In 2022, Goya has renewed its windsurfing sails models. Alberto Lovison, from Detour Surf in Peschiera del Garda, helps us to understand the characteristics of the products, designed for the different disciplines.

WINDSURFING: THE NEW GOYA 2022/23 SAILS (BY ALBERTO LOVISON)

(read also the article about 2022/2023 Goya and Quatro Boards)

10 seconds are enough to express a positive opinion on the new sails.

Just the time to pick them up, see their feather weight, unroll them on the beach and realize that the clean and bright look is just cool!

The main innovation: the weight

The main innovation, you have already heard of it, is weight reduction.

We are talking about half a kilo less under sail. That's a lot!

The use of precious materials, the assembly techniques optimized to perfection, a team composed of the best athletes and years of experience give life to sails with impeccable performance, to have maximum fun and last wear and tear over time.

To best introduce the new sails, I think the words of Jason Diffin (the sailmaker) and Bjoern Zedlick (the designer) are the most suitable. 

Jason Diffin: Weight reduction.

The biggest overriding improvement on all 2022/23 sails is a massive weight reduction.

"Half a kilogram per sail, often more, has been shed across the majority of the range.

Our focus has always been on making the lightest feeling sails, sails that fly in the hands, silky across a huge range of use, due to superbly refined weight distribution.

What’s all new for this year is that we were able to significantly drop the actual product weight more than ever before, resulting in the lightest Goya Windsurfing sails yet. Big news.

Less material in the batten pockets, the top and around the edges – losing swing weight, providing more lift – what it all comes down to is that stronger materials, and the evolution of how they are deployed, is enabling us to achieve the same level of build quality, at a fraction of the layers required.

All opportunities were seized to drop weight, and yet the 2022/23 range delivers the same durability you have come to expect, paired with all new levels of drive and dynamics. Bi-Ply, X-Ply, Scrim, made in the USA, like all our films, Dual Pass Lamination and UV Inhibitor, combine to provide the strongest and longest lasting films in sailmaking.

All 2022/23 sails feature tailored CNC battens for a superior profile.

Along with our new mast range, including the freshly launched Ultra Pro, these new sails ride in a different league of feather weight".

Bioern Zedlick: il design.

"The 2022/23 range marks the departure of our sails from their trademark helix theme, introduced over a decade ago.

The new design is a leap toward the modern and the mature. Cleaner and leaner, both in appearance and the amount of materials used to build each sail.

Engineering and design, function and form, going hand in hand, with the overarching goal of reducing weight and creating sails of unparalleled performance". 

The details seen up close

By monitoring how previous sails aged and how they reacted to wear, Jason Diffin was able to reduce reinforcements where they proved excessive.

Strengthened by the fact that the precious materials chosen are more robust than expected, downhaul, clew and top have fewer layers of material. 

CNC-cut battens have a smaller diameter (battens are among the heaviest components in a sail) and the batten sleeve has also been reduced.

Not only light weight, but also carefully balanced. The peculiar streamlining of the upper part of the sail cancels the pendulum effect.

Lighter sails tire less, but, above all, by exerting less pressure on the board, they allow a better starting point in planing.

But the innovation doesn't stop there.

The more minimal structure gives the sail elasticity which results in an increase in the wind range in which the sail performs. The sail becomes more powerful when under-powered and less nervous when over-powered.

Marcilio Browne is a direct witness of the increase in yield at low rpm (under-powered); while with the previous sails he often used the 5.3 (Marcilio weighs 86 kg.), as a large sail for the wave, with the new models he almost always uses the 5.0!

First impressions

Fortunately, during the Goya 2022/23 dealer meeting in Tarifa I had the opportunity to go on the water and try the sails and I was immediately thrilled. Lightness is appreciated from the moment the equipment is lifted from the ground.

The increase in efficiency is evident from the first pumping. The board gets planing more naturally.

When sailing, the same feeling of stability and control remains the one we were already used to.

I also felt the effect of the more elastic structure, or rather, I didn't feel it because the sail works continuously but imperceptibly, without transmitting interference.

