- 2009 Sail Tests

NeilPryde Firefly 5.7

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 441 Boom: 177
Web: neilpryde.com
The Firefly replaces the Expression as a better option for taking freestyle moves into the waves. This new reinforced Firefly has a shorter luff length to go with a new clew configuration that gives it a looser leech and more compact feel. It feels incredibly well balanced with an impressive amount of power. Through tuning it can easily be made to feel as powerful as the Expression, but now it can also be tuned with more downhaul for a lighter feel with a looser leech. More downhaul also provides the on-off ability needed in waves. The recommended settings are accurate but it may take you a few rides to find your personal setting. Having a well-balanced sail that can be tailored to one’s needs makes the Firefly a sail that any transition or wavesailor will love.

09 Freeride Sail Test (5.6-6.0m)

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Fourteen Easy-Riding Sails
Tested in South Padre Island, Texas

This year, the Windsport test crew invades the sailing launch at Windsurfing Inc. in South Padre Island, Texas to check out 5.6-6.0 m2 sails designed to maximize your fun on the water. To some people fun is simply not getting catapulted while for others it’s about going really fast, jumping off chop or carving a perfect jibe. In this test we’ll help direct you to the right sail to give the perfect amount of fun with a minimum amount of hassle.

Brand-New Test Format
As you can tell by all the words in this test write-up, we put a lot of effort into our tests. However, it has been brought to our attention that sometimes readers don’t have time to do all this reading. In response, we are introducing a graph with each sail’s review, highlighting their strengths in the following categories.
Power: It’s not as easy to gauge a sail’s power as people think. Any sail can be tuned with a high draft that pulls like a freight train, but this doesn’t translate into forward motion. For this freeride test we equate a good power score with a higher draft that still has the efficiency to move the board forward (accelerate it). A sail with a lower score likely has a lower draft requiring more skill on the rider’s part for early planing.
Speed: A fast sail is one that remains in control when powered and feels light in the hands so you can easily pass your buddies. The control comes from its ability to keep its shape and remain stable through gusts. The lightness can also be described as an “efficient” or “slippery” feel as it moves through the air with less resistance or drag.
Transition: A combination of a number of things make for a manoeuvrable sail. The most important is ease-of-balance. High-scoring sails usually have a lower draft and shorter boom for a nice, light feel. Another important characteristic is the sail’s ability to depower and stay neutral; this makes balancing mid-transition easier. Lastly, a sail whose battens rotate seamlessly makes for a smoother transition in power.
Customize: For sailors who notice small adjustments to the downhaul or outhaul, tuning is about getting the sail to “feel” right. Sails sensitive to a tuning score of high allow riders to “customize” the feel. Through downhaul you can raise or lower the draft affecting how you lean against the sail and how its power affects the board. Likewise, outhaul tension subtly affects the sail’s efficiency and how well it balances in transitions.
Set-up ease: This refers to how quickly a sail can be properly set up in the hands of a sailor without the time or desire to fine-tune their gear. Sails scoring well here are less sensitive to downhaul adjustments, making it easier to find a similar feel from day-to-day. It’s not that downhaul and outhaul have no effect, but that tuning is more for wind range than feel.

Head-to-head Breakdown
In the most part, the manufacturers categorize these “fun” sails as freeride types. The term “freeride” has gained popularity in a number of sports, but in windsurfing it equates to recreational riders who generally seek flatwater performance. Manoeuvrability is important in this size range, so you won’t find sails with camber inducers or a ton of battens. What really sets a freeride sail apart is that it’s easy to rig and requires less fine-tuning to perform well. You spend less time messing around with your gear on land and more on the water having fun.

Progressional Freeride
These sails are by far the easiest to set up properly, requiring minimal knowledge of the technical side of sail tuning. Their hassle-free nature allows you to focus more on your sailing performance rather than worrying about deciphering reactions from the sail.
   With an option to be purchased as a nicely priced complete rig, the Bic Cruiser makes shopping for a rig a breeze. On the water the sail is super light and has enough performance to help you progress quickly on your first highwind board. The Gaastra Pilot takes performance one step further, offering a more refined look and feel.

