Test report of Surf March 2007
Hammer 4.7 at £273 Under the Spotlight   
You could spend over £400 and get less performance...

Test results:
• On-off on the wave: very good
• Handling in manoeuvres: very good
• Acceleration for early planning: very good
• Handling on flat water: very good
• Stability: very good

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Hammer 4.7 at £273 Under the Spotlight   
You could spend over £400 and get less performance...

“We liked the balance between responsiveness and neutral handling.”

How it feels on the water:
The Hammer presents a stiffer profile than the average with a little more back hand than the lighter sails in this test group.  It’s responsive in light to medium winds.  And it provides a good general balance between a well-placed draft that doesn’t move.  A touch heavier than the average, it’s an electric sail, with a very direct feeling for wave riders who love dynamic sails.  The advantage is that it reacts to the slightest breath of wind.  This is a more versatile sail that can be used in side or onshore conditions.  We liked the balance struck between responsiveness and neutral handling for waveriding.  It’s also a sail that will appeal to all sizes of riders:  lightweights who like explosive sails and heavier weights who need the power to accelerate.  Nonetheless, it demands a little more physical input than the average.

This is a sail that we liked for its wide range of use, its power and responsiveness for sailors in any conditions.

The design:
The radical wave sail of this brand has been completely redesigned for 2007.  Constructed out of 100% X-ply, it has a more appealing look thanks to the mix of different coloured materials.  The reinforcements around the edge are very solid, thick and anti-abrasive.  Another bonus is the new mast foot pad, which is thick and high and also boasts a triple pulley.  What can you say – this is quality stuff.

Tester’s opinion Sam/1.83m/75kg
“There’s stiffness and pull at the low end. In light wind conditions, there’s always something to hang on to. This might bother lighter weight riders who will find it more difficult to control. I really like dynamic sails like the Hammer.”

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Test report of Wind 2007

Hammer 4.5 at £273 Under the Spotlight   
You could spend over £400 and get less performance...

The new Hammer 2007, announced as a pure waveriding sail, is the most radical wave sail in the Guns Sails range.  Specially designed by the R&D team in Tarifa for big waves, it has a strongly reinforced body built entirely from X-ply.  There are also reinforcements in all the vulnerable spots.  The trade-off for this is that it has the heaviest weight in this group:  3.8kg.  The profile is also fairly flat.  We noticed a recommended luff length that we had to reduce by 4cm.  The Hammer is also more difficult to pull down at the mast foot.  On the water, this 4.5m² revealed itself as a very pleasant compromise, neither too stiff nor too loose.  It’s true that the power is fairly limited and you have to move it around a little to find the ideal position and tap its power.  It’s also light in the hands and it showed itself to be super manoeuvrable.  The bottom end is good, you don’t feel any disturbing backhand in the waves, and you forget the sail is there, except in chop because it’s a little less stable than the best in class and the sail reminds you that it’s still there.  Even so, all this is acceptable.  The only criticism we’d make is a lack of power and responsiveness in side-onshore conditions and its bottom end range to improve getting out through the break and jumping in such conditions.  The Hammer is more suited to side or side-off conditions for use in the waves, but it doesn’t have the same neutral handling as the best in class over its entire range.  We would therefore recommend it for light or medium weights who sail in steady winds or mainly in waves.

+ Manoeuvrability in waves, soft handling.

- Power/responsiveness a little low, difficult to pull down.
 

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