The Ezzy Zeta is the wave / all round 5 battens sails of the well-known Hawaiian brand. From some years, it has replaced the popular Ezzy Tiger in the catalog. In this article, we propose the review of the 2019 model, which we tested in the 5.8 square meters size.

 

Windsurf, sail test: Ezzy Zeta 5.8 2019

For some years, I have used the Ezzy Tiger (read the 2013 and 2014 sail reviews) with satisfaction, and already in 2017 I had tried the new Ezzy Zeta (size 6.4 - read the review), released that year,

For the largest size of my sails set (5.8 sq, since my weight is 72 kg), I decided to opt for a 5 battens sail (even though the Goya Banzai 5.7 X PRO 2018 - 4 battens - made me have serious doubts ..), and I decided to buy from Recharge-store.com (which I thank for the kind cooperation) the Ezzy Zeta 2019.

 

 

 

The sail, in the size 5.8, is characterized by the following technical data:

Luff: 440-443 cm

Boom: 169-179 cm

Ezzy Mast top and bottom: 430 (Not Ezzy mast: 430)

Weight detected: 3.5 kg

Link to producer's website: https://www.ezzy.com/sails/zeta/

 

The sail design has changed from that of previous years, with some new features, in particular, near the clew and the lower part of the sail. The changes are similar to those applied on the Ezzy Elite 2019 (read the review). From the clew, in fact, a junction starts, which crosses the last batten at the sail bottom (see photo below), and separates the new woven panels at the sail base (while in the previous models, there were only two undivided panels above and below the last batten).

I will no longer dwell on the robustness of the Ezzy sails, because, after so many reviews of these brand sails, I would be repetitive; but, you have to know that this product features the usual Ezzy quality....

 

 

 

According to Ezzy, "the Zeta's constant drive and easy acceleration make the Zeta the perfect sail for onshore waveriding and bump'n'jump conditions".

And I, in fact, use it to sail at lakes with light thermic breeze (around 15-17 knots), and choppy water surface, in typical bump and jump conditions.

The first thing that struck me about this new Zeta is the really fat and potbellied profile that characterizes the sail, in any types of trimming, following the tuning references on the sail, positioned by Ezzy at the base of the mast sleeve or at the clew. Obviously, this feature is more significant, especially in case of light wind tuning. The sail, tuned for light wind, looks like a sail with cambers.

 

 

 

We tested the sail several times on Lake Como and Lake Garda, with an average thermal wind of around 15-20 knots, matching it with a Tabou 3s 106 LTD 2015 (read board test).

In the water, the sail has shown to require, at least with lighter wind, to sail the board at a broad reach to get planing. The gliding start guaranteed by the sail, in these conditions, is not lightning (as was that of Goya Banzai), but really very progressive, and this makes sailing really easy and affordable for everyone. In light winds, sometimes a bit of pumping is also needed to achieve the glide entry.

The very fat profile, however, makes the sail very performing, and gives the possibility of sailing close-hauled right after having entered the glide; you'll keep very narrow angles with respect to the wind direction. This is certainly the main advantage of this sail. We can therefore confirm the indication of Ezzy: it is an excellent sail for spots that work with onshore and side-on wind.

We also tested the sail, in overpowering conditions, with a less deep profile, by sheeting both the downhaul and the clew. The sail beared these conditions well, and it turned out to be quite powerful, with a stronger thrust at the arrival of the gust, and the gliding entrance, but without being annoying or out of control. In these conditions, we liked the sail more.

The Zeta proved to be neutral and stable when sailing on straight line, without sudden pulling, as one would expect from a 5-battens sail. The X-Ply tissue used by Ezzy further contributes to the feeling of neutrality. This is, indeed, a trademark for Ezzy sails.

The possibility of tuning the sail with a lot of belly, but also of giving it a flatter profile, within certain limits, allows a wide set of tunings to rig the sail. This allows you to manage a wind range, of about 5 knots, without any problems. The fat profile of the sail at the height of the boom responds, as always, to the Ezzy's choice to give the sail more power in the lower part, rather than in the upper part, to make it easier to handle in your the hands, when riding.

The generally very fat profile, however, in our opinion is also responsible for some aspects that are not entirely convincing. In particular, compared to the Ezzy Elite 2019 (which we really liked very much), the sail seemed to us to be less manageable (as for the feeling in our hands), especially in the maneuvers (e.g. fast tack) that require its entry into the wind. Probably, its fat profile, in this case, is less aerodynamic. Obviously, you get the impression of a less handling sail, in particular, if the sail is trimmed for very light wind, with a very fat profile. We therefore suggest, even with lighter winds, to maintain a profile that is not excessively deep. In power jibe, on the other hand, there are no particular problems, and, indeed, the sail guarantees a good thrust all throughout the maneuver.

But, perhaps, we had the sensations above describe, also because we became accustomed to the lightness (physical and as sensation in our hands) of the 4 battens sail, like the Ezzy Elite already mentioned, or the Banzai we tested in the 2018 version (read review), or Loftsail wavescape 2018 (read review); even if, we have to say that we had not found such less maneuverability in the previous 5 battens wave sail of Ezzy, the Tiger, that we have always appreciated a lot, and also in the Zeta 2017.

In light of the above considerations, we would advise to choose this sail in sea spots that work with onshore or side on wind, and to those riders who love long straight rides, with even unstable wind conditions and choppy water surface, mainly for the comfort that the sail gives when sailing, and the peculiarity to guarantee excellent angles riding close-hauled to the wind. For those who prefer short straight rides, and frequent maneuvers (fast tacks, Hely tacks, Duck Jibes, etc.), we would recommend opting for the Ezzy Elite, which is also great in waveriding.

Hang Loose. Fabio

 

A video shot in Riva del Garda, Italy, during one of the sail tests