NORTH FREE SPEED 7.7M TEST REVIEW 2024
NORTH FREE SPEED 7.7M TEST REVIEW 2024
NORTH FREE SPEED 7.7M TEST REVIEW 2024
The Verdict
The North Free Speed 7.7m offers almost automatic speed that will free your blasting capabilities. With light, stable and usable power, it is a freeride sail that will allow you to sail for hours and still perform butter smooth and effortless gybes. Give it nudge in the right direction at the low end and the Free Speed will cover pretty much all your freeride and freerace needs.
The Lowdown
Rolled up into a small and incredibly light package, the Free Speed doesn’t feel its stated size, and that’s before even rigging it. Requiring some firm hands to slide the recommended North medium-diameter mast into the sleeve, once the mast is in, it does downhaul with minimal effort and has one of the straighter luff curves on test, which provides a little more feedback, spring, and pumpability. Made up of North’s 3Di moulded technology, the sail feels robust, yet it remains insanely light, and looks a thing of beauty, while screaming premium quality with washed shades of grey and flecks of blue. Four separate windows are placed above and below the boom to provide just enough visibility to the rider, while allowing the Free Speed to retain as many of the benefits that the 3Di technology has to offer. There is some leech fall away, but nothing out of the ordinary. The Free Speed rigs flatter in the belly than some other others on test with the battens just touching above and below the boom. The Free Speed sits with a slightly pre-formed belly in the lower battens, while the luff sleeve has some give in it, which will expand once filled by the wind. Although the Free Speed only consists of a 6-batten layout, it feels taut and firm, so it should remain stable, even when fully loaded. The Free Speed also keeps things simple by only offering one clew eyelet and it is truly aimed at providing top-end performance in a neat, yet simple, high-end package.
Brand Claim
“North Sail’s new Free Speed is very close in design profile to the Slalom Race sail, yet pushes the “accessible performance” combination to its maximum, at both ends of the scale. Speed can really be had easily and effortlessly.”
Performance
Feeling significantly smaller than its quoted size, both in the hands while walking down to the water and once up on the board, the Free Speed’s incredible featherweight feel is extremely impressive as it genuinely feels like you’re handling a sail that is a size or two smaller. Rigged to the recommended settings and when sailing in well-powered conditions, the Free Speed brings on the power with a well-balanced simmer. Not tugging or delivering in-your-face power, it’s easy to use, giving the rider time to position themselves into the straps. Powered up and committed at full tilt, the Free Speed is wonderfully stable. The effort in the sail doesn’t move – it remains true to its forward and slightly higher centre of effort placement. Through the gusts, the Free Speed naturally trims itself for you, so it doesn’t require much input from the rider apart from remaining sheeted in and driving forwards, in a sense it almost feels like driving an automatic car. In more marginal conditions, the Free Speed will require some positive rider input to get the most out of its bottom-end, such as a bit of pumping to release you on to the plane. However, pumping remains relatively effortless with the Free Speed offering a lovely spring to each pump. Work the Free Speed’s low-end capabilities, and it will work for you. We did find that letting off a smidge of outhaul really elevated the Free Speed’s range at the bottom end and assisted with pulling you through any lulls. Due to its generally flatter draft than others on test, the Free Speed has great upwind ability, getting you upwind efficiently for another speedy reach off the wind. Gybing the Free Speed is genuinely a thing of wonder – with its light-in-the-hands feel, almost feeling weightless, which makes it incredibly easy to gybe, slice, and place it exactly where you want it. Gybing with bigger sails always requires a bit of adjustment, especially if you are used to smaller sails, but the Free Speed makes it as easy a possible, as as already mentioned it feels one or two sizes smaller. Experiencing a little love affair with the Free Speed won’t be one time thing as it offers premium performance in a straight line, as well as through the gybes. Put simply, it’s a dream to sail.
NORTH FREE SPEED 7.7M TEST REVIEW 2024
VITAL STATS
Price: £1329
Size: 7.7m
Luff: 490cm
Boom: 204-209cm
Battens: 6
Ideal Mast: 460/490
Available sizes: 5.2, 6.0, 6.8, 7.7
OTHER SAILS IN THIS TEST:
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