Ezzy’s first foil crossover sail...
The Hydra Sport is designed for foiling but still works on a traditional freeride board with a fin.
First and foremost, the Hydra Sport is a foiling sail and borrows the following philosophies from the original Hydra:
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
And in addition to the above, the Hydra Sport must work on a traditional freeride board for easy crossover.
The Hydra Sport is a great choice for anyone who wants a light sail designed for the foil that also works for freeriding.
WHY CHOOSE THE HYDRA SPORT?
The Hydra Sport is a foiling sail that works on a traditional freeride board.
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.
FOOT AREA
The foot panel on the Hydra is large enough to be efficient and get quickly up on the foil in light winds but not so large as to interfere when freeriding on a fin.
The extra foot area provides the needed low-end power to get up on the foil without using cambers, 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.
Foot area 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. By keeping the sail's area low, the pull of the sail remains forward for a more comfortable sailing experience.
3/4 BATTEN
The Hydra Sport 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 Sport 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.
The depowering also makes transitions easier when freeriding on a traditional fin.
