Red7 Surf70 Pro – First Glimpse
Red7 brought the first examples of an all-new surf ski design
to Durban for the 2007 ARB World Cup.
Red7 CEO Peter Mote asked me not to take any photos as the skis were not
production grade...
But I received a selection of images via email today - the secret is out! Here they are along with some video shot of Tommy Woodruff paddling the ski in Durban.
First Looks
The first impression? This ski is something completely different! And when looking more closely, you can see that enormous thought has gone into the detail of the design:
- There's a ridge along the cockpit floor that not only provides additional longitudinal strength, but also acts as a base for the three-way locking mechanism for the footplate (this feature wasn't in the ski that I saw).
- The cover of the rudder shaft is open at the back - which means that it's easy to flush out with fresh water. Plus it'll be easy to put an emergency shock-cord steering system in.
- The foredeck has a wave deflector built into the mould.
- The bulb that sits behind the scupper and adds to its efficiency is now part of the mould.
- And the hull has been given a bump that creates an built in weed deflector at the rudder.
First Paddle
The sea was flat calm the day I took the ski out - so I really couldn't tell all that much about the handling.
However, I had intended to take it out for a ten minute spin and found it so comfortable that I ended up paddling it for just under an hour. The bucket is one of the most comfortable I've ever sat in.
And I was able to tell that the ski is at least as stable as my Fenn Mako6.
Review?
I am very keen to take this ski on a big downwind run and Peter Mote has promised to send a light model down to Cape Town sometime in the near future for us to review... Can't wait!
Video Clip
This clip was shot from Vetchies Pier, the day before the ARB Surf Ski World Cup and it shows Australian Tommy Woodruff in action. The clip is very short - but it does show the lines of the ski as it moves through the water.
[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=rH1S8AQ4DM8]