Whether on Lake Garda or Lake Neusiedl, there was a great deal of interest in this test sail. After circling it twice, the question inevitably arises: “Is this another Cut Away?” – the resemblance seems strikingly close. But the Rig One also features a very short boom, as on the ART Twister, removable mini-camber sections, as on the Neil-Pryde MPR, and the adjustable tack strap found on many racing sails – only here there are two of them. Designer John Chao offers three sail sizes, and orders are also being taken via a Kickstarter campaign. John told us more about the background to the project in an interview: What lies behind the unusual “RigOne” – an interview with designer John Chao
Anyone holding the Rig One for the first time is likely to be impressed. High-quality fabric, seven battens, several mini-battens, reinforcements at all critical points, a rubber strip running high up along the lower luff – no corners have been cut when it comes to quality. The cambers are neatly fitted and stitched, and the seams are flawless. The only slight flaw: when tightened to the required tension, the lower tack straps not only pull the sail’s centre of pressure steadily forwards but also create noticeable creases in the foot, which are unlikely to look any better over time. Visually and to the touch, however: full marks.
Let yourself glide passively rather than pumping
Our first test run was carried out on a 430 RDM carbon mast (GA RDM 80). Even with both cams in place, the sail displays comparatively little profile – even with very little luff tension. Switching to a 460 mast (NeilPryde X 100) noticeably changes the sail. The profile becomes visibly deeper, the sail feels more inherently stable – and as a result, even more controllable overall. The slightly unsettled feeling on the 430 gives way to a precise ride, whilst still retaining the Topps’ characteristic, gentle springiness under excess pressure. You position the sail towards the front with your arms outstretched – like a wave sail – and let yourself be drawn into the glide in a relaxed manner. Active pumping brings hardly any benefit. When it comes to getting up on the plane, the reference sail is clearly ahead.
With a boom length of just 1.82 metres, the sail appears surprisingly small and light. Our comparison sail, the NeilPryde Speedster Evo 7.0, is just under 30 centimetres longer, measured directly across the boom including the flared leech. With the short boom, the pressure point far forward and a flexibly opening leech, you shouldn’t expect much backhand power to actively accelerate in very light winds. Anyone hoping to get into a race by deliberately fanning the sail from a half-planing position is likely to be somewhat disappointed.
Relaxed cruising, even on rough seas
However, the sail’s performance is impressive in other ways: the pressure point never shifts behind the rear hand. It settles quite steadily between the hands and thus remains under control at all times. The widely flared top flexes gently to the side, relieving pressure without feeling spongy. The Rig One Medium never felt overpowered during the two days of testing, even when there was sometimes a great deal of pressure. It’s a sail you can still hold with just two fingers, whereas with a classic freeride sail you’d already have to grip it firmly with both hands. The reduced lift, which curbs acceleration in light winds, translates into greater comfort and control in strong winds. In gusts where you’d already have to hold on tightly to the Speedster, you could still cruise relaxed on the Rig One Medium without turning your knuckles white. However, if the rider really pushes the Speedster to the limit, it clearly outperforms the Rig One in every wind range. But reaching nearly 50 km/h on the GPS with less effort – that’s impressive too.
Almost 50 km/h on the GPS with minimal effort – that’s impressive.
Because the mast pocket is as narrow as on a camberless sail, it makes sense to simply leave out the two profile supports. Lo and behold: even in strong winds, we actually preferred the camberless version. The sail still forms a nice profile as soon as the wind fills it. The batten rotation during manoeuvres is really very good, and when hoisting the sail, it offers a noticeable ‘off’ – which makes planing easier in gusty winds. With the spacers fitted correctly, the camber does sit neatly against the mast – but our advice remains: leave them out.
surf’s verdict on the Rig One Medium
The Rig One is not a classic freeride or, indeed, a freerace sail, nor is it a fully-fledged alternative to another, smaller sail. It is a master of relaxation with a particularly wide wind range at the upper end. If you’re just looking for a sail that works from solid gliding winds right up to well beyond the actual strong-wind limit, without ever becoming a real struggle, you’ve found your partner here. Anyone wanting to keep up in mixed wind conditions will have to expect a noticeable shortfall. But if you simply want to surf away for hours on end with a 7.0-metre sail whilst others are already struggling with theirs – the Rig One is the perfect choice for you.
STRENGTHS: Features and build quality, very low holding forces, very wide wind range, pressure point always under control, feels light, easy to handle (without camber), very balanced in strong gusts
WEAKNESSES: Little extra power from pumping, hardly any lift in lighter winds, mediocre light-wind performance
SPECIAL FEATURES: Recommended exclusively (even in size Large) for RDM masts, extremely short boom, two straps (Tack Strap) for tensioning the foot, two removable cambers, no dedicated masts in the range
Technical Specifications for Rig One
The following recommended usage scenarios and weight guidelines are taken from the manufacturer’s website and, in our view, are particularly broad for downwind windsurfing and not very useful for practical guidance. As a guide, you can compare the performance range with that of a classic sail – although this one is easier to control in strong winds and offers reduced performance, particularly in light to moderate planing winds.
All the following information is based on the manufacturer’s specifications (the very wide and generously estimated wind range apparently applies from the lower wind limit for the lightest rider to the upper limit for the heaviest rider’s weight for each sail).
Small
- Size: 6.0 square metres
- Luff: 4.34 m
- Fork 1.75 m
- Riders weighing 36–82 kilos
- Wind 13–39 knots
Medium
- Size: 6.7 square metres
- Luff 4.66 m
- Fork 1.80 m
- Riders weighing 41–91 kilos
- Wind 13–30 knots
Large
- Size: 8.6 square metres
- Luff 4.96 m, boom 2.25 m
- Riders weighing 45–118 kilos
- Wind 10–26 knots
Find all the information at windwing.com