I am not a foiler and have never tried it although I am interested in it.
I found this on facebook re the Ezzy Hydra:
"HYDRA: The new windsurfing foiling sail from EZZY Sails:
David Ezzy fell in love with foiling over a year ago: "I got into windsurfing 45 years ago because I loved it. I had no idea that it would take me on the journey that is my life. When kiting came around, I tried it, and I said: nope, not for me. When SUP started, again, I said: nope. But I tried foiling last summer, and I can't get it out of my head. I go every day. I literally go foiling every day. All I need is 7 or 8 knots of wind, and I love it."
Like all Ezzy sails, the Hydra is born from David's passion and attention to detail. The first thing that David noticed about foiling is that it opens up a whole new challenge for sail design. The fundamentals of foiling are simply different than normal windsurfing, which is why the Hydra looks nothing like a normal windsurfing sail.
First off, because the foil can fly through the water with so little drag, the wind angles are different, which means that the apparent wind (the wind created by your movement) shifts forward. Second, you need a powerful sail to pump up onto the foil, but once you're on the foil, you want a very easy to control, light sail. And third, you're above the surface of the water when you're flying on the foil.
The elongated foot on the Hydra takes advantage of the board's height off the water to create a hyper efficient sail. On a normal windsurfing sail, a long foot like this would hit the water when cruising and simply not work, but when foiling, we can take advantage of this "free" space created by flying above the water. The extra long foot forms an end-plate with the board. This is very similar to how winglets work on a jet wing, and aerodynamic theory tells us that an end-plate like this greatly improves the efficiency of the sail. For example, David can ride a 4.0 in conditions he would normally ride a 6.5.
The extra long foot provides the needed low-end power to get up on the foil without using cambers or an extra batten below the boom, saving close to a kilo in weight. Being able to ride a smaller, lightweight sail makes foiling more fun by giving you the sensation of flying with nothing in your hands. You want a sail that "goes away."
The extra long foot also makes the sail more stable. This means that you are less vulnerable to gusts throwing you off balance when you're flying on the foil, which makes foiling a lot easier. But at the same time, because only the foot is extended and not the entire sail, the pull of the sail remains forward for a more comfortable sailing experience. The Hydra also borrows the 3/4 batten concept from our hardcore wave sail, the Taka.
A 3/4 batten allows the sail to luff, which means that it can easily go from full to flat. This is important for many aspects of foiling. This helps the Hydra to be extra powerful when you're pumping it but flat and responsive when flying on the foil. And, the Hydra's 3/4 batten is the reason it can de-power so easily and change its shape for the needs of the foil. When you sail up wind, you want a flat sail, and when you sail downwind, you want a full sail. The 3/4 batten allows both to occur without having to adjust the outhaul.
Overall, we had 5 goals when designing the Hydra and we are happy to say that the design accomplishes each one. The goals are:
1) Must be more efficient than a normal sail
2) Must be less sensitive to gusts than a normal sail
3) Must have early power to get up and going but also controllable when flying
4) Must be able to de-power easily
5) Must be super light weight
The Hydra is a dramatic new look for a dramatic new form of windsurfing.
Available in 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0. In love with the flying of foiling, David is happy to release the Hydra to everyone who already loves foiling and everyone yet to discover its magic."
Seems similar in concept to this Andre Lefebvre Cutaway sail from the late 1980s.
On the Hydra the extra long foot provides the needed low-end power and drive to get up on the foil without using cambers or an extra batten below the boom, saving weight and claimed providing stability. I guess it works better on a foil because it well above the waterline as opposed to on a normal windsurfer, as pictured above.
I'll be ordering one soon as they are available, 5.5 for me. I hate big gear with a passion. one sail option on my hover and then normal windsurf over 15 knots. Have used a older 97 ezzys 5.0 and 5.5 last summer ( after trying many later sails ) and it's been fantastic, knowing and meeting David and seeing how passionate he is can't wait to be on the water with his new sail.
Its not all racing and speed but getting out on light warm days with your wife and family and having fun again.
only Robby and Dave seen to get this.
Bought these new in 97 and still bloody good condition.
Dave isn't the only one. Bruce Peterson has had a line of foil sails out for a year now and he's a pretty proficient foiler himself. Having used a cammed sail for foiling in light winds after using an Ezzy Cheetah for a year, I prefer his approach.
Loft sails seem to have their fingers on the foil sails as does Sailworks.
both have been at it a while.
For someone to be barely a year into foiling then come up with this radical approach seems like a rush to different rather than a serious study of what really works.
Dave isn't the only one. Bruce Peterson has had a line of foil sails out for a year now and he's a pretty proficient foiler himself. Having used a cammed sail for foiling in light winds after using an Ezzy Cheetah for a year, I prefer his approach.
