www.mistral.com/windsurfing-boards/

Oh wow! After deserting windsurfing for quite a few years, Mistral is back in again. Albeit, with the very limited, basic range.

I think that's the trend on new boards . I would love a new sub 90 litre slalom or freerace board.

I was recently told by a former World Cup winner, who is still in the industry, that a lot of wave boards are being made to suit ageing heavier WC sailors and the WC scoring format, and therefore aren't as practical for normal people. I'm not sure if that applies to freerace boards, but it was interesting.

Mistral too have added the windsurfer Lt to their range , also having the biggest order of the Lt so far !

windsufering said..
Mistral too have added the windsurfer Lt to their range , also having the biggest order of the Lt so far !

Mistral ought to bring back the Superlight in LT construction ,
that would be a nice board.

RichardG said..
Mistral need to release the Mistral Equipe IV. Build it in Germany to ensure quality.

Pan Am 2 revisited???

The idea of just getting back into the sport with a very basic product line in retro design appealing to ageing mid-level sailors might not be too bad a move after all. It's no big hassle and one can still expand the range if there is demand.

But, hey: are they serious about their booms? Screwed boom arms in a late eighties curve?

I would have loved a Z-boom instead!

geoITA said..
Mistral boards offered at present are actually re-branded Simmer Style "Freemove" boards.
The last "true" Mistral boards were those made in '14 and '15, Lockwood designed slalom and speed (from '13) and Valdambrini designed wave and freewave ones.
Now we are waiting for a new release of Lockwood designed boards, but this time with another brand.
Personally, I am still keeping my fobulous SL91, 112 and 137 boards still in great shape (thank you, mr. Kinetic!). And I am thinking about having those sanded, rockerline checked and re-painted in light finish. No reason to change after all.

Sorry the only true Mistral boards are those that were made in Germany and specifically in West Germany.

Anyone want a Mistral One Design ?....I have it for sale....

holy guacamole said..

RichardG said..

geoITA said..
Mistral boards offered at present are actually re-branded Simmer Style "Freemove" boards.
The last "true" Mistral boards were those made in '14 and '15, Lockwood designed slalom and speed (from '13) and Valdambrini designed wave and freewave ones.
Now we are waiting for a new release of Lockwood designed boards, but this time with another brand.
Personally, I am still keeping my fobulous SL91, 112 and 137 boards still in great shape (thank you, mr. Kinetic!). And I am thinking about having those sanded, rockerline checked and re-painted in light finish. No reason to change after all.

Sorry the only true Mistral boards are those that were made in Germany and specifically in West Germany.

Sure to be totally pedantic about it, but the shapes were never as well designed as when Chris Lockwood put his name to them.

Sure. On the other hand Mistral made in Germany of yesteryear is not just a board factory. It's a kind of illness, a zeal for a means of sailing. It's a way of life, a unique view on how to design and build a board infused with racing and/or wave pedigree. It's all about feelings, passion, anything that has more to do with the heart than with the head. That said how well were the Kinetic boards made ?

RichardG said..

holy guacamole said..

RichardG said..

geoITA said..
Mistral boards offered at present are actually re-branded Simmer Style "Freemove" boards.
The last "true" Mistral boards were those made in '14 and '15, Lockwood designed slalom and speed (from '13) and Valdambrini designed wave and freewave ones.
Now we are waiting for a new release of Lockwood designed boards, but this time with another brand.
Personally, I am still keeping my fobulous SL91, 112 and 137 boards still in great shape (thank you, mr. Kinetic!). And I am thinking about having those sanded, rockerline checked and re-painted in light finish. No reason to change after all.

Sorry the only true Mistral boards are those that were made in Germany and specifically in West Germany.

Sure to be totally pedantic about it, but the shapes were never as well designed as when Chris Lockwood put his name to them.

Sure. On the other hand Mistral made in Germany of yesteryear is not just a board factory. It's a kind of illness, a zeal for a means of sailing. It's a way of life, a unique view on how to design and build a board infused with racing and/or wave pedigree. It's all about feelings, passion, anything that has more to do with the heart than with the head. That said how well were the Kinetic boards made ?

Yeah I think Chris Lockwood's work is all about passion and pedigree too. I look at the construction of Mistrals, look at the shiny base and flawless execution and I couldn't give a toss it wasn't made in Germany.

German construction isn't what it used to be .
Talk to a mechanic , all German car brands have way more problems than a Toyota or Kia. Actually Kia don't have problems apart from feeling plasticky .
Anyone bought something mechanical from Aldi ? , I rest my case.
I do like the way my old Mistral OD is made . Heavy me has given it hell and got it proper airborne many times , ( yeah I know , I probably shouldn't do that , but when the wind picks up and im hanging off the back and having soo much fun , I totally forget about the smaller board in the car ) .
Should last another 20 years .

LeeD said..
Some in the know say the current Kinetics are loads better made than any Cobra, Tunisian, and 3/4 of customs made today.

Among others ... I recently had a chat with a very well known designer/shaper, he admitted that Kinetic boards are the only ones that don't show a tiny "negative" in front of the fin box after even just 1/2 hour of sailing, while all other boards he knows of do, including his own custom boards! And in his experience Cobra boards don't even need sailing for that...
My Mistral SL boards are still in top shape after 6 seasons sailing. They are heavier than the competition, 6.0 kg the SL91, 7.0 the SL112 and 8.5 the SL137 (bare hulls with pads but no straps). That is still OK for the smaller boards in my view, expecially when one thinks how stiff and solid they are. When sailing I don't feel the extra weight on those. The SL137 is a different story, at 8.5 it's a bit heavy as a light wind board; but I think quite a lot of that is due to extra shiny looks, thick painting and gloss bottom. I would be curious to know how heavy are the boards from one peculiar production batch, the "white glass" ones still in "standard" build (not the ultralight carbon ones, that lacked some reinforcements) with less paint and only basic decals. And of course, one should think Kinetic is doing even better after all those years since '14 and '15, so today their boards are probably more refined.And, yes, I wish Mistral was still building those very same SL boards, as those Chris Lockwood designed shapes are unique.

My first board was a mistral competition club. My parents bought it second hand for me as a combined birthday and Christmas present. This was back in 1983 when I was 16.
I was so proud of that board. I remember it like I remember my first love