NeilPryde Sail(Wave) 2009 by NeilPryde

Cover: Kauli Seadi

Baptiste Gossein

Klaas Voget

Antoine Albeau

Kauli Seadi

WAVE “Wavesailing

for

everything

that

makes

windsurfing the best sport in the world. There’s just no sensation better than charging off down-the-line, making cut-back after cut-back until you either crash, or run out of wave. Then, you gybe out of there and go and do it all again!” Jason Polakow / KA1111

Jason Polakow

Alex Mussolini

“I love the way the Zone will de-power when you hit the lip or when you’re doing a super tight turn in the pocket of a wave - it really is a sail that has no limits to its performance. So if you are feeling courageous, then you can be sure that the Zone has the performance to match your needs. The Zone is a sail that works with you, not against you!” Jason Polakow / KA1111

Levi Siver

INSTANT HANDLING. INSTANT RESPONSE. the rider to draw tight bottom turns and execute ‘snappy’ cutbacks off the lip. In conjunction with a soft, ‘neutral’ feel, the ZONE is perfectly suited to classic “down the line” wave conditions, hence making it the sail of choice for NeilPrydes’ 3Z’s - Jason Polakow, Levi Siver and Alex Mussolini.

Now in its 11th season as part of the NeilPryde wave collection, the features that characterise the ZONE have firmly established it not only as a cornerstone of the NeilPryde wave range, but as an icon of the wavesailing world. A combination of precise handling, superb visibility and smooth power release - not to mention excellent visibility – ensure that the ZONE allows

DESIGN OBJECTIVES:

ACHIEVED BY:

surfing”. • The ZONE must disappear in the riders hands when on a wave, but still give enough drive to load the boards’ rail through a bottom turn. • The sail must be neutral and ‘light’ on the back hand when ‘cutting back’ on a wave. • The sail must be forgiving, and have a light ‘sailing weight’.

• A moderate aspect ratio allows for a low, forward positioned centre of effort. • A well rotated sail body flattens out and de-powers instantly. • Light, but strong, construction that fits between the Alpha & Combat. • Use of a large mono-film window ensures optimum visibility. • Introduction of a hollow leech (2007/08) improved twist in the upper part of the sail.

• ZONE has the least, and most forward oriented shaping of any NeilPryde wave sail. • To design a sail for the “wave-riders of wind

For 2009:

• To bring the sails’ centre of effort as close to the rider as possible. • Create a ‘softer’ feeling sail that has no pull from the head area, particularly during cut backs. • Further reduce the time required for the sail to transition from delivering ‘drive’ (needed for bottom turns) to a ‘neutral’ feeling; ideal for coming off the top of the wave.

For 2009:

• The 2009 ZONE features a compact clew. This allows the designer to use a lower aspect ratio than in previous ZONE designs, but without increasing the boom length. This results in a more compact, manoeuverable sail and more “rider focused surface area”. • A reduction in luff curve (in the mid-to-upper section) translates into reduced downhaul. This reduces surface tension, making for a soft, forgiving feel. • High outhaul tension stabilizes the profile and prevents it from moving back. This allows the sail to rapidly change it’s ‘mode’ from giving ‘drive’ to being ‘neutral’. • Load specific reinforcement ensures strength in the most critical load areas.

SIZE

LUFF +/- 1cm

BOOM +/- 1cm

BASE

BATTENS

CAMS

IDEAL MAST

CODE

3.2

346

137

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9ZN32

3.6

360

142

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9ZN36

4.0

379

149

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9ZN40

4.2

387

152

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9ZN42

4.5

393

157

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9ZN45

4.7

403

162

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9ZN47

5.0

412

165

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9ZN50

5.2

420

167

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9ZN52

5.5

433

175

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9ZN55

www.neilpryde.com 08

Jason Polakow

Eyal Shelef

Baptiste Gossein

Robby Swift

“The Combat has been a favourite among the NeilPryde wave sails since it was brought back into the range - and this year it’s no different. The way it’s built makes it almost indestructible and gives you the confidence to go for it in even the biggest of waves and the strongest of winds. This year the sail has become even softer and lighter in your hands, making high jumps and any kind of wave riding, onshore or sideshore, effortless.” Robby Swift / K89

ALL ROUND PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY. with performance and, as a result of its “bomb proof” reinforced X-ply construction, extreme durability. So you can have confidence that, no matter how much trouble you get yourself into, the COMBAT will see you on the other side.

