For years, the Naish Force 4 to the all-rounders for the wave and as a strong wind sail for flat water. The developers have now significantly revised the model.
On land
The new 2026 Naish Force 4 is available in two colour variants (black/red and blue/white). Compared to the previous model, Naish has modified the twist in the top section, which should improve control in strong winds. The 4.7 size we tested is rigged on a 370 RDM mast. The sporty trim forces on the luff, which are used to bring the sail into shape, are striking. The loose leech is pulled comparatively far down into the sail, which means that the leech not only loosens between the upper two battens, but also runs far down towards the outhaul. The outhaul is fitted with two eyelets and the trim block on the luff is open. This allows you to put the rope on without fiddling, but the relaxed rope also falls off quickly. The mast protector is quite stiff, but it can be opened easily and folded up accordingly. The sail is equipped to Naish's usual high standard, the extensive use of grid materials makes a solid impression and the nominal weight of the sail (2.94 kilos) is pleasingly low.
On the water
Sheet in, hook in, glide away - the 2026 version of the Force 4 is also pleasantly uncomplicated when it comes to planing. Even with moderate planing technique, the sail is easy to get up to speed with, because the Force 4 finds the right angle of attack to the wind almost by itself, and when powered up it is very stable and surprisingly powerful in the hands. The centre of effort feels comparatively far back, which means that you immediately get pressure on the fins and can convert the power into above-average planing performance. On days with current, when looking for jump ramps or simply when freeriding in flat water, this characteristic is absolutely helpful. On the other hand, the Force 4 no longer feels quite as agile and playful as it did in previous years; it now feels a little more sluggish when sliding and rotating around its longitudinal axis. However, the changes are more noticeable in wave moves and freestyle tricks; the Force 4 continues to perform flawlessly in jibes, duck jibes and the like.
The wind range of the sail is also absolutely convincing, as the top twists cleanly and allows excess energy to escape in a controlled manner. The result is a one-a-control that maintains the balanced basic feeling over a wide wind range. Even annoying re-trimming is hardly necessary, moderate tension on the outhaul is enough to cover a large wind range. On the waves, the sail continues its power characteristics seamlessly: it is not completely neutral here, but always pulls with a slight ground pull on the back hand, which helps to carve powerful turns and arrive at the wave lip with enough speed even on days with slack waves and less wind.
Surf summary of the Naish Force 4
The new Naish Force 4 scores as a successful power wave sail with plenty of planing performance, balanced handling and a very large wind range. The feather-light sail feeling of previous years did not materialise during our sessions, but the Force 4 is still a good tip for surf, bump & jump and even as a strong wind sail for flat water.
Naish Force 4 - technical data
| Size | Battens | Boom | Luff |
| 3.5 | 4 | 144 | 342 |
| 3.7 | 4 | 148 | 354 |
| 4 | 4 | 151 | 364 |
| 4.2 | 4 | 154 | 370 |
| 4.5 | 4 | 156 | 380 |
| 4.7 | 4 | 160 | 388 |
| 5.3 | 4 | 170 | 414 |
| 5.6 | 4 | 176 | 422 |
Info under naish.com
