GOYA GURU 4.7M 2017 TEST REVIEW
GOYA GURU 4.7M 2017 TEST REVIEW
OVERVIEW
The Guru has a significant legacy in the Goya sail range, consistently described as their ‘Control Wave’ sail and adopting a 4-batten configuration since 2014. Its distinguishing brief over its stable mate – the Banzai – is that the Guru is targeted towards easy power and comfort, capable of being partnered with boards of any fin preference and taken into any wave environment. It incorporates a large vinyl window (which, with a little maintenance, can remain clear and soft for the sail’s lifetime say Goya), various scrim and x-ply densities and plenty of reinforcement to take real impacts, leading the brand to remark that the Guru “means business. While all our sails are super strong, the Guru is, well, simply a cut above.”
BRAND CLAIM
“The Guru has a softer feel that allows you to ride longer; it just doesn’t tire you out. I heard Jason Diffin, (Head of Sail Design) saying that before, but it really didn’t come together until this session. It was really amazing, I’m really stoked on this sail and it would probably be my first choice for Ho’okipa and all around too.” Francisco Goya
PERFORMANCE
Rigged on a 400cm mast, the Guru is easy to set thanks to the visual indicator in the upper panel, albeit the dot is right next to the upper CSC (Carbon Stretch Control) tendon so it took a little playing to confirm the looseness in the leech goes right to the marker. As with the Banzai, the sail’s fine-tuning can then be achieved exclusively using the two clew eyelets – the higher for more marginal winds, and the lower to increase control as the wind strengthens. It is an excellent system – both effective and practical, made all the more so by the clew eyelets being directly connected to their individual CSC strands. Light and easy in the hands at rest, the Guru has a soft and forgiving power delivery thanks to the Dacron luff panel and the extra elasticity afforded by the vinyl window. The centre of effort is relatively high and forward, yet locked securely in place, never shifting or pulling the rider to their toes. It has quite a conventional familiar feel about it, doing exactly what you’d expect of a modern sail, whilst providing the power and time for the rider to concentrate on their own performance. As the environment becomes more severe, the Guru instils the confidence to keep charging, using the lower clew eyelet to exact a more compact stance whilst allowing the leech to twist more freely. The built in softness acts effectively as a dampener, making the ride easy and sparing, particularly over hard chop. In transition, the Guru is both dependable and playful to use, powering smoothly into the manoeuvre, whilst the elasticity in the foil enables it to go light and be repositioned easily. The response isn’t instantaneous (look to the Banzai for a crisper feel) yet the Guru does everything that is asked of it, complimented with a power delivery that makes it easy and accessible.
THE VERDICT
Smooth power and easy practical tuneability, the Guru feels both modern and familiar in the hands, with the durability of build to provide years of service.
Other sails in this test: