticeably twitchier and nervous even with x9 mast but found it to be almost the same speed as the evo2 is almost all conditions.
MK3 is lighter in the hands but a handful in the gust!

Deja Vu · 27th June 2010, 03:54 AM

One thing is for sure and that is that the RS:Slalom MKIII isn't slow - 43.69 knots! This was a on a borrowed RS:Slalom MKIII. The sailor obviously bought this sail - he at least liked it. The proof is in the pudding!

http://www.gps-speedsurfing.com/?mnu...=45230&uid=870

BelSkorpio · 27th June 2010, 04:49 AM

Yes, a very nice performance of Erik Loots indeed.
Mirror flat shallow water on "The Brace", a famous speed spot in Holland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYADcpo8cIs
It seems that the MKIII has a lot of top end speed in this conditions.

But still, I know what I felt.
The RS:Racing is far more controllable in heavy gusts combined with chop.
It's the better slalom sail according to me.
There's also a whole lot of difference in jibing c/w the more nervous MKIII.

Philip · 27th June 2010, 02:54 PM

I have a number of RS Racing of that vintage. All provide smooth predictable power, punch through gusts and full on power out of the gybe. Also have RS Slalom prior to the Mk III. Slalom for my money has a narrower wind range (construction is lighter weight and is generally less technical) and gives a great ride within that range - as conditions get more bumpy and wind speeds start to go all over the map I reach for the Racing variant.

Deja Vu · 27th June 2010, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelSkorpio

Yes, a very nice performance of Erik Loots indeed.
Mirror flat shallow water on "The Brace", a famous speed spot in Holland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYADcpo8cIs
It seems that the MKIII has a lot of top end speed in this conditions.

But still, I know what I felt.
The RS:Racing is far more controllable in heavy gusts combined with chop.
It's the better slalom sail according to me.
There's also a whole lot of difference in jibing c/w the more nervous MKIII.

I not defending the MKIII sail specifically; however, if you look at Erik Loots comments he specifically points out how much he likes the sail etc. He doesn't mention the board, so I'm assuming that he's attributing his improved speeds to the sail. Where I live the MKIII costs about 45% less than the RS:Racing - that's a significant amount and one shouldn't expect the same performance. This is really an unfair comparison - it is like comparing a $1,500 free race board to a $2,500 Isonic and then exclaiming in surprise that the free race board doesn't perform as well (and then someone like Erik Loots comes along and has the audacity to get 40+ knots out of the free race board

)! I have never sailed an RS:Racing sail (no doubt it is one of the best out there and one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive) but do own one MKIII (8.6) which I like. I also own 5 Sailworks NX full on race sails and a couple Gaasta Vapours. I feel it is important to put this discussion in context. The MKIII is really a detuned race sail like Gaastra's GTX and perhaps a comparison with other "second tier" racing sails would be more appropriate - like comparing apples to apples rather than to oranges.

Cheers

BelSkorpio · 28th June 2010, 04:07 AM

Hi Deja Vu,

I've seen some discussions on other forums as well about these 2 types of sails and I'm bringing this subject up, exactly because there is a such a big price difference between these sails. I would have never believed that there could be such a big performance difference between these sails, if I would not have tried the 2 sails on the same day in the same conditions. I'm glad that the NP marketing is actually delivering what they promise.

I only recently got interested in slalom/race windsurfing. Before I was much more into wave, bump & jump on the open sea but I found that I don't have the condition any more to do this, at least not in a decent way. It must be the age, only 44 though

That's why I decided in the beginning of this year to buy a isonic 101 and have some slalom fun with it, focusing on speed, mainly on the lakes next to the sea. When I asked the SB team about which sail to use on it, they all convinced me to go for minimum 2-cam sails or full 4-cam racing sails. That's when my investigation started about slalom/race sails. I was lucky to find a NP RS:Racing 2nd hand and did not pay too much money for it. After all, I didn't know if I was really going to like it. The guy from which I bought the sail (a dutch competition sailor), told me I was about to buy the "rolls royce" of the sails. I think he was right.
I also think now that these kind of sails are more important in the moderate to higher wind forces where you really need the control. It will get a bit less important with lighter winds and huger sails (chop & gusts are less).

Jeezes, I'm gonna stop now, because i feel like I'm writing a novel.

Cheers and hang loose !

Kimba · 7th July 2010, 10:45 AM

Also keep in mind that the RSR Evo2 And RSS MkIII rig quite differently to the earlier RSR. The MkIII and Evo2 require less downhaul but the tack strap really needs to be cranked on to keep the power locked and down low. The sail should not be bagged in the same way as the older RSR unless deep off the wind or using bigger sails underpowered. I have 9.5 and 7.8 MkIII's and 7.0 Evo2 and am happy with the range vs price for the bigger sails. When it is stronger I am on the 7 and have the extra stability with the extra price.
Tuning tips for the MkIII are on the NP site - MkIII page.

BelSkorpio · 7th July 2010, 05:33 PM

Yes, I think you made the right choice, Kimba.

Choosing the more expensive RSR Evo2 in the smaller sail size and the cheaper (but still expensive) RSS MKIII in the bigger sail sizes.

On which board do you use the 9.5 MKIII ?

Kimba · 7th July 2010, 09:31 PM

Hi BelSkorpio,
I use the 9.5 on a JP Slalom IV 84 but have a Superlight on order. The 84 also takes the 7.8 nicely if I am on a smaller board and it gets gusty. The lighter feel and softness of the MkIII pumps nicely too.

