Loft Sails ‘Blade CR 9.5′ Review
December 17, 2007 · Print This Article
Most of us are interested in new gear that may be suitable for longboards, especially when this gear is hard to find. When I heard that Loft sails were producing a Raceboard sail in their 2008 line up I was keen to see what it was like.
However, I need to go back a few months to when this story started…
Blade CR 9.5
Midway through the southern hemisphere winter 07, I suggested via email, to Monty Spindler from Loft sails, that he should produce a raceboard sail in his line up of sails for 2008. I pointed out, that with the resurgence of racing longboards and as none of the big manufactures were generally making Raceboard sails that there was an opportunity for a boutique quality sail maker such as loft to grab a slice of the action. I mentioned that in my opinion that a good Raceboard sail must be able to be used in light and high winds and as a consequence it must have a wide range of adjustability from full to flat through the use of the out and down haul.
To my surprise, I received a reply from Monty stating that he had already had this thought and that it was likely that there would be such a sail in the 2008 line up. It is now midway through our southern hemisphere season 07 / 08 and Monty true to his word has made the Blade CR (Course Race) as a part of his 2008 sail line up. Our local distributor of Loft Sails (Windsurfing Sales) was able to get there hands on an early version of the sail and kindly allowed LBWS to undertake some tests on the sail in a range of conditions.
The sail only comes in the 9.5 metre size consistent with the new class rules maximum sail size. We tested it on a Mistral Pan Am and a F2 Race 380 board. The sail was rigged in accordance with the instructions and on an appropriate mast. Sailors testing the sail included me, a relatively competent Raceboard sailor and James Grunfelder, who is the current Australian National Raceboard Champion. Prior to seeing the sail in the flesh, I saw some images of the prototypes and had some concerns that the sail may have too loose a leach and be more focused toward high wind sail that consequently would not accommodate a high level of performance in light winds. My first impressions of the sail when I got it out of the bag was that it was a good quality sail where attention to detail had been considered in the design and manufacture process. This included materials selected including generous use of “Xply” for strength and durability and clean and neat stitching in all areas.
When rigged according to the instructions and on an appropriate mast, my initial concerns were put to rest. The leach of the sail while relatively flat was not as loose and or floppy as expected. It also appeared to have a good “low aspect” shape for the creation of a deep foil that is so critical to power and height upwind. However, with extra down haul the sail shape flattened out and the leach dropped away as one would normally expect with a modern sail.
Blade CR 9.5
The first day of testing was on a typical 7‐12 knot day at Dobroyd Aquatic Club. That is, an average light wind race day. The first thing that I noticed when I got the sail going is that it is relatively light weight and well balanced sail that was comfortable to sail. Straight away I was able to get into the upwind grove with minimal adjustment of outhaul and harness lines.
During the race and in the thick of light wind uphill tactical duel the lack of depth and power toward the top of the sail became apparent. I was not able to push through the water as easily as normal and in the lulls was not able to point quite as high as my opponents. Having said that, I usually sail with a 10.5 metre sail and at 90kg am not a light weight in windsurfing terms. On the downwind leg I also felt that the sail needed more depth particularly toward the top. Notwithstanding these concerns I finished pretty much were I normally finish toward the front end of the fleet. The week following, was again another light wind race and this time James used and tested the sail. He came to similar conclusions but still managed to win the race (as usual) with the sail.
Blade CR 9.5
Several weeks later I had another opportunity to use the sail at Botany Bay in Sydney. For those that don’t know this is a big patch of open water which generally has consistent strong winds. It was here that I saw this sail shine and sail to its true potential. I was sailing it in 15 – 20 knots of consistent sea breeze and the sail responded well. This was obviously where the design was aimed at. The shape was well balanced and delivered strong, consistent, controllable and comfortable power both upwind and down wind. The sail had a good level of adjustability at this level of wind and when combined with an adjustable outhaul performed well. It powered the board up and delivered speeds in excess of 30 knots on the old F2 Race 380. I also had an opportunity to use the sail on a 125 litre freeride board on the same day. As you would expect for a sail with this pedigree it performed very well on this type of board.
In summary the positive elements of the sail include:
On the down side the sail is not powerful enough in light winds and needs more shape and depth, particularly toward the top. In addition, the design for the closing of the padded mast base with Velcro needs to be rethought as the Velcro is not sufficient to hold it in place while sailing .
In conclusion, this is a high quality sail that performs very well in the medium to high wind range. However, it lacks depth and is a little flat toward the top and is consequently not as powerful as it could be in light winds. Notwithstanding this, shortcoming, I liked the sail enough to buy it and add it to my quiver for the windier days.
Further information on the sail can be found at either;
windsurfingsales.com.au
http://www.loftsails.com/
which mast was used for this test?
To be honest I can not remember, but I think that it was a Neil Pryde X6 520/32m 100%. Loft recomends a 520/34.
Pat