"Flex" & "carbon" - these are usually deliberately mutually exclusive. It is therefore surprising that Point-7 deliberately designed its Contact Boom with damping in mind. The two plastic halves enclose the mast on both sides - which takes some getting used to during assembly. This means that the spars sit directly on the mast instead of slightly in front of it, as is usually the case. According to the manufacturer, this has the advantage that the sail can be surfed more upright and therefore more efficiently. We can only speculate as to whether this actually results in higher speed, but the damping is definitely noticeable. Due to the softer connection between the fork and the mast, the Contact Boom does indeed absorb impacts noticeably - whether you like this or prefer the most direct power transmission possible is, in our opinion, more a matter of taste than a question of "good" or "bad". We found the construction to be an advantage in fully powered conditions (due to the damping), but more of a disadvantage in light winds, as it feels like some energy is lost when pumping.
The Contact Boom is available in three sizes (134-184/174-224/ 195-244), with prices ranging from 639 to 779 euros.
Further information on the Contact Boom is available here
