- 2011 Sail Tests

NeilPryde Fusion 5.5

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:23:00 -0500

Luff: 431 Boom: 179
The Fusion is a new sail in the NeilPryde range that replaces the Zen and Excess. It’s a lightweight freeride sail that combines flatwater blasting performance with wavesail-like manoeuverability. Like all sails in the 2011 NeilPryde lineup, the use of Dyneema yarns makes for a more durable and lighter-weight sail cloth, while the flashy graphics are actually printed inside the film and won’t wear with time.
   As a true do-everything sail, we find it balances well on both flatwater freeride boards and FSW shapes, with just a slight adjustment to the downhaul. With minimal downhaul tension, there is enough softness in the leech to keep the sail stable at speed on a fast freeride board. Adding more tension lowers the draft without making the leech flutter, for a more balanced ride on a FSW with only a single rear strap. Regardless of how much downhaul you decide to use, the wind range is impressive, putting many of the wavesails to shame as the wind increases. The longer boom allows most intermediates to find an increased wind range in lighter conditions, and with power that is easy to tap into.
   The sail’s manoeuvrability comes from three traits: a flat profile that goes neutral without too much fuss, a soft rotation, and the fact that the sail itself is so light. It might not be our first choice as a wave or freestyle sail, but considering its stability and wind range, it’s impressive that the thought of using it for either purpose would even cross our minds. Who it would clearly be first choice for is a sailor who is still progressing quickly and wants to be able to experience every aspect of the sport before looking for more specialized gear.
   The Fusion lets you take advantage of whatever conditions come your way, as it can do everything most sailors will ever ask of it. neilpryde.com

North Curve 5.4

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:26:00 -0500

Luff: 439 Boom: 179
The Curve is a new value-priced crossover sail from North, which is designed sharing a shape similar to their popular Duke, but with a lighter and less heavily reinforced construction.
   One of the most loved features on any North sail is the on-sail downhaul guide that clearly shows you where you’re at, anywhere from the “Min” to “Max” tension settings for the sail. We used the “Min” setting for non-planing sessions with windsurf-able stand-up paddleboards, where the Curve’s tight leech and lightweight feel allowed it to find wind when there was little to be found. In planing conditions, we recommend downhauling the Curve at least close to the “Max” setting, to lower the draft and keep the sail feeling light in the hands. With this feature, we found it a good match for progressing sailors on modern freeride boards. When pushed to its top speed in the biggest gusts, we found there was some leech flutter that disrupted its solid feel. Backing off the downhaul tension will tighten the leech to get rid of the flutter, but it also raises the draft, which may be a perfect option for larger riders.
   The Curve feels great in transitions, due to its light feel. Its ability to go neutral allows it to perform in the waves, but the light build may not stand up to very many poundings. The Curve also makes a fun freestyle sail with its power getting you going quickly, and the light weight makes it easy to find balance as you slide through contorted new-school moves. These traits also make it a great sail for progressing intermediates who will really like that the price doesn’t take as much commitment as more specialized gear.
   The Curve is the perfect sail for the progressing freerider or freestyler who will love the consistent power in a straight line and the lightweight feel for transitions. north-windsurf.com

Naish Force 5.3

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:21:00 -0500

Luff: 435 Boom: 170
For 2011, the Force continues where it left off last year, in pushing the limits of lightness without sacrificing durability. During the test, we rigged it on Naish’s 60 per cent carbon RDM—when most other brands sent 100 per cent carbon masts—and testers still found it to be one of the lightest rigs.
   At Punta San Carlos, the Force was consistently one of the first sails on the water. It’s combination of being lightweight, powerful and efficient means the rider can comfortably schlog around to catch waves, and then be the first one planing as the wind fills in. On the wave, a slightly higher draft gives it good drive in the bottom turn, and it has the ability to go neutral early enough to make timing the lip something you can focus on without interruption. To keep the session going once the wind really fills in, a little yank on the outhaul was preferred, rather than messing with the downhaul tension. Like most sails that go neutral as easily as the Force, downhaul noticeably changes the feel of the sail, and some adjustment in technique is required to compensate, which can lead to frustration. Finding the downhaul’s sweet spot on initial tuning may require a bit of trial and error, depending on the rider’s style and size—smaller testers preferred the Force with a little more downhaul tension.
   On flat water, the Force balances perfectly on FSW boards, and lets you work the chop for air just as well as it lets you rip any flat sections with an aggressive jibe or new-school freestyle move. It has enough stability to take most FSW boards up to full speed but, like many other sails with new-school scrim materials, once it’s overpowered, things deteriorate quickly.
   The Force is a lightweight power wavesail; it will charge in perfect down-the-line conditions, find you power to ride onshore slop, and then rule your bump-and-jump playground when the coast shuts off. naishsails.com

