Looks like the top of the Ezzy is not soft, its the bottom thats too stiff! Now it starts to make sense-thats why they dont put them in the soft top category. Very misleading!

"Ezzy mast bend curves are tip: 75% to 79% and base: 62% to 65%". These numbers reflect a tolerance....
(Note: A higher % number indicates a higher mast deflection at either the top 3/4 or, bottom 1/4 relative to the mid point deflection point which leads into overall mast stiffness as reflected with the MCS or IMCS numbers....... And,..... there are three pages of math/algebra to go along with that last sentence..........).

The numbers and charts are just guidelines. According to the 2017 charts, Severne seems to have softened up their masts into the upper CC range. Maybe the new 2017 Severne sails will work well on the Ezzy mast?

Is it possible to see how the new 2017 Severne sail rigs up on an Ezzy 430 RDM? Maybe the dealer can do this and send pictures? Maybe Severne has done this and can advise?

Douglas King wrote:
A lot of companies have been doing that lately. Maui Sails (and S2Maui) are not using hard tops anymore. I think it applies to Naish too. It's a trend in the right direction. Eventually, most masts will "work" in many sails.

The data I got from Severne was for a 400 mast. There might not be much difference with a 430. I asked Severne and wil see what they have to say.
I also heard that Gaastra has abandoned their Hard Top mast luff curve on their 2017 sails. This looks like a trend...

Anyhow, that Severne Blade is making me drooling! Love the design/colors and efficient simplicity. So, wave sail, means high aspect ratio, less efficient in moderat windy conditions, better maneurabilty, not as much range, but easier to handle in high wind. This one is a 5 beaten sail, like the Revo or the Tiger. I might over-simplify everything here, but all those sails have to behave somewhat in a similar way, right?

I understand that it is not the ideal fit for the atom 124 l, but the ultimate plan is to make this work on a 100 l B&J board and leave the 124l home in days above 20 knots.

Also, directly from Ezzy's website: "For Sails That Require a Hard Top Bend Mast
Customers using sail brands that require a hard top bend have found success combining our top with a bottom that is two sizes smaller. For example combining a 460 top and a 400 bottom produces a 430 cm hard top mast."

I'm also going demo a ZX-SE 5.7 sail from Northwave. From what they say, it is great at everything! If anyone heard anything about those sails, plz let me know.

Gregory, you never said anything about the Ezzy Elite. I've dismissed it before when you were about to get your freride sails as too "wavy" , but since we are talking wave sails now I think it should be considered as a top contender. Its praised a lot in reviews for everything-blasting, bump & jump , wave riding. It is the best Ezzy sail after all-the sail that made this company what it is today. They changed the name a few times, removed a batten, but it's still their top sail and I like how it looks. Especially the blue one will go nicely with a bright orange Kode Freewave






www.windsurf.co.uk/test/ezzy-elite-5-7m-2015-test-review/

And now I've started drooling too

I finally got an answer from Severne regarding mast compatibility.
"Ezzy masts are off of at least 1,5 and 2 points so i would say not a proper fit."
And this one from Severneshop.com:
"I'm afraid you will have to change your mast as severne masts are stiff top and bottom and soft centre and will only get 70% of the performance of the sail."

I'm not buying a new mast. This puts a halt on the Severne route.

Back to square one with either Goya, Sailworks or Ezzy. Yep, the Elite or Tigger is the choice that makes more sense in my case. I think I've exhausted the topic with my indecision! I'll go flip a coin!

This is the right time to be indecisive-you are about to start assembling your strong wind quiver. The way I see it /and I might be wrong/ something is bothering you in the Ezzys, but you don't want to loose some money if you switch to a different brand and have to replace a mast also. Well Gregory, this things happen in windsurfing and it is a way of gathering experience. Expensive way nonetheless, but I accept it although there are a number of cheap sports out there. I personally look at it like a tithe-winsurfing is my religion and I pay my dues and I feel happy abot it. You can check my profile -the "About me" section for more crazy insight on the topic
Youll be replacing that 6.5 Cheetah of yours rather sooner than later-Im sure about it-because it is too small for the 80cm wide Atom and it will not be a good match for a freewave board with 3 footstraps, so why not replacing the mast aswell?! You can get yourself a Revo now and it will have the aforementioned issues, but it will be still usable and next season you'll be more in the clear if to go Sailworks and replace the 6.5 Cheetah with a 6.2 Revo and the mast with a Sumo, or go Severne and their Gorilla masts, or stay with Ezzy ...or something else. There might be some price to pay but...
Well thats all I wanted to say and Ill let you decide for yourself at this point.

The 2015 Goya Guru has a vinyl window and comes in a 5.7 and 5-battens. It boasts 'comfort and control' but, it uses a 430 mast. The 2016/2017 Guru only goes up to 5.3... goyawindsurfing.com/sails/items/y2015/guru/

As for 2017 that leads to the 5-batten Goya Nexus in a 5.9..... which is more of a B&J Freeride,,,,, but, the 5.9 uses a 430 mast too.

