“I naturally wanted to go faster… and it quickly became exhilarating!”

May 5, 2024 / Race Wing

Deep diving into the Watersports Zone Ozone Fusion 5m wing review by Erwan Jauffroy, who really got under the skin of this super unique design that delivers a new era of feeling and performance

RAM AIR TECHNOLOGY
100% DOUBLE SURFACE
INTERNAL RIBS

Formerly a pro windsurfer in the early 2000s, Erwan Jauffroy has been wingfoiling as long as any professional tester, having enjoyed his first foiling flight in kitesurfing as early as 2010.

Paraphrased in English, Erwan opened up his review:

“Unlike any other, the Fusion wing from Ozone arrives with an ultra innovative wing foil, including a complete double profile inspired by paragliders, foil kites and wingsuits.

How do these changes compare to a classic wing?

Will it really go faster all the time?

What happens if we fall in the water?

Who is this unique wing for?

Is this really the most significant innovation in the young history of wingfoiling?

“I tested this wing and I’ll debrief you all about it in the rest of the video!”

(Scroll down for the video)

Having both co-created and worked on French windsurfing and kitesurfing magazine titles over the last 16 years, Erwan now focuses on his own consulting agency and Watersports Zone YouTube channel.

Having tested over 1,000 boards and 1,000 sails / kites in his career, Erwan says the key is to set up a process of testing and sticking to it.

“Test results come from comparisons and experiences with other products, and not getting too used to riding just one type of gear.”

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS THAT YOU FEEL

Erwan was the first independent reviewer to spend a substantial amount of time with the Fusion. This is a new concept and it defines a new era of feeling and performance.

In getting to really feel the character of this wing with world-first design features over several sessions in varied conditions, he tested it against the definitive high-performance, high speed, high thrills category that it was made for: full-on, high-performance freeride.

The video review is in French, but has English subtitles enabled. We’ve extracted some of Erwan’s key review points in English – scroll down to see those and get an easy overview of the Fusion’s characteristics featured in the video.

Paraphrased – Erwan’s test script in English:

It will not have escaped anyone’s attention, the particularly unique aspect of this wing lies in its double skin profile, inspired by foil kites and paragliders. For those who do not know, Ozone is a reference brand in these two areas and they have undeniable know-how on these products, so it seems logical that they were the first to explore this path.

Find out how all the Fusion’s design innovations work together to reduce drag

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE WATER:

1.SPEED WITH CONTROL
What I want to start with is the pleasure I had sailing with this Fusion which naturally encouraged me to try and reach the fastest speeds I’ve ever managed on my wing foil.

I haven’t tried that much before because it hasn’t felt very natural with classic gear. But I admit (with the Fusion) I wanted to go faster and it quickly became quite exhilarating and exciting.

Especially with a win

2. STABILITY AND RIDING ANGLES
The stability is impressive. It doesn’t move. There are no small parasitic movements so it gives you confidence to put all your weight in the harness to counter the power of the wing in order to put more pressure on the foil; therefore better exploiting everything to be able to accelerate more.

The craziest thing in terms of stability is how far upwind you can point, but even downwind it’s amazing.

While I’m talking about upwind, the gain in VMG with the Fusion is undeniable. In terms of pure performance, this is where the gain seems the most important to me.

We very clearly go higher and faster. But especially as we are more stable and more confident, we can push better on the foil.

The downwind descent in performance mode is also quite remarkable.

3.GLIDE
Among the Fusion’s highlights, I want to emphasise the gliding. We have the impression that it wants to accelerate all the time; that there is no aero resistance, probably because the drag is really reduced.

To really appreciate this, you need to have the foil that can follow it. If your foil is too big or not very efficient you won’t feel the speed potential of the Fusion.

In fact, the more she speeds up, the more she wants to speed up and without necessarily asking you sheet in harder.

From my very first outing on the Fusion with a 700 foil, I beat my top speed record and I then pushed it back each time, until I was flirting with 30 knots (by then using a smaller 530 foil) until my GPS broke.

4.CRUISING SPEED?!
Beyond the maximum speed, what impressed me the most with the Fusion was the cruising speed. With a normal wing, let’s say you might try sailing along with a cruising speed of 20-22 knots – but that already requires a lot of concentration and effort.

With the Fusion it’s natural. It feels like it’s basic speed and you can reach a moving speed of 25 knots very quickly. The faster the Fusion goes, the faster she wants to go, but in complete control. It’s incredible how unshakable she remains.

5.TOP END
Yet another point that I particularly appreciated was its control at the top of the range, which was also incredible. The limit is really the rider’s ability to change things.

It’s not the wing that shakes or loses its profile. Besides, she just never flaps and that’s nice too.

I sailed the 5m in more than 30 knots and the Fusion was always under control.

THE REAL QUESTION IS WHO IS THIS WING FOR?

Obviously, those looking for pure performance in racing should particularly appreciate it, but it will also suit very well those who already sail well, who are comfortable with their manoeuvres, who want to sail fast, travel at high speed and with a great VMG.

You also need to have the foil that goes with it – probably with a surface area of less than 800cm2. If your foil tops out at 15 knots, then having a wing like the Fusion is useless.

Now – like every time innovations arrive – I am curious to see how the competition will react!

THE FUSION REQUIRES A SLIGHT ADAPTATION TO YOUR RIDING TECHNIQUE TO UNLEASH ITS POTENTIAL

DISCOVER MORE HERE