Chris Freeman of Hot Sails Maui introduces ‘the world’s lightest production wave sail’…
The much talked about Hot Sails Maui FireLIGHT recently started shipping from the factory and will be hitting the beaches around the world in the coming weeks. We have been using them in Hawaii for a little while now so thought that it was about time to give you some more information.
What is the design concept of the Firelight?
The idea was very simple – build a sail as light as possible using the best materials available with absolutely nothing on it that was not essential. No compromise. Weighing in at just 2.7kg for a 4.7m this is the lightest production wave sail on the market!
Who is it aimed at?
It is a high performance sail for people who want to push the boundaries of their sailing. The lightness just redefines what is possible.
What materials are used?
The key materials are the ODL09 Technora used in the patches and the super light C1295 laminate from Dimension-Polyant. The Technora is incredibly tough and super low stretch – it is also scary expensive! The ODL09 costs 5 times as much as our normal laminate. We only use it in the critical high load areas of the patches so it is totally worth it. The C1295 has a thin polyester film reinforced with both a scrim and yarns. This makes it tough and low stretch but really, really light. All our laminates are made in the USA and are of exceptionally high quality.
Specifications
| Size |
Luff |
Boom |
Weight (kg) |
Weight (lbs) |
|
4.5 |
388 |
159 |
2.6 |
5.7 |
|
4.7 |
396 |
164 |
2.7 |
5.9 |
|
5.0 |
408 |
169 |
2.8 |
6.2 |
|
5.3 |
414 |
173 |
2.9 |
6.4 |
|
5.5 |
417 |
176 |
3.0 |
6.5 |
|
5.7 |
420 |
179 |
3.1 |
6.8 |
|
6.0 |
428 |
185 |
3.1 |
6.8 |
When will it be available?
The Firelight is now shipping from the factory and will be available in the UK soon; pre-orders are currently being taken. Please contact Anton at MDE for more information and pricing.
How will it change your wavesailing?
It will be transformational! You will pull moves you have never done before, sail in a wider range of conditions and generally just have more fun!
More at www.hotsailsmaui.com
