5.0 WAVE SAIL TEST 2024
THE SLICKEST 5.0 WAVE SAILS
The test team put seven of the latest 5-metre wave sails through their paces. The Simmer Black tip 5m and Point 7 Sat Pro 4.7m unfortuntaly arrived too late to be included in our Jan / Feb 2024 issue so were featured as catch up tests in our April issue.
Test Editor: James Hardy // Second Testers: Rob York, Tris Best, Becky Ellis, Joe North, Scotty Stallman // Photos: Tris Best // Location, Overcombe & Hayling Island.
The 5m wave sail, or sail sizes that are very close to it, are for the majority of us our most used and, in turn, most likely our favourite, most reliable sail size when it comes to wave sailing. Pulling out this sail size from the back of the van tells me it’s on. I don’t need the security of something bigger, as conditions are solid, but not nuclear. The 5.0 is going to deliver power; it might deliver it gently or with a bit of grunt, but one thing’s for sure: I want it to work well on a wave. I want it to be easy to handle and to allow me to turn the power on and off. It has to work with you to suit your style of riding.
Summary
This year the majority of the 5.0’s sit with a 4-batten outline, offering a mixture of power delivery and also ease of use on a wave, some required a more proactive style to get the most from the rig, while others offered more plug and playability. Starting with the North Wave, which is the only 3-batten on test, with its technology it was impressively stable and delivers the power softly, requiring a more proactive approach whilst riding. Duotone’s Super_Hero offers plenty of punch centred around the rider, making it really usable and controllable, almost doing the work for you. The GA Manic is the chameleon of the group and adapts with ease to the conditions and offers light handling once up to speed. The Goya Guru X Pro has an impressive range and sits more in the performance end of the spectrum, while still providing a comfortable ride. Both the GA Manic and Goya Guru X Pro deliver power with a punch with a higher centre of effort. Lastly, we have the GUNSAILS HORIZON, which allows you to find the power easily whilst riding, and doesn’t require you to be an expert to be able to get the most out of it.
5.0 WAVE SAIL TEST 2024
THE LINEUP