Gestalt said..

Mark _australia said..

Gestalt said.. david did a pretty good job of bagging the industry with his comments.

I thought I missed something so I read the whole article not just that one question.
I think quite the opposite, he admitted his failings and made general comments, then in that one question he mentioned that some brands' designers don't sail/ sail much.
He was critical of that, but said he takes a different approach.
Wouldn't say he bagged out the industry

what he said is simply not true. i think he said it to elevate himself above others and to make his sails appear better. pretty uncool i think.

who are these designers that dont windsurf?

Gestalt
Did you actually read this interview when it came out 6 years ago?

You are calling David Ezzy a liar,
you think, you think he said it to elevate himself above others...you think.
Ezzy sails are among the best, Worldwide they are considered , that , among the best.

Are we bored or what
Alkahol and no wind .
Great to be here

Group hug ?

I'd like to stick up for all the team riders - even though they are a dying breed as the shrinking industry turnover means they can't be paid.
(You probably need an independent income nowadays if you want to be a 'pro sailor'.)

But these guys also do a good job. On one level it's just a 'second opinion' for a sailmaker who can test his own designs. More usually it's taking the sail or board to the top level of competition and showing how well it works whilst finding out over a long period how it might be improved.

If you are designer then it's a mistake to think you know everything and can just keep on producing the same design in new colours each season. The pro and sponsored sailors are there to be at the cutting edge of design, picking up the new ideas, and developing new moves which might require a different design approach.

Those pro sailors are also there to promote the new gear and to keep us entertained and inspired.

Basher said..
I'd like to stick up for all the team riders - even though they are a dying breed as the shrinking industry turnover means they can't be paid.
(You probably need an independent income nowadays if you want to be a 'pro sailor'.)

But these guys also do a good job. On one level it's just a 'second opinion' for a sailmaker who can test his own designs. More usually it's taking the sail or board to the top level of competition and showing how well it works whilst finding out over a long period how it might be improved.

If you are designer then it's a mistake to think you know everything and can just keep on producing the same design in new colours each season. The pro and sponsored sailors are there to be at the cutting edge of design, picking up the new ideas, and developing new moves which might require a different design approach.

Those pro sailors are also there to promote the new gear and to keep us entertained and inspired.

I would say Ezzy was overstating it with his comment a bit but it is interesting how it shows in the character of the sails. If you rely mostly on your own experience, & you are a good sailor like David with sound theoretical basis, then your sails will work well but have a definite character due to your personal preferences. If you rely on a combination of Team rider feedback, personal experience as an accomplished sailor & customer feedback you will have a more rounded range of sails IMO. I see both examples in practice & they both can be successful but the approach shows in the finished product.

AUS4 said..

Exactly! ... no team rider came up with that!

Faff said..

Ezzy claims that rotational sails are "wrong". He might be onto something. Since in the short time I've been windsurfing (5 years), there's been a shift away from sails relying on the mast curve to give them shape to more seam shaping. Newer sails don't need as much DH and I believe Ezzy sails have always relied on seam shaping and needed less DH. FWIW, I find Ezzies heavy, spongy, "vague" and a pain to waterstart. Others love them and will use nothing else. They are built like s**t brickhouses, that's for sure.

This debate is nothing new. Sails have always been made with a combination of luff round and with shape cut into them via broadseaming.
A lot of Ezzy sails obviously have little batten rotation around the mast but that means there is fullness in the luff panel which you can't lose when sheeting out - fine for onshore conditions maybe, and offering great power for blasting.
If you're an Ezzy fan who likes down the line wave sailing then your best bet is to go to the Taka, as they have fewer battens and the half batten above the boom means they depower from the luff when feathered or sheeted out.
That 'soft sail' is an old idea in windsurfing, not a new one.

Other brands use a combination of rotation and broadseaming - and I can certainly tell you that my Severne's have both. The broad-seamed shape in the luff panels keeps the sails driving forwards when overpowered, and the ability to rotate and flatten when sheeted out is great for turns and other manoeuvres.

gorgesailor said..

Basher said..
I'd like to stick up for all the team riders - even though they are a dying breed as the shrinking industry turnover means they can't be paid.
(You probably need an independent income nowadays if you want to be a 'pro sailor'.)

But these guys also do a good job. On one level it's just a 'second opinion' for a sailmaker who can test his own designs. More usually it's taking the sail or board to the top level of competition and showing how well it works whilst finding out over a long period how it might be improved.

If you are designer then it's a mistake to think you know everything and can just keep on producing the same design in new colours each season. The pro and sponsored sailors are there to be at the cutting edge of design, picking up the new ideas, and developing new moves which might require a different design approach.

Those pro sailors are also there to promote the new gear and to keep us entertained and inspired.

I would say Ezzy was overstating it with his comment a bit but it is interesting how it shows in the character of the sails. If you rely mostly on your own experience, & you are a good sailor like David with sound theoretical basis, then your sails will work well but have a definite character due to your personal preferences. If you rely on a combination of Team rider feedback, personal experience as an accomplished sailor & customer feedback you will have a more rounded range of sails IMO. I see both examples in practice & they both can be successful but the approach shows in the finished product.

Point : I'm not picking apart your post. It's obvious to most, clearly not all, but then when is it ever ...that Ezzy Sails are considered to be very good products, In terms of build , durability , range ease of use. He has pioneered many little gizmos that make rigging a breeze. Not everyone likes the feel, some consider them heavy, both in weight and feel while others praise this. His sails work with most mast curves and standard or skinny. At one time he had but 2 sails, times changes, progress... we now have automatic transmissions.
Jeff Henderson's sails are among the best , they differ from Ezzys. The similarity between the Taka and KS3, are still surprising to me. Both Tom Hammerton, and Kauai Seadi have finger prints on the HSM line. In rigging and use Hot Sails show the touch of a sailor, lightness and being very crisp. The Superfreak line , while cult, is still a oddity of sails.
Doesn't suit all.

From an industry point of view, development and ingredients to make a final product , you surely have a focus on the process. I don't see one person from beginning to end, designing batten ends or sail panels.