25th June 2010, 06:15 PM	#1
BelSkorpio Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 426	NP RS:Racing <-> NP RS:Slalom MKIII Hi, Last week I was on my NP RS:Racing 6.7 (2007) with the IS101 and my friend on his new NP RS:Slalom MKIII 7.0 (2010) with the Fanatic Falcon. Wind 15-20 knots. Spot on. My friend could't keep up with me. I was way faster. So I asked him to use his gear for a while and find out where exactly was the difference. The Falcon board felt good, but the MKIII was really far inferior. It was very nervous and uncontrollable in the gusts. Because the sail was quite well downhauled, we started tuning with the outhaul. That didn't change much. The MKIII was rigged with the NP X6 mast. I used in my RS:racing a tribord mast, which I find delivering excellent performance. Althouh my RS:Racing is 3 years old, it has so much more power and control c/w the brand new MKIII of this year. Does anyone have the same experience ? I would be very reluctant to buy a MKIII, knowing what I know now.

27th June 2010, 03:54 AM	#3
Deja Vu Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 61	One thing is for sure and that is that the RS:Slalom MKIII isn't slow - 43.69 knots! This was a on a borrowed RS:Slalom MKIII. The sailor obviously bought this sail - he at least liked it. The proof is in the pudding! http://www.gps-speedsurfing.com/?mnu...=45230&uid=870 Last edited by Deja Vu; 27th June 2010 at 04:00 AM.

27th June 2010, 04:49 AM	#4
BelSkorpio Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 426	Yes, a very nice performance of Erik Loots indeed. Mirror flat shallow water on "The Brace", a famous speed spot in Holland. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYADcpo8cIs It seems that the MKIII has a lot of top end speed in this conditions. But still, I know what I felt. The RS:Racing is far more controllable in heavy gusts combined with chop. It's the better slalom sail according to me. There's also a whole lot of difference in jibing c/w the more nervous MKIII. Last edited by BelSkorpio; 27th June 2010 at 04:59 AM.

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25th June 2010, 11:44 PM	#2
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	Yes- the stability of the wide sleeve luff is unparalleled. Mk3 is noticeably twitchier and nervous even with x9 mast but found it to be almost the same speed as the evo2 is almost all conditions. MK3 is lighter in the hands but a handful in the gust!

27th June 2010, 02:54 PM	#5
Philip Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 157	I have a number of RS Racing of that vintage. All provide smooth predictable power, punch through gusts and full on power out of the gybe. Also have RS Slalom prior to the Mk III. Slalom for my money has a narrower wind range (construction is lighter weight and is generally less technical) and gives a great ride within that range - as conditions get more bumpy and wind speeds start to go all over the map I reach for the Racing variant.

28th June 2010, 04:07 AM	#7
BelSkorpio Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 426	Hi Deja Vu, I've seen some discussions on other forums as well about these 2 types of sails and I'm bringing this subject up, exactly because there is a such a big price difference between these sails. I would have never believed that there could be such a big performance difference between these sails, if I would not have tried the 2 sails on the same day in the same conditions. I'm glad that the NP marketing is actually delivering what they promise. I only recently got interested in slalom/race windsurfing. Before I was much more into wave, bump & jump on the open sea but I found that I don't have the condition any more to do this, at least not in a decent way. It must be the age, only 44 though That's why I decided in the beginning of this year to buy a isonic 101 and have some slalom fun with it, focusing on speed, mainly on the lakes next to the sea. When I asked the SB team about which sail to use on it, they all convinced me to go for minimum 2-cam sails or full 4-cam racing sails. That's when my investigation started about slalom/race sails. I was lucky to find a NP RS:Racing 2nd hand and did not pay too much money for it. After all, I didn't know if I was really going to like it. The guy from which I bought the sail (a dutch competition sailor), told me I was about to buy the "rolls royce" of the sails. I think he was right. I also think now that these kind of sails are more important in the moderate to higher wind forces where you really need the control. It will get a bit less important with lighter winds and huger sails (chop & gusts are less). Jeezes, I'm gonna stop now, because i feel like I'm writing a novel. Cheers and hang loose !

7th July 2010, 10:45 AM	#8
Kimba New Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Australia Posts: 6	Also keep in mind that the RSR Evo2 And RSS MkIII rig quite differently to the earlier RSR. The MkIII and Evo2 require less downhaul but the tack strap really needs to be cranked on to keep the power locked and down low. The sail should not be bagged in the same way as the older RSR unless deep off the wind or using bigger sails underpowered. I have 9.5 and 7.8 MkIII's and 7.0 Evo2 and am happy with the range vs price for the bigger sails. When it is stronger I am on the 7 and have the extra stability with the extra price. Tuning tips for the MkIII are on the NP site - MkIII page.

7th July 2010, 05:33 PM	#9
BelSkorpio Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 426	Yes, I think you made the right choice, Kimba. Choosing the more expensive RSR Evo2 in the smaller sail size and the cheaper (but still expensive) RSS MKIII in the bigger sail sizes. On which board do you use the 9.5 MKIII ?

7th July 2010, 09:31 PM	#10
Kimba New Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Australia Posts: 6	Hi BelSkorpio, I use the 9.5 on a JP Slalom IV 84 but have a Superlight on order. The 84 also takes the 7.8 nicely if I am on a smaller board and it gets gusty. The lighter feel and softness of the MkIII pumps nicely too.