Windsurf MagazineNORTH X-OVER 6.7 2023 TEST REVIEW

NORTH X-OVER 6.7 2023 TEST REVIEW

Verdict

In conclusion, the North X-Over is an impressive sail that delivers on all fronts. Its lightness in handling, great bottom end, amazing release, user-friendliness, and balanced in the hands.

The Lowdown

For the regular readers amongst you, you may notice that we have been working our way through the sizes of North’s X-Over and not without reason. This is a sail that excels in multiple areas, as reported in previous tests, and as you move through the sizes, you will continue to be awe-inspired by this sail’s lightness and increasingly impressed by its ability to perform in whatever conditions you are sailing in. We tested the smaller sail sizes in the wave test and found the X-Over to be an absolute weapon, particularly in cross-onshore conditions, and as you move into bigger sizes, you will find a sail that is extremely capable of getting going early whilst having incredible manoeuvrability.

With its innovative 3Di design, the X-Over ditches most of the seams you see on regular sails, making for an incredible unison between the panels, which so far has come with an array of benefits. The key thing we were looking for in this test was whether it performed on the flats and in the gybes. Read on to see what we thought of the X-Over in the 6.7m.

Brand Claim

“The X-Over sail range is designed to excel in all water and wind conditions, no matter what the day throws at you. The 6.7 and 7.4 are freemove sails, ideal for flat water freeriding with stability, constant top-end speed, light in the hands, a huge wind range, and easy to sail upwind.”

Performance

Right out of the bag, we noticed the North X-Over’s lightness. Once on the water, it felt balanced in our hands; we were pleasantly surprised by the sail’s great bottom end, allowing us to easily get up to speed even in lighter winds, as the whole sail feels as if it generates flow immediately.

As we picked up speed, we were blown away by the North X-over’s exceptional release, making it feel lighter again in the hands, and the rider feel like an idol co-pilot as the X-Over picked up to respectable speeds. The sail’s high-cut foot made it easy to manoeuvre, giving the agility needed to transition with ease, and additionally made laydowns and duck gybes extremely accessible.

Overall, we found the North X-Over to be a very balanced sail in the hands, with exceptional manoeuvrability. Its range means that you could easily get away with a smaller quiver of sails, making it a great option for windsurfers looking to streamline their gear without sacrificing performance.