For a long time, Naish sails were quite soft, but that has changed since the 2023 season. With higher trim forces, the Naish Force 4 now wants to be brought into shape, the loose leech is less pronounced at the top, but runs quite far down towards the outhaul. A moderate pull on the boom is enough to cover a wide wind range - more on this later.
The open pulley block on the bottom of the sail has always been a matter of taste; the rope is simply placed on the pulleys without fiddling, although it can easily fall off again when loose. The features themselves are of a high standard, and the sail characteristics can be easily changed by selecting the outhaul eyelet (up = more power, down = more control). The Force 4 is not an absolute powerhouse, but it loads up well, especially if you don't pull it too flat on the outhaul rope.
Here's a video of the new Naish Force 4 with all the info on equipment & features
Good mix of neutral and powerful
The sail doesn't need to be trimmed excessively, because even moderate tension is enough to elicit a wide wind range from the concept - there is hardly any need to fear pressure point migration even in stronger gusts. The Naish sail accelerates powerfully, is well balanced and inherently stable in the hand when powered up and therefore does not put high demands on the rider. The sail is also well-balanced in manoeuvres: it is not one of the absolute featherweights in direct comparison, but still offers impeccable handling, agile and easy to steer through all manoeuvres from power jibes to front loops.
The performance on the wave can also seamlessly follow on from this, because regardless of whether you prefer powerful or neutral sails, the Naish Force 4 offers a good mix of both. On the back hand, you can always feel some positive drive to keep the board fast and convert the power into hard cut cutbacks. Yet you can also rig the sail more neutral to offer a nice "off" in bottom turns.
surf's summary of the Naish Force 4 4.5
Whether you're riding at pro level in powerful ocean waves or looking for a controllable wave sail for the Baltic Sea, the very all-round Force 4 has no weaknesses and can please almost anyone. If the focus is primarily on flat water and bump & jump, it may still make sense to take a look at the Force 5.
Wind range, balance
Open trim block
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Technical data Naish Force 4 4.5
- Sail weight: 3.02 kg*
- Mast weight: 1.52 kg*
- sleeve opening: 102-146 cm*
- Mast used: Naish RDM 90 370 RDM (90 % Carbon)
- Price: 869 Euro
- Info under naish.com
*surf measurement
