TORRO

THE LOWDOWN: The Torro is a longstanding sail in Gunsails Line up and is stated as the all-terrain freemove sail, covering wave, freestyle or freeride and is a favourite among Gunsails customers. The 5-batten sail is produced in ten sizes from 4.0 to 6.9, and is produced in an orange and red colourway.
The Torro is constructed with a combination of X-ply, 3mm square ply, and 2mm Kevlar warp laminate to ensure the sail is lightweight whilst maintaining durability and stability. The integrated kevlar lines in the sail provide consistent characteristics in the sail regardless of use. Upwards of the 5.7, the sail is designed with a freeride feel and a more direct profile to produce drive and acceleration. The sail boasts a relatively loose leech profile to provide control at the upper end of the wind limit, avoiding the need for retuning. To improve the stability in the upper regions of the sail, mini battens have been used to avoid leech flutter, while the trim guide on the sail ensures the leech profile is set to perfect tension.
For the 2023 season, the Torro is also produced in Gunsails RE construction, using recycled materials. The brand is industry-leading in this regard as they continue to advance sustainability in their production.

BRAND CLAIM: “Relaxed freeriding, freestyle moves or some wave riding? The answer is always the freemove sail TORRO.”

PERFORMANCE: Set foot on the water and sheet in, and you will instantly notice the Torro adopt a much deeper profile as the wind hits, moving away from its flat resting profile. As the power fills, the sail provides a real sense of lift, which, once directed, moves the kit onto the plane fast. This sail allows the rider to feel like an idle copilot as the sail breaths through the gusts, and the centre of effort stays sturdy. As the breeze decreases, the sail loses a little bit of depth and begins to behave in a more playful manner, where a little work with the backhand goes a long way. The sail feels incredibly comfortable, never asking too much of the rider and really allows them to settle into the harness, confident they can expect smooth transitions in variable conditions.
This smoothness transfers well into the manoeuvres, where the sail can be directed calmly, a strong asset when the wind is up and things get hectic. Whilst not as sharp and crisp as some of the other sails on test, the sail's qualities are calming, bestowing the rider with a slower sense of time when it is needed.

THE VERDICT: The Torro is no doubt one of the easier sails on test. With a real plug-and-play feel, it is sure to assist any rider in progressing their windsurfing, giving kindly received time to execute manoeuvres and deal with changes in pressure.

THE LOWDOWN: GUNSAILS are leading the charge with the Re-Torro as it is made from 75% recycled polyester film obtained from recycled PET bottles, which not only helps the environment, but also saving on material production. In terms of design, features, and performance, the Re-Torro is identical to the Torro. At rest, the Re-Torro rigs with a loose leech, falling away consistently, while the trim guide on the top panel provides a clear setting for the downhaul. Moving down into the belly of the sail, it sits quite flat, but with a substantial amount of batten overlap on the mast, it fills substantially when filled with breeze. In sizes 5.7m and above, the Re-Torro profile is geared more towards propulsion, equipping these sizes with more freeriding power. This doesn’t mean they can't be used in bump and jump, or marginal wave sailing conditions, as they still carry some of the compact looseness of the smaller sizes (5.3m downwards). With the goal of maintaining a consistent feel across the entire range of sizes, the Re-Torro holds a consistent 5-batten outline. The Re-Torro feels well-made and well-balanced, while the recycled materials used in the design and construction haven't, upon first glance and rigging, impacted the shape or overall quality of the sail.

PERFORMANCE: Filled with breeze and sheeted in, the once flat belly of the sail grows and deepens, creating a very easy-to-use, smooth, and positive force, that once directed through the board, gets you up to speed with ease. Once planing, the Re-Torro is perfectly balanced in the hands, with the effort in the sail level with the rider. With a natural tuning ability, it does a lot of the work for you and it was actually difficult to feel overpowered as the sail breathes for you, naturally tuning and twisting to take away the sting of any gust you sail through. This fantastic characteristic transforms conditions that would otherwise be classified as rather zesty 5.7m weather, into very manageable and enjoyable conditions as the power remains exceptionally stable. Through the lulls, the Re-Torro does lose some of its belly, as expected, but a change of sailing line paired with some input from the back hand helps carry you through. Gybing the Re-Torro is a smooth and gentle process with the Re-Torro’s stability instilling confidence into the rider as you are not being pulled off balance on either the entry or exit. In the air, the Re-Torro feels just like it does on the water - gentle and manageable - not pulling you into anything you don’t want to be pulled into. Pushing the Re-Torro’s limits in some waves, its soft, smooth delivery encourages a riding style to match. The Re-Torro isn’t going to sit you super tight in the pocket, or manoeuvre you aggressively up the face, but it will allow you to place a couple of turns on a wave face. The Re-Torro a real chameleon in the lineup that will adapt, but remain true to its character.

