Windsurf MagazinePOINT-7 AC-Z 7.8 2022 TEST REVIEW

POINT-7 AC-Z 7.8 2022 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT

With the speed, life and acceleration you’d expect from a sail of the Point-7 loft, the AC-Z possesses an ease and user-friendliness that will undoubtedly appeal to most recreational sailors.

OVERVIEW

The AC-Z is a unique twin-cam from Point-7, with a wide luff sleeve and both cams below the boom, before quickly narrowing to effectively become a no-cam above the boom. They describe it as “the 2 in 1 with no compromise”, claiming the AC-Z has the performance of a ‘real cam racing sail’ yet the ease and simplicity of a no-cam. Available in both black (code 832) or yellow (code 7548) anti-UV materials, 2022 marks the third generation of the AC-Z, with the large design refinement being a longer boom length in all sizes. Heeding the feedback of their test team and the market, Point-7 have done this to improve the AC-Z’s bottom end power, whilst also increasing the sail’s average speed and allowing for a more sustained and natural stance through its wind range. The x-ply luff panel is now one piece from head to tack, providing more stability and uniformity in the power delivery and this is emphasised by the use of a larger extended x-ply luff panel above the boom. There is also a series of Kevlar strips used under the seams that join the luff panels, intended to mitigate stretch and improve the sail’s reactive response in gusts. Tested here on a K100 SDM, it takes a little practice to achieve the right downhaul tension to pop the cams onto the mast (no boom required), but once established, the AC-Z is as straightforward to rig as a no-cam. Applying downhaul tension so that the leech falls away to the marker in the upper panel, there’s a wealth of luff curve in the sail, more than in any other sail on test, the leech opening significantly, all the way to batten six above the clew. Relatively flat above the boom, what depth there is to the profile is set back, away from the mast, the shaping forced into the foot of the sail by the cams amplified by pulling tension on through the tack strap.

BRAND CLAIM

“Have you ever dreamed to have a no-cam sail with the same performance as a real cam racing sail? Or have you ever dreamed to have a cam sail with the weight of a no-cam sail? The AC-Z is both!”

PERFORMANCE

Despite possessing nigh on the average dimensions within this group, the AC-Z feels big and bold in the hands initially, generating a good amount of useable bottom end power. The centre of effort is high and placed relatively far back in the draft, making the power obvious and positive in the hands as soon as a gust hits. It then channels efficiently to the board, giving the AC-Z quite a ‘plug and play’ nature, requiring little input from the rider to get going … yet if you do have more pro-active tendencies, the sail pumps well, working around the rider to make the most of lighter airs. Once it’s released and the board is planing, the acceleration provided is very tangible through the hands as further gusts hit. Fast on every point of sail, the AC-Z rocks back and settles into a comfortable stance, possessing that wonderful and familiar Point-7 trait of becoming lighter in the hands, the faster the sail goes. As the wind increases, the AC-Z remains composed and manageable, its leech twisting smoothly and keeping the power locked in place, displaying the sail’s wide natural wind range. In transition, the AC-Z supplies the speed and drive to enter a turn confidently, the narrower luff sleeve and rotational battens above the boom reducing the swing weight of the sail and making it easier to reposition mid-turn. The cams were a little stiff to rotate in lighter airs but locked back into position on the new tack as the pressure in the sail’s panels returned.