Dakine X-Lace Footstraps
I ordered the Dakine X-Lace footstraps to put on my wife's Kona Surf. The stock Exocet footstraps are not adjustable once they are screwed onto the board. My son and I also plan on using the board, so we will need to frequently adjust the footstraps. When cold weather hits, we will be wearing booties, which is also going to require footstrap adjustment. I have used the multi-layer velcro straps on my other boards, but for a more frequent adjustment, I thought the Dakine X-Lace straps would be a much better choice. For those of you who want to see the "guts" of the straps, I have taken some detailed pics.
New Board: 2008 RRD X-Fire 145 LTD Edition
Yesterday I received my new board for light wind speed sailing, the 2008 RRD X-Fire 145. Isthmus Sailboards had the last of these boards on sale for $999. That was a price I just couldn't pass up. I've been looking for a medium volume board for light wind free-race sailing, notably the 2009 RRD X-Fire 135. That board is priced at nearly twice the price at $1899. Now, last years board can't be all that bad compared to this year. Sure, the manufacturers say that every year their boards plane earlier, go faster, and jibe better than the year before. But who are they kidding? Looking at the 2009 with its shorter length and wider tail, it looks more like a formula board than a slalom board. It may in fact plane earlier, but is it worth $900 more? I don't think so.
Exocet Pacer 300: Hybrid Raceboard
Here’s my new board for racing. I will be using a Maui Sails 9.5 MS2 rig on it. I’ve done one triangle race on it so far and I am pleased with the performance. Tomorrow I will be doing a distance race at the lake.
