If you want to get your hands on one of the almost legendary GunSails Vector, you'll have to be quick, as the sail will be replaced for the coming season. The Vector is the heaviest sail on the scales, which is due to the slightly thicker material throughout - and therefore speaks in favour of good durability. Both lower leech and lower battens are protected with rubber strips. There is plenty of room for three cambers in what is clearly the widest mast sleeve, giving it a real racing look. The webbing for tensioning the lower leech, as found on racing sails, is a perfect match. There is exactly one point in the sail for the luff trim - and it actually always fits perfectly. The two outhaul eyelets mainly change the boom length and less the height of the boom on the outhaul.
Stiff profile and hardly any pressure point migration
On the water, the sail convinces - as is well known - with a profile as solid as a brick Roman archway, which is still as stable after two thousand years as it was on the first day. Even with zero tension on the outhaul, the sail knows almost no pressure point migration and thus offers a very large wind range without trimming. You pull up tight, put the sail down and then almost nothing moves. From the powerful acceleration to the very good top speed, the consistent, even power delivery is impressive. The comparatively higher sail weight even helps to keep the board under control in strong gusts, as does the above-average stability of the pressure point. You hardly have to make any corrections, the sail reacts to gusts with acceleration without jerking on the boom.
The price for the consistently super performance is the high weight, which can be felt from the neck up: a Severne Moto seems at least one square metre smaller in every situation. The camber rotates well in the jibe, but the sail is slower and heavier than its competitors due to the long boom (plus long overhang).
Surf summary of the GunSails Vector 7.8
A particularly powerful sail that is also surprisingly easy to surf because it is very stable on the board. However, it is also very powerful in handling. Our recommendation for larger, stronger surfers.
Performance from planing to top speed
Manoeuvre handling; quite heavy
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Technical data GunSails Vector 7.8
- Sail weight: 6.1 kg*
- Mast weight: 1.98 kg*
- Sleeve opening: 113-161 cm*
- Trim force: 101 kilos*
- Mast used: GunSails Select 100 SDM 460; Price: 425 Euro
- Price: 599 Euro
- Info under gunsails.com
*surf measurement
