Now that the Iwindsurf weather app opens up with this incredible picture , went to the HSM website to check which sail it depicts and was smitten by the extraordinary number of sail prints and colours they offer and I think you can order a sail with your own design imprint! Awesome! Not sure, but the customisation is not an option on all models, just on the Superfreak I think.

Funny you mention this. Back in early April, when I was looking for a super large sail to go along with the Flacon Lightwind, my eyes also caught the Speedfreak. I almost bought a 10.0 and designed a few of my own colorways. I ended up buying the NeilPride V8 instead but here are my own Speedfreak designs, free of charge and copyright free! Ha! If I remember, the price for a custom color wasn't more expensive than the stock, juste the lead time was a bit more.

SuperFreaks have a lot going for them. They are lightweight, quiet, and handle gusty weather like no other.
I haven't bought a non-HSM sail since 2002 and don't expect that to ever change!
Here's the design my daughter made for my next sail (which will be a 6.5 SpeedFreak.



Drew

Nice! The colours of the rainbow Right now you are using only Superfreaks if I remember correctly, right Andrew? I love the locked-in feel and solid stability of a 7 battens freerace sail like the Speedfreak, in sizes 6.5 and up. I have only 7.5 and 6.5 Retros left, but the 6.5 specifically is my favorite in that 15-25 mph wind range on small lakes like Wolf, when the wind is strong enough to give you the excitement of speed and the chop is still not too rough. Once in a while I play in my mind with the idea of switching entirely to wave sails and boards, but one nice session with the 6.5 and the 110 Atom makes those kind of ideas evaporate quickly. I’m not ready to give up that feel yet, if ever. The wave kit just can’t compare, it has different merits that come to light in stronger winds. Even my older Retro with its boring graphics looks beautiful when powered up, leaned back , closing the gap with the board naturally -the beauty of speed as I call it.

I would love to try a 6.5 Speedfreak

Yes I am a Freak freak
In spring of 2005 I bought a 5.5 & 6.3 SuperFreak and a 7.1 Psyclone (freaks only went to 6.3 then)
I've now got 4.7 5.3 & 5.8 Freaks and want to replace the 6.3 & 7.1 with 6.5 & 7.5 SpeedFreaks.
For me, the 5.8 is the biggest sail I like using in waves. If there's not enough wind for a 5.8+shortboard, the 5.8 works great on the SUP.
The new SpeedFreaks have gone to six battens (from 7) and now have a single camber below the boom.
The SuperFreaks have kevlar in the luff to take the downhaul pressure; the SpeedFreaks have X-ply there instead.
If you're a more "seasoned" windsurfer (I'm 54) you will appreciate the way the Freaks flex and absorb overpowering gusts. Your body doesn't feel quite so beat-up after a long session on a gusty day. Your joints will thank you.
And of course they look awesome!
http://www.jhoganphotography.com/p984149886/h9a4179c2#h9a4179c2
www.jhoganphotography.com/p984149886/h9a4179c2#h9a4179c2
Drew

Yep, my quiver is the same for the same reasons : 4.2;4.6;5.2;5.7 Revos and 6.5;7.5 Retros. Very satisfied with my current boards too: 94L Kode /tri fin/; 110 Atom and 9’ Converse windsup. Feels at home equally well on flat water and in waves . For my usually around 166 Lbs bare weight the sizes and volumes overlap nicely too. Sure if I had money, time and a van I would have added more stuff-like dedicated wave, freestyle and light wind boards and sails, but for the situation I’m in this point in my life my current quiver feels like the optimal compromise while still being diverse enough to keep me entertained in most conditions found in the Midwest. 2017 is definitely my first year in which I don’t feel the constraints of lacking gear and can finally turn my focus on selecting the playgrounds that suit me and my quiver best .
As for the question about brand loyalty, it is like marriage to me-at some point you may feel like you didn’t make the best choice and there might be better options out there, but your choice is still good enough and the positives outweigh the hustles and expense of switching. So yeah, the HSM sails look awesome and I have complimented somebody once about his HSM sail , Im sure they perform great also otherwise they wouldn’t have existed for so long. Thing is I made my choice with Starboard and Sailworks after trying out few other brands. /never HSM unfortunately / and I’ll probably stick with them for the foreseeable future. Though I never miss the opportunity and actively seek to try new equipment whenever appropriate while offering to the other party to try my own.
BTW which board do you intend on using the future Speedfreaks on? The Carve might be a little below their league. Something racier would be a better match IMO.

Greg, what made you choose the V8 over the Speedfreak if you don’t mind me asking?

Sure. I picked the NP because:
- Always wanted to own one
- Loved the colors
- Had amazing reviews
- Was right-on for pairing with the Falcon
- I already had a carbon boom of the correct size

But inherently, the NP was a choice that didn't make much sense because:
- It was way-more expensive than the HSM Speedfreak
- It was hard to find
- The distributor didn't make things easy
- The Speedfreak would have been a better choice from an ease of use and range point of view
- The NP won't last as long for sure (mono film construction throughout vs Dacron for the HSM)

So you can say I over-indulged and you would be right! So far I don't regret it though: The NP V8 is just an overpriced but amazing sail! I used it more than my 5.7 this season and it did everything it says it would. Love it!

Now my complete subjective opinion, I think that in terms of material choice and overall design, the NP V8 is one futuristic and top-engineered piece of windsurfing equipment while the HSM Speedfreak feels it could have been designed back in the 80's. This doesn't mean the Speedfreak doesn't performs almost as well though. For a reasonable price in the super-size sails, the good balanced choice would be for me the Ezzy Lion (comes in a 9.5!). Did you see the new 2018 version? Pretty sweet. That sail is just the perfect powerhouse for easy lightwind freerace/freeride weekend sailor. Indestructible, huge range capacity and so well balanced. This would be my number one choice if I had to do this again.
And despite what many are saying about cambered sails, if your arms and shoulders can take it, it is just a much better option for freeriding/freeracing to my opinion. The 2 cambers Ezzy Lion ranging from 6.5 to 9.5 provides this positive deep profile that enables faster planing. When rigged properly, the leech twists superbly and releases excess gusts so it is not that hard to handle when a bit overpowered. And a dual cambered sail is really no big deal to set and rig: Might take an extra 15 seconds, that's it!

I think monofilm is actually the better material for sails 8.0 and bigger. You don’t need exra reinforcement in light wind . Xply adds unnecessary weight and stiffness, which you are better off without when trying to lower the planing threshold as much as possible. I believe you made the right choice.

SpeedFreaking...



(not me, but with a good crash!)

Drew

Drew, nice pics of the red-hot HSM! Lookin' good!

I've sailed nothing but HSM since 2003, I had a 6.3 Superfreak color option #1, my most used sail, everybody in Chicago knew my sail. Kept it for 10+ years, then sold it on Ebay to a freak in NY who had a set of smaller ones, and bought it for $140. Since I bought it for about $350 at year-end sell off, what amazing resale value. I replaced it with new but old-model Firelight 6.0, which is lighter than Superfreak and rigs on a 400 mast. I still have 7.0 Superfreak ultralight (thinner softer Dacron) and 5.3 Superfreak. The SF are probably less powerful for their size than other sails, when I compare what I am using to others at the same time. The custom sails I imagine are great, but I have had tremendous luck buying used and new old model sails and masts on their web site.