Forums > Windsurfing Gear Reviews

Chopper MK II

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Created by Madge > 9 months ago, 28 Jul 2020
Madge
NSW, 471 posts
28 Jul 2020 2:00PM
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Apparently Naish are making a Chopper MK II.

I wander what the sizes will be this time.....?

I liked the original chopper, they were compact, used one mast for all sails, were light etc. Didn't like the fact that the XL was 5.3m and there was nothing bigger.

I'm curious.....??????

leto
284 posts
28 Jul 2020 1:42PM
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Hope it's real. I need XXL sail to pull like say 6.2-6.5 and sit on 370 mast. Perfect performance is not required. Good and all-round average will do.

RuaraidhK257
70 posts
29 Jul 2020 3:19AM
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A friend of mine who sails Hookipa a lot and knows the team well says the Chopper is back for '21. It doesn't come highly recommended ??

Madge
NSW, 471 posts
29 Jul 2020 7:13AM
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Select to expand quote
RuaraidhK257 said..
A friend of mine who sails Hookipa a lot and knows the team well says the Chopper is back for '21. It doesn't come highly recommended ??


Why not, Naish are talking about it like its the best thing ever.?

leto
284 posts
29 Jul 2020 9:15AM
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Again, hope they make XXL for people who sail in European conditions. 370 mast is a must. There are extensions that go to 46cm. So plenty of length to play with. I think that XL only used 20cm. And I also hope they will not make Chopper sail follow Boxer footsteps that every year Boxer was becoming more and more regular shaped sail with longer and longer luff.
We need a freak!

Any pictures?
Cheers

RuaraidhK257
70 posts
29 Jul 2020 2:40PM
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Select to expand quote


Madge said..


RuaraidhK257 said..
A friend of mine who sails Hookipa a lot and knows the team well says the Chopper is back for '21. It doesn't come highly recommended ??



Why not, Naish are talking about it like its the best thing ever.?


Sorry. I should have said "unofficially it doesn't come highly recommended."

RuaraidhK257
70 posts
29 Jul 2020 2:42PM
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leto said..


Any pictures?
Cheers


Have a look at zdenek mryako or whatever his name is on Instagram, I think he's posted some pics on it. Otherwise just scroll through Jimmie Hepp's March-April-May pics on Facebook, he's taken a lot of pics of it at hookipa but I don't have any saved

leto
284 posts
30 Jul 2020 2:37AM
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I checked both
www.instagram.com/zdenek.maryzko/?hl=en
www.facebook.com/Jimmiehepp/

Although there are some pictures, I cannot see a single pic where I can identify Chopper. Can you point me to the definite chopper pic?

philn
1048 posts
30 Jul 2020 3:11AM
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www.naishsails.com/product/chopper-mkii/

leto
284 posts
30 Jul 2020 3:27AM
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Wow. That was so simple. I checked yesterday and it wasn't there. Added today. No XXL... ? Guys please. Need XXL size.

Madge
NSW, 471 posts
30 Jul 2020 7:58AM
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New 2020 Naish sails. Only up to a 5.3m for the chopper.

Basher
590 posts
30 Jul 2020 8:47AM
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I must say that, like the earlier Chopper, it just looks wrong.
I get the idea you can stick this on one mast and get three useful sizes of rig. But the sail performance?
What you are sacrificing is simply the need for a 4m mast.

And, already, with a 4m mast you can easily have a 4.7, 5.2 and even a 5.7m sail.
You then add the 370 as a second mast, and your quiver can extend to 4.7 (fits both masts) , 4.4, 4.0 and even a 3.6.

So I don't quite get the point here.

RuaraidhK257
70 posts
30 Jul 2020 3:06PM
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Select to expand quote
Basher said..


So I don't quite get the point here.


Neither does the Naish team apparently ??

Madge
NSW, 471 posts
30 Jul 2020 6:15PM
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I was hoping they would do something radical like use the base of a 400 mast with the top section of a super soft 370 with for the smaller sails then use the base of the 400 mast with a 400 top section for bigger sails so just using 1.5 masts.

Still a brilliant sail for smaller riders I recon.

philn
1048 posts
30 Jul 2020 11:02PM
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www.facebook.com/NaishWindsurfing/videos/615071866075274/

Robby says in the video that the Chopper is only for very light weight riders.

