North Sails Duke 5.4

Surf recommendation: Compared to the ID, the Duke is designed a little more for bump & jump conditions and, thanks to its very good performance and top control, should particularly appeal to surfers looking for a strong wind sail for heating and jibing. In demanding freestyle manoeuvres, the Duke is somewhat slower and less neutral. Ambitious trickers who practise manoeuvres beyond spock and flaka should then go for the ID.

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[Sail] North Sails Duke 5,4 : [Tester] Frank Lewisch : [Spot] Prasonisi/Rhodes

On land: Compared to last year, the sail looks virtually unchanged. In contrast to the North ID, the Duke uses normal but quite thick monofilm instead of the grid laminate, which makes it appear somewhat heavier. The Duke was also designed for a 4.30 mast and leaves nothing to be desired in terms of equipment.

On the water: In a group comparison, the North Duke seems noticeably more tuned for freeride manoeuvres than for uncompromising freestyle: the sail is quite tight, sits firmly in the hand on the straight and planes very early. One of the Duke's great strengths is undoubtedly that the sail works for a very long time in one trim, even in gusty conditions, without having to be trimmed immediately - a strength that should particularly appeal to surfers who usually tend to ride larger sails and use a 5.3 sail as a strong wind sail. Riders who freestyle at a high level and are looking for a sail that is as light and neutral as possible in manoeuvres will have to make small compromises. Here the Duke appears somewhat slower and larger than the lightweights in the group, the profile simply never flattens out completely. This does not mean that radical tricks are not possible, but they do require a little more power.

Web: www.north-windsurf.com

Mast used: North Platinum RDM 430 cm, IMCS 21, 1.80 kilos, 100 % carbon;

Price: 769 Euro