Sailing Styles
High speed free riding
Freeride cruising on a beam reach
Sailor Profiles
Intermediate to Advanced
Performance oriented
Board Types
Cross Over boards - 75 – 115 ltrs. volume
Slalom boards - 85 – 115 ltrs. volume
Freeride Widestyle boards - 115 – 200 ltrs. volume
2006 Gaastra Matrix, Windsurf (UK) April 2006
At a Glance
The Matrix, like the rest of the Gaastra range, has had a full makeover for 2006 thanks to Dan Kaseler taking over the reins of the brand’s Development Team. Using two battens below the boom and couple of x-ply luff panels to enhance the sail’s stability, it is designed for ease of use and handling, coupled with top end performance.
Well engineered with excellent attention to detail, using quality materials and the latest technologies, the matrix really stands out on the water, possessing a clean attractive appearance.
Rigging and Set
The Matrix sets relatively flat, with only a hint of shape and rotation in the main battens. We found you could crank on the downhaul and leave it, using the outhaul to fine-tune the sail. As such, the Matrix relies more on its natural capacity on one setting than on its tuneable range.
Ride and handling
With little camber to the draft at rest, it came as no surprise that the Matrix was light and easy to handle off the plane. What did surprise us however was the steady amount of bottom end power it generated, responding quickly to gusts....feels light, crisp and maneuverable inthe hands and seems to naturally adopt a more locked in stance....center of efort is very precise...well mannered and stable...natural wind range becomes apparent, continually driving and accelerating int he gusts...pointing well and gliding effortlessly through the lulls, it is best partnered with high performance freeride/freerace boards, where it's top end aptitude can be fully exploited..easy to initiate into the turn , using its power to drive in confidently...easy to reposition for the exit, going neutral as it is sheeted out.
For: Excellent all-around performance, build and appearance.
Against; A little time experimenting is required to find the optimum set up."
Verdict; The Matrix has a massive natural range, feeling crisp and easy in the hands and requiring minimal input for impressive returns. Liked by all who sailed it, it comes well recommended as a high performance freeride sail."
Gaastra Matrix 6.5 "User friendly speedster"
Windsport, Early Spring 2006
"the Matrix 6.5 is extremely light. Shorter boom and lower draft make it easier to throw areoun in transitions. Two battens below the boom lock the shape for stability. Matrix speed and lightness is best suited to freeride and slalom boards. As alwyas, Gaastra include tons of ease of use features. Rigs up perfectly to the number but still tolerates adjustments...built with careful stitching and extra reinformenmcnet in the foot and clew to a long life. Bottom Line: Clean-looking, no hassle speedster."
PlancheMag - Gaastra Matrix 6,5 m
"The Matrix is super light and has great handling while at the same time releasing a moderate power.
Once launched, the sail is not deforming and the leech is working really well. The feeling is soft and precise, with a well centered profile that develops a healthy power.
Its strong point is the stability that allows sailing using only 2 fingers. Supported by only the wind, it looks like the Matrix is gliding by itself, in a very neutral way. On top of this, also in the wind gusts, the power remains soft and controllable without unpredictable behavior. When it comes to absolute performance, there is an enormous potential in all directions.
In handling, the sail is easy and neutral and the rotation is going like from itself. A hyper healthy sail, controllable and plenty of performance.
A must have in the upper wind range, a sail that goes really far and that gives its best even with the lightest windsurfers.
The design has one batten more then the Pilot (6 versus 5). The Matrix is the "zero cam" sail from Gaastra and is stabilized with 4 tube battens. With the arrival of Dan Kaseler (ex-Naish), the design has made quiet some evolution.
A profile that is "relative" flat, with the outline very well reinforced, with a special word for the "seamless" lower area so that the sails resist better against the anti-slip coating of the board. Nice construction!
+: lightness, handling, performance, stability"
Design Brief - The totally redesigned 2006 Gaastra sail range features new materials and improvements throughout, maximizing performance and durability, while minimizing weight.
Take a look at the numbers...a 5.0 Manic weighs only 3.4kgs, but still yields incredible strength and durability. The real key behind this high strength to weight ration lies in the guts of each sail’s design.
Primary load seams are kept running in parallel with the internal stresses. Buried beneath the stylish graphic appearance, all skin seams radiate out from the head tack or clew in a Tri-Radial manner. You won’t find this sensible solution elsewhere in the industry, where graphic “looks” dominate over performance. Here at Gaastra we carefully engineer our panel layouts to be driven by function.
Every item that is sewn or stuck to our sails has been weighed, analyzed and catalogued. This database allows us to choose exactly the right materials to get the job done. It is this technical design, and our scientific approach, that allows us to shave grams off our total weights, while still maintaining the durability that has made Gaastra famous.
“In the last year, sails I designed shattered the coveted outright world speedsailing record. It was a fun and exciting challenge for me to lead the sail development. For this season, we have already learned some new tricks to make the sails lighter, faster, and more fun to use. The 2006 Gaastra sails represent our best work yet. I invite you all to give them a try!" --Dan Kaseler
TRI RADIAL LOCK SHAPE
Integrated in each sail, gives better performance with a better load distribution. This scientific design adds longer life to the profile of the sail with unmatched stability.