Fast Freeride
Many experienced freeride sailors seek speed more than any other sensation on the water. These sails still rig easily but are more tunable than the progressional sails.
   The fastest sail in the test is the Maui Sails Pursuit followed by the Sailworks Hucker. Choosing between the two is not difficult as they perform differently in how they get you up to speed. The Hucker has a more powerful feel from the moment you start to accelerate whereas the Pursuit has less low-end grunt but a slightly lighter feel at speed.

Manoeuvrable Freeride
These six sails are for freeride sailors valuing transitions, or turns, above all else. A big part of what makes them so capable is that they’re built to handle abuse. This means that you’ll feel confident pushing your limits or sailing more intense conditions without fear of what your gear thinks of your choices.
   Having six battens and higher drafts, both the Severne Gator and Aerotech Phantom have the stability and balance to work equally well on freeride or bump-and-jump boards. The Gator’s slippery feel makes it faster on flatwater, while the Phantom’s compact shape gives it better balance in transitions. Despite only five battens, the use of seam shaping in the design of both the Ezzy Wave Panther and Hansen B-Wave HCL allows them to be rigged with similar stability to that of the six-batten sails. Their shorter boom lengths and lower drafts make them feel lighter in the hands and a better fit for more manoeuvrable boards. Through tuning, the Wave Panther has one of the largest wind ranges in the test, while the Hansen Control Leech (HCL) gives the B-Wave a great wind range at any setting you choose. The easily tuned Naish All Terrain is a perfect choice for bigger sailors with its high draft and unrivaled low-end power. It will rip in all conditions from small chop to full-blown waves. Loft’s 360 Free is so well-balanced that it could also fit in the Crossover category; however, we’ve placed it here as testers felt its slightly longer boom and less overly sensitive tuning give it more of a personality that any-level rider will enjoy.

Crossover Freeride
With a little fine-tuning these four freestyle and wavesails can be as fun for the average freeride sailor as any other sail in the test. These sails can be customized through tuning to perform however you want them to. However, setting up the sail with perfect downhaul and outhaul takes more work, and even in the hands of an advanced rider it may a few sessions to get things dialed-in perfectly.
   Neil Pryde’s Firefly has the biggest tuning range in the test, allowing for a huge adjustment in how the sail feels and the wind range it covers. It is very light in the hands with useable power, making it an amazing freestyle sail that you can tailor to your fit your style. The Goya W3D is a true power wavesail with great fine-tune ability, allowing it to fit equally well in bump-and-jump or down-the-line conditions. The Worldsails Surge works best with a reduced-diameter mast (RDM). It is a lightweight wavesail with reasonable power that can easily be turned off when needed. On a standard-diameter mast (SDM) it is very stable but not nearly as responsive. The Simmer Icon is the most sensitive sail to tuning in the test and this is a good thing. You can customize the Icon perfectly to fit your style and it won’t be beat when it comes to lightness and crossover performance.

Gaastra Pilot 6.0

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 450 Boom: 190
The Pilot’s ease-of-use makes it a true freeride sail. It offers simple and effective downhaul tuning for different wind conditions without changing the sail’s overall feel. The power is easily accessible and the Pilot still remains well balanced when fully powered. A huge sweet spot makes it easy for any rider to find a comfortable harness-line placement. The higher draft suits wider boards best, but with more downhaul it will work on inboard-strapped freeride boards as well. This may not be the fastest sail but its balanced feel is so good that you will consistently push your own personal limits. A long boom helps stability but hurts manoeuvrability and rotation. However, good depowering will keep riders in control for nailing their first planing jibes. gaastra.com

