Test Review - 19/08/2011

Gaastra Manic HD 2010 and Da Kine T5 Harness













Usual report on that rare and wonderful thing called new kit that I get to experience sporadically.....in case it helps the knowledge bank

Gaastra Manic HD 5.0m 2010
Rigged the 5, tightened the battens and went sailing. HORRID my first impression. I knew it would be a bit less taught being HD but jeez i thought this is like an Ezzy (sorry to all Ezzy owners, but they are not for me!). So came in, and then noticed some wrinkles on the sail (not just the actual batten pockets) and thought give a it a bit more tightening.
Sailed  FANTASTIC!  Moral of story - batten tension has a lot more to do with things than oi ever thought.

2009 - 2010 differences - It's a bit springier being HD (but very marginal once set right), has fair bit more front pull than last years - and last years was quite fronty and also is a fair bit more grunty (in the 5) which is what they said they'd done to it in the brochure and this has been carried forward for 2011/2012 so all good as I kept upwind in marginal breeze today.

So thumbs up. Oh and it looks good.

Da Kine T5 2011
Harness - SUPER comfy, sticks like glue to the Neil Pryde type neoprene on that short-arm i bought off you. Couldn't make bar slide as the buckles were uneven and the spreader was butting up against one side. but once sorted all good again.

report over.
Will


Reviewed by Will North

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