due to lack of North dealers in Aus now in particular WA, i need to change sail brands. So has anyone had any comparison sails between, Swats, RRD fours Mk111, Ezzy Panther elites, Simmer black tips or FLys? These are the brands i can get locally. Quite interested if any has used Panther elites after moving from North or Prydes>

Weird discovery, you don't seem to be able to buy 4 batten sails in size below 4.5m in WA, none left until July. Got to love WA for that.

you should be able to buy north online, if not, try Adam Quinn directly (adam_quinn@me.com) he is the fanatic/north importer.

most shops will ship australia wide anyway.

Hi - of the ones you mention I have the Simmer Black tips and just used the Ezzy Elite's for 12 sessions on Maui (5.3, 5.0 and 4.7).

The Ezzy Elite sure is a (very) different sail compared with the Simmer BT.

If you want a sail with (a lot) of power, solid build quality and all kinds of rig indicators, go Ezzy. Personally, even if I got them to work quite well for me, I found the Ezzy's a bit too heavy and even if you give them a solid amount of outhaul, they never go neutral, at least not for me. Build quality is excellent, but the grid of the sail cloth reflects a fair amont of sun and makes it difficult to see through the sail when sun is low. They remain really stable with a nice, soft feeling even in a lot of wind. I was on the 4.7 in winds where I easily could have been on a 4.2 or 4.0, but it was mostly fine. Of the Elites I used, the 5.0 was my fav.

With the Simmer Black Tip you will get a sail with a bit less power, still good though, more neutral and (a lot) lighter in the hands. Build quality is good. I really like them and think that they perhaps work best when conditions are a bit gusty and tricky, since the are so easy to adapt during sailing. For a four batten sail, I think that the Black tips are really stable and fairly direct in how it feels. To me, it is a very easy sail to get right and just use in a wide range of conditions.

Over the years I have owned and tried different sails, more recently Simmer, Gaastra, NP, Naish, Hot Sails Maui and now Ezzy. I must say that among these, the Ezzy's I've tried (SE and now the Elite) sure stand out as different. David Ezzy has a different approach to designing a wave sail, mainly when it comes to batten rotation and how the luff works from my view. I think that you either really like them or don't. Even if there was a lot of things I did like about the Elites, mainly the excellent range and build quality, I personally prefer sails that are lighter in the hands and easier to get more neutral when needed.

I am 78 kgs.

Isnt' there a North/Fanatic dealer Down South, Safety bay or something???
Excuse my lack of local knowledge ( Me a Tassie resident), , just i knew there was one down there last year.
I know Tassie, Vic AND NSW have North reps, would say that is representation on Eastern States!. Dont know about other states and territories.

CHeers Masse for the report. Exactly what i wanted. I've now switched to RRD fours and so far best sails I've used so far. just makes you want to try anything. Lots power there but smooth and seems to want for me till I'm ready. Also easiest sail to waterstart yet. they just seem to float on the surface and release with 1 hand. Cannot reckon them enough.

WA surf was the north dealer but they are kiting and SUPing nowdays.