Bic Cruiser 6.0

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 456 Boom: 188
Bic takes the idea of “keeping it simple” further than other brands. The Cruiser can be purchased as part of a complete rig coming with everything you need to get on the water (except harness lines). This package arrives in a well-designed sail bag complete with internal sleeves for the mast and extension. Simplicity continues through the setup, as only basic tuning is required. However, for best performance in planing conditions, add two to three centimetres to the recommended downhaul and you’re good to go. The Cruiser is easy to control, feeling perfectly balanced on the water. It has a smooth delivery of power into your hands and only gets uncontrollable when pushed at full speed. The Cruiser is not as durable as other rigs, but there is no denying that it is surprisingly light, making transitions that much easier. bicsport.com

World Sails Surge 5.7

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 446 Boom: 182
Web: sailworld.com
While most prices are going up, 2009 sees World Sails dramatically drop their’s without lessening quality. The Surge is a great choice for wave and transitional sailors with its flat profile and low draft. Tested with both a standard diameter (SDM) and reduced diameter (RDM) mast, we recommend the RDM largely because it both broadens and simplifies tuning. With the SDM, the Surge performs decently when fully powered, but it has only one proper tuning setup in which the sail’s shape is kept. All-around performance is enhanced with the RDM as the Surge shows sensitivity to downhaul tension that allows you to change the feel of the sail while maintaining some power.

Ezzy Wave Panther 5.8

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 444-46 Boom: 175-81
In 2007, David Ezzy implemented an ingenious way to add stability to a wavesail through ample seam shaping and copious amounts of outhaul. The Wave Panther is a result of two years of further refinement to this concept with a slightly softer, more elastic feel. It tunes differently than other sails with a multitude of usable setting so take time to follow the downhaul and outhaul guides to find an agreeable settings. Leaving it at the max downhaul and utilizing the abundant outhaul adjustment gives a huge wind range with an incredibly efficient feel and limitless top speed. In transitions, the softer feel and short boom give great balance and more depower than we’ve ever found in an Ezzy. The use of new Technora sailcloth in the sail’s top makes it light without trading any of the durability Ezzy is known for. ezzy.com

Aerotech Phantom 5.7

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 428-32 Boom: 183-86
Aerotech’s Phantom is a unique six-batten wavesail. This extra batten along with seam shaping helps provide excellent stability and ample low-end power that benefit anyone sailing in onshore conditions. Its deep pocket and high draft provide even the heaviest riders with something to balance against and quickly accelerate to speed. The all X-ply construction helps it survive the waves while we found it to also perform equally well as a freeride sail for mid-wide boards. The sixth batten keeps it stable through big gusts, but a noticeable elasticity prevents it from being a speedster. Considering the Phantom’s longish boom, the sail balances surprisingly well in transitions but the rotation is noticeable during technical manoeuvres. The tuning range is limited as the leech goes from tight to completely loose with just a slight tug on the downhaul. aerotechsails.com

Simmer Icon 5.6

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 440 Boom: 180
Web: simmerstyle.eu
Shaped to work in any wind and wave setup, Simmer goes beyond an all-grid build to beef up the Icon with the doubled-over Dacron luff panel and outhaul O-ring. Despite this, it can be tuned to feel very light with a low and forward draft. Those seeking immediate grunt can bag the Icon without raising the draft, but the sail’s elasticity can be overwhelming once powered. With more downhaul tension, the Icon retains its shape through gusts and has the on-off ability of a true wavesail. But, tune carefully as it is very responsive to small downhaul adjustments. On flatter water its wave bias translates to a lightness and control that stands out in every transition. The Icon is the perfect sail for riders looking to rip waves one day and huck moves on flatwater the next.

Goya W3D 5.7

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 442 Boom: 180
Web: goyasails.com
Francisco Goya’s well-rounded personal sailing style shows up in the Goya W3D as it exhibits the power to work well in bump-and-jump conditions while still depowering for a neutral feel on a wave or in a freestyle move. This on-off ability comes from a good amount of elasticity that might not be the choice of full-blown racing types. The W3D is best left in the hands of riders that will use its superb control and balance to ride waves or style-out transitions. Following the screen-printed guide, it tunes the way any advanced rider would want with small adjustments, making notable changes to the sail’s feel. At minimum downhaul the high draft gives even the biggest power-hungry riders a sense of balance, while the max setting lowers the pull and greatly lightens the feel of the rig.