Since its reintroduction to the range in 2004, the COMBAT has re-established itself as NeilPryde’s all-round, highly durable wave sail. Equally at home in all types of wave sailing conditions, from huge onshore white water to perfect cross–offshore winds and peeling waves, the COMBAT combines versatility

DESIGN OBJECTIVES:

ACHIEVED BY:

• To develop an all-round wave sail that feels at home in both side shore and onshore conditions. • COMBAT must be a sail that features strong construction and durability. • The sail must have a light sailing feel, soft feeling; have good bottom end performance and solid up-wind ability for onshore conditions.

• 100% X-ply construction, without the use of mono-film, ensures durability. • COMBAT has a similar aspect ratio to Zone, but increased luff curve and shaping. • Moderate body shaping reduces ‘sailing weight’, provides softer rotation and gives a more ‘neutral’ feeling. • More leech tension than Zone improves upwind performance & early planing. • Introduction of a hollow leech (2007/08) improved twist in the upper part of the sail and prevented the mid-leech from loading up and “blowing out”.

For 2009:

• Bring the sails’ centre of effort as close to the rider as possible. • Improve the COMBAT’s performance in side shore conditions. • Further reduce the time required for the sail to transition from delivering drive (needed for bottom turms) to a ‘neutral’ feeling; I deal for coming off the top of a wave. • Reduce the physical weight of the COMBAT.

• The 2009 COMBAT features a compact clew. This allows the designer to use a lower aspect ratio than previous COMBAT designs, but without increasing the booms’ length. This results in a more compact, manoeuverable sail with a more rider focused surface area. • Reduced luff curve in the top section provides for slightly more power release in the head (for side-shore action) while maintaining drive and upwind ability (for onshore conditions). • Reduced downhaul and luff curve (in the mid-to-upper section) translates into less surface tension. This allows the sail to rapidly change it’s ‘mode’ from giving ‘drive’ to being ‘neutral’. • Load specific reinforcement ensures strength in the most critical load areas helping to minimise weight.

SIZE

LUFF +/- 1cm

BOOM +/- 1cm

BASE

BATTENS

CAMS

IDEAL MAST

CODE

3.5

353

144

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9CT35

4.0

375

150

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9CT40

4.2

386

156

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9CT42

4.5

398

160

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9CT45

4.7

408

164

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9CT47

5.0

418

168

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9CT50

5.3

428

173

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9CT53

5.6

441

178

none

NeilPryde Matrix 430

BNP9CT56

www.neilpryde.com 12

Baptiste Gossein

Antoine Albeau

Pieter Bijl

Philip Koster & Antoine Albeau

Micah Buzianis

“A lot of people think that the Alpha is just another version of the Search. For sure it’s powerful, which I like better for my sailing, but it’s not a sail just for the big guys. It’s been designed to work for all different sizes of sailors - take the new guy on Team Pryde - Philip Koster. Philip’s using the Alpha - he chose it from all of the wave sails, and is loving it for all the same reasons I ride that sail: it’s got power, it’s manoeuvrable, and it’s fast for a wave sail.” Antoine Albeau / FRA192

Philip Koster

CONSISTENT POWER. CONSISTENT CONTROL. Irrespective of your size, ALPHA is the NeilPryde wave sail that, because of its design focus on developing controllable power and good upwind ability, is best suited to demanding onshore, or “less than ideal” wave sailing environments.

So whether you are a light or heavy-weight rider, ALPHA is the sail that delivers all the power you need to get out of the disturbed air in the impact zone and into a good position “out the back” and take best advantage of virtually any conditions.

DESIGN OBJECTIVES:

ACHIEVED BY:

• To develop a powerful wave sail that excels in onshore wave sailing conditions. • ALPHA must have good bottom end and strong upwind capabilities. • To be suited to a wide range of rider sizes (not just larger sailors). In the same conditions lightweight riders will use a smaller ALPHA’s than a heavier rider would. • Focus the sails’ power around the rider to make it easy to control.

