Competition Wave Performance
The 2025 Blacktip sail has been meticulously engineered with a singular focus: equipping Marc Paré with the optimal tool to achieve his ambition of becoming the Wave World Champion. During the design collaboration between Marc and Tomas Persson, the primary objectives were clear; create a sail that offers light handling, a broad wind range, a balanced feel, and a more forward-driven performance.
For the larger sail sizes, maneuverability has been significantly enhanced through an increased aspect ratio. This adjustment is particularly beneficial for executing high-scoring maneuvers, such as double forwards, even with sail sizes ranging from 5.3 to 5.9 square meters. In contrast, the smaller sizes have been specifically optimized with a lower aspect ratio and an extended boom length, thereby expanding their wind range and enhancing performance in extreme high-wind conditions.
The new Blacktip incorporates a forward-focused drive, achieved by increasing the distance between the central body battens and implementing vertical shaping. This design change allows more material to fill up, creating additional drive when accelerating into powerful turns. A weight reduction of approximately 6% compared to the 2024 Blacktip has been realized by refining the panel layout to minimize seams and maximizing material properties, taping, overlapping scrims, eliminating unnecessary use of marker cloth using infusion printing for graphics, and redesigning the tack fairing to further reduce weight. Ease of use has also been a critical design consideration. The luff curve has been finely adjusted so that when the sail catches a gust, it accelerates smoothly without destabilizing, to ensure optimal performance in all conditions.