5m sail choice?
ste - 27-2-2004 at 13:35
Looking for a nice new 5m wave sail
Questions / issues
1. Do you think i will notice a difference between a 2003-4 sail and my old ART Rip from a few years back?
q2. What do people rate between
North Superstar
Arrows Impact
Tushy storm / Rock
Want something that is gonna have a real good top end and not too pully.
Although i like the look of the Gaastra Manic i dont wanna go down the RDM route right now (£££). Sorry but dont like the look
or the £££ of NPs.
Ste
justal - 27-2-2004 at 16:59
I know I always say this, but take a look at the Gun Sails, the new Hammer should just about fit the bill and the 5m one is £252
brand new. The Wave MC is also a lovely sail (5m is £233).
I had a 5m Wave MC last year and it was really nice, but it got lost at sea and has now been replaced with an equally nice Gun Impact
Wave which was the precursor to the Hammer.
Take a look at the gun website http://www.gunsails.co.uk and click on the 'nice price' image in the header (if its still
there)... thats where they 'hide' all the bargains, and some of them can be really good.
You probably won't notice too much differnce between a 2003/04 sail and one from 2001 onwards, but new sails just feel so much nicer
anyway. After a season of sailing the tend to have strecthed and warped a little and also start becoming brittle and less responsive...
There you go, is that a good enough excuse to persuade yourself that you need some new toys!! 
Al.
kelvin - 28-2-2004 at 18:17
why do you need an rdm for the gastra , i,m currenty got three manics and they work fine on ordinary masts.
johno - 28-2-2004 at 19:50
i have just bought myself a 03 impact 5.3 at a good price from reactive watersports they were very helpfull while i was researching
sails 2xs had a03 superstar 5m brand new at 35% off at £228 iwould say that was a bargin or a 5m instinct ex demo like new for the
same price if you ask for chris he can advise more on how the sails preform
from what i understand the superstar is awsome in proper waves and feels light and neutral in the hands with a solid biuld quality and
the instinct better allround quality but more pully and the impact its good enough for goya then its good enough for me
IainO - 29-2-2004 at 23:17
I know you have said that you don't like Neil Pryde but if you're looking for top end you can't go far wrong with the Search. If you go
for a 2002/2003 model it's not going to be too expensive and its OK with standard diameter masts. I've used NP sails for years, and
apart from the 2000 NRs, they've been excellent sails.
Happy hunting
ste - 1-3-2004 at 16:38
Thanks for all the feedback - will keep looking.
Kelvin - what year Manics do you have and what make of Masts do you use? I thought they had got increasingly RDM dependent...
kelvin - 1-3-2004 at 22:57
they are o2 models sizes4.5/5.3/6.1 . THE 4.5 goes on a standard 400 tushy 40% mast . Tje5.3/6.1 on a standard tushy70% 430.
have no problems with them matter of fact was so impressed with first one that I went out and got further 2.
mate who has tried them liked them and bought some himself although 03 models , he also uses standard masts .
Wes - 2-3-2004 at 12:08
Well, going on reviews, I was soon going to order 5 and 5.7 Tush rock or storm (cant really work out the differance - and neither can
the mags!) However, no one here seems to rate them? Any reason behind this or simply that nobody here owns them?
Al - is it just me or are Gun sails pushing there prices up a little these days? Might even start tempting people to include them in
tests if the cost as much as NP!
Ste - what other sails have you got? The style and sizes of those around your new one can make the choice a little easier.
Wes
robsurfer - 2-3-2004 at 14:25
The Tushingham sails do not seem as powerful as some of the other brands.
I have use Tushingham and also North sail and the North sail seem to be more Powerful.
justal - 2-3-2004 at 17:11
quote:
Originally posted by Wes
Al - is it just me or are Gun sails pushing there prices up a little these days? Might even start tempting people to include them in
tests if the cost as much as NP!
Wes
Yeah, they have gone up a little, but they are still cheaper than the rest of the sails out there and perform just as well, so that
suits me!! 
A few were included in some tests last year, but you're right, not many of them... I think it all goes back to the days when many of
the shops threatened to stop advertising in the mags if they advertised / tested Gun products, as the shops didn't like the fact that
Gun sell direct to the customers and can therefore considerably undercut the shops.
Al.
kelvin - 2-3-2004 at 23:28
owned a 6m tushy storm for a whille but traded it in as it was gutless on the bottom end , although the other side of the laddr was
great it had tremendous top end ,but this usuall ment i was still on 6m felling ok but locals all out on grunty 5.3m sails and as we
all know SIZE is everthing .