MauiSails Switch 5.6

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:19:00 -0500

Sailworks Revolution 5.2

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:30:00 -0500

Luff: 427 Boom: 166
With year after year of only subtle changes to the look of the Sailworks Revolution, we were shocked to unroll the 2011 version and find its bold new graphics. Underneath these flashy looks, we still found a Revolution at heart, with its easy-handling short-boom feel and Sailworks’ renowned attention to detail.
   This Revo has a good amount of seam shaping that locks in the draft, making for a sail that crosses over from the waves to become a great bump-and-jump sail as well. When downhauled properly to spec, there is a fair amount of leech twist but, under load, there is never any fluttering up top. As you push yourself to top speed across the chop, it’s this loose leech doing all the work to account for changes in board trim, as well as changes in the wind. All you have to do is focus on finding your next ramp or area to rail into a jibe. The shorter boom does make the sail a little more reactive, so anyone who is used to hooking in and expecting a yank on your backhand when getting planing will have to learn to use a lighter touch. Fear not, though, as learning to have this lighter touch means you’ll actually use less effort to get planing.
   The Revo feels so light in your hands that it makes you realize the new moves you’ve being dreaming of are attainable. Any time the rig is rotating, it stays upright with a minimal amount of effort, and it takes only the smallest yank on the reigns to ever get it back under control. The locked-in shape does seem to prevent it from going neutral as quick as some other sails, yet, with the rig being so light, you can manoeuvre it at will. So, there’s no need to take any aggression out of a bottom turn, or worry when setting up for a new-school freestyle move.
   The Revo is an easy-handling sail that works in all conditions to help anyone try their best impressions of Sailworks team rider Phil Soltysiak, while others on the water are getting flattened by those “little” gusts. sailworks.com

Aerotech Phantom 5.7

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:09:00 -0500

Luff: 428 Boom: 170
Aerotech’s Phantom is one of the few six-batten wavesails on the market and is a top choice if you’re looking for a more stable solid foil. Ample seam shaping gives it a deep locked in draft that needs little sailor input to generate power in a hurry. To make sure the Phantom keeps a light feel at speed, the draft is positioned well forward so that no matter how big the gust only a soft touch is needed to stay sheeted in. It has a nice slippery feel and is easily one of the fastest sails in the test. The relatively loose leech does the work to iron out fluctuations in the wind so all you have to do is hold on and watch out for the other riders you’ll be overtaking.
   All the tuning necessary for wind range can be accomplished through outhaul as we found adding downhaul doesn’t change it dramatically. Plus, too much downhaul tension gives the leech excessive flutter that can take away from its efficiency. This lack of downhaul sensitivity makes the Phantom one of the easier sails to rig as even an untrained eye will be able to recreate a similar feel from day to day.
   The deep draft allows you to take power deeper into a jibe or bottom turn than any other sail in the test, and this takes some getting used to. If you’re a big guy learning to jibe or a wave sailor who rides a lot of onshore conditions then the Phantom will be perfect. All this power and the extra batten takes away from some of the manoeuvrability and its rotation is noticeable. However, a nice short boom length saves the day in transitions allowing it to be thrown around and carved aggressively once you’re used to its powerful feel.
   The Phantom is a wavesail that any freerider of racer will love with its locked-in shape providing plenty of power and speed. aerotechsails.com

