GUNSAILS HORIZON 5.0 2022 TEST REVIEW

JC Tris 2022 Sail Test Gwithian 191021-359

GUNSAILS HORIZON 5.0 2022 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT

With a good natural and tuneable range, the Horizon delivers smooth progressive power that asks little of the rider. Compatible with all riding styles and board types, it is very user-friendly and comes with a very attractive price tag.

OVERVIEW

Stepping into its fourth season, the Horizon is Gunsails‘ five-batten ‘Power Wave’ option and is described as “truly all-round” for use in all conditions, from cross-off utopia to bump-and-jump skate parks. Such is its intended versatility in application, that Gunsails have evolved the sail’s shaping through the sizes. The smaller sizes (up to this 5.0m) are oriented towards strong winds and more extreme action, whereas the three larger sizes have fuller profiles for more drive and coastal blasting prowess. And to provide extra practicality, the 5.7m and 6.1m are also compatible with SDMs should the need arise. For 2022, the Horizon 5.0m’s luff length has been reduced and boom length extended, with the intention of lowering the draft and enhancing the smoothness of its power delivery. Rigged here on a Select 400 RDM, it sets with a moderate amount of luff curve, the recommended extension only just enabling the leech’s looseness to touch the brand’s famous F.R.E.D. marker in the head, so we extended the extension an extra notch to provide more tuning margin. Setting relatively flat at rest, the bottom two battens protrude beyond the mast’s leading edge, before using one of the two clew eyelets offered to pull the sail out and set the draft. Detailing is both functional and current, with all the features you’d expect of a modern sail, from beading along the foot of the sail and both sides of the bottom batten, to alternating batten pockets and double stitch seams around the x-ply window.

BRAND CLAIM

“Top acceleration, right from the start. The Horizon delivers a speedy planing performance for a wave sail. Thus, even upwind courses are never a challenge with the Horizon.”

PERFORMANCE

The Horizon is one of three five-batten sails on test here and as such it does possess a little more physical weight than most. Nevertheless, reduce the tension in the sail for marginal winds and it generates a good amount of bottom end grunt, the battens pulling away from the mast as pressure builds and enabling the sail to adopt a much deeper more purposeful profile. Power delivery is soft and progressive, the drive coming in from a forward position, feeling stable yet positive in the hands. As the conditions turn on and even become turbulent, this cushioned ride from the Horizon is a really welcomed asset, absorbing any violent impact as you ride over chop and allowing the rider to keep the board pinned, whilst concentrating on their own stance or performance. It’s a great all-round companion for combating all coastal conditions and whilst the feedback and response may be smooth and easy rather than crisp or instantaneous, it means it is not energy sapping or tiring to use for prolonged sessions. In transition it drives in positively, the battens pushing back round the mast as the sail is eased out mid-transition, allowing the draft to exhale for easy manoeuvring. It feels compact and dependable throughout, never pulling the rider to their toes or asking too much of them. Even at the upper end of its wind range, the Horizon can be retuned with more downhaul tension and the lower clew eyelet utilised to help it retain its manners. A supremely dependable engine for all coastal environments and even high wind freeride sailing, the Horizon is easy to get on with.

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