• The ALPHA has the most shape, and least rotated profile of all NeilPryde wave sails. • A mid-size head means the ALPHA can be designed with relatively high surface tension. This enhances upwind ability – without giving the sail a ‘top heavy’ feeling. • A wider luff-sleeve allows ALPHA to ‘neutralise’ and be less “direct” in gusty conditions. • Introduction of a hollow leech (2007/08) improved twist in the upper part of the sail and prevented the mid-leech from loading up and “blowing out”.

For 2009:

• Bring the sails’ centre of effort closer to the rider. • Increase the ALPHA’s wind range. • Optimise onshore performance across all sizes - regardless of the size of the rider. • Increase lift – without making the sail stiff and unforgiving.

For 2009:

• The 2009 ALPHA features a compact clew. This allows the designer to use a lower aspect ratio than previous ALPHA designs, but without increasing the boom length. This results in a more compact, manoeuverable sail and more rider focused surface area. • Reduced luff curve in the top section provides for slightly more power release in the head of the (for side-shore action) while maintaining drive and upwind ability (for onshore conditions). • Reduced downhaul and luff curve (in the mid-to-upper section) translates into less surface tension. This allows the sail to rapidly change it’s ‘mode’ from giving ‘drive’ to being ‘neutral’. • Load specific reinforcement ensures strength in the most critical load areas.

SIZE

LUFF +/- 1cm

BOOM +/- 1cm

BASE

BATTENS

CAMS

IDEAL MAST

CODE

3.6

352

148

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9AL36

4.0

367

154

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9AL40

4.2

382

157

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9AL42

4.5

393

161

30/0

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370/400

BNP9AL45

4.7

405

166

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9AL47

5.0

418

172

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9AL50

5.4

432

177

2/32

none

NeilPryde Matrix 430/400

BNP9AL54

5.8

445

183

none

NeilPryde Matrix 430

BNP9AL58

6.2

460

189

none

NeilPryde Matrix 430

BNP9AL62

www.neilpryde.com 16

Antoine Albeau

Kauli Seadi

“The Fly represents what I’m looking for in a wave sail. It’s quite powerful, but comfortable to sail and easy to handle. It’s super manoeuvrable in the air – which I love because that’s where I spend most of the time! And because of the low aspect ratio, the sail’s power is concentrated in front of me – this makes it easy to control and in the end gives me more speed to get to where I want to be on the wave.” Kauli Seadi / BRA253

Kauli Seadi

THE STORY OF THE FLY At the end of 2007 the news that Kauli Seadi was due to join Team Pryde quickly spread throughout the windsurfing world. At the same time, a keen sense of anticipation was also being felt at the NeilPryde Design Centre in Maui, where the Design Team were busy doing their homework, studying video footage of Kauli in action and gathering impressions from Pro Team Riders who’d sailed with Kauli on the World Tour. One thing was certain; Kauli was no ordinary sailor and developing a Signature Wavesail that would meet his needs would be a real challenge.

INSPIRATION The first piece in the puzzle was the name. A flash of inspiration during one of the many video-based brainstorm sessions yielded the name ‘The Fly’. This in turn lead the Design Team to study imagery of flies - super-detailed naturalist illustrations, macro close-up photographs of wings, compound eyes and legs, all of this went into the mix. Even the iridescent colours from the bodies of flies became the basis for the colour palette of the sail. Next came a detailed analysis of Kauli’s riding style and his own list of specific requirements for his sails and rig. Kauli indicated a clear preference for a sail with a regular boom length but a distinctly shorter mast than those normally used in other Pryde wavesails. DEVELOPMENT Kauli’s riding requirements were in sharp contras t to those of fellow Pryde Pro sailor Jason Polakow. Jason likes to ride using the power from the wave, like a surfer. Whereas Kauli, on the other hand, was adamant that he wanted constant power from the sail while he’s on the wave with a low centre of effort and plenty of drive. In less than a month the first prototypes of The Fly were made ready. The design team had noticed that Kauli’s riding style showed a clear freestyle influence, with a requirement for fast, dynamic manoeuvres in the air. They’d noted that he’s also really fluid when riding the face of the waves too, so the initial Fly prototypes addressed both of these performance characteristics, becoming a fusion of the existing Zone sail and the Core sails from a few years earlier.

