I've been told the 3Di North slalom sails are coming in April. Game changer? Worth the investment? If I replace my sails now they will probably outlast me!! But u have to love cool new gear like this. I could buy a new car or all new quiver??? Hmmmm.






No - I don't work for North but their gear is the best. I cried for years when they left the scene

I'm still waiting for someone I know to buy and try and give me feedback before I jump in.

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forsyth said..
I've been told the 3Di North slalom sails are coming in April. Game changer? Worth the investment? If I replace my sails now they will probably outlast me!! But u have to love cool new gear like this. I could buy a new car or all new quiver??? Hmmmm.






No - I don't work for North but their gear is the best. I cried for years when they left the scene

They never left the scene, the guys originally behind North windsurfing changed brand name to Duotone

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forsyth said..
I've been told the 3Di North slalom sails are coming in April. Game changer? Worth the investment? If I replace my sails now they will probably outlast me!! But u have to love cool new gear like this. I could buy a new car or all new quiver??? Hmmmm.






No - I don't work for North but their gear is the best. I cried for years when they left the scene

North Sails were never part of the scene just their logo was. If you want the old North Windsurfing gear this is now named Duotone.

3di is a material game changer.
Lighter, stronger, more stable and it deforms way less.

But none of that is helpful if the sail isn't designed to an optimal shape to begin with.

I'd wait and see the reviews.
It would be suprising if they can surpass severne, duotone, NP etc for sail design (in relation to racing performance) straight off the bat, despite having 3di and a group of knowledgeable developers.

Im sure they will quickly get there, but it might take a couple of years racing at the top level first.

Definitely new quiver before new car

Yes I know north became Duotone but just can't buy something that sounds like a paint n paper store. Severne sails look gr8 and the Boomerang logo is sort of appropriate for Aus but are they really as good as the old North sails? I think waiting to see how they perform in competition is good advice. BTW - I never really cry, used that for effect. Just like ex Prince Andrew can't sweat I can't cry

Why would you go all in on a product that is so new? Maybe start with one sail after having a go on it first and see how long it will last or let others try the durability of this material for you lol.

I'd go with something that is proven if you think the sails will outlast you... So much to choose from if you stick to the traditional materials or go for it if you wanna live at the bleeding edge but don't come back crying ;)

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MHSA said..
3di is a material game changer.
Lighter, stronger, more stable and it deforms way less.

But none of that is helpful if the sail isn't designed to an optimal shape to begin with.

I'd wait and see the reviews.
It would be suprising if they can surpass severne, duotone, NP etc for sail design (in relation to racing performance) straight off the bat, despite having 3di and a group of knowledgeable developers.

Im sure they will quickly get there, but it might take a couple of years racing at the top level first.

As a sailmaker I must voice my concern regarding the materials durability. It's true the material is light, strong and holds its shape fairly well however it gains nothing in durability. Instead of creasing and breaking like monofilm/mylar it becomes porous as if you poked it with a sewing needle. Had they really come up with a jack of all trades sailcloth, every cruising sailboat would be running 3di sails, instead it's only the racers and they are changing their inventory quite often.

If they make the skin thicker and properly design it, it could very well be the best sail on the market but I always fear planned obsolescence.

They are great looking sails for sure ,I was also a north freak, they behaved nice ,if they are as strong as my EZZY's
I would look at them ,but I'm just waiting for my ezzy's to wear out ,it might be some time .Scrim mono film is pretty strong .
I wish Ezzy would make a 3 or 4 cam for racing ,I think it is safe to buy a north and try it ,
Do we always believe what is claimed on sail manufacturing companies web sites ,probably ,

The way North speak they had better be winning some serious racing in the next year to two, if its so good its called a GAME CHANGER. Otherwise no ones game is changing, just another sail on the race course so will be interesting to see the next 12-24 months of top level racing.
It will also be interesting to see how they last for durability, this isn't exactly yachting and if they do go soft or porous like a previous poster mentioned then it may look fine on the surface but wouldn't perform the same...

Being in QLD I'm also skeptical of the full black and the sun/heat...

Will be watching how they go - keen to see the RRP too!

Im looking forward to test this North Freerace sail, hopefully very soon :)
Where did you find the picture ?

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As a sailmaker I must voice my concern regarding the materials durability.

Really? Have you had much experience with 3di? The durability and shape holding are significantly better than other processes and materials. The story always goes about the first VO70 mains that went around the world could do it again. The reason that most cruiers pass on it is cost, and some don't like the stiff handling. In practice yacht racers are getting longer sail replacement intervals, as the shapes are staying stable a lot longer. If you ever get a hole in yacht 3di sails it's pretty easy to just glue patches in place as the hole doesn't travel like other cloth. There are some sailing/match race centers that have gone with 3di for club boats as even at 2x the cost they get longer usable lives out of the mains.

I have lots of unanswered questions about these sails, but the weight and durability are not what I'm worried about, should be excellent. What remains to be seen (and it might be a while as they don't seem to be churning these out especially quickly) is if the shapes are any good, as early yacht 3dis had some oddball setups that you couldn't really tune out. Also very curious to see how what I'm assuming will be longer lifespans will make up for the extra cost, and whether North is going to insist on specific masts for their different sails, as they're probably not designed to set up on other masts.