Bruce is on the yellow/red sail in this vid:
btw, I have huge respect for Dave Ezzy and what his sails do for the avg windsurfer - I own four. I'm just not convinced on this one, yet. I suspect that you could lose 30 cm off that foot batten and have no significant effect on the sail's behaviour.
I agree loosing 30cm off the batten might improve handling - adding cams will improve stability. The guys at Sailworks brought out the best qualities in the FLYER.
I mean I get it...but I also don't get it. The segment of the market ezzy are going for with this sail is the freefoil end...not the racing market. That thing is never going to win races, it's been proven already you you need big sail area and effecient foils (read cams) to be fast racing. Ezzy's have always been Super stable, bomb proof wave sails and this translates well to the freefoil market...I guess Dave just added 'end plating' for market differentiation?
I mean I get it...but I also don't get it. The segment of the market ezzy are going for with this sail is the freefoil end...not the racing market. That thing is never going to win races, it's been proven already you you need big sail area and effecient foils (read cams) to be fast racing. Ezzy's have always been Super stable, bomb proof wave sails and this translates well to the freefoil market...I guess Dave just added 'end plating' for market differentiation?
Would not the free foiling end be where the market is ?
If Kevin Pritchard enters a foiling race he may well win using a Hydra.
Yeah you're right. I guess I was surprised they were trying stuff like 'end plating' which is more of an Americas cup or Moth kinda deal, not something most people who use a sail for free foiling are going to notice/care about; Reason I say this is you're talking super marginal gains right at the top end of the performance envelope.
I mean they claim other performance benefits but the claim you can use a 4.0 when normally you'd use a 6.0, I call BS. And Kevin is never going to win a foil race on that sail on the PWA tour unless it's pure survival conditions and he's the last person standing.
Don't get me wrong, love the initiative and Ezzy has never followed the crowd but it smells like pretty heavy marketing spin to me, which is why I mentioned market differentiation
Yeah you're right. I guess I was surprised they were trying stuff like 'end plating' which is more of an Americas cup or Moth kinda deal, not something most people who use a sail for free foiling are going to notice/care about; Reason I say this is you're talking super marginal gains right at the top end of the performance envelope.
I mean they claim other performance benefits but the claim you can use a 4.0 when normally you'd use a 6.0, I call BS. And Kevin is never going to win a foil race on that sail on the PWA tour unless it's pure survival conditions and he's the last person standing.
Don't get me wrong, love the initiative and Ezzy has never followed the crowd but it smells like pretty heavy marketing spin to me, which is why I mentioned market differentiation
Yes I am interested in this foiling game but am not a foiler yet and your comments do support one interpretation of the innovation but the proof will be in the handling and speed on the water. I would defer to you on the foiling theory. I guess the jury is still out on this innovation. I don't believe Dave Ezzy would promote this unless it had technical benefits, but I could be wrong of course. He could easily use the Taka 4F "modified" or an Ezzy Lionfoil modified and release just another foil sail. He "does not do fads" and I suspect didn't see the benefit in repackaging and rebadging an existing sail like many others might, and I am not suggesting any sailmaker has done that in any event. I think Ezzy would be seeking a step change. It pays to remember he was one of the first fully battened sailmakers along with Malte Simmer of Simmer Style and Monty Spindler of NP, as he then was.
David Ezzy and Kevin Pritchard make some interesting comments on these sails.
It appears Ezzy has made his own personal foiling boards and is quite enthused.
Using starboard foils.
Hey Richard I'll have my 6 metre in a couple weeks and let you know my impressions.
Thanks Jimbob. David Ezzy emailed me the following overnight, it would be interesting if you could please, consider these points when you gather your impressions:
"I prefer the Hydra over the Lion [for foiling]. I made a two cam version of the Hydra, but I like the current, no-cam Hydra better. I have also tested a camber below the boom on the Hydra and found it was not better.
Here are some of my thoughts:
1) For foiling, we need two sails in one. First we need a very deep and draft forward sail to get us going in the light wind. Then once flying, we need a flatter sail because the apparent wind shifts so far forward.
2) The hydra can be rigged incredibly deep for light wind. Much deeper than you can rig a cambered sail.
3) The hydra luff can "deflate" when up and flying and you don't feel any disturbance.
4) Even if you could rig a cambered sail as full, it would be a handful when flying, so you would need to pull very hard on your adjustable outhaul to flatten the sail.
5) If you overly flatten a camber sail, the cams end up de-rotated and the draft is further back.
