WORLD SAILS BLAST

+ powerhouse, stable
- hardest cam to sheet-in

Specs luff length                   516 (516)
Boom length                   234 (234-236)
Battens                   6
Cams                   2
Recommended mast                   490/27

"World Sails, available through all Sailworld locations, is a smaller line that from its conception has gone against the trend for windsurfing equipment to become overly specialized. For 2002, only three sails are offered, and there's little crossover in sail sizes between the models. Within each line, every size is tweaked to better suit sailors' needs.  The 3.0 is tuned for control, the 5.0 for transitions.

The big-daddy 8.5 is tuned for power because it you're buying an 8.5, that's what you're looking for. This was the obvious freight train in the test, getting you up and going in the smallest gust.  To do this, the sail has a deep draft that has been placed higher and farther back than on the other sails.  This draft placement makes the sail slightly harder to sheet-in and takes more work to squeeze out all of its available speed, but this can be overcome by outhauling the Blast beyond its recommended settings.  Stability is impressive and the sail can easily be held onto in winds where you could be planing on a 7,0.

Construction is top-notch; the sail has a clean look to it." Windsport