One was new (now faded but not crinkled), other one was used (not faded but crinkled). Both clew ripped from sticky forward.
I have a 3 year old Ezzy Elite 5.3 and a new 2019 Ezzy Elite 6.1. Love them. Funny thing is someone asked me the other day if I had just gotten my 5.3 and I had too think about. I was like "Damn, that sails is 3 years old". I've loved the feel of the Ezzy's the last 3 years in particular. Before then.... they felt too locked in and free-ride-ish. I didn't like the feel and sound of battens clicking from side to side. He's really dialed them in now.
Definitive Test. We have tons of pretty broken sharp shells on our Panhandle Florida Beaches and they love to eat sails. Not the Ezzy's. First time I rigged my NP down on the beach, it looked like it had been in a knife fight and lost. I will say that if you hit a sharp aluminum "Bird Nesting Area" sign, they will tear. ;)
Got the chance the sail my New 2019 Elites a few weeks ago.My last sails were the 2017 Ezzy Taka3.
First impressions were that the Elite felt a bit more composed because of the 4 full length battens versus the 3 & 3/4 of the Taka. The pull in the sail when a gust hits is easier to handle since the luff of the sail doesn't have the same excess material as the Taka. There's still some looseness in the luff to give you nice bottom end power but is more controllable in transitions. Doing slow tacks & gybes I appreciated the extra control & lightness of feel in the hands. On the East Coast of Australia you are doing more slow turns than planing ones.
I haven't taken the sail out in proper down the line conditions however I think overall I will prefer the ease of use of the Elite over the Taka. Once planing I do feel the Elite has more control and higher top speed potential. I'm going to enjoy the extra control in jumping conditions. The sail feels light in the hands and Ezzy do seem to be making an effort to bring the weights of the sail down as much as possible while still maintaining a high quality standard.
My second sailing session was during the big storm we had a few weeks ago. I used the 4.2 and it worked well despite the fact the wind was 10-35 knots. It's early days however I think setting the downhaul to MED or MAX and adjusting the outhaul to the conditions is the best call.
Also I spoke to Mark at Surf Sail Australia who supports my YouTube channel & he forwarded me info of the 2020 Ezzy Lion & Taka sails. Looks like they've made a few changes to the cut of the Taka - www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/post/ezzy-sails-2020-taka-lion#post1
Cheers,
Paul.