In your hands, you can clearly feel the thrust that the sail generates, without surprises or creating discomfort. With unstable and gusty wind conditions, I also had the opportunity to explore the limits in terms of overpowering and underpowering, without ever finding myself in difficulty.

The 10 models in the catalog

The models in the catalog are Banzai, Fringe, Eclipse and Guru for the Waveriding. For flat waters, we have Nexus, Cypher, Mark and Mark 2. The Scion X is the sail for the little ones and the Surf for beginners and schools.

Banzai Pro and Banzai X Pro

The first of the class is always the Banzai, the best-selling 4 battens, the most used. Developed by Marcilio Browne and Kai Lenny. An extremely versatile sail, in terms of conditions and style and with a wide trim range (the double ring in the clew always featured).

It is a sail with a direct feeling, which is operated with the rear arm, and which offers immediate acceleration and precise thrust.

With the slimming treatment it has undergone, and with a more elastic structure, I found it less physically demanding than the previous versions and with an increased efficiency.

If in recent years someone could have some doubts about Banzai, this year it is really difficult to find critical issues.

Fringe Pro e Fringe X Pro

The Fringe is the other sail that has particularly caught my attention, because I have been using it for a few years in waveriding and I have always liked it conceptually. She was already light, and it is even more so, today!

The Fringe is a 3 batten sail born as a pure wave sail but in reality it is often used in different conditions, from freewave to freemove and wind foil.

In your hands, it seems you have nothing, but the sail creates a lot of thrust and produces acceleration; the low batten connected to the clew makes the feeling very precise.

It is a sail that does not require particular physicality, and allows you to concentrate only on the board! Ideal to be used with a few more liters and consequently without increasing the sail area too much.

It is a sail that is very popular in small to medium sizes for lighter riders and girls as well as it is chosen in large sizes, as the maximum sail for heavier surfers. 

Eclipse Pro and Eclipse X Pro

The Eclipse, 5-batten power wave.

It had been put aside, after Banzai entered the field because it was considered too physical and heavy.

The weight saving has given back space to the fifth batten, to have the power and stability that so many windsurfers in so many different spots need.

It has an edge in onshore conditions because it offers greater upwind and greater acceleration. It is more appreciated by more powerful and / or heavier windsurfers. Don't be surprised if in Sylt or Pozo you see Brawzinho put down his Banzai, and get back in the water with an Eclipse!

Pro vs X Pro

Banzai, Fringe and Eclipse are all available in two versions: Pro and X Pro.

They differ because the Pro has a Bi-Ply window: double lamination of films with anti-UV treatment (material 3 times more resistant than normal monofilm).

In the X Pro the window is in X-Ply: a Bi-Ply with the addition of a Spectra texture to stop any cuts in the film as much as possible. 

The weight difference between the two versions is imperceptible (the quantity and weight of the Spectra used are negligible). Sensitive windsurfers may find the X Pro version slightly stiffer. Honestly, I find it hard to perceive the difference.

Guru X

If you want a sail that is more resistant than the others (window in X-Ply and PVC) and that allows you to stay in the water when others go out to put a smaller sail or because they are exhausted from fatigue, the Guru X is your sail; it is the perfect sail.

Project that Jason Diffin has been carrying out since the time of the Simmer X-Flex (practically for two decades). It is named after its main ambassador: Keith Teboul and is also Francisco Goya's choice when Ho'okipa calls.

It offers a huge adjustment range. It is particularly popular in very windy spots such as the Gorge and Pozo.

Soft power transmission and progressive twist allow you to leave the sail bellied and always be at ease, as well as sheet in and ease it to withstand the toughest conditions.

It is the least physical sail of all. This does not mean that it is not powerful, but that it allows you to stay in the water much longer without getting tired.

The Guru is a sail that I gladly keep in my quiver, especially in the smaller sizes. With the weight reduction of the new collection, even the largest sizes become more attractive.

A 4.7 or 5.0 is the right choice to enjoy the Pelér wind at Lake Garda to the fullest: hours of windsurfing without changing sail and without giving in, because of fatigue.

Cypher Pro

Cypher is the name of the brand new freestyle sail developed with Antoine Albert.

One of the primary goals was to have the lightest sail that was possible. The 4.8 weighs less than 3 kg!