Severne Gator 6.0

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 453 Boom: 182
Web: severnesails.com
Part of a sail line that changes from wave to flatwater orientation as sizes increase, the 6.0 m2 Gator covers the largest range of conditions. With six battens, it has the stability for impressive speeds while the cutaway clew keeps it light in the hands. Remarkably, it can be tuned both for a large wind range and rider feel. A tighter leech (less downhaul) keeps the draft high and gives it a deep, powerful pocket. We recommend this setup for heavy riders or for use on wider boards. Increasing downhaul tension causes the leech to slowly twist-off lowering the pull of the sail and adding stability at top speed. This tuning is easy to see and feel, even for the least technical riders. Finally, a large sweet spot will help you set the harness lines to enjoy your session.

Loft 360 Free 5.8

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 448 Boom: 187
Web: loftsails.com
The 360 Free covers the needs of everyone from beginner to accomplished freestyler. It has everything a transition sailor wants without being complicated to rig. The refined leech twists away cleanly and progressively with increased downhaul tension. Rigging with a looser leech lowers the draft, making it a perfect match to single-rear strapped boards. A touch less downhaul places the draft to work with the wider boards most use to hit their first jibes. Adding downhaul flattens the foil noticeably, making for better depowering in transitions. It also reduces the size of the sweet spot, transforming the sail from a solid-pulling freerider to sensitive freestyle sail. The longish boom ensures early planing but also slows down rig movement a little.

MauiSails Pursuit 6.0

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 453 Boom: 190
Web: mauisails.com
With a long boom length and two battens below it, it’s not a surprise that the Pursuit excels in straight-line performance. Good power and a slippery stable ride help make it the fastest sail in the test. Tuning is simple with downhaul adjustments modifying the feel negligibly while extending the wind range. The recommended setting gives a high draft that balances well on wider double-rear strap boards. An extra half-inch of downhaul lowers the draft just enough to make it work on faster single-strap boards. The increased downhaul tension can be observed as the leech progressively loosens without flattening the sail too much. The Pursuit is a flatwater freerider’s dream; easy to rig and dial-in harness line placement for the fastest ride in the test.

Sailworks Hucker 5.6

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 451 Boom: 184
Web: sailworks.com
The Hucker is not just a sail for riders wanting to go really fast and jump really high. It’s also an ideal choice for any larger recreational rider. With a high draft and abundant power, this sail will get you planing with ease. It is also easy to dial in. With a well-placed rigging guide and a large sweet spot, it’s a breeze to get the sail set up with the harness lines in the right spot on the boom. Adjusting the downhaul allows you to tune for feel and wind range. Set to max downhaul it does an incredible job of remaining controllable (given the ample power), making it one of the fastest and most stable sails in the test. The only trade off for this straight-line splendor is a large foot area that is only noticeable during transitions.

Hansen B-wave HCL 5.6

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 443-447 Boom: 170-175
Web: hansensails.com
The B-Wave has power and speed for bump-and-jump sailing and durability to handle waves. The Hansen Control Leech (HCL), named for neoprene sections placed in the leech allowing the sail to compliantly adjust its foil shape and twist according to wind pressure and sheeting angle, provides an amazing ability to bleed big gusts without any leech flutter. It rigs up with a fair amount of seam shaping that generates plenty of low-end torque and even with a solid amount of downhaul tension has a higher draft. The B-Wave wants to accelerate as soon as you get aboard and will continue to accelerate you into the air when jumped. The seam shaping makes for stiffer batten rotation in transitions, but the short boom makes rig balance easy to find.

