[
im
g]
Just picked up a 7m Cheetah, and I'm in love!
Must say that firstly I think I may be Ezzy fan already after also recently owning a Panther Ltd 5.2, when I saw the build quality and started to experience it's range I started to look at the Cheetah for flat water.
I also one set of Ezzy Waves for 10 years before selling them! And they were 2nd hand when I got them!
Ive owned Race Sails and Free ride Camless...I'd come to the conclusion that that time, hassle and expense of Race Sails was not worth the extra 10-15% performance, but also realized that Camless are a normally a bit gutless and back handed and range limited also....
Until Now..
This is where the Ezzy kicks ass, you can see in the picks it has a really noticable built in profile, whilst not Race its way more than standard RAF style.
Its full and gives a really nice low down pull and really responds to a couple of pumps.
Its super light in weight and super light in the hands.
I used it in overpowered conditions x 2 and under x1, the overpowered was 18-28knts , really what would normally be too big for my 6.7m (non race), set it up straight out of the bag, no batten tuning nothing, followed the rigging guide for strong winds and was blown away by how it handled it, was amazing, fast steady and solid a lot like a race sail feel but without the associated BS that goes along with it, was buzzing after the session.
2nd session was ocean and again super windy WA 25knts, the only thing that was a struggle was my board not the sail! The Ezzy is a bit harder to water start than a standard RAF sail as the profile makes clearing it a bit harder, but still way better than filling a giant luff tube with water!
3rd Session, was super light and crappy, was under finned but still managed to get going in the puffs with the seetings set to light, cant say to much about this sessionas was really crappy patchy wind.
What I love is that I feel like I have purchased a real piece of quality workmanship, tame of the employee who rigged the sail in the factory is attached to the sail, its nice to support an overseas country thats not China also!, the sail is not brittle, not subject to instant deteriation like a lot of the big name brands. I can rig up on anything , can handle some abuse, will try to load some close up images of the build quality difference later, its massive.
I like the quality, the wind range, the no nonsense BS and knowing that for my $$$ have been well spent and my purchase will last for ages.
I dont think anyone looking for a Freeride/free race sail could go wrong with the Cheetah.
Windsurfing industry and the sport could do with more Ezzy type gear in it!
Good review Jonesy. The Cheetah seems to fit into the market niche that the KA Koyote is designed for, and I have 2 of them. I find your descriptions of the Cheetah's performance and design very similar to what I would say about the Koyotes. (I too have a JP Supersport on which to sail them). Of course Ezzy is renowned for their bombproof construction, backed up by years of durability.
It would be interesting to see a test between these 2 sails, and maybe the HotSailsMaui one that was just posted about, and I think NP do one too.
But, really, these types of sails are designed for sailors like us (or me at least) that want an easily rigged, easily waterstarted, super stable over a good wind range and go really quite fast, as you say without the hassles of super-high-performance race / slalom sails. I love them.
+ 1
I have to echo these comments exactly. I've put hundreds of kilometres on my 6.5 Cheetah now and I love it. Will be getting more in the future.
On comparisons,
recently purchased the 2012 NP hellcat , massive difference.(traded it towards the Ezzy)
Build quality, makes the NP feel like a cheap copy.
Already broken a tube batten ( broke a few of these in the last 12 months from other brands so!) so it's great that Ezzy don't do tube.
The NP whilst new was already looking used it would be likely looking crap in a year and near worthless. The battens were under tensioned , couldn't get them right either.
It's a nice looking sail in fact looks hot, its light in weight , but not light in the hands as its so twitchy, a poor cousin comparison to the cheetah.
The NP is also crap to rig for a non cambered sail , mast sleeve tight as, boom cut out too small, the Cheetah is much quicker to rig.
The hellcat is fast once powered but has no bottom end and is very twitchy and on/off and has a limited top end, it also has very little twist off (using correct NP mast also), also have the Ezzy mast in the Cheetah , don't know if that helps, seems like a nice mast, no bag though so maybe that is something Ezzy could do better.
The NP mast had carbon layers stripping away from the inside top section also, crapola!
So the Cheetah much better quality, rigging and performance than the Hellcat by a mile.
I know it sounds like a NP bash , which isn't the aim as they seem to be one of the few brands investing back into the sport, and local dealer is also NP so like to support where I can, but its hard to when there is better quality gear at better prices that is built to last longer.
Haven't had a good look at the Hot Sails , but i know they are also into better build quality, range and fuller profiles etc, bet they are probably nice.
I guess that's the issue when brands are not in stores as sometime you just need to look feel touch smell, and or do deals trades etc, in my case I always wanted the Ezzy but had to settle for the NP to do the deal, in the end I have lost out on decent $$$ but know that I won't be needing to change sails for years! That means $!$ saved that I can put towards travelling to much better windier sailing places, instead of updating gear , because its worn out in a year or two.
Good review. If its possible it would be great to do a comparison between different freeride sails. I have HSM Speed Demons and really like them. Something like a comparo between the Loft Oxygen, HSM GPX or Speed Demon, Neil Pryde Hellcat and the Ezzy Cheetah.
One of my favourite sails of all time was a North Ezzy Wave. It was a 5m sail and I really loved it. Couple with the Bombora proto I had was awesome. Kept it for about ten years and had a few panels replaced.
Here's some pics I took when I got mine (posted here in a previous thread). I understand new colours are coming for 2013, but I think this one and the green one look very good.
Yer I got 3 of the 2010 model koyotes but wouldnt get the new monofilm ones.
They seem to rig on just about any mast. Tried on powerex, np,loft so far and all work real well.
You ever come across a mast that didnt work? (apart from the obvious gaaastra)
