91
Chameleon style – Witchcraft Karma 5m sail
Having recently visited Fuerte it’s not hard to appreciate when Witchcraft
brand owner Bouke Becker says windsurfing equipment on the island has a
hard life. Harsh UV rays from the sun, powerful, relentless Atlantic swell
and in a lot of areas a sharp rocky/reefy coastline. As such any gear needs
to be up for the job in hand. Those familiar with Witchcraft windsurf boards
will know how durable they are, so it’s unsurprising WC’s sails are also built
to last.
Witchcraft’s Karma 5m is exactly that – in the traditional sense of what a 5m looks
like. Out of the box and it’s obvious it’s a sail built with the harshest environments
in mind. There’s a lot of re-enforcement, across all panels, yet without too much
weight added. It’s not the lightest 5m we’ve used but at 3.62kg it certainly ain’t
bad either.
Two types of sail position themselves within Witchcraft’s range. The Slayer is a four
batten affair, designed with quality, down the line waves in mind, whereas the
Karma we tested is a more traditional looking five batten sail for conditions you’re
most likely to encounter on a daily basis. Setting on a progressive bend mast
(although we did try on a flexi top also, just to see the differences) it rigs easily and
has an extensive tunable range.
Something we found was not whacking too much downhaul on is a good thing –
particularly if it’s lighter, gustier or you’re a rider preferring grunt. Although it’s a
five batten sail, rigging as you once did a few years ago is not the correct
approach. Of course, as breeze strength increases you’re free to flatten the Karma
off. But initially a fuller profile is best.
The Karma we tested came in bold white and orange livery – both colours are
bright and shiny, although the white material does pick up muck and therefore
needs washing off regularly (standard practice if you want to help the sail’s shelf
life). Out on the water it certainly stands out – this was commented on a number
of times.
On the water
Launching for the first time it’s surprising just how much power the Karma has. On
a few occasions we enjoyed sessions with wind speeds right on the cusp of what
we would consider to be fully lit conditions. In this instance a 5.3m would’ve been
our choice but Witchcraft’s Karma held it’s own against bigger sails no problem.
With a few pumps away you go, planing and up to speed quick smart.
Price: Fenix 5.2m €919; Spine 400 mast €619
“Launching for the first time
it’s surprising just how much
power the Karma has.”
size in fully powered planing
conditions while many may
utilise it as their biggest for
float and ride. Beginners would
do well using one while those
fancying a bit of windSUP action
are often out of 5m (or similar)
rigs. And while not as efficient
for freestyle and freeride they
certainly work to an extent
because of the traits already
mentioned – read on for more.
Five batten sails are always slightly more balanced and composed in the hands
than those with less. That said, the Karma has impeccable manners – ironing out
gusts and watery wrinkles during each run back and forth. The bumpier and gustier
the more this became apparent.
We had a few conversations with Bouke and his team who suggested more
downhaul would see it slipping through the air with least resistance. Yet with minimal
settings the same was also true. Witchcraft’s Karma is an efficient ‘engine’ for all
your higher wind, manoeuvre orientated boards – not just wave sleds.
As mentioned in our intro many riders use 5m sails in cross over environments.
While its wave pedigree is on view for all to see blasting back and forth atop
freestyle/freestyle wave boards, chucking the odd manoeuvre, is perfectly
applicable with the Karma. There’s also a good case for it being a beginner
windsurfers first time sail. After all, the same bomb proof construction, making it
applicable for all manner of surf environments, would see it coping well with first
time falls and newbie progression.
Moves
For those into boosting moves Witchcraft’s Karma 5m has a degree of whip that
makes it fun to power into all manner of tricks and spins. It’s not quite as compact
as some but forwards and backies are no less rewarding – even off choppy lumps,
as opposed to full on waves. Boosting from swell, however, is controlled without
uk
WIND
SURFING