Naish All Terrain 6.0

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 453 Boom: 182
Web: naishsails.com
The All Terrain is a wavesail made to make the most out of flatwater. An all-grid construction allows it to handle any abuse from waves to new-school freestyle. We felt it lent itself very well to the power-hungry sailor looking to get planing with ease, and especially the plus-size wavesailor. Even with plenty of downhaul tension, it combines a deep pocket, high draft, plenty of elasticity and a large sweet spot. The All Terrain balances out well on freeride-oriented wide boards and will get them up and onto a plane with ease. For so much low-end the All Terrain does an impressive job of depowering when needed. This is a rare feat and makes the All Terrain an ideal option for big guys looking to get out in waves on marginal wind days.

Hansen FreeRace HCL 7.1

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 468 Boom: 214
The FreeRace is a tight luff sleeve version of Hansen’s racier Slalom line. It incorporates the Hansen Control Leech (HCL), which are neoprene wedges in the sail’s trailing edge that give it another way to twist for better efficiency when needed. In a gust all you feel is the board accelerate letting you know that the HCL is working. The Freerace 7.1 has an efficient and slippery profile and proved to be the fastest sail in the test. The flatter profile does sacrifice some power though, and is therefore best matched with more efficient riders. It rigs on either a 460 or 430 mast (SDM or RDM), and we found using a 430 RDM seems to allow the cams to rotate a little easier. There is obvious attention to detail with sail care features that include a great boom height guide and a completely removable mast pad. hansensails.com

Maui Sails Titan 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 483 Boom: 222
Compared to last year’s MS-2 that it replaces, the Titan’s flatter profile and farther forward draft placement give it a slippery controlled ride at speed. With the longest boom in the test you can be sure that you’ll find a huge sweet spot that makes it easy to tap into the Titan 7.5’s ample power. It balances well and lets you cruise comfortably at speed, especially when matched with faster freeride boards that are directionally stable. It feels relatively light during transitions and the cams rotate cleanly. During jibes only the long boom lets you know you are on a big sail. It has a huge tuning range with the leech twisting off predictably. Downhauling also noticeably lowers the draft placement allowing it to fit comfortably on narrower slalom boards as the wind picks up. mauisails.com

Neil Pryde V8 Helium 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 481 Boom: 219
The V8 Helium 7.5 is a new concept that has more power than the typical 7.5 m2. Plus, there is almost no sacrifice in wind range as it remains stable and in control as the wind builds. Despite the friction of the cams going on the mast, it’s easy to rig with simple by-the-numbers tuning, and the cutaway clew allows it to fit on a boom you likely already own. Downhauling can add a little more wind range and move the draft just low enough for riders using inboard strap settings on wider boards. Despite the pull of the deep draft, its lightweight construction allows a well-balanced feel during transitions. It does take some effort to rotate and the longer boom is noticeable but none of this is worse than the 8.5 you would normally had to rig to get this much power. neilpryde.com

Severne Element 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 486 Boom: 206

Through lightweight materials and a cutaway clew, the Element 7.5 remains incredibly light in the hands, considering it pulls like a sail a metre bigger. For so much power there is an amazing sense of efficiency at speed, and it doesn’t sacrifice high-end stability compared to more normally shaped 7.5 m2 sails. The stiff leading edge that helps make all this happen takes work to rotate in transitions. As a positive, once the cams begin to move they complete their movement without a hitch and the rig feels lighter than expected when you need to balance it mid-jibe. This true freeride sail has a huge sweet spot making tuning easy. The feel is similar regardless of how precisely you tension the sail. This makes it a great choice for anyone wanting a sail they don’t need to get too technical with to enjoy. severnesails.com

(9/10)

(8/10)

(9/10)

Loft Switchblade 7.2

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 480 Boom: 213
Built to complement their Blade race sail, the two-cam Switchblade is a more user-friendly version that can be rigged on either the Loft RDM mast or—with a quick switch to larger camber inducers—a standard diameter mast (SDM). Proper cam choice is necessary for a smooth rotation during transitions. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the recommended Loftmasts RDM 460 for the test and found the Fiberspar Radius RDM made it flat with little power and too much elasticity. We suggest using a Loftmasts RDM or at least rigging it in the shop with a different brand to ensure it looks correct when fully tuned. Rigged on an SDM (tested on a Neil Pryde X6 460) with the proper camber inducers it became a rocket with a moderate draft depth that perfectly balances power and slippery efficiency. loftsails.com