Grantmac
2313 posts
31 Jul 2020 12:53AM
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Reminds me a bit of the HSM QU4D, which can rig the 5.2 on a 370 if you wish.
They are a fantastic sail but at my 90kg I prefer to use a 400 in the 5.2 but then that same mast will also work on the 6.0 if I was to buy it.
They make a really excellent minimalist quiver if that's something you need.

leto
284 posts
31 Jul 2020 3:11AM
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Select to expand quote
Basher said..
I must say that, like the earlier Chopper, it just looks wrong.
I get the idea you can stick this on one mast and get three useful sizes of rig. But the sail performance?
What you are sacrificing is simply the need for a 4m mast.

And, already, with a 4m mast you can easily have a 4.7, 5.2 and even a 5.7m sail.
You then add the 370 as a second mast, and your quiver can extend to 4.7 (fits both masts) , 4.4, 4.0 and even a 3.6.

So I don't quite get the point here.



Agree the sail looks weird but it sails quite well. I'm 180-185 pounds and all my sails are Choppers. I only have 2 masts 370 and 310 (yes, 310). I sometimes run 310 in M and S Chopper if I want softer feel. I actually always do given wind to push me on M or S needs to be quite strong. Plus 310 weighs like almost nothing.. I'm a pretty OK windsurfer and for me minimalist and more compact is best. I don't have to think about stuff. How light and compact these sails feel in your hands is pretty amazing. They also pull well.
I think that Chopper XXL (5.8-6.0) is a must for European conditions or light wind. Please bump it up by 0.5-0.7m in Autocad and make it happen. If it needs to have 5 battens let it be. But leave 370 mast.

Small comment on light-weight riders. Agree with Naish but he never mentioned who gets into the heavy category. We do have heavy-weight dudes here. They are 5'10" - 6'3" and weigh 220+ / 230+ pounds. You know, former weigh-lifters. For them I would not recommend these sails. They know it. All of them here are always on race sails with cams etc. Try to sell any freewave or wave sails to them and they will laugh at you.. (Nozing can pull me to plain). Same applies to big guys and super reduced diameter carbon booms - they don't mix and if they do they come back with booms split in 2 pieces.

Cheers.

philn
1048 posts
31 Jul 2020 10:04PM
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Select to expand quote
leto said..
I think that Chopper XXL (5.8-6.0) is a must for European conditions or light wind. Please bump it up by 0.5-0.7m in Autocad and make it happen. If it needs to have 5 battens let it be. But leave 370 mast.



Robby says he always reads your comments with anticipation and will get right on it.

leto
284 posts
1 Aug 2020 6:40AM
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Somehow a funny story came to mind.
I have a friend who is a cryptography genius, dean of crypto at MIT. So one day he and his friend are on the subway in Boston. They talk and then notice a guy who got famous for hacking some big hotel's security system and then wrote a paper on it and the article even made it to some big newspaper. They move closer so the guy can hear them and start discussing how cool that guy was and how groundbreaking and amazing his paper was and newspaper article... That guy's face starts changing and he starts screaming - it was me, me, me... lol

Remember this story and Choppers... I guess somehow Naish decided to bring them back and if my input counted even 0.0001% towards this decision, good.

swoosh
QLD, 1928 posts
1 Aug 2020 10:29PM
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Honestly, this sail doesn't make sense. Super low aspect ratio, so you end up with long boom in your big sails, which makes your big sails feel even bigger. Personally I think I'd prefer a shorter boom to a shorter mast.

And vario top on all sizes? If the goal is to be able to use a 370 mast on most sails, this seems to just be adding weight and annoyance.

Madge
NSW, 471 posts
2 Aug 2020 6:41AM
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swoosh said..
Honestly, this sail doesn't make sense. Super low aspect ratio, so you end up with long boom in your big sails, which makes your big sails feel even bigger. Personally I think I'd prefer a shorter boom to a shorter mast.

And vario top on all sizes? If the goal is to be able to use a 370 mast on most sails, this seems to just be adding weight and annoyance.



The Vario mast cap wont really add weight to the actual sail but it means that if you do have a longer mast and want to use the larger sail then you can and you dont have to buy another mast.

In some ways that would reduce the weight as you could use a 400 mast with the biggest sail and have not extension.

I do have the older chopper sails and they work very well in the right conditions.

