LOFTSAILS PURELIP 5.7M 2020 TEST REVIEW

LOFTSAILS PURELIP 5.7M
2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
Large in outline but feeling small and perfectly formed in the hands, the Purelip is a sail that will have your back, no matter how extreme the wind or environment.

OVERVIEW
The Purelip is Loftsails’ signature ‘hardcore wave’ sail, its roots dating back to 1999 and the original Lipwave design. Available in two distinct green or orange colourways, the range stems from 3.0 to 6.2, with all bar the two smallest sizes featuring a five batten configuration. Tested on a Team Edition RDM (yet still applicable with an SDM), the mast is easy to sheath up the brand’s durable IYU250 4-part luff sleeve, the tack fairing fully opening up along an extended Velcro edge to provide full access to the roller pulley. And with the pulley oriented for maximum efficiency, it was easy to apply the moderate downhaul tension required, loosening the leech to the trim marker in the upper panel. There is plenty of skin tension throughout the sail’s panels, the leech falling away along its length whilst the two lower battens sit clear of the mast at rest. Build quality is excellent, as we have come to expect from Loftsails, with all their trademark concepts in place. From their Integrated Panel System (IPS – providing triple-layered radials at the sail’s main tension-junctions) for durability, to the use of their exclusive ‘Standing Battens’ for stability and response, and even the double Dacron head panel for roll-up longevity, the Purelip continues to exude its flagship status for all of Loftsails’
pioneering features.

BRAND CLAIM
“Tarifa’s famous nuclear winds and 18 years developing curves produced the Purelip design concept… easy animation for hardcore conditions!” – Monty Spindler.

PERFORMANCE
Whilst still compatible with SDM, the Wavescape was supplied with a 400 cm Team Edition RDM for testing. Rigging is straightforward, the tack roller oriented in line with the extension’s rollers for easy downhauling. Rigging to achieve the looseness specified by the trim marker in the upper panel, the battens sit very flat and neutral at rest, with only the main batten above the boom retaining rotation, and just the slightest hint of shape in the bottom batten. On the water the Wavescape has a unique nature. Light and balanced in the hands at rest, its dimensions make you feel that you have a large sail in your hands, yet it performs and manoeuvres as you’d expect of a much smaller sail. Flat and neutral initially, it responds well to pumping and takes shape as pressure builds, the movement in the Dacron luff panel complimented with plenty of excess material in the luff sleeve. Power delivery is smooth and comfortable, the Wavescape accelerating positively, whilst feeling balanced in both hands, delivering energy efficiently to the board. In gusty conditions it twists and maintains forward drive, and whilst we did experience a little leech flutter, there certainly wasn’t any control issues. Fast and controllable on the way out, the Wavescape was a real gem to use on the wave too, providing the settled dependable power to tap into before going magically neutral and weightless as it is eased out. It encourages the rider to really play the boom and make use of the power available. And as with all Loftsails we’ve used recently, when the conditions increase you can relax in the knowledge that the sail’s natural range and top end stability are there, using the lower clew eyelet to encourage a more compact stance and relying on the sail to keep the board in check.

www.loftsails.com

VITAL STATS
Size: 5.7m
Luff: 452 cm
Boom: 180 cm
Battens: 5
Ideal Mast: Team Edition 430 cm RDM/SDM
Available Sizes: 3.0,3.4,3.7,4.0,4.2,4.5,4.7, 5.0,5.2,5.4,5.7,6.