Thansk for all the info on this thread, I'm in the US and there is zero info on these. I have a lot of experience with their yacht sails and love the 3dis, but will for sure be waiting to see what others think before getting a WS sail.

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Kristo said..

As a sailmaker I must voice my concern regarding the materials durability.

Really? Have you had much experience with 3di? The durability and shape holding are significantly better than other processes and materials. The story always goes about the first VO70 mains that went around the world could do it again. The reason that most cruiers pass on it is cost, and some don't like the stiff handling. In practice yacht racers are getting longer sail replacement intervals, as the shapes are staying stable a lot longer. If you ever get a hole in yacht 3di sails it's pretty easy to just glue patches in place as the hole doesn't travel like other cloth. There are some sailing/match race centers that have gone with 3di for club boats as even at 2x the cost they get longer usable lives out of the mains.

I have lots of unanswered questions about these sails, but the weight and durability are not what I'm worried about, should be excellent. What remains to be seen (and it might be a while as they don't seem to be churning these out especially quickly) is if the shapes are any good, as early yacht 3dis had some oddball setups that you couldn't really tune out. Also very curious to see how what I'm assuming will be longer lifespans will make up for the extra cost, and whether North is going to insist on specific masts for their different sails, as they're probably not designed to set up on other masts.

Thansk for all the info on this thread, I'm in the US and there is zero info on these. I have a lot of experience with their yacht sails and love the 3dis, but will for sure be waiting to see what others think before getting a WS sail.

They better last a real lot longer. I can buy almost three (3) Point-7 ACK for the cost of one 3di Freerace.

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Kristo said..

As a sailmaker I must voice my concern regarding the materials durability.

Really? Have you had much experience with 3di? The durability and shape holding are significantly better than other processes and materials. The story always goes about the first VO70 mains that went around the world could do it again. The reason that most cruiers pass on it is cost, and some don't like the stiff handling. In practice yacht racers are getting longer sail replacement intervals, as the shapes are staying stable a lot longer. If you ever get a hole in yacht 3di sails it's pretty easy to just glue patches in place as the hole doesn't travel like other cloth. There are some sailing/match race centers that have gone with 3di for club boats as even at 2x the cost they get longer usable lives out of the mains.

I have lots of unanswered questions about these sails, but the weight and durability are not what I'm worried about, should be excellent. What remains to be seen (and it might be a while as they don't seem to be churning these out especially quickly) is if the shapes are any good, as early yacht 3dis had some oddball setups that you couldn't really tune out. Also very curious to see how what I'm assuming will be longer lifespans will make up for the extra cost, and whether North is going to insist on specific masts for their different sails, as they're probably not designed to set up on other masts.

Thansk for all the info on this thread, I'm in the US and there is zero info on these. I have a lot of experience with their yacht sails and love the 3dis, but will for sure be waiting to see what others think before getting a WS sail.

Have you had much experience with 3di?
A one-design class is doing rounds with Quantum and North sails in my area, I've had time to observe both during the past 5 years.

The durability and shape holding are significantly better than other processes and materials.
I don't question their shape holding ability either, however the durability could be compromised depending on thickness.

If you ever get a hole in yacht 3di sails it's pretty easy to just glue patches in place as the hole doesn't travel like other cloth.
Agreed, a simple glued on patch will do just fine, but then we get to the batten pockets. Sorting out a batten pocket can be difficult; we as windsurfers have lots of those on a relatively small area. There is no seam to rip during repair to access the batten pocket and reinforce it since it's all "laminated" together.

I'm very excited to see what they come up with but call for cautious optimism.

That's an excellent point regarding the pockets. Might add the luff sleeves as well as that's a relatively novel thing to marry to 3di.

A lot of questions will go away if they actually release the stuff! Where I'm at my most common sail is an 8.5 so the wave sails are just not worth trying. Big fan of their race 3di yacht sails, so I remain curious, but even I might have to pass if the big sails are over 2k us.

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MHSA said..
3di is a material game changer.
Lighter, stronger, more stable and it deforms way less.

But none of that is helpful if the sail isn't designed to an optimal shape to begin with.

I'd wait and see the reviews.
It would be suprising if they can surpass severne, duotone, NP etc for sail design (in relation to racing performance) straight off the bat, despite having 3di and a group of knowledgeable developers.

Im sure they will quickly get there, but it might take a couple of years racing at the top level first.

Thin and light are characteristic of sails that die early from UV damage. It's not necessarily so of course but its a concern.

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Kristo said..

As a sailmaker I must voice my concern regarding the materials durability.

Really? Have you had much experience with 3di? The durability and shape holding are significantly better than other processes and materials. The story always goes about the first VO70 mains that went around the world could do it again.

The 3DI mainsail that failed on Viva Mexico's VO65 in leg 1 of this year's The Ocean Race was previously raced around the world in the last race by AbuDabi Ocean Racing.

