Ezzy Infinity 8.5m
The largest sail in most recreational quivers was a 7.5m just five years ago,
especially for those that windsurfed predominantly at the coast. Go much
beyond that and the sail soon became a bit of a brute to handle, feeling
large and cumbersome and requiring the will of an ox to drive convincingly
into a gybe. By contrast, today’s 8.5m is a veritable stroll in the park,
feeling balanced and crisp in the hands across a wide wind range.
A NEW BREED
The role and function of an 8.5m sail can be broken down into three main
sections: it has to be early to plane; it has to be user-friendly to rig and handle,
and it has to have range.
Intended as the largest sail in the quiver the 8.5m is bought primarily to get a
board up and planing as quickly and as early as possible. For all but the
professional racer, there is no point in purchasing a sail this large that doesn’t
have good bottom end potential – it is just a pointless exercise.
Secondly, it has to be easy to rig and tune, whilst being relatively light and
practical to manoeuvre on the water. If a sail is time consuming to rig correctly,
you will be less inclined to use it or make the mad dash after work to get that
cheeky sail in before dusk. This is especially true of cammed sails, which have a
reputation for being difficult to rig. With a little guidance and the right know-how
however, these twin cams can be just as straightforward to put on their masts as
a standard no-cam freeride foil. (In each sail write-up on the next few pages, a
At a Glance
The Infinity is Ezzy’s second sail series,
complimenting the Wave SE as their powerful flatwater
foil. It comes with two cams, one placed
either side of the boom, the upper cam capable of
being removed to give the sail “the ease of rotation
of a no-cam sail”, although this was not tried during
the test. Using the brand’s ‘universal’ system, the
cams can be adjust to fit any mast diameter
perfectly, whilst the battens utilise the Endo-Batten
construction method, ensuring the sail’s symmetry
on both tacks. Incorporating the same materials
found in the SE, the Infinity is certainly built to last,
including a vinyl window and Spectra reinforced xply
throughout its panels, eliminating the use of any
monofilm. A superbly well finished and detailed
sail, everything about it has been meticulously
scrutinized, making it ooze quality.
Rigging and Set
Rigged on an RDM mast, the Infinity’s cams sleeve
onto the mast easily and remained in place during
downhaul, the use of a pulley-hook recommended
in conjunction with the tack eyelet. With a smaller
tack fairing to that found on the SE, the eyelet was
easy to access, whilst the visual trimming aid
displayed on the upper panel was very effective
and helpful. Like last year, the Infinity has
absolutely masses of camber in its profile, locked
well forward in the draft, with evidence of shape
even up to the fifth batten. Offering a large natural
brief description is given on how to rig and set the sail, explaining any possible
tip or hint that we discovered.) Once on the water, if a large sail is heavy or
cumbersome to use, it will detract from your sailing pleasure whilst undoubtedly
affecting the performance of the board. A poor handling rig can make the most
incredible board feel like a barn door.
And finally, to fulfil its role aptly, an 8.5m must have range. Whilst a deep profile
is key to providing that bottom-end power and grunt, the stability of its centre of
effort will determine how enjoyable it is to use as the wind increases. The UK, as
with most of Europe, relies largely on weather systems to provide the ideal
sailing environment, which in turn offer dramatically variable wind strengths; one
minute comfortable cruising can be the order of the day, the next a squall
comes over, catapulting the wind strength up 15knots. A modern windsurfing
sail has to cope with these fluctuations, either through their tuneable or natural
range, to satisfy the rightfully demanding rider. It’s quite a tall order…
WAKE UP... AND CATCH THAT SEA BREEZE!
Luckily, many of these sails are up to the task! Easy to rig; surprisingly light and
balanced in the hands; plenty of useable bottom end power and the stability to
boot … these 8.5m are a clear improvement yet again on their predecessors of
last year. What is more, with their reduced weight and practicality, they can be
used to power even smaller boards. If more time on the water is what you are
looking for, perhaps this is a good place to start.
range on one setting, the two top panels fall away
well, whereas the mid-leech remains relatively tight.
In addition there is a tack strap on the foot of the
sail, used to help tension the lower panels and lock
the sail’s stability in place.
Ride and Handling
Whilst its boom and luff increments are standard for
its size, the Infinity’s concave leech profile gives it a
very tall appearance on the water, making it stand
out from the crowd. At rest its deep pronounced
camber does make it rather heavy in the hands,
providing a solid constant pull at all times. However,
with a positive approach, that power can be put to
great use, the Infinity responding very well to
pumping and generating an impressive amount of
bottom end drive, un-sticking the most stubborn
board. Once on the plane and gaining speed the
sail locks into a comfortable stance becoming
lighter and more manageable in the hands, the
boom raked back at an ideal angle to help control
it. As the wind strengthens, the Infinity’s stability is
realised, never pulling the rider’s stance out of
shape, even in the most severe gusts. With every
increase in power, the rider is simply encouraged to
drop their weight and drive the energy into the
board, pushing those that are willing to greater
speeds. In transition the sail provides all the power
to drive into the turn convincingly, although any
loss in speed will be met with its solid handling
returning, making it heavy to reposition before the
cams rotate with force. (This sensation is
particularly noticeable in the tack.)
