A complete windsurfing rig for children - for just 289 euros? The Ascan Pro Rigg is available in sizes from 1.5 to 5.0 square metres at an extremely affordable price and is designed to accompany children and young people on their way from their first start to glide surfing. We tried out the rig set.
On land
In terms of features, the Ascan Pro Rigg is somewhat reminiscent of the STX PowerKid Rigg from this test. It consists almost exclusively of thin mono film; there are no reinforcements or even a mast protector, or only in homeopathic doses. On the other hand, the sail is quite light at a measured 1.58 kilos. The set includes a two-piece mast made of epoxy material and an adjustable boom, which offers a pleasantly thin handle diameter. The head piece of the boom is quite soft and is not axially mounted, which means that it is not always possible to mount the boom without tension. However, the adjustment system and back end make a good impression. There is a Vario top at the top of the sail - theoretically, longer masts can also be ridden with it. However, our recommendation here is the same: The shorter the mast, the better for the kids!
On the water
The Ascan Pro rig makes an absolutely good impression in light winds. The profile is relatively soft, which means that a nice little belly forms in the sail even with little draft, resulting in good propulsion. The visibility to leeward is ideal due to the clear mono film. Basic manoeuvres such as tacking and jibing are also very successful with the Ascan model, as even our smallest test subjects were able to control the weight of the sail well. The thin and short boom contributes to the great manoeuvring handling. The downsides of the concept only come to light in stronger winds: when rookies with a little more practice start to hold tight and the focus is on planing and control, the Pro Rigg reaches its limits noticeably earlier. Then the simple, unprofiled battens can no longer stabilise the profile sufficiently and the sail bends unattractively to leeward in the area of the top batten.
Ascan Pro Rigg - the conclusion
The very affordable Ascan Pro Rigg is less a sail for young pros, but rather for beginners up to their first planing. In light winds, it scores as a playful and powerful sail and therefore offers a favourable introduction to windsurfing. Kids who already surf in planing winds and want to learn planing manoeuvres should look for alternatives.
Lightweight & very affordable
Simple equipment
Suitability for strong winds
Technical data Ascan Pro Rigg 2.5
- Weights (own measurement): Sail 1.58 kg // Mast 1.55 kg // Boom 1.34 kg
- Mast: Ascan 270 (GRP material)
- boom: Ascan 110-150 cm
- Scope of delivery: Sail, mast, boom, mast foot cup, rope, uphaul rope, bag
- Price (set/test model): 289 Euro
- Info under ascan-surf.de
