2013 Slingshot Rally review (7m)
2013 Slingshot Rally (7m)
Out of the Bag
The Rally is what Slingshot call an “Open Delta C” hybrid kite with a medium diameter leading edge and an overall delta shape with high curvature convex LE coupled with a concave TE. It has a pulley-less bridle which gives the kite good support and allows it to pivot well for good depower. The kite is well reinforced in all the places you'd expect, and the stitching is up to Slingshot’s usual high quality. The Rally has undergone significant redesign compared to previous models and now sports an extra super narrow strut close to each wingtip.
Like all Slingshot kites, it’s a one-pump affair – which gets you out on the water quickly, and is quick to pack away also.
The slingshot bar is as meaty as its always been, sporting a new two tone colour scheme this year, improved grip and a teflon coated centre hole to reduce rope wear. The safety system looks up there with the best of them – a push away release which flags the kite onto a single front line and a ‘suicide’ attachment point to cover all bases. The flying lines are exceptionally good also – 800lb front lines with thinner rear lines to reduce overall line drag. The bar comes with a clam cleat beneath the bar which will please anyone who normally struggles to reach above the bar sheeting systems. The larger kites in the range come with a 23 inch bar and 27m lines, mid-sized kites use a 20 inch bar with 23m lines, and the smaller sizes use a 17inch bar with 20m lines.
In the air
The Rally feels great in the air - it has a refined feeling of quality, responsive steering with impressive feeback with medium bar-pressure, which increases as the wind does to help iron out the gusts. Its canopy creates a good deal of force without the need for working the kite in order to generate it.
On the water
The Rally is a great free-ride performer - it generates effortless power when left still in the window, which accelerates you up to an impressive top speed. It drives upwind very well, and produces some incredibly lofty jumps from which you float down very nicely.
It's a kite I really appreciated out in the big waves on the test day, as you can pivot it quickly to escape any oncoming waves and the good feedback means you can happily take your eyes off the kite without worrying what its up to. Launch and re-launch are excellent - the kite rolls effortlessly on the curved leading edge allowing it to proceed swiftly to the edge of the window.
Unhooked the rally is very capable also, and the 2013 sees improvements in this regard - its rock solid in the sky, even with the trim on full power. Its capable of producing good pop when you edge hard against it, but does keep on pulling through the air without generating much line slack. Its perfectly capable for what the vast majority of people would ever use it for however. The rally loops neatly but doesn't generate as much power in tight turns as a more dedicated kite like the Fuel or RPM - but in wider loops its fast forward speed gives plenty of oomph!
Conclusions
The Rally is a great freeride crossover kite with plenty of performance for big air freestyle, basic wakestyle and as much as you'd like to throw at it in the waves. Its a continues to be a kite which a beginners will love due to its simple relaunch and ease of use, intermediates will appreciate its top end speed and huge lofty jumps, and there's plenty of performance to really please advanced riders.
Dedicated wake-stylers or kiteloop mentalists should probably compare with the Fuel or RPM, but otherwise the Rally produces performance which is hard to fault.
For more info, check out Slingshot's Site or view on Kitemare's Shop.
The Rally is what Slingshot call an “Open Delta C” hybrid kite with a medium diameter leading edge and an overall delta shape with high curvature convex LE coupled with a concave TE. It has a pulley-less bridle which gives the kite good support and allows it to pivot well for good depower. The kite is well reinforced in all the places you'd expect, and the stitching is up to Slingshot’s usual high quality. The Rally has undergone significant redesign compared to previous models and now sports an extra super narrow strut close to each wingtip.
Like all Slingshot kites, it’s a one-pump affair – which gets you out on the water quickly, and is quick to pack away also.
The slingshot bar is as meaty as its always been, sporting a new two tone colour scheme this year, improved grip and a teflon coated centre hole to reduce rope wear. The safety system looks up there with the best of them – a push away release which flags the kite onto a single front line and a ‘suicide’ attachment point to cover all bases. The flying lines are exceptionally good also – 800lb front lines with thinner rear lines to reduce overall line drag. The bar comes with a clam cleat beneath the bar which will please anyone who normally struggles to reach above the bar sheeting systems. The larger kites in the range come with a 23 inch bar and 27m lines, mid-sized kites use a 20 inch bar with 23m lines, and the smaller sizes use a 17inch bar with 20m lines.
In the air
The Rally feels great in the air - it has a refined feeling of quality, responsive steering with impressive feeback with medium bar-pressure, which increases as the wind does to help iron out the gusts. Its canopy creates a good deal of force without the need for working the kite in order to generate it.
On the water
The Rally is a great free-ride performer - it generates effortless power when left still in the window, which accelerates you up to an impressive top speed. It drives upwind very well, and produces some incredibly lofty jumps from which you float down very nicely.
It's a kite I really appreciated out in the big waves on the test day, as you can pivot it quickly to escape any oncoming waves and the good feedback means you can happily take your eyes off the kite without worrying what its up to. Launch and re-launch are excellent - the kite rolls effortlessly on the curved leading edge allowing it to proceed swiftly to the edge of the window.
Unhooked the rally is very capable also, and the 2013 sees improvements in this regard - its rock solid in the sky, even with the trim on full power. Its capable of producing good pop when you edge hard against it, but does keep on pulling through the air without generating much line slack. Its perfectly capable for what the vast majority of people would ever use it for however. The rally loops neatly but doesn't generate as much power in tight turns as a more dedicated kite like the Fuel or RPM - but in wider loops its fast forward speed gives plenty of oomph!
Conclusions
The Rally is a great freeride crossover kite with plenty of performance for big air freestyle, basic wakestyle and as much as you'd like to throw at it in the waves. Its a continues to be a kite which a beginners will love due to its simple relaunch and ease of use, intermediates will appreciate its top end speed and huge lofty jumps, and there's plenty of performance to really please advanced riders.
Dedicated wake-stylers or kiteloop mentalists should probably compare with the Fuel or RPM, but otherwise the Rally produces performance which is hard to fault.
For more info, check out Slingshot's Site or view on Kitemare's Shop.
|
Kite Style
Struts Inflation Front connection Rear connection Tuning options Depower Safety Low End High End Bar Pressure Turning Unhooked Upwind Hang time Relaunch |
Delta / C Hybrid
5 One pump Simple bridle (no pulleys) Direct No options Clam cleat (beneath the bar) Mini 'fifth' line to single front line Very Good Excellent Medium Medium-Fast Very Good Very Good Excellent Excellent |
