Product Overview
Our most successful 5-batten sail ever came back with a bang in SS23, and for SS24 we have given it a facelift!
The DUKE combines our LIGHT DONE RIGHT construction and all the other build concepts developed over the past decade to set a new benchmark for wind-range oriented handling sails.
When it came to developing the DUKE, it was a 1.5 year project, with you, the final user always at the center of the development. As a starting point we involved ÒrealÓ end-consumers who use these kinds of sails regularly and our surf centers to define a bucket list for the reincarnation of the DUKE, and here is the outcome and how we went about it:
Maximum wind range especially in changing and/or super gusty conditions.
This is the most important factor and the major advantage when going for a 5-batten handling sail. As a simple rule, more battens give you more control and a bigger wind range. Usually this has a negative effect on the low-end power as more battens make it harder for the wind to inflate the sail and it becomes less efficient for pumping. Therefore, we have incorporated the BATTEN FREE CENTER concept from the SUPER_HERO. Instead of the usual even batten distribution the DUKE features a bigger gap between the foot batten and the batten above the boom. This makes the boom area easier to inflate plus increases the stability in the top (due to the increased batten density in this area). The second downside is that every batten increases the weight of the sail. ThatÕs the reason why there was a trend towards fewer battens for wave sails in the past years.