Simmer X Type 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 487 Boom: 219
We are surprised to find that for a sail that is built as durably as a wavesail that it is light in the hands and one of the fastest in the test. Part of what makes it feel light is a flatter profile that keeps it from being as powerful as the cam sails. In transitions though, it seems like this is a justifiable trade-off as its lightness lets it move trough a turn quickly with a smooth rotation. The flatter profile also helps it remain stable when fully powered gaining wind range at the top end. For an advanced rider there is good feedback to help you trim the sail and its efficiency cannot be beat. Advanced riders will also love how tunable the X Type is in that through downhaul you can set the draft higher to match with a wider board for light air and then lower for a narrower board when the wind picks up. simmerstyle.eu

Naish Boxer SL 7.6

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 473 Boom: 217
Naish just finished off the first production run of the Boxer SL in new larger sizes for our test. With extensive use of high-tech Technora cloth it blends a light static weight with serious power. Having a deep draft the Boxer SL 7.6 tops our test for power getting planing in the least amount of wind. The draft is higher than most which makes it best suited to wider boards, but with a long boom and so much power it’s also a top choice for any long board. It reaches its limits a little sooner than others as the wind picks up as the deep draft is a little more difficult to tune for top end. Also, it takes some effort to rotate the stiff foil on transitions, but considering you are planing and working on jibing in less wind than on any other sail, maybe we shouldn’t really complain? naishsails.com

Goya FXR 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 484 Boom: 212
With a complete re-do for 2009, the FXR 7.5 has the great balance, stability and the hint of elasticity that one would expect from Francisco Goya and designer Jason Diffin. Its power is decent for an RAF sail, but it’s less than the grunt found in the cam sails tested. Where the FXR really shines is on faster boards with narrower tails and riders wanting to push their speed boundaries both in a straight line and through powered-up jibes. None of the power-hungry cam sails could keep up when it got windier. Plus, having a sail rotate as cleanly as the FXR helps you keep control no matter how big a gust you find exiting your jibe. The all-grid construction and RDM mast spec also lets you go into transitions with little concern for what might happen if things don’t go as planned. goyasails.com

Sailworks Retro 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 495 Boom: 206-211

More so than any other sail tested today, or over the past 10 years, the Retro has come to define the term freeride. If you want a sail with nearly as much horsepower as a power cam sail then simple bag-out the Retro with minimal downhaul. If you want to race your buddies on a narrow-tailed slalom board, just add some downhaul and watch them eat your wake. It takes some knowledge of tuning to make all this happen; attention to detail can be required when rigging. For all this straight-line wonder the Retro does sacrifice a little in transitions as the rotation is more noticeable and the rig is slightly heavier than with other RAF sails during transitions. But, it still feels lighter and rotates easier than any cam sail. sailworks.com

(8/10)

(10/10)

(9/10)

(8/10)

(7/10)

Worldsails Blast 7.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 475 Boom: 214

The Blast 7.5 is an easy-to-use power freeride sail. It’s deep draft generates most of the pull while the longer boom makes the power very easy to find. It really shines in the hands of progressing sailors who cannot yet trim the sail like an advanced rider. The large squared-off foot area also makes the Blast a better match on more directional boards that are either of traditional lengths or have a straight outline through the tail. Compared to its powerful competition it does lose stability a little sooner, but with a yank on the downhaul you can get the Blast to have an impressive wind range. As is usually the case, the features that make it so powerful don’t help when it comes to transitions. The Blast feels a little heavy and even though the cams rotate cleanly it takes a firm pump to get them to go. sailworld.com

(10/10)

(7/10)

(6/10)

(8/10)

12 + 1 Powerful Freeride Sails (6.7-7.6 m)

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

At last year’s test we saw a number of the 7.5 m recreational sails adopting features from top-of-the-line race sails, but this year the buzz is around their impressive power. In many of these sails, designers look to add power and increase the wind range at the low end. As always we test sails for their all-around ability, but with this particular group we also place a little more focus on power output as the divider when breaking up the fleet into the following three groups.