Goya Eclipse 5.0

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:17:00 -0500

Luff: 417 Boom: 170
For 2011, Goya has started using a new high-tech scrim material in key areas of all their sails, making them significantly lighter without any loss in strength. On the water, the Eclipse’s lighter weight feels fantastic, as this was the only fault we could find when we tested last year’s model. It still has more reinforcement than most other brands; a few others may be lighter, but none will take a pounding like the Eclipse. Also of note, this is the only sail in the test from which the exotic lightweight scrim doesn’t lead to its stability quickly deteriorating once it’s overpowered.
   With the downhaul set using the on-sail guide, the leech becomes noticeably loose. Seam shaping is used to lock in the draft to help handle winds that will easily let you drop down over half a metre when you need to rig down. The locked-in shape, along with a longish boom, helps provide plenty of low-end punch and gives it one of the largest wind ranges found in a dedicated wavesail.
   It feels best when used on wave- and FSW-shaped boards, with the loose leech twisting off as needed to keep the lightweight rig from feeling heavy under load. In a bottom turn or transition, it does not go neutral as quickly as the flatter sails, but it happens early enough to leave time to set up for your move. In flatter water, the power and lightweight feel make the Eclipse a great transition sail, and it will help you get plenty of air as well. These traits also make it work well for freestyle, with our only complaint being that its loose leech makes straight-line ducking and riding clew-first slightly more difficult.
   This new lightweight Eclipse is a true power wavesail that can rip waves one day and work equally well in bump-and-jump conditions the next. goyawindsurfing.com

Severne S-1 5.3

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:31:00 -0500

Luff: 424 Boom: 172
The Severne S-1 was one of the first wavesails on the market built as light feeling in the hands as it is durable. In doing so, it has set the pace for sail-cloth materials that other brands are only now just catching on to.
   Along with polished-looking reinforcement panels and sail-care features, the colourful e5 scrim cloth used in the upper body is extremely light, yet incredibly durable. This lightness is immediately noticeable in the hands, as it feels about half a meter smaller than sails built with standard x-ply. Power-wise, there is the same pull that you expect from a 5.3-metre, but along with feeling lighter there is also a unique feel from this high-end scrim. It gives the sail a softness that makes it highly reactive to fluctuations in the wind, but without disrupting control until the sail becomes overpowered. For efficient sailors who are always looking for feedback from their sail, the S-1 gets you planing in the smallest gust, and ensures that you always know exactly how much power you have while navigating chop, railing into jibes, or setting up for the lip. The downside to this reactivity is that once the sail becomes overpowered, things get unruly quite quickly. With a tug on the downhaul, you can compensate for this; in doing so, you will also noticeably lower the draft height in the sail—possibly leading to some frustration, as you will have to adjust your timing in transitions and how you approach the wave.
   Within its wind range, the S-1 was a clear favourite, both in the waves and flatwater—its lightweight feel made it easy to correct whenever it got off-balance. This helps whether you’re learning to jibe or working on new-school aerial freestyle. In the waves, the S-1 goes neutral with just the slightest oversheet, allowing one to truly ride the wave without the sail getting in the way… until you need it.
   The S-1 is for the discriminating sailor who wants a cutting-edge sail that will leave them with no excuses for missing that next jibe, lip or Loop. severnesails.com

RRD SuperStyle 5.3

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:28:00 -0500

Luff: 429 Boom: 173
RRD is quickly putting together a sail line to rival the popularity of their boards. For 2011, they have added a performance sail for a more complete lineup, as well as updating all of last year’s models. The SuperStyle is a crossover design that’s meant to cover all types of conditions, from waves to flatwater. It’s been updated with more X-ply in the top of the sail, and refinements to the shape, which give it a larger tuning range.
   A bit of seam shaping gives the SuperStyle a big sweet spot that generates plenty of get-up-and-go, even if the rider is a somewhat heavy handed. The higher draft provides enough power to get a wider highwind freeride board up and planing, but, with the shortish boom length, prefers to have a freestyle, FSW or waveboard underneath it. In Punta San Carlos, we found it worked well on the newest quad-fin waveboards now available, and the durable construction held up even after being washed by some pretty big waves. The higher draft makes the SuperStyle a great bump-and-jump sail, helping to add height to any jump and to drive the rail during aggressive jibes. On flat water, it provides excellent pop for getting the board out of the water for new-school tricks, but doesn’t go neutral quite as quickly as some other sails, thus requiring a little more timing precision.
   The SuperStyle is one of the easiest sails in the test to tune, as long as you don’t over-downhaul it. Getting the leech to twist off down to the third batten happens in a progressive manner that only subtly changes the lower part of the sail. If the leech gets any looser then the sail’s shape begins to change quickly, resulting in the draft moving back. You’ll know you’ve over-downhauled, for sure, if the sail becomes too flat for proper outhaul tension.
   The SuperStyle is very solid feeling with reliable pull that gives confidence to all riders, whether their goal is to get into the footstraps or thrown their first Goiter. robertoriccidesigns.com