Windsurf MagazineGOYA MARK 2 7.8 2022 TEST REVIEW

GOYA MARK 2 7.8 2022 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT

A smart, eye-catching light wind powerhouse, the Mark 2 is a fantastic freeride cruising partner, ideal for making the most of summer breezes and long-distance adventures.

OVERVIEW

The Mark 2 remains in the Goya sail range for this 2022/23 design cycle, classed as the brand’s two cam performance freerace sail. The focus for development, outlined in the brand’s literature, has been for “lighter handling and high-wind control through refined luff curves and seam shapes”. It’s also noted that the Mark 2 now has a shorter boom length compared to its predecessor and has been developed with “real world racing and foiling in mind”. Available in two bright distinctive colourways, it is tested here in fluoro yellow and pink, akin to the Mark B tested last month, using coloured bi-ply in its upper panels and monofilm in the window, surrounded by scrim in the foot panel and x-ply in the two luff panels. It is one of the few sails in the test group that is compatible with RDMs (indeed recommended solely with RDM in its two smallest sizes) yet is tested here using a Hundred Pro SDM. Applying a moderate amount of downhaul, the cams are easy to roll into place on the mast before fully applying the rest of the downhaul tension, guided by the dot on the double seam in the upper panel. Once rigged, the Mark 2 has a wonderfully clean set, without a blemish or crease to be seen, adopting a deep, forward-facing profile. The luff sleeve is one of the narrowest in the test group, the Dacron sleeve around the boom cut-out decidedly loose, making it easy to attach the boom. Highly detailed and beautifully finished, it is certainly a good-looking sail, with three carbon stretch tendons radiating from the single clew eyelet, dual seams around the window and a tack strap to enhance shape and skin tension through the foot panels.

BRAND CLAIM

“The Mark 2 offers white knuckle cam sail speed and cam sail stability without needing to rig “oversized”. You can enjoy the blistering speed and range of the sail without feeling like you are wrestling a dinosaur. The Mark 2 is best rigged in range, meaning not oversized.”

PERFORMANCE

Balanced and poised in the hands, the Mark 2 feels powerful and positive as a gust hits and delivers its energy cleanly to the board. There’s plenty of bottom end drive for its size, capable of convincing even the most stubborn board onto the plane early, whilst remaining manageable and focussed, thanks to its relatively short boom length. Settling into a comfortable stance, the centre of effort is positioned forward in the draft and delivers the power smoothly to the board, almost by-passing the pilot and asking little input from them. It’s a great engine for coastal summer cruising, making the most of light wind thermals and covering distance in comfort. As the wind increases into powered and overpowered conditions, the Mark 2’s stability does begin to migrate, loading the back hand and requiring a strong arm to keep it under control. We did try to increase tension through the downhaul to retain stability, and whilst it did help mitigate the creep somewhat, it didn’t dramatically increase the Goya’s straight-line efficiency or acceleration. Instead, we believe the Mark 2 is more of a dependable freeride contender, rather than a freerace or slalom race engine. It likes to be used comfortably within its natural wind range and would also lend itself well to a light wind foiling role. In carving transitions, it powers into the manoeuvre easily, its short boom length making the sail quick and easy in rotation, the cams snapping instantly and positively into their new orientation.