Finally got to get the sail out for its first run.
Was a bit dubious on first inspection as the sail has been designed to rig on a 400 mast only
(2009 model could rig on both)
* I prefer the additional stiffness the 430 (21) provides as opposed to the 400 (19).
Being 6'4" and over 90 kg the additional stiffness worked better for me on the 09 and earlier Alphas, producing greater drive and responsiveness when compared to the softer feel of the 400.
Attempted to rig it on the x9 skinny 430 and it simply would not work. Way to much stiffness in the mast.
Begrudgingly pulled the x3 400 out of the car and rigged the sail to the specs.

First view... looked sweet, no mods required to battens.

Wind was blowing 18 - 25 cross shore.
Headed out and was amazed at how much drive the sail produced but how supremely balanced it is.
The pull seems to feel lower in the sail and more forward as opposed to the older, above boom height drive, the 09's and earlier Alphas produced.
Very directional and very very stable.
The transition from power to neutral is super quick when wave ridding but does not kick back in with arm stretching pull.
The Alpha feels solid and directional while providing a new level of balance/forgiveness

All up, I can't wait to get some more time in on the new 2010 model.

Pros
- crisp, instant response
- solid
- powerfully balanced wave sail
- thicker mono film

Con's
- limited X-ply construction for a sail aimed at bigger/heavier wave sailors
- recommend outhaul setting seems slightly too short
- possible back wind potential based on outhaul (refer above)
- noisy when going out through the break or over chop (refer above)

All up, a big improvement on last years Alpha which was/is an awesome sail for the bigger/heavier wave rider. Get a demo or borrow one for a test blast... you wont be disappointed.

More to come if/when I get some more water time

Kev

No pryde ,there to expensive to own

I have recently returned to sailing after a 12 year "holiday" Ended up with an '07 Alpha 5.4. The versatility of these sails blows me away. It got sold to me as fat boys sail (I am 92kg) for the same reasons you outlined. It was 28 - 30knts here WA yesterday & I managed to hang onto it 'just' . I am very impressed. The only down size is different mast required for smaller sized sails.

Select to expand quote

dangles01 said...


The only down size is different mast required for smaller sized sails.

You can actually rig the 5.4 with a 400cm mast and 35 cm extension. For heavier riders this will reduce the bottom end performance a little bit because the top of the sail get's to soft... at least that's my experience. But the overall softer feel of sail with that setup is actually a good thing.

Also, the 4.2 in that range is listed to need to a 370 mast... I actually discovered that the sail comes with a short top extension cord that allows you to rig the sail on a 400 mast. It's not ideal but it actually works. Probably because the luff of the sail is 395 anyway.

So to sum it up. If you are prepared to take a bit of a performance hit on the 5.4 and 4.2 you should be able to get away with a single 400 mast for anything between those sizes... at least that's my experience...