Gaastra Cosmic 8.5

On land:The Cosmic can also be set up with less clew tension for more planing performance, but a slightly flatter trim over the luff with additional noticeable tension on the clew is much more versatile.

On the water: If you want to cover a wide wind range with the Cosmic, simply trim it to medium to high and you will get a very stable, freeracing sail that is by no means heavy in the hand. It can be nailed to the deck with great stability and takes every gust with it to accelerate willingly. There is a lack of passive pressure during the first few metres in the planing phase - but it can be pumped up very elastically - once under way, the sail loads up powerfully with the deepest profile point a little further back and the flat angle of attack and is very fast throughout the entire wind range. The pressure point appears to be low down, which makes for a stable, secure feeling. In the jibe, the camber rotates well and the entire rig feels okay in terms of weight. On the straights, it even provides a power-saving, relaxed ride with little holding power.

Web: www.gaastra.com

Mast used: Gaastra SDM 490 cm, IMCS 29, 2.2 kilos, 75 % carbonPrice: 499 Eurosurf measurementSail weight:5.62 kgMast weight: 2.08 kg

Downloads:

Test freerace sail with camber 8.5 (pdf)