Ezzys are good strong durable sails, NP have a bad durability record, only go for a Hellcat when your back to being a good sailor otherwise you might hole it

Just remember with sail, you gotta match the right bend characteristic and IMCS mast to them, the NP masts cost alot, but ezzy ones are cheaper and durable and can mix-and-match tops and bottoms

No I don't have any Ezzy sails, but heard all this.

Fanatic Eagles look like a good flat water board

But don't listen to me, your probably a better windsurfer then me anyway (1 year so far, 80% time inland without boards)

What sorta wind will you sail in?
What style do you do? Freeride, freestyle tricks, speed racer, etc?

The 120L hawk may be a better bet if you like a bit of speed, and it's still quite maneuverable. The 7.7 Hellcat would be a great match, it's a fast stable sail without the locked in feel of cams. With 10-20 knots the 7.7 Hellcat will just about cover that range with some tuning.

The NP sails are a lot more durable these days. I'd say if you want performance go hellcat and Ezzy for all round and durability. But do buy the right mast for the sail you choose. The NP sails a more mast specific, so if you go down that path you will be committed to Pryde gear.

Hi,

Neil Pryde are good sails. If you are interested in going fast then things haven't changed much since 1995, the fastest sailors use Neil Pryde. Back then it was Anders Brindal and Bjorn Dunkerbeck. Nowdays its Antoine Albeau kicking everyones arse.

Not sure about the Fanatic boards but I'm sure they are good. Any brand is going to be good today. I personally use Tabou boards and really like them.

Of course all this depends on your budget.

I got back into windsurfing last year and am really glad to do so. Have a great time. Consider getting a GPS and joining a team in the GPS Challenge.

Time to wheel out the Loft fan club again!

Another brand to consider is Loft sails. Great balance of price, performance and durability. I love my O2 7.4 and 5.9. They're not terribly mast specific and amazingly tunable for the conditions. The 7.4 can get me going from 12 knots and I can hold down the 5.9 up to about 30 knots. I'm 80kg, so you might want to add 0.5 - 1m or so...

Available from:
www.windsurfingsales.com.au/

vonnikki said...

Last time I windsurfed seriously it was 1995 - some time ago. I could water start and carve gybe with moderate success. Back then I has a F2 Sunset Slalom 105 litre and a Strapper slalom 120 litre with a collection of sales from 5.5 - 7.5. (Truth be know I liked the Sunset better but it had to be reasonably windy 20 + before I enjoyed it on the 5.5)

These days I am 90 odd kilos ( alittle heavier) and am looking to get back into it. I live on the Sunshine Coast and my plan is to sail more Lake Cootharaba and I need some honest imput on gear.

I have been looking at the Fanatic Eagle as a possible board choice 126 litre but sails are way different these days. The Ezzy Infinity looks pretty good and I was thinking of starting with a 7.5 metre possibly even a Neil Pryde 7.7 metre Hellcat.

Any advice on this or possibly other gear choices?

hi vonnikki,

i have sailed on the lake for many years. a couple of tips.

firstly. get the bigger size board. it's freshwater and gusty.

good news is you have lots of options for gear at caloundra. you can buy nearly every brand on offer.

not to sure about ezzy being sold at caloundra but there are quite a few guys that sail them on the lake. you will also see a couple of guys on KA sails also (which i use). try and avoid cambers if you can.

volume for your board 126lt with an 7.5 is just about on the money for a one quiver setup at the lake. getting 2 fins 40cm and 36cm will increase your range. maybe look to a 6.0m for the stronger days down the track.

boards wise fanatic make excellent boards. there is also exocet, starboard and jp as other choices. i use NXS made locally.

i've had a look at the latest neil pryde stuff and personnaly i reckon it's fairly well built. the strength was a major issue a few years back but in my mind NP have addressed this. as has been said though, if you buy neilpryde you will be locked into neil pryde.

as someone re-entering the sport you will almost always damage your board (nose). unfortunately but inevitable. if the price is right as a beginner it doesn't matter. seconhand is always a great way to go.