Pics: James Jagger
KA Sails were pretty commonplace around UK shores a few years ago. Still going strong, however, we decided to re-visit the Netherlands based windsurf sail brand to see what the score is with their signature slalom/race/speed sail the 7m Koncept.
The first thing that strikes you is the sail’s livery. It’s a good looking sail and we had a few comments reflecting this during testing. Rigged on a 430 mast the cams are a tight fit but certainly force shape into the sail. Once sheathed it’s then pretty easy to yank on the downhaul and tune accordingly. With boom affixed KA’s Koncept is a light feeling rig with beautiful lines.
We used the 7m in both foiling and slalom mode. Conventionally it’s pretty standard fare in terms of how powerful the Koncept is. Whilst certainly not lacking in the early planing dept. it loves a bit of breeze to get things fully lit. Modern windsurfing sails have impressive range, the KA Koncept being no different. We used the 7m in everything from marginal conditions right up to 30 knots. In all instances, it retained impeccable manners and stayed rock solid. (For foiling we recommend minimum downhaul with a neutral outhaul setting. For standard windsurfing tune as per rigging instructions).
Round bends the 7m powers even the stickiest of boards through transitions with smooth acceleration. There’s nothing untoward happening and even though the final rotation is a hard one KA’s Koncept 7m doesn’t yank riders out of their straps in an unwieldy fashion. Instead, it drives and shoves boards on to the new tack ready for that next reach.
In foil mode there’s just enough bottom end to pop flyers up. Its real magic in this guise is just how light feeling and forgettable (in a good way) the Koncept actually is. Slipping efficiently through the air it’s forgiving of unsteady winds making it a good choice for those with take off tendencies.
Conclusion
KA Sails’ Koncept 7m is a great example of what a slalom sail should actually be. With immaculate mannerisms in blowy weather, it powers speed sleds efficiently. There aren’t any unwanted surprises with the Koncept and it flatters riders when conditions get hairy. Round marks it’s effortless with a dependable pop as the bottoms rotate and those cams kick shape back in. All in a good choice for anyone after summer blasting speed or success on the race course. Plus it looks great to boot.
Price: 609 – 719 Euro
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