At the Baysup Frostbite Race Series stage 1 last weekend I managed to sneak a quick go on Ryan James’ Mistral 14’ Vortex flat water race board. This is a brand new shape for 2016 as a part of the Mistral re-design of their entire range. With paddle guru Steve West in charge and prototype shapes coming out of the Diplock factory in Somerset, Mistral have an exciting 2016 year ahead. Ryan’s Vortexis 24" wide and I was shocked at how stable this board is especially given my 101kgs. It had excellent lateral stability and when the board was put onto its rail, it handled it with ease rather than throwing the rider off. The standing area is sunken to give a lower center of gravity with dug out sides so you can extend your standing width. Any board of this width that I’ve paddled has been way too tippy and I’ve not been able to put effective paddle strokes in due to the instability. The glide was also incredible with a perfect full 14’ waterline which is something that many boards just don’t have. The downward curvature of the nose displaces water with ease and a gentle flow is created over the top. Not sure I would fancy this board in choppy conditions but it’s made for flat water racing and if you are looking for a flat water race board then this should be a the top of your list for consideration. For prices and availability please call or email us.