RAPID

Free and as fast as a cam sail!

DESIGN: The Rapid has a slalom-style outline but no camber. It is stabilized by tube battens. A light panel of Dacron follows the narrow mast sleeve. 2 offset and depth-separated eyelets provide 2 options for clew adjustment. Except for 8.6, all surfaces are compatible with RDM/SDM masts.

ON THE WATER: A good dose of tension at the foot of the mast provides a relaxed sail at the top of its leech. It's only when inflated with wind that the Rapid reveals its profile. Passive propulsion may not be as obvious as its cambered rivals, but the 5.7's agility means you can play with the rig and get to the planing line quickly. The Rapid comes alive at your fingertips, and requires more piloting skills than a camber profile. What may be perceived as instability by fans of camber sails will be seen as convenience by funboarders. The Gun is free-steering but still packs a hell of a punch, putting it on a par with cam motors in strong winds. A soft, smooth feel keeps you in control, especially when the wind is shaking the rider. With its non-forced camless profile, the Gun shows a slight lack of drive in the wind holes when the cam motors are going their own way, but the average speed is more than decently maintained. The only thing left to like about this sail is its freedom of manoeuvre, which becomes a clear advantage when rotating at the jibe.

VERDICT: Simple to set up and sail, the well-named Rapid stands up to comparison in terms of top speed. The clear profile will appeal more to windsurfers who don't want to be bothered with an overly rigid, fixed camber frame. The rig keeps things lively and lifts the board. This profile is best exploited in its high range, where it excels at sailing like a cat and putting the screws to the racers!

+ Adjustment, top performance, ease and freedom, handling in the wind, price
-  Instable for camber sail lovers

It dares to challenge the race sails

The Rapid retains its "slalom no cam" profile, beefed up by 7 stiff tube battens, a large leech twist, and a nice clew cutout with two eyelets 8 inches apart. Easy to rig and trim.

ON THE WATER: The Rapid, spiced up by its 100% carbon mast and generous profile in the front of the sail, strikes hard at launch. The firm profile strongly pulls at the front hand and shows a dominant temperament. The acceleration, high level of stability and cruising speed worthy of a pure slalom sail make it a no cam slalom. You can feel the turbo in your hands, with less resistance than other sails, because the leech is strongly opened. The Rapid creates a very balanced pressure between the front and back hand, lifting the board with an "air cushion" effect, which is very comfortable to plane over the water. The sail stabilizes itself in the wind, resulting in a higher cruising speed with less stress on the back hand. Compared to other sails that are lighter, softer and easier to handle, the Rapid offers character, pep and ultra-glide, so you can dare to challenge pilots with their racing sails on half-and downwind. It's not complicated, heavy or technical, being a no-cam sail with a narrow mast sleeve that planes well and comes off the water easily. It also offers the option of the lower and further inboard clew eye to reduce the pull on the back hand and soften the profile overall.

CONCLUSION: If you're into speed and runs without camber or a wide mast sleeve, the Rapid gives you a bonus in stability, range of use and performance. The more you ride "on the attack", the sail constantly closed with the right board/fin combo, even in pure slalom, the more the Gun makes the difference.

+ Range of use, XL profile stability, speed, acceleration, dual clew adjustment, price
-  Not the lightest, handiest or most accessible model in this group