VECTOR

DESIGN: Revised in its three small sizes, the Vector has a largely loose leech at the top of the sail and at the edges. The mast sleeve is wide around the 3 cambers before tapering off. It is equipped with 7 tube battens. The clew has a clear cut with two widely spaced eyelets.

ON THE WATER: Like all Gunsails, the Vector is very easy to set up following the manufacturer's tried and true instructions. The Vector has much slimmer dimensions and offers a fast rig that is easy to handle. The body of the sail is like a block, there are no delays in positioning as you approach planing. The wind is picked up directly and the sail gets going well. The acceleration is noticeable, it tempts to a sporty way of sailing from the beginning. Nevertheless, you don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the power, but rather feel comfortable and with reserve. The result shows itself on short distances with a smooth liveliness. The Gunsails behaves reliably and safely on the course. The wind can be irregular, but the Gunsails shows a pretty all-around character with consistent traction. Ultimately, the Vector keeps up in strong winds without moving a wrinkle. Like the Rapid, the Vector has two clew eyelets that are spaced apart and offset to play with trim and expand the wind range.

CONCLUSION: The 5.6 with 3 cams from Gunsails positions itself on the side of sporty sails without demanding too much commitment. One approaches racing sails, although its frame is not as huge as that of a slalom sail. With a dose of liveliness, the Vector handling offers good performance, yet remains quite controllable. That can be an advantage on a long run if you have some reserve in the back and can hold the sail for a long time.

+ Monoblock frame, acceleration, stability, performance, price
-  Semi-sporty on long distances

Stability all along the line

The Freerace 3 Camber with its 7 tube battens features the widest mast sleeve. The design is characterized by the "racing" look and offers a nice leech opening. The adjustments are easy to find.

ON THE WATER: Harder to pull out of the water with more inertia (in this group), the Vector appears firmer in the hand, it deforms less and delivers a more balanced and lively propulsion at launch. Stability is its leitmotif, regardless of the RPM of the engine. This means less arm effort to compensate for imbalance, resulting in a more stable board at Mach 2, but at the cost of slightly more inertia/weight/awkwardness when maneuvering. Clew tension is easier to release without too much backhand in the gust, and the medium setting covers a wider range of use than others, which is helpful in irregular winds.
Performance is similar to a race sail, which is the closest it gets, with a touch of explosiveness/stability/power for pros. In the top end, you reduce the pull on the back hand by switching to the deeper/inner eyelet to reduce power and emphasize planing and smoothness, although the whole thing is still stiffer than other sails. In the gybe it is more physical (in this group), despite the good transition of the camber with the bang in the relaunch.

CONCLUSION: Note to weekend slalom sailors and other speed addicts, this Vector challenges racing sails by saving energy and euros. It is aimed at an experienced and dedicated audience with at least freerace boards.

+ Premium stability, range of use, acceleration, easy adjustments, top performance, price.
-  Heavier and bulkier than freeride sails.

The Vector 2023 is the sail that the German sailmaker confirms again this year in its list of flatwater sails, ideal for those who want performance without too many complications and without taking out a loan for the eventual purchase. Gunsails have always been a symbol of great robustness and solidity at the expense of a certain lightness, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this sail. The materials used are robust in all the right places, but in many others there is a search for lightness.

In detail, the following stand out: the use of a lighter monofilm in the upper part of the sail, which is dyed to increase its durability under UV rays, the classic reinforcements in the lower part, in particular the protection of the batten that crosses the boom, and the fabric in the foot of the luff that touches the board's grip varnish both when hauling in and when sailing. A very robust material is used for the mast sleeve, which comes at the cost of greater lightness, but is sure to last and maintain high performance after many uses. The two race cams and the upper minicam turn perfectly, a classic feature of sails designed by master sailmaker Morlotti, and cause no problems when rigging the sail, you just need the right pressure at the point indicated by the FRED on the batten and that's it. We used the 6.3 specifically in medium to strong winds on a slalom board, but also wanted to try it on a windfoil slalom, as we felt the Vector's all-round philosophy should carry over to the new disciplines that are popping up everywhere. The possibility of rigging both the 6.3 and the 7.0 with the same 430 mast, which is hard to find nowadays in the product lists of the different manufacturers, makes us think that we can choose this sail for multiple uses and find great advantages, also for the wallet, especially for us Ligurians!

When windsurfing in slalom mode, the sail is powerful and manoeuvrable, very stable, the classic mast sleeve allows you to hold a sail in your hands that is not demanding, but at the same time fast and stable, with a pressure point that does not move back and forth even in the most demanding gusts. As mentioned before, when coming out of the gybe we appreciate the fluid rotation of the camber, which doesn't need any "kicking and punching" help to turn, and therefore allows us to focus on the manoeuvre, whether we need to learn it or perfect it.

The use of the Windfoil was a nice surprise, as in a wind of around 10-11 knots and with a VMG foil, this 6.3 lifted the set into the air without having to pump too hard, and maintained speed without any problems. The Vector was a big surprise, a sail for all budgets, but also for all experts.

Plus: Price/performance, easy trim, optimal torque, balanced, stable, overall performance, can be used for slalom with fin or foil.
Minus: A touch more physical in windy conditions