Just catch a wave, destroy it according to all the rules of the art and ride it out relaxed - that's what the GUNSAILS likes best. A very harmonious and simple mixture of OFF and Drive makes the sail one of the top all-rounders of this group. With little holding force and the forward pressure point, the Peak always lies calmly in the hand - even when not planing - and offers sufficient early planing power, driving stability and propulsion. Quickly jumping over the last wave or pumping to go down the wave - the tight sail does not provide the very best conditions for that in side offshore and light wind, because when pumping it twists strongly at the top and remains quite stiff in the sail body. More horsepower cannot be mobilized in this way. On the other hand, it planes passively very well and the sail pull remains in its stable profile, in any trim, from deep to flat, always equally distributed in both hands - which requires luff tension. Even in gusts of wind it does not become nervous and offers a super control, on the wave it accelerates quickly and transforms gusts well. The slightly higher felt sail weight makes it not quite as agile as the lightest sails, but overall it remains a top all-round sail that can also be used without hesitation on shallow water with little sailing skills, just like in mast-high Cape Town Waves.

surf tip: A well-balanced, stable sail for all wave conditions with a slightly more forward pressure point than the Seal, which also looks quite direct.

DESIGN: At GUNSAILS, the Peak is the wave sail for all eventualities: Anything less than five square metres requires four battens, above that there are five battens for more profile stability. The workmanship at GUNSAILS is first class and the equipment leaves nothing to be desired. Especially the light laminate in the upper half of the sail should avoid a top-heavy character and in combination with the Loose Leech, which is always pronounced on the Peak, ensure effective twist. Like all Gun wave sails, the Peak does without monofilm, large-area use of X-Ply is standard. In the luff a soft dacron panel gives the profile enough "air to breathe" and in combination with the profile given by the battens should improve the planing performance. Especially interesting is the comparison with the stable brother Seal, who will join the GUNSAILS family in 2018. Besides the compact four-batten flat profile, the peak is rather stretched, with a narrow top and classic outline.

ON THE WATER: No, the Peak does not carry itself so completely feather-light to the water, the additional grams on the balance make themselves noticeable however only when carrying. Once on the board, the Peak lies very well balanced in the hand and makes the way through the waves an easy affair. Although the Peak is not as stoic as the Transwave, it also forgives the one or other small mistake that some more bitchy profiles immediately punish with a planing pause. Anyone who has seen a ramp a hundred metres away on a wild Baltic Sea day can be sure that they do not have to make two catapults on the way there, but can shoot themselves into the air with the best possible control. Especially the nervous four-batten sails with less twist are outperformed by the Peak without any problems, also the far forward pressure point helps enormously. On the wave, the profile keeps up well with the more radical sails. In bottom turns it offers decent drive with enough flexibility at the same time. Only those who want to ride extremely steep turns in skate style into the waves and have to show slides, tacas or tweaked aerials on the wave lip could feel somewhat hindered by the quite far down lower leech and the never perfect off. Granted, peanuts.

CONCLUSION: The Peak absolutely lives up to its vocation as a sail for all eventualities. It planes well-balanced, is super controllable and offers good handling. On the North Sea and Baltic Sea we can recommend it to sailors of all weight classes and skill levels with a clear conscience. All this at an inviolable price/performance ratio.

SIDE SHORE AT A REASONABLE PRICE

DESIGN: This year there have been small adjustments to the Peak, like obviously a slightly shortened boom, but it keeps its basic characteristics. In this size it is held by 5 battens. The main window is x-ply, the upper part of the sail is square-ply. The excellent FRED trim point, which indicates the correct luff tension, is also on board.

ON THE WATER: Despite the 5 battens, the Peak lies quite easily in your hands. The leverage is significantly reduced, certainly due to the use of the new material in the sail top since last year. The profile of the GUNSAILS pulls evenly in the hands, the back hand is light, but not completely absent. This is the pull you need for planing and in most other situations, even if it is not necessarily on onshore, except when the wind is stable and constant. Thanks to its profile, the Peak provides more natural neutrality in the bottom turn than the average in the wave. It almost never looks bulky in the wave, even if it does not have the reactivity and finesse when not closed like the models with a flatter profile. Nevertheless, the handling remains very satisfactory. The lightness in his hands is not unfamiliar to him either. The strength of the Peak lies in the control it provides, both in the hands and at board level. Riders who like to ride large radius in good wave conditions will like it, especially in solid conditions and from the right direction.

CONCLUSION: As usual, GUNSAILS delivers a very good Peak for waves at Side Shore. It is aimed at riders who are looking for a sail with a light back hand, which covers a wide range of use and is seriously manufactured, all this at a reasonable price.

+: Homogeneous, neutral, handling, stability, price
-: Onshore

The 5.0 Peak has a longer luff than the Seal and has one more batten in the top. The rest of the outline is similar to the Seal, with the inlet on the clew, the pronounced Loose Leech and, together with the North Hero, the deepest profile at the front. The Peak is made of different X-Ply materials and has two offset clew eyes, just like the Seal.

ON THE WATER: Equipped with a good profile and a harmonious twist, the peak pulls forward powerfully when starting to plane. The acceleration is very strong and the speed high, with good upwind ability. You can feel the more of stability of a 5 batten sail, which also gives the feeling that the board is kept stable in strong winds. The Peak is more efficient than its sister Seal, both in speed and balance in general. This makes it suitable for the wave as well as for the Bump&Jump with strong winds, in order to drive long runs in the harness. But it is also a bit heavier, more exhausting and direct than a 4-batten sail, less playful and reactive. The Peak pushes on the front edge of the board at long bottom turns, more forward and also more propulsive than other sails. It can also slow down a bit faster, so don't hesitate and pull on the boom to relieve pressure from the back hand when you drive full throttle through the long curves. You don't have the playful kind of a Seal, his pull on both hands while stringing curves together. This is more about long radiuses, which are operated with a slightly more neutral profile and with a little less pull on the back hand in fast side shore conditions.

CONCLUSION: A rather versatile wave sail which feels comfortable in long side shore wave rides as well as in the Bump&Jump straight ahead at strong winds. With its XL Power, the Peak has one more level of stability and performance in propulsion and when launching on the wave. The sail supports the rider a little more than a 4-batten, a sail that is less twitchy when riding straight ahead rather than waves.