Rider: Weight 120kg, 6'4", Level ( intermediate )
Style: Freeriding (love it), Surf (wish I was better), Wake (I suck), Freestyle (love it), Oldschool (yep, thats me)
Weather: 8-10 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: Normal Guy who pays for his stuff
Similar Boards used: North Race LTD 2010
Kites used: Core XR 17m
In summary: Great Board and is one of my favourites now!
I used to ride a North Race LTD 2010 but it got knocked off so I got the Sector 60 V2 as its replacement. When I first got the Sector, the first initial impression was, 'wow, this thing is wide'. I put the fins in and already had read on the forums that the fin boxes are a little sloppy. Sure enough, the fins are loose in the boxes but once you tighten the screws, they are steady and solid. For this reason, I gave a 9 out of 10. The straps are simple and much better than the so called fancy adjustable North ones. You adjust the size by old school, moving the screw to a different hole in the end of the strap. Not good if your swapping riders on the one board but its not such a big deal. I found that even loose straps for smaller riders is ok since the board is so steady and easy. Personally, I love the straps, comfortable and don't fold down and get stuck down like the North ones, these ones spring back.
The deck pad is really comfortable too, really good grip so when running around the board, you feel always in contact and no slip, so an inexperience rider will feel comfortable it won't slip away from you learning to gybe.
One of my friends came off the board and his spreader bar clipped the side of the board and some paint came off, scratched off! I seem to remember doing the same thing on my North Race board and it not doing the same so maybe the paint work is a little more sensitive to this sort of thing. No big deal and proberly more noticeable since it was black paint and under it was white.
Performance: This is where the Sector 60 V2 really shines. I'd say the designers were aiming at light wind fun board and boy did they manage to achieve this in spades. I've had so many light wind sessions that were so much fun, it has easily doubled my water time! We get alot of light wind days so this sort of board is important to me.
With the big fins and wide width, the board feels really steady, from low to high speed. Once up and running, the fins create lift but funnily it does not cause the board to ride too far out of the water and sort of pitch back and forth. I'd say that with the combination of fin size, strap placement and width of board, all combined for a really steady, easy ride. But there is a down side to this, the board feels like it has a limited top end. I felt that the North could still accelerate in the same wind where as the Sector would stay the same speed. For example, heading downwind at a good pace, loop the kite back and as the kite flys foward and you pull the bar in, the board doesn't accelerate as quick as the North would.
But there lays the crux of the design, steady fun with speed. I think with a slight, and I say slight compromise in top end speed compared to full on race boards. It gets my heavy arse out in light winds and is sooooooooo much fun. I look foward to getting to the beach even though I know its going to be light. You head up wind, throw a couple of jumps in then do a downwinder and get your speed thing on!
Upwind may not be as fast as the North but again, much more fun and with no leg burn. Leg burn was a big thing with the North board for me, but with the leg burn you get great upwind speed, wheather it be upwind, downwind or cross wind. With the Sector being so easy, no leg burn and with almost the same speed.
Downwind was the big stand out for me on the Sector compared to my North board. You get good speed but the board feels so steady and even with different angles downwind. I experimented with dead downwind to broad reach to just off reaching, all felt easy. Infact, just the other day I had such a good run, actually had so much apparent wind I actually thought the wind shifted 45 degrees, but after I gybed and headed back, the same thing, only I thought the wind shifted 90 degrees the other way. I headed back to the beach thinking the wind was dieing or changing, it felt like I had to point my way back. As it turned out, it was only when I stopped back at my starting point on the beach that I realized the wind was still the same, just really light. Really cool I thought!
Bottom end is fantastic on the sector, and like I said, it has opened up a world of light wind cruising for me, but what is the best thing about this added bottom end is that it is a fun bottom end, easy.
Manouvering is another high point, the board is easy to gybe, much easier than the North for me. I'm useless at tacking and still have to learn that, but gybing is easy so therefore much more fun. I got used to the North and had no problems but the Sector made it fun and enjoyable.
Overall the Sector is a great fun easy board that absolutely rocks in light winds and will double your time on the water! It may not have the top end speed of the proper race boards but damn nearly does but with so much fun, who cares!! Being lit up in 10 knots is waaaay fun and is especially good on this one.
Sector 60 V2, brilliant, I highly recommend it!
cheers for now,
Robbie
