13m Yarga Review by sq225917

[Toby]

I've tried to be as fair and level minded as i can about the products they both have fetaures that i value more highly than the other and i believe that both of them are an exceptional choice for someone looking for a mid-aspect LEI kite.

THE REVIEW.
Best yarga, 13.5 metre review.

I know some of you have been asking for me to post a review of the yarga, so here it is. It's only based on a days flying and the conditions dropped off during the day from about 18mph to about 12, so i only really got an hour or two with the kite.

As you know i've been riding slingshots for the past year, as a rep i get a lot of time to fly, and think i have about 500-600 hours under my belt on both the 03 and o4 fuels. what you might not know is that i'm not under contract with the UK importer anymore, and i'm not under contract with any other kite company, i start a new pharmaceutical job in a week. less kiting more money.

the kite is a five strut design with a very familiar panel layout. leading edge dacron is heavily segmented with internal seams and good overlap. the stitching looks top notch, very clean and even. the canopy is good quality poly-ripstop, water treated and very glossy, slick to the touch. the back of the leading edge has a full length foam backing to stop canopy seam wear, cool, as do the struts. the strut shaping is done by ring reduction, and the canopy has a lot of curve early in the profile, but with very flat 2nd struts. the wingtips are wrap round and of a decent diameter and get very stiff. the leading edge is dual valved and the 2nd struts are non-return valved.

i missed the one pump, it was hellsihly cold, snow on the ground when i left home, one pump is great when its cold and you want to keep your gloves on. that said i found the valves quite soft, especialy for the temperature. pinching them was no problem and pumping the kite up was quick due to the thin leading edge. the leading edge is definately no bigger than my 13m fuel.

the colour..... jesus, neon orange, you wont loose this in a hurry..

laid out over my fuel the similarities become more obvious, they are very similar in plan shape, though the yarga is longer, its chord is identical.

pumped up and ready to fly, 16-18mph, she climbs well, light overhead, doesnt front tuck when i run towards it, seems like a pretty damn stable kite.

out on the water on my sx136, it became apparent that the yarga had more than a few design features and measurements in common with the fuel. jumping technique is identical, send and haul, not too far past twelve. i think the yarga is a better jumper than the fuel, but only slightly, no more pop or height, but definately more hang time and softer landings.

i made the most of the wind while it lasted, but i dont know what the top end of this kite is, given the wind speed and the fact i used no depower, i think this would go to 30mph easily for a good rider. ( my 13m splitstrut goes to 30mph). despite not being able to ride maxed out i got a feel for the depower available from the bar, and the kite reacted more quickly to depower, its a little faster through the air than the fuel, but a little slower turning. that said i was able to kiteloop the 13.5 Yarga in 16mph.

given the light wind it was hard to work out the upwind ability. the kite sits further forward in the window than my fuels, so i assume it goes upwind more easily, it certainly requires less back foot to ride.

to be honest guys i'd like to tell you a whole lot more about the kite, but the conditions weren't up to it. so i will have to get back to you after i try it maxed out. i was very surprised by the available level of performance from the kite, when compared to that offered by what i consider to be one of the best kites in its market sector. never mind linking performance to price.

what i did learn about the kite can be summed up here.

1. it looks and smells like a 04 fuel without one pump, splitstrut or the little twist in the third segment of the leading edge.

2. it rides like a fuel but i feel has more depower, and a more forgiving pull.

3. it jumps 'slightly' better than the fuel, certainly hangtime is better.

4. it turns, slightly slower than the fuel, i would not normally use my 13m fuel in these light winds, so i may revise this. it was fast enough to loop comfortably.

5. durability remains to be tested, the build quality is as good as any other brand and the materials are all tried and tested.

6. if i had the choice, between the fuel and this, i would ride this. if it was cold and i had to pump them both up i'd ride the fuel.... yes i am that lazy...and yes they are that similar.



"and yes i still have all my fuels"..