Perhaps one of the best-selling sail models of the last two decades, the V8 has nevertheless reinvented itself again and again over the years: in the last expansion stage, the "cubic capacity" was reduced to two camber and a moderately wide mast sleeve. High tension (trim forces!) on the stiff mast also provides the necessary stability. If you want to get to the foremost trim point in the sail, you have to put in 150 kilos of effort - hardly feasible without a crank - but you don't necessarily have to get there.
Except for areas in the lower leech and the luff track made of X-Ply, the V8 is also made of (coloured) mono film, which appears to be properly dimensioned. The wear-prone areas are well protected all round, the diagonal batten has no rubbing strake, but the sail almost never touches the boom in normal trim. The roller block at the lower end of the sail is sewn on as normal and the protector is well padded. A large grip loop makes it easier to hoist the sail onto the mast, as with all comparable models. The two eyelets on the outhaul are only about 2 cm apart, which is significantly less than on models from Severne or Duotone. The mast top is solidly reinforced and the batten tensioners protect the leech so that no additional reinforcement is required on the side. However, the backs of the tensioners are reinforced. The batten tensioners can be adjusted without tools with suitably practised fingers.
Lots of race feeling, lots of commitment
On the water, the high tension in the rig is immediately noticeable, the rather flat profile is particularly taut and conveys the most racing feeling. Trimmed to the front point, we found the sail to be too flat, slightly below "max" seems to be more than enough. Then you get a combination of good planing, particularly powerful power delivery in mid-wind and a very stable centre of pressure, even when the clew is only loosely attached. The sail is very powerful, with the back hand you can determine how much throttle you give, there are no pressure point shifts to be felt, just the option to surf faster and faster with more of your own power. The V8 thus achieves the maximum speed potential of the group - but please use your body accordingly. The ample sail power is already noticeable in the planing phase, but can only really be utilised to the maximum for acceleration or speeding up after planing. This is particularly successful for taller surfers - under 1.80 metres you may still feel a little undersized. In gybes it seems rather large.
Surf summary of the NeilPryde V8
The NeilPryde V8 offers the sporty, fit surfer maximum performance with maximum control and a very stable pressure point. The ride feels tight, and with a pull of the rear hand, the performance can be increased further and further.
Sporty feel, speed, control
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Trimming force
Technical data NeilPryde V8 7.7
- Sail weight: 4.9 kg*
- Mast weight: 1.84 kg*
- sleeve opening: 114-158 cm*
- Trimming force: 140-150 kilos*
- Mast used: NeilPryde TPX 100 SDM 460; Price: 1049 Euro
- Price: 1139 Euro
- Info under neilpryde.com
*surf measurement
