Slalom + Speed Board User Reviews

“The SL103 Pro is already my everyday weapon of choice. Because this thing flies. You wouldn’t believe the milage I’ve put down on this board just over one summer. Not only is this board a crisp and beautiful hand-build. When pushed to the limit in ruff sea conditions this board still feels safe and you can comfortably put down the hammer and just send it. It is obvious that this board comes from serious racing people who appreciate that average speed is key. Some people say they like these new CA boards for planing capability. I like the control even more. If someone could find me a faster board I doubt that board would let me stay in the power-zone for this long and this dynamic. It’s heaven.

I run this red baby on old-school Deb SL2 and the sweetspot for me at 72 kilo is 7.8.

I’ve been windsurfing for more than three decades and have been on CA slalom boards for the past six years. I now have 58, 68 and 78 CA SL sizes. Except for exceptional build quality I used to appreciate the clean classy lines in CA boards and in particular that no short-lived modern features made it into to final designs. I really appreciated CAs conventional design-approach that simple is fast. So I was a bit curious how things would turn out now with the new ”modern” line (2016). Short story; Performance and feeling? Stoked! Also, the wider stern makes pointing easier which is important in racing situations but also when flying over open sea and raiding in the archipelago. Congrats to everyone who can lay their hands on one of these amazing builds.

 

Jonas Frii – Sweden

” I was very impressed by the capacity of James to sense the need of a passionate windsurfer I am. Looking for something else than a tasteless industrial board made for Pwa overweighted sailors and uncontrollable in strong winds. A board for my template, my home spot conditions, my Tramontana wind of Gruissan: a board with a soul and very ,very fast : Mes compliments ! ”

Thank you ,Guys

Cheers!!

 

Alain de almeida

“I was on the market for midsize slalom board to replace my old BIG brand not so old around 100 liter board which has seen its best days.

I decided to take a risk and ordered CA SL103 even I have never seen any CA board alive. I wanted something that is perfect match for my 7.7 race sail and can handle relatively large range of wind and water conditions. Obviously after 26 years of sailing and 18 years of racing I also wanted to try something new.

So my experience with SL103…It’s great board. To start I always weigh new boards,  if there’s any reason to believe that board is leaking, I can easily check it by weighing it again. CA is my first board which weighted exactly the same as specs promoted. Also finishing is very good and board looks nice in broad day light too.

On the water. This is early planning for its size and it goes through holes much better than my old board in same size. Just lean forward and it keeps going. It’s also easy to control in rough waters and accelerates very well off the mark.

Top speed has been proved to be excellent in GPS speed challenge.  Due to smaller cut outs ( I believe), jibing requires just little bit more pressure on the rail than old board but it’s easy to control arc and maintain speed around corner.

Front and back foot straps are  2cm closer to each and other than what I’m used to (you can ask for other positions too), but after two or three session I don’t even notice that anymore, actually that seem to give nice balanced ride instead.

That is, in strong gusts I can hold nose down and accelerate, and on the other hand I can make board fly on the fin without control problems.  In general, ride is not nervous, but rather relaxed and smooth in over 30knost speeds.

I’m currently using Hurricane fins, 41cm for this board in lighter conditions, but I like strong kick from fin, so maybe something 1-2cm longer and softer would serve me better.

 

Only thing that I would change in this board is to have 5mm of so more space for back foot heel, but I’m rather big footed though.

Second “problem” is that I need to make a decision if my next slalom board should be CA SL 93 or CA SL 112.”

 

Tomi Kalatie

Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Two different personalities in a single element: this is the new creation by Carbon Art!
A board of new conception slalom that is radically transformed, depending on how it is used: docile and intuitive for quiet gaits but in race run turns into a monster of competitive spirit and excellent technique, stable and accurate, light and of course with a high build quality.
Great job Dr. James … !!!

Daniele from Sestri Levante (Italy)

” I recently purchased a SL 104 and SL 87. Out of the box these boards look stunning with the graphics and slick paint job and finish (pro finish). The boards feel quite light for their size, and the workman ship cannot be faulted at all, with James taking a lot of pride in the shape and finishing.

The SL87 replaces my Falcon 79 (56 wide) which was a very good board and a great benchmark. I had a short sharp session of 8klm on the CA SL87 recently, and I wasn’t expecting to have a great sail as with new equipment you usually need to tinker with fins, straps and mast track to get it all working…..however I was surprised at the ease at which I was able to adjust to the board without tinkering much at all.

I rode the board with a 7.1m KA Race. The board handled this size sail very well for straight line and gybing, but I feel that a touch smaller would be the absolute sweet spot, something around a 6.6. What I noticed was the immediate no fuss comfort. Straps come prepositioned so no mucking around or pondering required.  The position was very comfy for me at 178cm tall (pretty average stature).  The mast track worked very nice in the middle so I didn’t tinker with the mast track position at all. The ride is quite high and dry, and anyone who has ridden a Mistral 91 will be familiar with what I mean about that statement. It is quite a commanding position from the straps, balanced off by the lower mast track in the deck concave which all worked together to create a very easy to ride board.  Unlike the Mistral 91 however (which I found quite sedate to ride – mind you quick but sedate), the CA had the lively feel that I loved in my Falcons, so in this short session I noticed some great attributes from two of my favourite boards. I was quite overpowered on the 7.1 but the board was very settled even at pace leaving me to focus on keeping good posture when manhandling the sail. Acceleration was rapid on the short runs we had and top speed was very similar to the Falcon 79 when I last sailed in similar conditions at the same spot last year, however the CA SL87 was less flighty than the Falcon giving a much more confident ride when overpowered.

