I am not sure whether to describe the SummerFreak as retro or forward thinking. Considering in these times it is more cool to be retro lets go with that! The SummerFreak came to life on the Hot Sails Maui forum long before it was already made. Here at HSM we listen closely to our customers and there was a call for this new creation, initially it was dubbed the Summer Sail but over time and to ensure that it had its correct place in the range we have called it the SummerFreak to add to the Superfreak family which now includes; Superfreak Classic, Superfreak UL, Superfreak Maui Ed., MicroFreak, SpeedFreak and the newest addition (ironically) the SummerFreak, (note: webpages for the SpeedFreak and SummerFreak will be launched soon).
It did take a little while for the forum to turn into an actual sail on the water but we are pleased to report that the SummerFreak is now LIVE and those looking for an easy cruising retro (fun) sail for their longboard on light wind days then this could be a wonderful option! The SummerFreak is available in 5.5, 6.5 & 7.5m.

It is only fitting given that this was a sail born by our customer base that we share some feedback from our forum;

"Greetings from Adelaide, South Australia. I read about the Summerfreak on the forum and before I knew it had placed an order for 7.5 from Gareth at the Strath Windsurfing Shop. Turns out I might have the first one so here is an account of my first session. 

Why did I order one? Long story. Probably two reasons. First I've been lucky enough to live by the sea for a while, and have tried many different ways to spend time on the ocean. Sometimes the simplest trips can be the most memorable - walking the dog with a pair of goggles in your pocket, taking a swim off the rocks on a hot day if the water looks too tempting. So I was looking for the windsurfing equivalent of that - a spontaneous, easy way to just spend some time of the water with a sail in my hand. Second, we had a social twilight racing series here last summer. Most of the races ended up being in an offshore gusty, land breeze 5-15 knots. We were all on longboards given the conditions, including some on MkII Windsurfer One Designs (6m sail size). These are very impressive boards in these conditions. Fast tacking, quick acceleration and good speed in 5-10 knots wind. I was doing OK on a Kona One with a SFUL 7.0, but I was missing some acceleration and light wind power. 

For a long time I have wondered what one of these (almost) battenless sails would be like with a modern carbon mast. Rigging. Luff is nominally 490+10, boom is nominally 255. The only boom I have in that length was an original tie-on Windsurfer boom (263 cm). This did the job, but I remembered all the reasons why we left tie on booms behind :-) I initially went with the mast foot all the way forward on the Kona One, thinking I would be compensating for the long boom. But this drove the nose down and I ended up with it 2/3 forward. I think the CE of the sail is actually not that far back. 

On the water: I measured the wind before and after the session as 8-10 knots. Outside the design envelope perhaps? Not really - it pulled me around the bay like a low speed water-skier. Great acceleration, pointed very high with and without the centreboard. Off the wind, there was fun to be had picking up 'runs' in the tiny chop. Once or twice, I'm claiming I was planing. If you know the Kona, this a rubbery claim as they don't 'jump' on to the plane - it's a smooth transition. But I definitely had water releasing from the back half of the board as I scooted along a few runs. 

Possibly the lightest 7.5 ever made? The overall weight is incredibly light. This translates to easy uphauling and sail handling, but in tacking and gybing where the rig is rotating in the air the long boom slows things down - definitely not a "flicky" feel. I'm looking forward to finding out it's top end windspeed. I suspect it is higher than it has any right to be :-). From the board the look of the sail is very reminiscent of a dinghy sail. Outhaul and sheeting angle I thought were best set to the point where the luff was just about to backwind. This occurs evenly along it's whole length like a good sail should. The leech is stable and nicely curved. Build quality is excellent (like my other HSM sails). The down sides. Not many. Well I was hoping to store it rolled up around the mast, but the mini-battens make that a bit harder. I transported it that way for this trip anyway. There is a bit of origami to fold and bag it, but I will learn that fast. 



So where does it fit in my quiver? In 8-10 knots if there is any swell around I would be on my SF 5.8 and Kona 11.5 TT no question. For practising sail spinning freestyle I would probably go for the 5.8 SF on the Kona One. In 12 knots or more, the SFUL 7.0 might be a better option. For care-free easy rigging chugging around up and down the coast in light winds at the end of the day, it's a classic re-invented! 

All up, nice work guys. Maybe it's nearest competitor is a SUP paddle, if that makes sense. I can see a few classic evening sessions ghosting along the cliffs looking at the sea floor or chasing a few rays around the sandbars. For the record, I'm 1.82 m (6 foot) tall and 85 kg (pounds 187 pounds). The rest of my quiver is SFUL 7.0, SF 5.8, SFME 5.3, SFME 4.7 and SFME 4.2." Dr Duck, Australia. 

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More to follow...

Labels: Customer Feedback, New Products, product-reviews, SummerFreak, superfreak-family