Please Read:
Big Sail Test Ratings
If you’re looking for a “test winner” from these graphs, then I know you aren’t reading this right now. Please do me a favour by rolling up this magazine and smacking the first person that tells you a certain sail won because it has the most little coloured dots. Here are our categories.
Power: This rates a sails ability to get a board planing in the least amount of wind when tuned to its most powerful setting possible.
Range: Sails with the biggest wind range can be tuned to adapt to changes in the conditions and are able to handle gusts easily. Sails scoring highest are tunable and controllable.
Speed: Sails that are fast remain stable as the wind picks up. The sails that we have rated as the fastest are the ones that remain the most stable.
Transition: For a big sail to be manoeuvrable it needs to be light and well balanced so that you can position it properly through transitions. Having the batten rotate without any rider input is always nice as well.
Setup: No ones like to spend too much time rigging or dialing in their gear. This score shows the sails that perform best with the least amount of attention to things like tuning, harness line position, etc.

Power Cam Sails
In this category we see the newest development in bigger sails. Their goal is to get you planing as soon as possible while exhibiting a lighter, more manageable feel ever found in a 7.5 m2 before. Plus, as a bonus it may use a mast and/or boom you already own and saving you to buy more stuff.
   Of the five sails in this group, three that topped all tester’s lists in terms of power are the Naish Boxer SL 7.6, Worldsails Blast 7.5 and Neil Pryde V8 Helium 7.5. However, we give the Boxer SL the edge here as both the Blast and Helium had to be tuned to match its low-end grunt losing a little wind range in the process. With a yank on the downhaul both the Blast and Helium find their stability and outlast the Boxer as the wind picks up. The Blast performs best when paired with wider directional (more parallel railed) boards and, along with the Boxer SL, is the ideal choice for any longboard. The Helium matches up better than the others with the more modern-shaped (rounded outline) freeride board and brings a lighter feel and incredible wind range to the early planing market. The smaller size of the Gaastra Plasma 6.7 makes it hard to compare directly to the other larger models, but within its own wind range it exhibits similar performance to the Helium. At 7.5 m2, it potentially has a larger wind range for a trade in slightly rougher cam rotation. Finally, the Severne Element 7.5 feels noticeably lighter than all the other power cams even though it can’t quite match the power of the Boxer SL. Add to this its smoother cam rotation and impressive wind range, and you’ve got a sail that makes little sacrifices for all its power.

Freeride Cam Sails
This group of sails sacrifices a small amount of low-end power for either more manoeuvrability or better top-speed stability. They still have camber inducers, so power comes into the sail quickly and without too much need for sensitivity to trim. They generally have a flatter foil than the sails from the previous category, allowing them to rotate easier and giving a slippery, efficient feel at speed.
   Both the Aerotech Rapid Fire 7.5 and Maui Sails Titan 7.5 have just a hair less power than those from the previous category. To make up for it they rotate more easily making them smoother through transitions. On the water the Titan offers a consistent pull from a huge, easy-to-harness-into sweet spot, while the Rapid Fire shows a hint of elasticity providing more feedback for experienced riders able to subtlety trim a sail. They both offer impressive top-speed stability as well, but the Loft Switchblade 7.2 and Hansen FreeRace HCL 7.1 take things one step further in this regard. The trade off for this impressive top-end performance is a noticeable sacrifice in power that you will quickly forget as you race past your buddies. Oddly enough, these are also the two cam sails in the test that can be rigged on reduced diameter masts (RDM). Between the two the FreeRace takes the top marks for speed, with a slippery and efficient ride that even out-classes most of our recreational-oriented boards in the test. The Switchblade is more mast sensitive, and depending on your choice (we recommend a Loft mast) can be just as stable as the Hansen with a touch more power, or have a softer feel that allows the cams to rotate like they aren’t even there.

