Exocet are proud to present the new RS D2 ELITE. This is one of the most interesting and appealing boards brought on the market for many years; extreme performance in light wind the board attains amazing speed on reaching legs.

Available in NZ now, see comments and video from US Olympic coach Tinho Dornellas of Calema Windsurfing 

"Every now and then there is a new board that comes out that truly intrigues me. The D2 combines some old design wisdom and performance with new modern high performance board design.
Let's set the stage though. This board is of interest IF and I underline IF you know how to rail up a board and sail on the windward footstraps, and know how to operate a mast track and centerboard on the fly. If you raced Equipes,Fanatic Mega Cats and Ultracats, Imco One designs, Division 2 boards, and are thirsty for a new twist on that family of boards, well, check out the Exocet D2.
The sails used on this test where the Aerotech Dagger 9.5 and an older Maui Sails MS2 9.5.
First look , the board sports very thick rails, with a perfect shape that fits the curvature of the feet when sailing had upwind on the windward footstraps. This is the most comfortable rail shape I have found on any longboard I have ever sailed. The leeward footstraps stay clear off the water, so keeping drag to a minimum. The centerboard is sunk in the deck with a wide groove that allows feet to find leverage and support when working upwind or downwind.
Compared with an RSX this board is infinitely more enjoyable to sail upwind with centerboard down"

"A long centerboard helps it stay on the footstraps even in light winds. The Bow pierces the waves, and the rear is a modern planing design. So the big question, with a low rocker up front, does the wave piercing bow design work? How bad will it spear the waves going downwind?
So I set to find out. Upwind, the board immediately got itself to speed, and it was pretty easy to get  it set on the rail and windward footstraps. In 8 knots of wind the board sailed effortlessly upwind railed up, and in 12-13 knots it just flew over the chop, with a small centerboard angle adjustment. The ride was just smooth and oh what a joy to be perched high on the rail, flying over the chop, the board just cutting upwind like a knife. There is an angle that If set too low the board can hobyhorse some and spear the waves, but once you find the proper railing angle, it is just smooth as can be.
The tacks are much slower than on flat bottomed boards so that should add an interesting twist to upwind tactics.
Off the wind, Centerboard goes up, track back (all the way back for my size)with my weight of 72 kilos, the board promptly planes in around 9 knots without pumping. You do have to sail a slightly higher angle than I remember sailing on an equipe, but the speed of the board is just tremendous."

Surfing the waves became a surprise as the board raced past the crests, occasionally exploding through their backs, but never slowing down. On a traditional  longboard, if you hit the waves from the back, the board simply stops. Not on the D2. It feels it has its own motor. The release on the board is super clean and the board just uses the wave energy to accelerate.
For non planing jibes, I was surprised again that it was a very complying board, it should not take much learning from anyone to master the board.
So for going around a race course with varying winds, I think this board will be a deadly weapon
And once off the race, fun sailing, what a thrill!! I found myself a few miles from my staring point , just cruising away, covering large distances in a short period of of time.
The version I tried is the carbon version, and felt solid and stiff.
As with most performance boards I ever sailed/raced. The centerboard is, as usual, a little fiddly.
This is a new step in the evolution of high performance board design. The transition of a displacement front to a planing rear really works, and marries the best of two worlds. This board flies upwind in light winds, Flies upwind in planing winds, Flies on a reach planing, or non planing.
I truly believe that this is what an Olympic racing board should be, not the overpriced RSX we have now. If you follow the new 45 foot Americas Cup catamarans and watch the exciting racing going on there, the D2 would provide a racing format that is as close as you can get to that new era of racing.

"I am not paid or sponsored by Exocet by the way. I ride on Fanatics. I only wish Fanatic, the brand that made the Equipes sweat and weep ( I was on them) really made the jump and instead of all the millions of wave boards, put some money on stuff that people actually can use daily. Bring back a Mega Cat, Fanatic!!!!

On the video I list above, look how fast and smooth the board is going over the incoming chop between 7 minute and 8 minute mark- I am sailing it upwind in about 12-13 knots of wind and this exact time is 20 minutes from the very first time I ever set foot on this board, and the first time I have set foot on a performance race board in 6 years. It took me no time to get dialed in, and this is a huge props to the board's ease of sailing in fast mode. Many years back it took me a lot longer to get dialed into an Equipe and at that time I was sailing those boards everyday.


Picture above shows the typical construction of Exocet boards with the different layers and materials 

Construction

Features

Specifications

 

Recommended sails:

The GOLD line is Exocet's high performance racing line, with amazing test feedback.

Pair up the RS and GOLD lines and see how you look on the podium.

 

This second generation of the Silver line has been given a lot of attention, with several improvements added; lighter and softer, they have gained in all areas.

Below is a link for the matching board bag for this board.