6) Another interesting thing that I notice with the hydra when set very full, is that the luff is "deflated" at the boom, but not above. This indicates that the apparent wind angle is less at the bottom of the sail, than it is above. We know this is because the [true] wind speed increases as you go up off the water. Which also means the apparent wind angle gets greater as you go up the sail. So this indicates that we need a more forward draft (and twist) higher in the sail. The Hydra is able to 'self adjust" by luffing in the boom area and remaining full in the upper part of the sail. [See diagrams at the foot of this post]
7) I think the biggest speed limiter right now with foiling is the foil itself. This is because the induced drag of the foil increases with the speed.
8) That is why in strong wind a slalom board is still faster than a foil, because a normal windsurf board does not have to deal with induced drag.
9) But, if you look at it this way, you see that the sail on a foil is not so much the speed limiter, as is the foil.
10) Furthermore, applying normal windsurfing sail theory for racing sails, i.e., cambers, may not be the right approach when it comes to foiling.
For me foiling is all about the speed off the wind and into the wind. I line up with the guys on cam'd sails foiling and I am not seeing that they are going faster, or pointing higher, in fact I am finding just the opposite."
Richard isn't it great how Dave who owns the company will get back to anyone who emails him. Had a great conversation with him last week about why the Hydra doesn't have his signature vinyl window, apparently l was the first person to notice this. If you're ever at Kanaha sailing with a ezzy he will have a talk and check you have it rigged properly and give you any pointers.
Richard isn't it great how Dave who owns the company will get back to anyone who emails him. Had a great conversation with him last week about why the Hydra doesn't have his signature vinyl window, apparently l was the first person to notice this. If you're ever at Kanaha sailing with a ezzy he will have a talk and check you have it rigged properly and give you any pointers.
Yes he is great and excellent at customer service and technical advice.
Hey Richard I've had this 6 metre for a bit but every time im at the coast it's been 25+. Hopefully get it wet Wednesday.
A bunch of us met Dave Ezzy at Kanaha. He took the time to re-rig every one of our sails how he would use them. Different world, made a huge difference. The guy is so easy to talk to and down to earth. He is a thinker and has been around a long time. I think he is onto something here.
Im only a beginner at foiling. Although Id like to see somebody try to duck gybe his sail
A bunch of us met Dave Ezzy at Kanaha. He took the time to re-rig every one of our sails how he would use them. Different world, made a huge difference. The guy is so easy to talk to and down to earth. He is a thinker and has been around a long time. I think he is onto something here.
Im only a beginner at foiling. Although Id like to see somebody try to duck gybe his sail
At the risk of going slightly OT, any insights on how he rigs? I'm on Ezzy's 95% of the time I'm not on the foil.
Cams would negate the Superfreak effect.
Foot doesn't affect duck jibes if you can duck freeride and race sails.
Small area above boom balances long foot batten.
Rig like any sail, TUNE with out and down for wind conditions.
Cams would negate the Superfreak effect.
Foot doesn't affect duck jibes if you can duck freeride and race sails.
Small area above boom balances long foot batten.
Rig like any sail, TUNE with out and down for wind conditions.
LeeD can you explain the Superfreak effect?
Richard isn't it great how Dave who owns the company will get back to anyone who emails him. Had a great conversation with him last week about why the Hydra doesn't have his signature vinyl window, apparently l was the first person to notice this. If you're ever at Kanaha sailing with a ezzy he will have a talk and check you have it rigged properly and give you any pointers.
To be honest I had the same experience with Pryde sails. I emailed the company when I was having some set up issues (based on my inexperience with full race sails, not the product), and I received emails from the head sail designer Robert Stroj and was given the contact details of one of the main sail testers for Beil Pryde in Arnon Dagan. Arnon spent a lot of time working with me, which I totally didn't expect. To say I was blown away (get it ;)) with the service I received is an understatement. Glad to hear windsurf companies are like that. :)
Superfreak..3/4 batten as the main and longest allows the sail to luff..flatten out..when backhand pressure is lessenned. When backhand fully sheets in, the sail fills to full pocket creating maximum lift.
That makes sense LeeD. I'm assuming this Superfreak effect is a desired effect for freeride foiling in reasonably windy conditions, especially when I want to shut the sail power off. I ask because I got a really good deal on a used one recently that I'm planing to windfoil in about the 15-20mph range. I had a chance to rig it and it had a super baggy luff when downhauled to spec, which I understand is as-designed.
Been using SFreaks in smaller sizes for 5 years now, and the ability to dump power is appreciated on sudden changes of direction, after luffing to slow down a bit. Some Norths also do this, but to a lesser degree.
Been using SFreaks in smaller sizes for 5 years now, and the ability to dump power is appreciated on sudden changes of direction, after luffing to slow down a bit. Some Norths also do this, but to a lesser degree.