R1-V5 Performance update MK2 Bridle sets now available

December 12, 2024 / Race

Ozone R&D development rider and Olympic racer, Connor Bainbridge, shares the details you need to know:

Now locked in for the 2028 Olympic cycle the R1V5 is allowed no further design changes and there won’t be a new model release until the LA Games in 2028.

However, the IKA rules do allow for the registration of new bridle sets. Axel Mazella and I felt good performance improvements from the new MK2 bridle sets at the last event in Sardinia in October, and are confident they will help all serious racers.

(Please note: there is no safety reason for updating the bridle sets. This upgrade is purely for performance gains.)

HOW THE R1V5 MK2 BRIDLE UPDATES EFFECT THE RANGE

8 & 9M

The bridle layout remains largely the same, except for the removal of 2 tip brake lines, which has both improved performance but also helped with stability. We have however applied a new calculation to the bridles that has made for a more progressive power curve in these 4 line kites.

10 – 11 – 14 – 15M

The bridle layout remains the same, but we have lengthened the bridles by 1m+, dramatically increasing the tip stability and rotation of the kite. It’s now possible to use 10-11m lines to reduce the overall drag. For increased longevity we have also increased the thickness of the first level A’s to 50kg each.

19 & 21M

The biggest changes are on the biggest sizes, with an all new bridle layout to increase top end performance, while maintaining the current unbeatable bottom end performance of the R1V5. These sizes also benefit from 1m longer bridles and increased thickness of the Tip A lines.

R1V5 MK2 BRIDLE MAINTENANCE PDF

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

We understand these changes seem to have come shortly after the main release, but our testing and development work is constant. All sizes have been thoroughly tested and we seriously believe the MK2 bridles will deliver a significant performance improvement where it really counts.

All new kites ordered from 20th November 2024 will come as standard with the MK2 bridle set installed.
For customers who purchased kites prior to this date, the MK2 bridle set can be purchased as a spare part and we will continue to offer the MK1 bridle set as a spare part for any customers who should ever wish to replace their MK1 bridles, like for like.
For any customer searching for top performance, we do however recommend switching to the MK2 bridle set.
We have already registered the MK2 Bridles with the IKA and they will be legal to race from the Palma regatta onwards in 2025.

All the necessary information for these bridles is on the ‘R1 V5 BRIDLE LINE MK2 MAINTENANCE’ PDF which can be downloaded from the R1V5 ‘specifications’ tab on the product page.

R1V5 PRODUCT PAGE