FLYLITE

A BIG CAPACITY

A new addition in 2023, the camberless Flylite complements the Raise, powered by a modern cut (tall and narrow) with plenty of surface area under the boom, a discreet leech twist, and a profile that rises high behind the mast.

ON THE WATER: Heavier on the scales as well as in navigation - with the longest mast + extension of the group -, the Flylite requires a bit more physical effort for a no cam. Direct and very efficient to get up in the air, it develops a linear XL power programmed for long runs with the edge resting on the deck.
This is perfect with a board wide enough to take advantage of the torque and obtain a power higher than the average of the group. So it gets better through the passages of wind holes and pulls very well on downwind at a constant speed. The sail pulls similar to a camber sail with a short boom, without the wide mast pocket and with a much better rotation of the profile in the gybe. But despite this good rotation, the whole remains heavier in the gybe, even if you are lighter/more maneuverable than with the camber sail Raise. In this 6.8m² area, the Flylite is more suitable for large tours, with a very good upwind performance and a range of use slightly shifted down compared to its rivals. In the upper range it saturates a little faster (due to too much power), despite its very good stability.

CONCLUSION: Very efficient in lightwind flight, this Flylite is powerful and sporty, pleasant and powerful for big rides, whether you are a beginner or an advanced foiler, with wide boards and fast foils, as you have a lot of support to keep the back pressure.

+ stability, performance, wide boards, big rides on downwind, price.
- heavier weight than the competition, more physical and less maneuverable.

GunSails' new camberless foil freeride sail for the 2023 season is called Flylite and has a 6-batten design with an elongated profile specifically for foil. Four sizes are available: 4.8, 5.8, 6.8 and 7.8.... for our test we chose the 5.8, which with its 444 cm mast sleeve fits well with our Reptile Fibra 100 rdm mast 430/21 (editor's note: according to the manufacturer, 4.8 and 5.8 "want" the RDM mast, 6.8 and 7.8 the SDM).

With the RDM mast, trimming the Flylite is quick and straightforward: You don't have to apply too much luff tension to achieve the optimal setting, partly because of the very moderate mast curve, and you can "play" with one of the two clew eyelets for fine adjustments depending on the wind. Once assembled, the Flylite leaves no doubt about its purpose... the stretched design, the closed and narrow leech, the low-lying sail profile, the relatively short boom - all 'clues' that confirm we are dealing with a sail specifically for foiling. A freeride foil sail, to be precise, that leaves the first impression of extreme lightness.... so much so that getting into the water with board, foil and sail is a little easier than usual and it's almost no longer necessary to detach the sail from the board each time to get out of the water at the end of the session... which, for us at least, is a step towards foilsurfing being a little more 'human' and a little more accessible to all. Especially when you come from slalom and the 7.0 with the camber.... were out for the first time with the foil in the same conditions with the Flyte 5.8.... we had a sail that immediately proved much easier to handle than non-specific sails. In light winds, we expected it to perform "appropriately" with an easy and quick launch to fly fast while maintaining the stability needed to avoid the "up and down" typical of beginner sailors....

The Flylite has confirmed its quality in slightly stronger winds. In conditions where we, who are not too much "foil addicts", often got into trouble, where instead of flying calmly we tried to somehow limit our speed, not having full control of the board and the foil, the Flylite really "helped" us by stabilizing the flight, thanks to the fact that even in a sudden gust it stays calm, without any inherent movement.

A beautiful sail that will delight all foil beginners who are able to progress quickly, with a motor of unquestionable ability, combined with the traditional GunSails build quality and, last but not least, a price that is still human... which makes it interesting also for advanced foilers who appreciate the many qualities of the Flylite.

+ Quality/price, lightweight, easy trim, light/stable, foiling in light wind, not demanding in strong wind, good overall performance
-  very wide monofilm window