Dougression
So, I have a 2009 Ezzy Freewave 5.8, with a vinyl window. What a sweet sail !!! Why replace something that works so well? However, last year, I bought a 2015 Ezzy Hookipa 430 RDM to replace a much older Powerex 430 SDM. What a positive difference it made in both rigging and sailing, not only on my 2009 Ezzy Freewave 5.8 but, also for my 2010 Ezzy Panther 5.2..... (Note: my next sail up is a 2012 Maui Sails 6.8 Global on a 2015 Maui Sail 460 RDM. I like the stiffer headed masts in 15-20 mph rough, big, ocean water since it provides more lift in the top of the sail when say,.... you're in the trough of a ten foot swell and need to reach higher up the sail to get some lift..... Also, the 6.8 Power Wave sail matches up sweetly with my 115 liter Naish Starship (65.6 cm wide) in the rougher ocean waters vs. flatter sound or lake waters.... Fast, in rough waters, is not the goal.)

But, one day those two sails will need to be replaced...... And, since I use the 5.8 much-much more than the 5.2, it will be the first to get changed out. Hence, my interest in this forum Topic. Personally, I've got my eyes open for a 2015 Goya Guru 5.7 in pristine-to-new condition just to mix it up with Ezzy. But, if a 2013+ Ezzy Tiger 5.8 (5-battens, more stable at higher speeds) in pristine-to-new condition comes along with a low enough price to scream at me.... Then, .............

Yes, the Goya are beautiful sails. The more I'm thinking about this, the more I think a 5-batten wave sail is the way to go for higher wind and high swell/heavy chop conditions regardless if the board is a freeride or B&J. Board size and rail shape is more significant it seems. You summarized it well: when sailing in high wind and pretty big swell, speed is not what you want. Control and maneuverability is more important. That is exactly what I'm looking for.
I also have my eyes on the Naish starship in 100l. That should be a lot more fun to handle in the chop and swell.

I'm still getting conflicting info from Severn. They won't officially release the bend curve ratio of their mast while Ezzy does it more than happily. The people at Ezzy are so helpful that they certainly deserve my business a lot more than Severne for sure.

To give anyone interested in the mast bend curve saga, here are a few more info:
Severne 1 : 63% / 76% (from Saverne)
Severne 2 : 65% / 78% (collected from Severne rep. Which makes no sense cause that makes it for a softer top than the Ezzy, which contradicts the info I got from Severn and the Unifiber chart as well!)
Ezzy: 62% / 77%

Ezzy mix and match: (info from Ezzy)
460 top + 430 bottom: ~63% / ~76%
460 top + 400 bottom: ~64% / ~75% (more hard-top)

higher % = softer
lower % = stiffer (harder)

This means I could match the curve ratio of the Severne Blade if I use a 460/430 Ezzy combo as long as the 5.7 Blade requires a minimum extension set at 15cm when rigged on a recommended 430. Or just accept a 1% difference with the 460+400 combo.

I'll keep digging... Finaly, im not giving up on the Blade yet!

Be careful how much control you wish in a sail. Hardcore wave sails are shared for down the line wave boards with tiny fins that spin out easily and can be too flat and feel powerless and unstable. You can learn to depower a sail with more shape by sheating out when needed, but you cant put power in a flat sail regardless how good you are. I would be looking at the Gator in the Severne lineup, which is a lot like the Revo from 5.7 to 4.5. Mike let me try his once /big size/ and I was amazed at how stable it felt.


Buji with the Gator

Yes, the Gator is a good choice. No pbl with power/depower. Just need to have something lighter and more nimble to handle in the Michigan swell. I also was reading in variety of places that 5-beaten wave sails are a great versatile choice for high wind, gusty and chalanging sees; best on freewave boards, but totally acceptable on smaller B&J and freeride boards.

Following up with the mast compatibility with Severn sails, I had confirmation that Severn sails are designed around a bent curve of 63% / 75%
Ezzy masts are 62% / 77%
This confirms Unfiber's latest chart that shows Severn more hardtop than Ezzy.

In conclusion, I also had Ezzy's suggestion to try a combo "400 bottom and 460 top = about 63%/75%, with an IMCS of about 23". This would get very close to the Severne specs for a 430 mast on a 5.7 Blade except for the overal stiffness that is about 1 to 2 points above (normally 21-22 for a 430). I am very tempted to sign up for that! If it doesn't work, I would have to just go ahead and buy the Severn mast.

Alternatively, I've ordered a demo ZX-SE 5.7 from Northwave in the Gorge to see for myself what that feels like. This is on its way.

Interesting, that Northwave sail is very tall. Probably one of the tallest 5.7 on the market currently at a 448 luff lenght and the tallest 5.7 for sure would be their heritage Surflight at 458. For comparison both Revo and Gator 5.7 are 440 and the Elite is 438. I have no idea what difference this high aspect/low aspect thing has for real world sailing and which is better for our specific conditions, but the overall trend is for ever shorter luff lengths. I wish somebody who has some personal experience with both types would compare them.
Also the topic of sail lightness is a whole another chapter in itself! Is it just the sail or the whole rig you compare; is it the physical on the scale weight or the on the water feel? Then the settings-more downhaul and outhaul makes the sail feel lighter, boom hight...better not go there
PS: after some goggle-ing I am getting the impression that the high aspect sails may have a better high end-a lot like a slalom sail-which will probably lead to having to use a bigger sail for the same wind strength compared to low aspect sails. Again it will be still very subjective and down to personal preference. My personal mantra is that thruth is in moderation.