Ezzy have just realised info on their next iteration of the Taka - the Taka 4, along with info on the new Lion and Cheetah. You can check it out at:

www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/post/2018-ezzy-lion-cheetah-taka4-coming-soon#post1

Im particularly keen to see the new Taka4, - I have loved the Taka2 and Taka3 (best sails I've owned to date), its been great to see the incremental improvements as the range has evolved. It sounds like they have updated the sleeve and improved both balance and handling slightly - a tough ask to improve on what was already an epic sail - Mr Ezzy keep up the great work!

I think I'm liking the red - time to place another order.

I'll keep the post going with updates when they arrive and a review of their performance on the water.

Thanks for the update bigdaz.... I've been really happy with my Taka3. See you out at Gerroa this summer!

Still waiting on some decent wind after picking up my new quiver before doing a proper review. I picked up a 4.1, 4.7 and 5.3. Unrolling them for the first time I can see the same Ezzy eye for detail and quality as the Taka3's - with a new weave on the luff sleeve - still waiting for wind to be able to appreciate the difference. I've only had the 5.3 out in sub optimal conditions. Here is a pic of me having a grovel. The low end is still outstanding!

Well Bigdaz I can help you out here. I have just bought 5.3 and 5.0 Taka 4s replacing the Taka2s in the same sizes. I have used them 5 times now in winds varying from super light to super gutsy and waves from waist to mast plus. At the risk of being boring I have to confirm the sales blurb: they really do have a wider wind range. In light conditions their deeper draft makes pumping onto swells much easier, while their improved stability makes ballistic gusts much easier to manage. Meanwhile on the wave itself they feel just as loose as the old ones. I'm convinced that they are an improvement on the Taka2s and of course it's always nice to be able to see the waves through the sparkling window of a new sail. Cheers Jens

Bigdaz, what's the Quattro Supermini Thruster like in light wind?

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Bigdaz, what's the Quattro Supermini Thruster like in light wind?

So far so good. First impressions are it's quite corky, planes super early and feels quite loose - but have yet to get it into any decent waves. I'll do a proper review on it soon after some better conditions.

Cheers Jens, appreciated ur feedback

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bigdaz said..

Bigdaz, what's the Quattro Supermini Thruster like in light wind?

So far so good. First impressions are it's quite corky, planes super early and feels quite loose - but have yet to get it into any decent waves. I'll do a proper review on it soon after some better conditions.

Sounds good. I'm interested in hearing about the mini thruster in decent waves too. Did you also consider the Cube? Looks to have many of the mini thruster characteristics with more wave emphasis? Cheers Jens

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Jens said..

bigdaz said..

Bigdaz, what's the Quattro Supermini Thruster like in light wind?

So far so good. First impressions are it's quite corky, planes super early and feels quite loose - but have yet to get it into any decent waves. I'll do a proper review on it soon after some better conditions.

Sounds good. I'm interested in hearing about the mini thruster in decent waves too. Did you also consider the Cube? Looks to have many of the mini thruster characteristics with more wave emphasis? Cheers Jens

Yep, I got a cube as well as my smaller board 86ltrs - havn't sailed it yet Need some flippen wind!!!! Hopefully later this week fingers crossed!!!

OK, so finally some wind and waves turned up at the same time and I have been able to use my 4.7 and 5.3 from everything from barely float and ride to fully powered - I'm still grinning from ear to ear

Whats different from the Taka3? - from what I understand they have changed the thread alignment on the mast sleeve and the panel layouts are slightly different also. The blurbs I have read from Ezzy state that this has made the sail more responsive and also improved handling - I have to say I really loved the Taka3's and felt that they were already a very responsive sail with excellent handling - so in my mind it seemed like it would be difficult to improve on that and any improvements were going to be slight and incremental. In the sessions that I have had so far I would say this is true - it definitely hasn't been a huge leap forward, but improve they have and these sails just continue to feel even better on the water.

Positives:
Range!!!! The tunable ranges on these sails is ridiculous and the rigging guides really easy to follow to set the sail just right. Each sail covers a broad wind range and I can get away with one less sail in my quiver- 4.1, 4.7, 5.3 works perfectly for me.
The low end is amazing and really gets u going early and also goes up wind like a trooper. This also allows you to be on a smaller sail earlier.
The top end never gets out of hand and remains very stable and controllable with no leech flutter whatsoever.
They are really light in the hands and easy to switch off the power on the wave and in transitions.
I reckon they look pretty schmick too!

Negatives:
It's really hard to fault these sails, but one area I have noticed is when it is ridiculously gusty - and when you are off the plane and get hit by a 30knt gust, in a split second the deep luff can fill instantly and can throw you off balance - if you sail these conditions all the time then I would suggest going for a 4 or 5 batten sail. Other than that, I am very happy

For those that were interested in my Quatro Super Mini and Cube - I have now done a separate review of them:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Quatro-2018-Cube-and-Super-Mini?page=1#4

Cheers

Stoked to get my 4.1 Taka out a couple of weeks ago and happy to report that they have managed to continue the same feel and characteristics as the other sizes, just in a more fun, compact package. Wind was gusting over 40knts and it felt great! Really happy with the sizing of my quiver - 4.1, 4.7, 5.3, it's perfect!

Hi Folks. I' ve been using the 5.3 Taka 4s for the very light wind late sessions over the last few weeks with Min1 to Min2 settings. While these settings do provide much more torque there is a limit to what a 5.3 can achieve. This was highlighted by yesterday's light wind session with a 2017 5.7 Goya Fringe. Also a 3 batten sail that rigs on an Ezzy 430, it feels like a natural progression. Much easier to pump and I really enjoyed the extra power. A little bigger on the wave face, but I soon got used to it and was more than happy with the trade off. Cheers Jens

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Jens said..
Hi Folks. I' ve been using the 5.3 Taka 4s for the very light wind late sessions over the last few weeks with Min1 to Min2 settings. While these settings do provide much more torque there is a limit to what a 5.3 can achieve. This was highlighted by yesterday's light wind session with a 2017 5.7 Goya Fringe. Also a 3 batten sail that rigs on an Ezzy 430, it feels like a natural progression. Much easier to pump and I really enjoyed the extra power. A little bigger on the wave face, but I soon got used to it and was more than happy with the trade off. Cheers Jens

That sounds about right to me, I've found that the 5.3 Taka4 on the Min 2 setting gives me about the power of previous 5.6's/5.7s I've had in other sails (4 or 5 baton sails). The Fringe works on a similar principle and delivers power above it's stated size -I'd guess that a 5.7 Fringe could deliver the power of potentially up to 6.0 or even more??? Sounds like a good option if you are wanting a sail bigger than the Taka's range and still want a 3 baton.