Mark _australia
WA, 23436 posts
2 Aug 2020 12:00PM
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The old Choppers were a great idea and I suspected only for lighter folks at the time. Never got to try one though.

I often wondered if two ranges would work - say a 4.0 4.5 5.0 and 5.3 on a 370 like they do.......but then a bigger range like 4.5 to 6.0 all set on a 400. That would be a nice concept I reckon.

I barely get my wavesails on 2 masts (4.0 to 5.7 and a lot of extension for the latter on 400, with a rec 430) so really 3 is needed and that's a bit silly

I loved the bottom end power and lightness of the Severne S3 so its possible to get 5.3 power in a 5.0 (but not the range) so maybe combining 3, 4 and 5 batten sails within the same range could extend things a bit?

Paducah
2784 posts
6 Aug 2020 2:19PM
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I have a quiver of the originals M, L and XL. I use only for windfoiling. I love them. Easy to handle, plenty stable, faster than it you would imagine. Few things are as fun as seeing maybe 12-14 kts and dragging a 370 mast out of the van. fwiw, I'm on the lighter end of the scale. I know they look all kinds of wrong but once on the water, I don't worry about that.

For anyone wondering, I overlayed my XL on a 09-10 vintage North 5.4 wave sail (forget which one) once and they are similar except the Naish is "missing" the upper panel. The boom was actually a touch shorter vs this particular sail.

The first gen colors were more fun, imho, though.

DunkO
NSW, 1147 posts
6 Aug 2020 5:26PM
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Point 7 have brought out a chopper? Cool

leto
284 posts
18 Sep 2020 10:15AM
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Not gonna be waiting for Naish to bring Chopper XXL. I have 2010 Naish Boxer 6.2. A panel needs to be replaced as it simply crumbles from microcracks.. so if I find a guy who fixes sails, he will get exact spec from me to make this sail rig on 370cm mast plus will replace one clear panel..

Will basically cut about 30-40 cm from the top and move top batten down. will get exact autocad spec from me.. Then I will say bye bye to 400cm mast forever LOL.
Evil plan, I know.

onshoreroy
59 posts
16 Oct 2020 6:30AM
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I thinking of changing from simmer black tips to Naish choppers. I weigh 73kgs and I always get on better with my 4.7 on 370 and sail terrible on 5.3 on 400, the chap that owns the local shop say it is because I am lighter and get on better with the softer 370 mast. My local beach is onshore bump and Jump how well would choppers work ? Cant find a decent review on them.

forceten
1312 posts
17 Oct 2020 7:44PM
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I had one. I think it was a nice sail, mine was pretty clapped out.
i think the newer 3 Batten designs are improved, as HSM KS3 or Taka.

5.3 could stretch to say 6.0 on the MK2, bigger than that 4 batten or 5 is in my humble opinion better.

28knts
NSW, 80 posts
20 Oct 2020 1:30PM
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I like the concept of these sails, but pushing to keep the weight under 100kg don't think these sails are for me sadly. The whole idea of having one mast and one boom and set of sails, sounds perfect.

leto
284 posts
21 Oct 2020 10:26AM
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I've sailed all 4 sails S, M, L, XL for about 4/5 years almost exclusively Love them. Don't really sail any other sails. My weight is 185 pounds. I use 370 Nolimitz. Rigs perfectly. Sometimes I use 310 with M and S as it gives softer, lighter and very compact feel. Cheers.

Sideshore
313 posts
15 Nov 2020 5:56AM
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Hi.

If chopper concept works, this is the best thing Naish has done for windsurfing in many years. They help in all the issues that make people stay far from windsurfing: rig weight, rig complexity, amount of stuff to carry, wind range. You know there are much less girls in windsurfing than in surfing, suping, kiting or winging.

The smallest the sail the better for manoeuvrability, weight and cool looking.

If I need two different masts I should have another two as spares. If I can have only one mast for everything I could have only another one as spare.

Some years ago I tried a 4 batten Maui sails one which was too powerful and unstable, maybe I should have used an smaller size. I hope the chopper won't be the same kind of sail.

Cheers.

leto
284 posts
18 Nov 2020 9:06AM
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You have two options at this point:
1) Read more stories about them here
OR
2) get them and find out yourself :)



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"Chopper MK II" started by Madge