98 SPOTLIGHT
A balanced difference
Witchcraft Karma 4.2m windsurf sail
Info: https://witchcraft.nu/sails/karma/ Price: €696
WORDS: WINDSURFING UK PICS: JAMES JAGGER
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO USE NEARLY ALL OF
WITCHCRAFT'S KARMA RANGE OF SAILS. THE BRAND'S 4.2M
BEING A CASE IN POINT. AS A FIVE BATTEN TYPE IT HAS MORE
TRADITIONAL LEANINGS, IN TERMS OF DESIGN, YET THERE'S
PLENTY GOING ON THAT'LL GIVE APPEAL TO SAILORS NOW.
First up is the sail’s bomb-proof
construction. Hailing from the northern
shores of rocky Fuerteventura you’d
expect windsurf gear made for this
environment to be so. The great thing is
that this knocks on to all sailing
locations and gives top notch durability.
In use and WC’s 4.2 Karma, just as with
other sizes in the range, has proper low
end grunt – in some ways more like a
low aspect sail. This allows riders to
switch down sizes quickly. Yet even with
this early planing capability it’s a well
balanced machine at the top end.
On waves or through moves, WC’s
Karma 4.2m is dependable. It holds its
shape well if big gusts hit, yet won’t
bend riders into awkward positions.
Through bottom and top turns it’s quite
surfy, able to exhaust power when
needed yet ramp back up as sailors
require. As much as the Karma range is
aimed at real world, onshore sailing, it
suits pure wave sailing conditions as
well. It's also a good choice for coastal
bump and jump sessions as well as
beginners finding favour here.
uk
WIND
SURFING
Conclusion
Having thrown Witchcraft’s Karma
4.2m at all manner of windsurfing
conditions – from onshore waves, to
offshore blasting and even
windfoiling – we're confident riders
who sail at varied spots, and
therefore needing tools to handle
all manner if conditions, will find
favour. Super tough, balanced
smooth handling, with plenty of real
world performance on tap, if you
like high wind windsurfing the
Karma 4.2m is certainly one to
consider. Plus, it’s a bit different,
which is no bad thing either.