Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer

Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer - Windsurfing Reviews

Sails: Windwing Designs @ Islamorada

Windwing Designs Race CS

Size tested: 10.0
Mast: 490-520 29-30
Boom: 8' 5"
Weight: 13.9
Durability: c
Downhaul Ease: 7
Rig Ease: 5.5
Speed: 10.0
Power: 8.5
Stability: 9.5
Waterstart: 6.0
Rotation: 7.0
Luffability: 7.0
Price: $819

The Race CS offers a unique head configuration dubbed “Decoupled Truncated Tip” (D2T) by WindWing. What this means is that where the entire luff sleeve of a conventional sail is loaded under downhaul tension, the top foot or so of a WindWing luff sleeve—the distance from the top batten to the tip—is relieved of that tension by a webbing strap that carries downhaul tension to the head of the mast. This arrangement gives the head of the sail, along with the head batten, freedom to rotate as needed. Does it work? We don’t know about that specifically, but we’re sure the sail as a whole works incredibly well. It’s the best 10.0 we’ve ever tried. It rigs easily and doesn’t require a ton of downhaul tension. It sets up flat but fills out in a breeze and pulls like a tractor in 8- to 10-mph winds. Yank the outhaul when the wind breezes up and the Race CS goes so flat that a185-pound rider can easily hang onto it in 15 mph winds. The only thing limiting this sail’s range seems to be the flexibility of the boom. Figure out how to rig this sail on a boom that doesn’t flex at all, and there’s no telling how outrageously big its range may become.

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