Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer

Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer - Windsurfing Reviews

Sails: Hot Sails Maui @ Maui

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

Hot Sails Maui Slide

One of the slickest sails on the water, the Slide offers a blend of old-time short-batten back-hand-oriented power and modern loose-leech top-end speed. It’s a gutsy sail not because it’s deep and tight leeched, but because the draft is located a bit back of the usual place. Though not super stable, it’s plenty fast, and incredibly quick out of the holes. Expert- and pro-level sailors, especially those with a long history in the sport, liked this sail’s low weight, excellent acceleration and loose-jointed feel. If we were to change something, we’d make the Slide easier to downhaul by replacing the tack grommet with a more modern alternative.

Size tested 4.8
Mast 400–19
Boom 5’5”
Weight 7.1
Durability B
Downhaul Ease 8
Rig Ease 8.0
Speed 5.5
Power 6.0
Stability 6.0
Waterstart 9.5
Rotation 10.0
Luffability 9.5
Price $509.00

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

Hot Sails Maui
Spiderlock Wave

The classic Spiderlok has been slightly improved this year with x-ply reinforcement in the clew area and screw-type batten tensioners. The reinforcement detracts nothing from the Spiderlok’s main claim to fame - it’s the lightest sail on the water - and the new batten tensioners give it a more streamlined look. Because the Spiderlok has a 3/4 batten above the boom, testers had trouble deciding how much outhaul to apply. They also noted that while powerful and super easy to handle, it can easily become unstable and overpowering. The antidote? A little more outhaul than you might normally apply.

Size tested 5.6
Mast 460–25
Boom 6’0”
Weight 6.1
Durability B
Downhaul Ease 8
Rig Ease 8.0
Speed 5.0
Power 6.0
Stability 5.5
Waterstart 10.0
Rotation 10.0
Luffability 10.0
Price $375.00

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