THE VERDICT: The Re-Torro naturally instils the rider with the confidence to manage a range of conditions thanks to its easy tune-ability. The Re-Torro offers gentle and stable power delivery, while it remains well-balanced throughout, and in more challenging conditions, it tends to do a lot of the handwork for you, which puts the rider at ease, both on the water and in their soul, knowing that they have done their bit for the environment as the Re-Torro is made from recycled materials.

Fun, versatile and accessible

DESIGN: The Torro is a line that evolves according to size, changing from wave to freewave up to 5.3 and and beyond to freeride. The cut is simple and compact, with 5 battens and light Square Ply in the sail top. The large window is made of X-ply and a monofilm panel is attached above it.

ON THE WATER: The Torro is easy to trim thanks to the precise trim indications and the help of the luff tension logo: A single luff trim is required in all wind speeds. There is only one eyelet for the clew, which simplifies the operation of a sail with a large range. The rig has a compact cloth with a less pronounced profile, the boom even appears shorter than it is. The pressure in the hand is finely dosed with a slight touch of smoothness. The 5.3 is lively on demand and knows how to moderate itself on a straight line. It's not the most rigid, but it allows you to sail long blasts with full throttle. The Torro tends to unlock the board's handling, making it playful and even zippy. The Gunsails has a playful behaviour that makes you want to jump, go straight or surf the wave. The moderate boom takes the pressure off the back hand when you want to push the rail into the wave. The turns are easy to take, with a gradual and smooth regain of traction. The rotation in the jibe is also a plus for the Torro.

CONCLUSION: Weight, balance, the feel of a short boom - all contribute to describe a product where the ease of riding sums it all up: With the Torro, you can allow yourself to consider everything. This cloth is at once playful and stable, accessible and fun, the Gunsails appeals to a wide group of users. The 5.3 cannot disappoint in its handling and is suitable for both freewave board surfing and freeriding.

+ easy adjustment, easy navigation, versatile, range of use, price.
-  nothing to complain about

The Torro has become a must-have in Wind News' tests. A crossover that continues to enjoy great popularity, not least because of its excellent price-performance ratio. Until two years ago, it was flanked by the FR version, which was more oriented towards freeriding. Since last year, this dual soul has been integrated into the Torro itself, with sizes up to 5.3 oriented more towards bump&jump and sizes from 5.7 upwards featuring a larger profile in the lower section and a tube batten able to emphasize more power and enhance the freeride character.

The TORRO is also enriched this year by the version Re-Torro, that is, the version made of recycled material that has already been used for the Re-Seal and the Re-Zoom, whose test you can find here on the site. The prices are identical, but if you want to wink at the environment and wait for July (current expected delivery date), the green version should be your first choice. In terms of construction, the Torro confirms the sense of robustness to which the brand has accustomed us, with ample use of reinforced X-Ply in the various areas, just as the film of the large central window is reinforced. A build quality that is paid a little with the general lightness, but nothing for a normal driver to worry about. Aesthetically, it's understated (maybe even too much so), but it has its own character and recalls the style of the brand's other sails. On the water, we tested the Torro with two different RDM masts: MaverX SuperLeggero 430 100% and NeilPryde NPX 430 90%, and in both cases we found perfect compatibility. Trimming is made easier by our friend Fred*, and there is no shortage of other small construction details that improve the overall robustness of the product.

In the water, the Torro 6.3 is very balanced and powerful, thanks to a form factor that offers more surface area in the lower part at this size. Even at excessive speed, the Torro doesn't rip and shows good dynamics in the behavior of the mast curve and in the gradual control of the power, remaining controllable despite the generous length of the boom. A length that is appreciated and exploited in pure freeriding for its greater power, but that can be a bit of a hindrance in small waves.

Certainly we are dealing with a good crossover, perfect for freestyle waves (and it is no coincidence that it was used in the JP FSW test) and that stands out for its robustness and even more for its price.

+ quality/price, wide range of use. all-terrain thoroughbred, balanced. powerful, fast. agile, robust.
- always the same look

The Chameleon Sail

With a distinct profile in the forward area behind the mast, the Torro 5.7 is built from 70% X-Ply, which is lighter in the upper area and has widely spaced threads in the main window. There is a tube batten and a nice loose leech.

