Quick test: Foil sail Naish Lift
With foils, Naish consistently focuses on flying in light winds, user-friendliness and easy handling. To match this, Naish is now launching a foil sail that aims to push the lower wind limit even further.
On land: The Lift is available for 699 or 799 euros in two sizes - 4.7 and 5.7 - which are visibly different from normal windsurfing sails: The 5.7 is rigged on a 400 mast, but can also be mounted on a 430 mast thanks to the Vario top. The boom dimensions are generous; we struck the boom of the 5.7 on test at just under two metres in length. The wide flared foot and the soft profile are generally striking. Background: As foil sails tend to be used in less wind, are more upright on deck and the forces in the sail are therefore lower, the lift should pull a deep profile early on and thus deliver maximum power. It is therefore hardly surprising that the lift should only be trimmed moderately on the luff; there is no visible loose leech. The majority of the profile, which is stabilised by only 3.5 battens, is made of soft Dacron, and a fold in the luff is intended to give the sail a deep belly.
On the water:The lift is soft and light - if you pump up, the profile inflates like a balloon, which produces a lot of power. Positive: As soon as you get on the foil, the sail stabilises and is noticeably more stable than you are used to from a normal windsurf sail - certainly a result of the long boom and the pressure point located far back. The sail remains wonderfully light in the hand. Even in medium gusts, however, you will notice how the pressure point moves further back; the soft lift was definitely not designed as a strong wind sail.
SURF conclusionIt has been consistently optimised for light winds and does indeed offer maximum performance in this area, allowing you to whizz through the air from ten to twelve knots with a handy 5.7, depending on your ability and weight. If you still want to windsurf and are looking for a sail for both disciplines or for foils optimised for performance, you should still stick with your normal freeride sail - the control and twist of the lift are simply not good enough for windsurfing in planing winds.
