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Posted on 9th Oct 2010 @ 2:37 PM

2011 Gaastra IQ windsurfing sail

Bigger isn’t always better. So claims Gaastra’s IQ freestyle/wave windsurfing sails, which utilize super-short masts and boast a rig-small mindset. Former WINDSURFING editor Eddy Patricelli spent a week riding the 4.7 and 4.2 Gaastra IQ windsurfing sails in the Gorge. Here’s his report.

Performance

In one word: Wow. Loads of bottom-end power, but all of it close at hand with a compact pulling sensation that instilled truckloads of sailing confidence. Carving, jumping, sail transitions and tricks — all of it felt easier, in part because the Gaastra IQ let me ride a smaller windsurfing sail than most everyone.

But that’s just the half of it. The windsurf sail’s design took small-sail handling advantages one big step further. The 4.7 Gaastra IQ has just four battens and rigs on a 370-cm mast. Less battens means less weight. Likewise for the short mast, which also offers riders more leverage over a sail. On the water, this translated into more control and, well, more fun. My first session on the Gaastra IQ had me sailing better than my last windy water day more than 7 months ago. The sail reminded me of short, parabolic skis (shape skis), and how their truncated shape made carving that perfect turn easy for everyone.

As for the Gaastra IQ’s speed and high-end control, it felt on par with other modern power wave sails. And while I waited for the four-batten layout to sacrifice draft stability in the gusts, it didn’t. The power was solid, low, and always easy to manage.

Caveats

Not surprisingly, the Gaastra IQ 4.7 and 4.2 felt best on the prescribed Gaastra 75-percent Carbon 370-cm mast. To be sure, I tried two other masts in the 4.7 (NoLimitz Sumo 400 cm, Fiberspar Tidal Wave 370 cm). Both did the job in the IQ, but came up a tad shy in power and handling compared to the Gaastra mast.

Conclusions

It’s hard to review the Gaastra IQ without mentioning the Naish Boxer. The Gaastra IQ’s designer, Dan Kaseler, developed the Boxer while working at Naish years ago using short-mast design principles echoed today in his IQ line. But while Kaseler’s Boxers of years’ past seemed best suited for lightweights only, his Gaastra IQ broadens the scope of users. It’s got more power — allowing any size sailor to lean into an IQ, pop onto a plane and reap all those small-sail handling advantages. My advice: Try one.

Eddy Patricelli is the former editor of WINDSURFING and the current editor of ISLANDS, islands.com.