ON THE WATER: The Torro, with its 100% RDM mast (which brings an additional boost effect), is relatively light when standing and is one of the active sails that convert the gust into a direct acceleration. This is due to the magic of a small turbo boost triggered by a balanced profile, a decent rear hand and a moderate boom length. The feeling of planing is strong, you are accelerated to Mach 2 in a few meters, with a high cruising speed in this program. The advantage of the short boom is that you can release the rear hand tension to go into "energy saving" mode, while maintaining forward momentum and high speed. When you switch to "full speed" mode you can hang on to the freeride sails that are on a half-wind course: it can get very fast, with a well opening leech and a locked pressure point. It's not bulky in jumps, efficient in shifting and stays manageable in small waves, neutralizing and getting lighter when you tighten the tension on the boom to make it flatter, even at the risk of losing some pull on the back hand a few horsepower.
At medium settings, it offers a wide range of use.

CONCLUSION: The Torro is the lowest priced sail in the group, but it remains a reference model for versatility, offering an excellent balance between stability/planing in a straight line and maneuverability in small waves, with intuitive settings and lots of fun. A true chameleon sail that adapts to the type of terrain that surrounds it.

+ Range of use, compromise between maneuverability and speed, stability, reliable construction, price
-  Nothing

The all-round sail Torro is also available in recycled materials (Re-Torro) with the same shape. The 5.7 was tuned with more profile in the lower sail area more powerful than last year. As always, trim help Fred assists in finding the right luff trim. With the Torro, it is very easy to find the right angle of attack, and overall the sail appears more powerful than average. You can get by with little tension at the clew, then there's a lot of power with a stable pressure point. Even in wind holes you always feel some built-in pull on the sail hand, which helps to keep the pressure on the fin and to sail a good average speed. In maneuvers, the sail also doesn't show any weakness, delivering good pull in the jibe. In rotated moves from duckjibe to spinloop, however, it is not quite as light in the hand as the featherweights of the group.

surf conclusion: As a strong planing and very controllable sail, the Torro is ideal for small freeride or freemove boards. The model definitely meets the all-round demand, with a small tendency to flat water blasting. For basic freestyle and wave there are more manageable alternatives.

+ Control, top speed, handling
o nothing
- nothing

The test of a truly "unusual" size for the Torro from GunSails, which for 2024, apart from a few "early" additions planned for this spring, is keeping all the sails from last season in full. For a change and out of curiosity, we opted for the largest size in this line to see if the Torro 6.9 also confirms all the qualities that we have always appreciated when testing the smaller sizes! The Torro, which is also available in the eco-friendly Re-Torro version, is a true "all-terrain" sail as it covers pretty much all the "classic" disciplines of windsurfing, from wave to freeride and freestyle. This feature has made it one of the most popular sails and certainly the most purchased by the brand's fans. The key to its success lies in its extreme versatility, but also in the fact that everyone who tries it, whether beginner or expert, always returns to shore with a smile!

The secret of this alchemy is quickly revealed: it is certainly an easy sail that will help any rider to progress, but it also has a good level of performance and a "playful" behavior that will not disappoint even experienced windsurfers.
This 6.9 does not escape this "fate" either: it can be rigged in no time as it requires no special attention in adjusting the luff tension to achieve the right trim for any condition, helped by the "Fred" in the leech which is a kind of trim guide for not so "experienced" surfers! Even with a 430/21 RDM mast, on a sail that might prefer an SDM mast given the size, you can't help but appreciate the traditional Torro qualities from the first planing. Perhaps the combination with the RDM mast improves the planing a little, perhaps it becomes a little more physical in strong winds, but the fact remains that this 6.9 planes at a speed equivalent to a larger size freeride sail. In the five larger sizes (5.7, 6.0, 6.3, 6.6 and 6.9), the Torro takes on a deeper profile with a gradually freeride-oriented orientation that guarantees sufficient thrust and acceleration in light winds.

This "virtue" does not affect the control and stability of the sail so much when you go out into stronger winds! The feel remains "soft" and the control comfortable even in these conditions, but experienced surfers will be convinced by a sail that is lively in the hand, fast and fun! Anyone trying out the Torro for the first time will gradually learn to appreciate its potential. Once you can jibe, even with this size 6.9, you will immediately understand why this sail has so many admirers: as light and playful as a 6.5! It confirms everything that has been said and written about this sail for years... The 6.9 will continue to be praised!