THE DIFFERENCE - WINNING The first two prototype Fly sails were each made with different head shapings to facilitate a hard or soft release, the tighter head quickly become Kauli’s clear favourite. The designers also integrated the Compact Clew, the first time this feature had been used on wavesails. The Compact Clew outline enables a shorter luff, giving The Fly a lower aspect ratio and stabilising the draft, without increasing the length of the boom required. This has proven to be an important feature of The Fly and one of the keys to its distinctive handling. Of course the real test of any performance wavesail is competition, and The Fly made its competitive debut in Cabo Verde, possibly one of the most demanding wave riding venues on the Windsurfing World Tour and certainly the kind of place where any equipment weaknesses will quickly be found out. The results speak for themselves, Kauli placed first after a thrilling contest and The Fly passed the test with flying colours.

COMPACT WAVE RIDING. AERIAL PERFORMANCE. The signing to NeilPryde of double world wavesailing champion Kauli Seadi brought to the team a new school of wavesailing. Aggressive; gymnastic and with a focus on agility and aerial manoeuvring, the NeilPryde Design Centre was tasked with creating a practical and functional wavesail that could

facilitate Kauli’s flamboyant combination of wavesailing and freestyle. The result is THE FLY. It’s compact, lightweight, highly manoeuvrable and as comfortable in the air as it is on the water. Catch one if you can.

DESIGN OBJECTIVES:

ACHIEVED BY:

• To design a compact, lightweight and durable wave sail. • The sail needs to sit between Combat and Alpha in terms of drive and power. • The design must be optimised to deliver constant drive through the board. • The new sail should feature a high level of manoeuvrability on the water and in the air. To this end the sail could be evolved from a combination of existing freestyle and wave sail designs. • The sailing weight should feel as light as possible.

• THE FLY features the lowest aspect ratio of any NeilPryde wavesail. This is made possible by using a compact clew, which allows the designer to use a lower aspect ratio, without increasing the boom length. This results in a more compact sail with enhanced manoeuvrability. • To minimise weight, THE FLY features 4 battens in all sizes except the 5.1m & 5.4m, where the larger surface area requires more of a framework to retain stability. • The profile of THE FLY, whilst relatively flat (and further back than the Zone), is oriented towards the back hand. This gives constant drive – when needed – to the board. • Manoeuvrability objectives were achieved through the combination of an extremely compact outline and light weight construction. • Load specific reinforcement ensures strength in the most critical load areas. • THE FLY’s 4 batten configuration in the smaller sizes, allows for a larger spacing between each batten. This means there is less “batten skeleton” supporting the leech area so, even if the leech rigs tighter on the beach, it will still twist off when powered up. This is because this “soft skeleton” will react more easily to changes in wind speed, and thus does not need to be designed “pre-twisted”.

HOW DOES THE FLY FIT INTO THE RANGE? “When comparing THE FLY to other wave sails in the NeilPryde range the main point of difference is the light weight nature of the sail. This is due to the 4 batten configuration in the smaller sizes, which, in combination with constant drive, makes THE FLY particularly suitable for new style wave sailing where traditional wave riding and jumping are integrated with elements of freestyle.

The power of THE FLY and Combat are quite similar, yet the 5 batten configuration and predominantly X-ply construction does give the Combat a wider wind range and a greater level of durability. However, THE FLY’s lightweight construction delivers a significant advantage in aerial manoeuvres.

THE FLY is appropriate for, but not exclusively suited to, the new twinfin wave boards which are extremely manoeuvrable, but need a constant drive in the sail in order to keep speed when wave riding. This is quite different to the Zone where you are basically “surfing” using the power of the wave, and the sail is designed to virtually disappear in the riders hands.

Alpha is clearly the power-wave sail in our range, so it definitely has excellent onshore, low end performance with a wide windrange, but these ideas compromise on light weight feel and extreme manoeuvrability which are the areas where THE FLY excels.” Robert Stroj NeilPryde Sail Designer

SIZE

LUFF +/- 1cm

BOOM +/- 1cm

BASE

BATTENS

CAMS

IDEAL MAST

CODE

3.6

345

144

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370*

BNP9FL36

3.9

358

150

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370*

BNP9FL39

4.2

370

156

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9FL42

4.5

384

161

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9FL45

4.8

399

166

none

NeilPryde Matrix 370

BNP9FL48

5.1

412

170

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9FL51

5.4

425

174

none

NeilPryde Matrix 400

BNP9FL54

* Sail has extended head webbing to accommodate 370 mast. www.neilpryde.com 22

Kauli Seadi