It appears that once around is the limit

Some sailors make the trip around the world twice with the same 3di sail. That should convince everyone of the durability

Some sailors make the trip around the world twice with the same 3di sail. That should convince everyone of the durability

And some don't even make the finish line.

Not knocking 3di sails,but what do they use for strength.l believe they no longer use Myler.so what will they use in the Yarns, to strengthen the sails under full load (Downhaul).

i've got a 4.7 wave version. it's the only sail i've used since bought new a few months ago. huge stable wind range of 17-30+ knots (haven't yet reached an upper limit) and noticeably faster top speed than anything else of the same size that i've used. i'd say it's the first genuinely significant improvement in windsurfing technology in a long time

how long it lasts is another matter. The luff was like stiff cardboard when new, now it's slowly turning into a woolly sock. at least it's getting easier to roll up

It's going to be very difficult going back to regular sail if these turns out to be lemon and they stop making them

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Haircut said..
i've got a 4.7 wave version. it's the only sail i've used since bought new a few months ago. huge stable wind range of 17-30+ knots (haven't yet reached an upper limit) and noticeably faster top speed than anything else of the same size that i've used. i'd say it's the first genuinely significant improvement in windsurfing technology in a long time

how long it lasts is another matter. The luff was like stiff cardboard when new, now it's slowly turning into a woolly sock. at least it's getting easier to roll up

It's going to be very difficult going back to regular sail if these turns out to be lemon and they stop making them

Chatting on the beach to a north wave convert and he said similar, he felt a genuine difference in feel...but on the other hand if you fork out that cash you need to justify....the bit I found interesting is the local Duotone distributor has been rubbishing them as test and trial products which makes sense as Duotone were positioning themselves as cutting edge design and Severne Pro's as the ultimate sail.....both are now relegated off the top spot for both innovation (Duotone) and weight (Sev Pro) so how do they position themselves when they were charging premium prices but now offering middle ground technology....lets face it most of the annual sail releases over the last 5 years may have had very small improvements but you would have to be an exceptional sailor to upgrade your recent yr sail based on the justification in performance rather than marketing led desire

While on a windsurfing trip in Cape Verde last week saw the North crew testing the race sails paired to some brand new isonics. First time seeing 3di in flesh, impressive details, no seams, aero cambers. Nice masts, booms, all carbon, everything North

Wind was light that day, 15-16 knots, but boy they were fast
Few pics taken

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southsea said.

...lets face it most of the annual sail releases over the last 5 years may have had very small improvements but you would have to be an exceptional sailor to upgrade your recent yr sail based on the justification in performance rather than marketing led desire

That's what I thought as well until I recently had to replace my 2015 Blade pros with 2022 Blades (non-pro). I know it's 7 years of small iterations (that's also how long a sail can last and I used these a lot) but the difference is insane! The sails have improved drastically in all aspects except maybe weight (probably because these are not pros). I wouldn't even consider rigging the 2015 ones while I was extremely happy with them before.

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Gwarn said..

What's the backstory here? Mechanical wear? Delamination?

News flash
3.7 wave



Well they do rip got caught in some shore break with a rocky beach.
Had the exact same scenario, same time last year and at the same launch happened to me and do the same thing to a Ezzy.
I just taped it up like any other sail.
It's a shame they don't include the material that they cut out where the window is rolled up with the sail when you purchase it.
That way you could cut out a piece and glue it on to each side where the rip is and it would look good...
This is a common practice on the boat 3DI sails gluing and heat transferring patches.
It would be the right thing to do.
I have over 65 days on the sail in the 3 month's....
It took me some time to adjust to the sail I came from riding Ezzy Taka 5 sails which have a lot of shape and draft which makes them a power wave sail that doesn't quite the depower all the way...
On the other hand the North is straight gutless on the bottom end but depowers instantly....
It rigs on a very soft mast so when you get in an overpowering conditions it kind of distorts and flops around like a rag....
I am sold on them so none of these little corks really bothers me I'm definitely going to fill out the quiver.
As far as longevity it is no different than any other sail.
Just the fact that it weighs half the weight is selling feature for me.

And here in the states the price is no different than any other sail actually a little bit cheaper then a ezzy I just purchased of the same size....

One of the negatives is the response I've gotten through the emails very poor doesn't reflect on the true north sails motto from the boat industry......
Because the sails carries the true north logo it should receive the same type of technical support.....
That's just my two cents though.

I am really curious about the foil freerace sails around 8m range. For really light wind days a good and light sail is the difference between foiling and not foiling at all. Based on Gwarn's experience, I hope they improve their customer service and don't just rely on shops to answer questions (like some other brands).

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t3wind said..
While on a windsurfing trip in Cape Verde last week saw the North crew testing the race sails paired to some brand new isonics. First time seeing 3di in flesh, impressive details, no seams, aero cambers. Nice masts, booms, all carbon, everything North

Wind was light that day, 15-16 knots, but boy they were fast
Few pics taken

Did they know when they will be released to the public? The black would still scare me in sunny hot australia, I wouldn't want to be the guinea pig on that one. Curious about how the air cams work?