TUSHINGHAM ROCK 5.2M 2014 TEST REVIEW
TUSHINGHAM ROCK 5.2M 2014 TEST REVIEW
BEST FOR
Lighter and/or shorter riders and narrower board shapes.
RECOMMENDATION
Use a pulley block, set with a fairly minimal level of downhaul and trim mainly with outhaul.
BRAND POSITIONING
“This years modifications aimed at getting the power on more quickly without sacrificing any control. To do this we had to view the rig differently. Instead of the drive dissipating out from the hands of the rider we wanted it to be drawn in so that control was immediate – a new approach was needed. The changes we have made have created a sail which is crisper, lighter and more direct which enables the rider to perform moves easier whilst still maintaining that locked in feel.”
OVERVIEW
Outline: Medium aspect ratio outline. Tapered roach and low step in leech. Straight-to-moderate luff curve.
Build Quality: Good value and attention to detail and good specification throughout. Not too heavyweight as a result of the protective specification. Things we noticed include: Mast cup with webbing and silicon bumper and heavy-duty anti-abrasion head. Seamed luff edge. 2 x mini battens. Narrow Dacron luff panel from battens #2-5. 2-part luff tube. Battens on alternate sides top-to-bottom. Rubber bumpers each side of batten tensioners. Scrim largely in top with some x-ply. Slight leech scalloping and sewn-in leech line. Double cringle clew with beefy multi-layer Dacron patch. Folded ‘hidden’ foot seams to reduce seam exposure. Silicon strip on stitching side, and silicon foot bumper protection. Large handle on tack fairing. Uphaul loop. Cringle/pulley compatible tack. Built in batten tensioning key secured by Velcro. Silicon luff-sleever. Batten #3 protrudes into the luff cutout.
PERFORMANCE
The Rock has quite a subtle, efficient power delivery and feels quite stable and direct compared to softer Tushies of old. This 5.2’s nice and light and definitely gives the sensation and handling of a smaller sail. Our taller and heavier testers felt the boom cut-out could be a little higher to aid earlier planing (as the batten level with the cut-out can rub against the clamp if it’s near the maximum height setting) but lighter rider found ample low-end. At the top of the wind range it’s very well behaved, keeping good stability and shape in impressively high wind. The pull seems to come from quite a low and forward position and overall we found the draft quite forgiving to the odd not-so-perfectly placed harness line or when not quite tuned to it’s optimum setting for the given conditions. On that note we found The Rock easy to rig up thanks to the straight luff and the fact that the tack cringle is compatible with a pulley block for easy downhauling. This isn’t a massively high-tension foil, so it’s pretty easy to set, plus there’s quite a wide range of tuning options as well using both down and outhaul to control the shape. On the wave we enjoyed some backhand pressure in turns and overall felt it quite neutral in nature and perhaps more suited to driving narrower boards. All-in-all The Rock would be a good go-anywhere sail to cope with a range of wave conditions.
THE VERDICT
A friendly and forgiving sail with genuine wave performance ability. Superb value-for-money in terms of build quality and easy-going nature.
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