It is very light but it is always a Goya: the window is in monofilm, the upper panel is Bi-Ply (yellow colored) and the rest is Scrim.

It is characterized by its lift: the sail power generates an upward thrust. It is used to get into glide early and maximize pop.

The profile has changed and boasts a shorter boom to facilitate rotation and duck passes.

Thanks to the crazy lift it generates, the Cypher is just as perfect for wind-foiling or freewave / freemove in marginal wind conditions.

Cypher vs Fringe

With practically equal weights, they are the two lightest sails in the catalog.

The Cypher with its 4 battens is more stable and offers more control in strong winds. While the power of the Cypher generates an upward thrust, the Fringe transmits the power more neutrally or rather towards the bottom.

This gives a feeling of greater comfort and control on the board.

The Fringe allows you to focus exclusively on the board without being influenced by the sail.

The Cypher instead allows you to take advantage of the maximum power that the sail generates for more speed, more pop and faster rotations.

Mark, Mark B and Mark X

The Mark is a 6 batten sail, suitable for freeriding, freerace and slalom boards.

One less batten than what many other sailmakers offer makes it even more accessible and less physically demanding.

Its purpose is to make you reach your top speed as easily as possible and to maintain it for as long as possible.

It is intuitive and quick to adjust and can be mounted with both RDM and SDM masts (except 5.4 and 5.8 which only mount RDM).

It is offered in 3 versions: Mark (monofilm and Scrim), Mark X (X-Ply and Scrim) and Mark B (Bi-Ply and Scrim) offering interesting price alternatives.

Mark 2

The Mark 2 was introduced with the previous collection. It is a freerace sail with 6 battens and 2 cambers.

There are very few sails on the market with similar characteristics. I consider it a winning solution.

There are many windsurfers who choose slalom / race-oriented equipment to make light-medium wind sessions more exciting, and then collide against technical and physical limits and end up not having fun anymore.

The Mark 2, like the Mark, is super easy to rig and use. Cambers turn effortlessly.

It exerts less pressure on the board than a 7 batten, anticipating the glide entry. The presence of the two cambers guarantees that extra horsepower to express speed and acceleration in gusts and wind lulls.

It can be rigged with both RDM and SDM (except 5.4 and 5.8 which need RDM 400). It is in fact supplied with a double set of camber (RDM and SDM). 

When rigged with SDM, the sail is more stable and more powerful and physical. With RDM it becomes softer and more manageable. 

Nexus e Nexus B

The Nexus is a 5 battens freemove / freeride sail,

Stability, speed and control are its main characteristics. Intuitive in trimming and use, suitable for different types of styles, boards, and conditions, from bump & jump to flat water.

In the smaller sizes, it has a wave sail cut (high clew to amplify handling). suitable for freewave and bump & jump sessions. In the larger sizes, it is definitely oriented towards freemove and freeride.

It is offered in the finest Nexus B version (monofilm, Bi-Ply and Scrim), and in the cheaper version Nexus (monofilm and Scrim). It is rigged with both RDM and SDM (the 4.9 RDM only). Note that from 5.4 to 6.9, the 430 mast can be used.

Surf and Scion X

For the youngest windsurfers and beginners, Goya offers the Surf and the Scion X.

The Surf is a Dacron sail for beginners and schools.

The Scion X is a full-fledged wave sail, made to measure for the youngest. It has origins from the Fringe and has no limits, from the total beginner to the first experiences in competitions.

The Scion X is the sail with which the young talents from the Canary Islands, Marino Gil Gherardi, and María Morale Navarro joined the Goya team.

It is necessary to highlight the prices to the public of these two sails. As well as the school boards and those for the youngest, the price is deliberately low to make the sport as accessible as possible to young people.

Conclusioni

Never before the innovation which has brought to the sails has been so substantial as this year!

Goya sails have been popular around the world for some years now. Their performance and durability have always overshadowed a few extra grams.

Now that the weight is aligned with that of the lightest sails on the market and that the strength and quality of the materials has not been altered, it will be difficult for other sailmakers to maintain their market share.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact  detour.surf !!

Alberto Lovison 
detour.surf

(Photo taken from:  https://goyawindsurfing.com)