For: Masses of stability, giving this solid
powerhouse a huge wind range.
Against: Has a heavy nature when not powered,
and be prepared for its powerful rotation.
Naish Redline 8.2m
The Redline is new to the Naish range for 2006,
described as their “dedicated race/slalom sail for
real world sailors”. The 8.2m is the second
largest in the range and includes three of the
brand’s SNAPCAMs, two above the boom and
one below. A direct descendent of the record
breaking Stealth, Naish believe it offers
uncompromising performance with a combination
of easy rigging and handling. Under closer
inspection it is clear that special effort has been
made to reduce the physical weight of the
Redline without compromising its durability. For
example, there are two types of material used in
the luff tube – a more durable material from the
boom cut-out down, and a lightweight cloth
above the boom where less abrasion occurs.
Whilst finer detailing is still present in features
such as a universal ‘strap on’ to keep the sail
rolled, other items have been minimised where
they are deemed not necessary, giving the
Redline a clean, functional appearance.
Rigging and Set
The easiest method of rigging the Redline was to
sleeve the mast next to the cams, applying
downhaul pressure and attaching the boom before
popping the inducers on. Once set, the camber in
the sail is very secure with no give or movement at
all. It has a moderate to deep profile placed well
forward in the draft, the bottom batten also providing
plenty of shape low down in the sail. Whilst
incorporating a roller pulley in the tack to help explore
its good tuning range, the Redline takes a significant
amount of downhaul tension on its maximum setting,
using outhaul to fine tune the power delivery.
Ride and Handling
Light and balanced in the hands at idle, the
Redline feels smaller than its quoted area would
suggest, when you use it for the first time, such is
its crisp handling. Nevertheless, as a gust hits, the
Redline translates its energy efficiently to power
and transfers it directly to the board, bypassing the
rider. With masses of stability locked forward in its
draft, the sail is very useful for pumping,
generating precise surges of power that help to
punch stubborn boards out of the water. Once on
the plane, it accelerates positively feeling sharp
and responsive in the hands; you can really feel it
step up a gear with each gust and would do very
well partnered with a large efficient slalom board.
With a good natural range, it doesn’t lose its
composure as the wind strengthens, capable of
being locked down to continually driving the board
forward through the back foot. Cutting a clean path
through the air on every point of sail, the Redline is
a very rewarding sail to use, twisting off smoothly
without any hint of leech flutter. In transition the
Redline’s light handling and precise power makes
it easy to redirect and position, the cams rotating
cleanly onto the new tack.
For: Light crisp precise handling coupled with
excellent all-round performance.
Against: Less detailing than we expected.
North Sails R-Type 8.5m
The R-Type is North’s cammed sail, designed for
use with freeride and modern widestyle boards to
make the most of marginal planing conditions.
Using a combination of two of the brand’s wellengineered
Hyper-cams and their box battens,
designer Kai Hopf has made the sail as physically
light as he can without compromising its stability,
to push its range as much as possible.
Incorporating all the details you would expect
from a North sail, it is a superbly finished sail,
including abrasion pads on the head cap and
batten ends, seam-beading and x-ply in the foot
for increased durability, and zip pockets for both
cams. Also, each of the six sizes available in the
series (6.0m-9.5m) can be set on a 460cm mast,
making it very practical for the recreational sailor.
Rigging and Set
The R-Type is capable of being rigged very easily
using a number of different methods. You can
sheath the mast through the cams initially and
simply apply downhaul tension, the Hyper-cams
usually remaining in place without persuasion. If
they do pop off however, continue to apply much
of the downhaul tension before attaching the
boom and then re-positioning the cams onto the
mast. Whilst requiring some significant downhaul
and outhaul tension, the sail has a good tuning
range, the VTS aids being very helpful and
accurate, including the harness line version on the
main panel. With a deep camber to its profile
placed well forward in the draft, the R-Type’s leech
falls away progressively.
Ride and Handling
On the water the R-Type was an excellent all-round
performer across a wide wind range, capable of
partnering any board type to make the most of
marginal conditions. Generating a great deal of
constant low down drive, it transfers its energy
effortlessly to the board, forcing it forward and out
of the water as early as possible. It is also very
pumpable in light airs, its deep stable profile
scooping large pockets of air with each motion to
provide very positive useable feedback in the
hands. Once going, the sail accelerates smoothly
becoming lighter and more precise to handle, the
raked boom angle helping to lock it down into a
comfortable cruising stance. Feeling efficient as it
cuts through the air, it accelerates in gusts and
glides through lulls, providing the impetus to cover
distance with ease. As the wind increases, the RType’s
natural range on one setting is impressive,
keeping its composure and driving power into the
board. In overpowered conditions it does become
backhanded, but can be tensioned further to open
the leech more and extend the amount of twist
present, helping to keep the centre of effort locked
forward. In the gybe, the R-Type drives into the turn
positively, the low-down power comfortable to use
and direct without pulling the rider’s stance out of
shape, although under maximum tension we did
find the bottom cam got stuck a little whilst rotating.
For: Wide performance range and ease of set from
a quality sail.
Against: Bottom cam sticks whilst rotating under
maximum tension.
