GUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024

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GUNSAILS SPECTRO 7.8M TEST REVIEW 2024

The Verdict

The GUNSAILS SPECTRO offers ultimate simplicity and comfort – from rigging to usability on the water. The SPECTRO will elevate your freeriding and nudge you into the racing arena without any complexities. With easy to reach power and control the SPECTRO doesn’t ask too much of you unless you want to push things a little harder.

The Lowdown

Simple and easy to rig right from the start, the SPECTRO possesses two cams which are cleverly disguised within the narrow luff tube. There are no visible zips on the luff to access the cams, and no sign of a tack strap either. This all makes sense during rigging as the SPECTRO rigs with complete and utter simplicity. Popping the cams on is straightforward and can be done once the boom is in place and a little outhaul is applied. Set to the recommended setting and the tuning mark on the second panel from the top, the SPECTRO maintains uniform leech looseness, as expected from a sail of this size, all the way down to the clew, where two eyelets are positioned for adjusting and tuning according to the conditions. The lower two battens have been reinforced with a PVC strip to prevent wear and tear as the upper batten potentially rubs against the boom, while the lower one is more likely to come into contact with different surfaces or the rider. Comprising entirely of monofilm – apart from the bottom panel, where multi-directional X-Ply is used to help resist any stress and wear that is more likely to occur at the bottom of the sail. The SPECTRO’s 7-batten outline appears to offer stability, and upon examination of the profile and draft, it’s evident that it’s not overly aggressive and seems to be distributed along the width of the sail to provide smooth and unintimidating power.

Brand Claim

“With its 2-camber design, the SPECTRO is the essence of an uncomplicated but powerful early planing sail that combines top speed with effortless control. The perfectly balanced profile, the defined draft point and the playful handling in manoeuvres offer a performance-oriented, comfortable freeride feeling.”

Performance

Feeling light in the hands, the SPECTRO is easy to handle and position, while getting going is a smooth process – as you would expect from a GUNSAILS sail – as the power builds in the sail and helps pull you onto the plane; it never asks too much from the rider. Meanwhile, the SPECTRO is easy to lock in, particularly when nicely powered. With your eyes up assessing the wind and water ahead, the SPECTRO responds well to any input the rider chooses to give it. The SPECTRO remains stable in the gusts as you commit and push harder and although it may not be the most natural to pump, a quick tweak on the outhaul gives the SPECTRO a much fuller profile, which elevates its bottom-end ability and pumping, as well as its ability to pull through the lulls with some deliberate adjustment in your sailing line. Exiting transitions, whether it be a tack or gybe, the SPECTRO’s cams rotate with complete and utter ease, like any conventional rotational rig you may have in your quiver. The SPECTRO performs best through the gybes with plenty of power and speed running through the rig, which gives you the best possible chance of achieving a fully planing exit. However, if you aren’t yet totally dialled in on your gybes, don’t worry as the SPECTRO’s lightweight handling, simmering power delivery, and easy-to-position character, make staying dry while gybing almost a guarantee. Angles upwind and downwind are decent, but the SPECTRO excels and feels most comfortable across, or just slightly off the wind, helping to make it one of the most comfortable, controllable, and performance-reaching 8-metre sails in its category.