RAF Sails
Making a power sail without cams is sort of like taking a front-wheel-drive car and trying to turn it into a dragster. No matter how you modify it, it’s a fact that you will never transfer power to the wheels as effectively as with rear-wheel drive. Since an RAF has no camber inducers it requires help from the wind for its foil to expand and take shape. Thus there is a slight delay before you feel the sail react to a gust. Of course front-wheel-drive cars exist because they offer better handling and this is where RAF sails shine as well. Without cams locking the battens in place the sail rotates more easily and the added ability to depower makes it feel much lighter during transitions.
   The Sailworks Retro 7.5 is the most powerful RAF sail and has a huge tuning range allowing it to fit the needs of any freeride sailor. By paying attention to downhaul tension it can transform from a deep drafted power sail into one that has a flat and slippery feeling for racing past your buddies. The Goya FXR 7.5 and Simmer X-Type 7.5 are quite similar. They rig on RDM masts, have durable wavesail-like constructions and offer a great blend of manoeuvrability and speed. However, the FXR has a little better low-end power while the X-Type can be tuned for better top-end control. Both felt great on windy days when we could go into jibes fully powered, yet trusting that their depower and subtle rotation will keep us in control. The Bic Cruiser 7.5 offers the user-friendliest approach in the group arriving as an inexpensive complete rig package. It is super-easy to rig and once on the water feels light in the hands with a comfortable pull to get you planing.

Test Editor: Derek Rijff
Test Team: Andy Brandt, Ed DeHart, Pete DeKay, Tom Lepak, Brendon Quinn, Derek Rijff

Aerotech Rapid Fire 7.5

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 486-490 Boom: 204-207
While the Rapid Fire 7.5 is not the most powerful or fastest sail in the test, it does a great job of doing everything very well. Add to this an amazing feel from the rig where its subtle elasticity gives you plenty of feedback without any hint of instability and you’ve got a sail that makes it very easy to efficiently pass your buddies. This elasticity along with the cutaway clew also makes for one of the easiest-rotating cam sails in the test. As a relatively powerful 7.5 it still takes some effort to move it through a jibe, but compared to racier sails it feels very manageable. While downhauling, keep a careful eye on the looseness of the leech to find your preferred tuning. It may take a few sessions to find this setting but recreating it is a breeze thanks to the Interactive Rig Guide on the foot of the sail. aerotechsails.com

Gaastra Plasma 6.7

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 450 Boom: 210
The Gaastra Plasma is a new breed of sail that seeks more power from a smaller package. At only 6.7 m2, we found it had a difficult time keeping up with the 7.5 m2 sails, but it displayed enough to make us confident that the power of a Plasma 7.5 would at least equal that of the most powerful sails in the test. Like the Neil Pryde, the Plasma also likes wider boards and has amazing control at speed. Considering the tighter leech, deep draft and long boom that create all the grunt it’s pretty quick and has a good sense of efficiency. The wind range is very impressive as this 6.7 was still in use when we got some of the sails from our 5.7 m2 test fleet going. The only compromise for all its straight-line goodness is a firm pump and proper rig balance is needed to get the cams to rotate. gaastra.com

Bic Cruiser 7.5

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Luff: 490 Boom: 223
Sold as a complete inexpensive package with a spiffy caring case for all the parts, the Bic Cruiser is all about hassle-free sailing. Rigging to spec gives you a sail that works beautifully in light air. It feels surprisingly light and reactive to the wind. At the 7.5 m2 size, it’s perfect for bigger folks looking to enjoy themselves as they progress towards sailing comfortably at planing speeds. When rigging for planing conditions add a two-three extra centimetres of downhaul and outhaul to make the rig more stable. This won’t transform it into a race sail, but it will give you a smooth-pulling sail that is controllable at speed. It feels great in transitions as most light weight RAF sails do, but care must be taken to ensure a long life as it’s not built with as much reinforcement as the other test sails.bicsport.com