Already ridden: GA Sails IQ ME 4.8
Peter, what is the difference between a membrane sail and those made of gridded X-Ply material?
X-Ply is produced as a large roll in which threads are glued between two layers of monofilm, so the material is the same everywhere. The tensile forces in the sail are absorbed by the monofilm, not the threads in between, which only serve as protection against tearing. With membrane sails, each panel is made individually and the glued-in fibres are aligned so that they lie exactly in the direction of tension. As a result, the forces are absorbed by the fibres and the film can be made thinner, which saves weight.
What do you see as the advantages of this technology?
The weight is slightly lower, but above all the driving experience is unique!
To what extent do fibres in the direction of pull make any sense at all if you have to interrupt them again afterwards at battens and sail windows?
Most sails are made up of horizontal panels that are sewn together under tension under the battens, which results in the profile. The fibres are then interrupted, which you can also see. To avoid this, I made continuous panels that run parallel to the fibres and tensile forces. So there are no more interruptions in the fibres at the battens. Only in the area of the window do you have to make compromises, because you can't do without it. But this is designed to be as compact as possible and is framed by the Technora fibres - so it's not a big problem.
How stable do you think membrane sails are? Other manufacturers have stopped doing this because delamination became a problem.
I think technically our concept with the continuous strips is a good solution. The laminate material is softer and less susceptible to buckling than conventional X-Ply. Nevertheless, you should of course handle it with care and not leave it out in the sun forever - but that also applies to all other sails.
We have already been able to try out the GA Sails IQ ME in the 4.8 square metre size. Here are our impressions:
On land: In the 4.8 square metre size, the IQ ME weighs in at 3.02 kilos, which is around 200 to 300 grams less than the Manic or IQ models in a comparable size. The membrane material is already very soft and flexible when rolled out and proved to be significantly less prone to buckling than the monofilm. With the 4.8 ME you can't avoid a 370 mast, the trim forces are very moderate and when rigged the sail has no recognisable profile with completely flat battens. The other features, e.g. the protector, are of the usual high GA standard.
On the water: The IQ ME disproves the fear of getting a flat, fidgety sail in your hand as soon as you pull it tight for the first time, as the flat profile on land transforms into a full belly, which ensures good riding stability. The sail loads up very well and develops enough planing power to get even heavy surfers up to speed quickly. When fully powered up, the sail is balanced and wonderfully comfortable in the hand. You hear no crackling, no rustling, nothing - just silence. The IQ ME feels as if it has been cast from a single mould - neutral and light in manoeuvres, with barely perceptible batten rotation.
The special feature here is not the extremely light handling, but rather the feel: the IQ ME is firm and reactive on the one hand, but also very damped and flexible on the other - a combination that is rarely found in this form in monofilm sails. On the wave, the GA sail pulls into the turn with plenty of drive and should also survive crashes and washes well thanks to the full lattice and a seemingly solid mix of materials.
surf conclusion: The GA Sails IQ ME impresses both freeriders and ambitious wave surfers with top handling, plenty of power and an extremely comfortable ride. At the time of going to press, it was not yet clear how much this "good feeling" will cost at the till.