In this latest session I was sailing with a mate of similar ability but he was riding a 49 wide JP Speedboard and our 5×10 GPS results were very, very close, so yes, the CA SL87 is fast. A very nice gybing board as well, really turning quite tight and maintaining better speed than I expected for a board of this size. I am looking forward to getting more time on the water with this one and it’s big brother (CA 104 – 68 wide). ”

Adam Easter

-SL 55 promodel British racing 2015:

My favourite board of slalom is the 55. As soon as there is lapping, it becomes essential through its sweetness and its ease of use. With an exceptional speed in these conditions. I use it with sails from 5,2 to 6,4 with no problem at all. A reference!

-SP 41 Custom 2015:

James prepared me this gun for the 2015 Luderitz speed challenge.

Although I navigated only twice with it at La Franqui before the competition, this board was particularly easy at once. Thanks to it, I was able for my first participation to cross 48,45 knots on 500 m.

I especially appreciated its planing departure and its control over the run. Besides its qualities on the run of Luderitz, I can navigate with no problem at all my spots of speed at sea. I use it with sails from 5,0 to 5,8 with no problem at all.

A success!

Laurent aka Fonzy (France)

” I have ridden and owned CA boards for about 10 years now, with four Pro finish Slalom boards currently in my quiver, a 75, 66, 62 and a 58.

I love them all and use them all regularly, actually I thrash them and they keep coming back for more!

They give me the confidence to really push myself and my equipment. I constantly sail overpowered as that’s where the fun stuff happens and my CA boards certainly don’t let me down.

My most used board is my CA66 Pro, which I like to call my 4×4, as I can sail that in just about anything and I recently took it to a speed sailing wind festival in Australia (see photo). I regularly record GPS speeds of over 30knts on the CA66 paired with a Maui Sails TRX 7.7.

My favourite is a CA62 Pro model that is superlight with wicked controllable top speed and accelerates like nothing else powered up with a Maui Sails TRXi 7.0, and it goes around the corners like it’s on rails. “

Darren Nicholas

The two slalom boards I have are awesome!

They make it easy to sail fast and to keep the hammer on in rough seas. James attention to quality and sharp lines allows the boards to feel loose to fly.

I love these boards

Donald

I bought 62cm CA Slalom as my go to all round slalom board. I didn´t have a lot of money to invest so I really wanted a minimum slalom quiver that I could still win races with. James happened to have a brand new custom Carbon Slalom he had just finished for himself so I borrowed it for a few weeks to test out (one of the best parts about Carbon Art is if you can make it to the factory James has everything to try). The board was so light I could plane in 12knts with my 7,9m and in the corners the CA Slalom gybes like a wave board, easy and fast. When it got windy I was worried that I would lose control completely seeing as I´m a pretty light rider at 80kg but the 62 with a bit of rig tuning is more than happy hurtling through the open ocean in 25-30knts with my 6.4m. It cuts through chop really well and the tail cut outs on the new model make it feel really stable under your feet at speed.

For anyone looking to get the maximum range out of a quiver or even those looking to build a whole quiver the flexibility in construction, setup and design at Carbon Art make their boards a wicked choice. And being able to colour them in yourself or with the help of their graphic design guys makes them even better.

All of my Carbon Art Boards over the past few years have been very fast yet comfortable to ride. My latest prize is a production 54 Slalom race board. It is a dream to jibe for a smaller rider like myself (135 lbs.) I feel like I am accelerating out of my inside jibes better than ever. This new board wants to be on a plane at all times. I love this board. I am looking forward to racing on it at the Maui Race Series this Summer.

Even if I was not racing, I think this board is awesome just to cruise around on and for the smooth ride. Everything about these boards are well thought out. I am so happy every time I even see my boards let alone get to ride them.

I’ve windsurfed for 36 years but was not comfortable or going very fast until I switched to Carbon Art boards and Maui Sails. If you want to improve your sailing enjoyment, or take it to another level, remember that your equipment is crucial.

Feel the difference, try a Carbon Art!’

Tammy (Tamara Bockius)

Had a few slalom boards over the years and what I really love about my CA slalom gear is that you don’t have to change every 2nd year. You just know you’re on a fast board and the board is never the limiting factor.

My 4 year old boards still feel stiffer, faster and more direct compared to brand new carbon rental boards. That is quality!

Fast acceleration, great speed and always great control, I just love the direct feedback the board gives you. Definitely recommend the slalom boards if you enjoy the fun of fast sailing in a wide variety of conditions.

Petter Sevenius