Here I'm, back from Denmark. On the road (almost on the road...) to north I've bought for a (very) good price (369 euro) a new 2009 Mistral Ventura, 343 cm, 72 cm wide, 255 litres of volume.
Shape is nice, even the board seems really BIG, more than my venetian Serenity, 460 cm but the same volume. Nose is somethin new, is thick and with fat rounded rails, but it hasn't a boat-shaped hull in the bow like AHD Tactick.
Rails are full, thick, and with sharp edge from stern to almost 3/4 of the lenght. Long eva pad  over the deck from tail up to over the mast track. White and clear colors, nice.
Construction seems very durable, it's told to be a reinforced sandwich, really it's not really heavy but really neither lightweight. Anyway i threw for a mistake the boom had over the side of the bow, but not an even little scratch remained!
Four good and nice straps with original screws already mounted and protected with small nice pipes, good. The daggerboard has a system to avoid slipping out but nothing is explained in the poor instructions booklet, so imagine the mr Keppler and all the staff trying to unlock it... Finally found a teeth to push with a flathead screwdriver to unlock all.
Classic Mistral Key to screw the powerbox fin in the proper usual little bowl on the tail, but as the board is so thick, the depht of the bowl is far more than on my old Mistral Echo so no to easyto turn the key...
The fin provided is a white no-name 34 cm, pheraphs good for beginners, I've immediatly switched to a seaweed 32/48 and then to a straight 50 cm. I'm in doubt if testi on it the large 66 with powerbox head.
Mast track: is NOT the same mounted on my 1996 Echo, that has the quick "powerjoint" system bu also the option of screwing a classic M8 mastfoot. The ventura has only the powejoint option, but is NOT compatible with older Mistral mastfoot of the Echo (with its nice and still perfect Bogie joint), but only with a Bic Joint with way thinner head. NO Joint is provided with the board, shop sells no really on sale (49 euro) a Bic Joint, but it's possible to adapt the older Mistral lower heads with a grinder making it thin like the Bic. Bic joint has a big problem, a large side wing to attach the uphaul rope (useless) that scratched the eva suface of the board some times, until I've understood the problem and cutted it away.
Mast track has a pedal system, also this not explained on the booklet, I think symilar to the one on the Starboard Rio, with numerous positions to choose, but not infinite stances as on Echo; not a big issue for me.
On the water, in the first day (Kegnaes) of very poor wind board seems to glide very well, yes not an emotional ride with 5-6 knots. In the second day with wind about 8-9 knots I was able to point high upwind and it really was an exciting trip- Board stability give a lot of serenity when travelling in an unknown see (Baltic sea a.k.a. Ostsee).
Third day wind was pheraphs good for planing with Score 112 and 8,0, average 12 knots but then up to 15, but the only way to go out meanwhile my girlfriend was visiting Valdemars Slot was an hidden corner of the beach of Troense, inside a little bay, so I needed the longboard to go upwind and reach the fiord, sail Superfreak 8,0.
With daggerboard down I rediscovered the pleasure of following upwind the sailing boats. Then in the fiord daggerboard up and planing! Board really planes, but to use the straps mounted down there in the stern I have had to push the track all back. Moving it when stopped and rig down in the water, I've to learn how to do when travelling.
Sensation is good, even if I feel that such a big board preferes a bigger sail with the same wind for planing, imho the 9,5 Stealth can switch the ride to something very special even with wind up to 15 knots or slightly more, board can handle it for sure.
P.s.: board is again on sale for 399 euro here http://cgi.ebay.de/mistral-Ventura-eins … 3a68b92928
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Last edited by Nico (2011-07-31 11:25:46)