Manufacturer STX offers several rigs for children and teenagers. While the MiniKid rig is designed for the little ones, the PowerKid model is available in seven sizes from 2.5 to 5.0 square metres - we tried out the 2.4.
On land
The STX PowerKid comes in a matching bag and includes everything from the mast and boom to the uphaul rope and ropes. The sail has three battens and consists mainly of clear mono film, reinforcements have been reduced to a minimum - but this is also reflected in the low sail weight. The weight advantage is then cancelled out by the three-part mast, which is somewhat bulky. The sail is trimmed using the mast foot cup supplied. Thanks to a (very long!) Vario top - we recommend simply shortening it - the sail can theoretically also be used with longer masts. For weight reasons, however, we clearly recommend the shortest possible mast. The boom is mounted in a long recess, which offers plenty of room for manoeuvre up and down and allows it to be adjusted to suit different body sizes. However, the front piece of the supplied boom is quite soft and not axially mounted, which means that it cannot always be mounted without tension. All in all, the boom is simple but pleasantly thin and also adjustable in length.
On the water
The STX PowerKid rig is pleasantly light in the hand when pulling up, in basic manoeuvres such as tacking and jibing and when cruising. The profile is soft, resulting in a deep profile even when light kids are hanging on the boom - a good inflow and plenty of propulsion are the result in light winds. In our opinion, the Vario top is a little too long; you should either shorten it or wrap it around the top cap to prevent it from flapping. The boom turned out to be comfortable to grip in the test, even children with small hands surf very relaxed here. If the wind picks up, the sail even offers good planing performance, but needs to be trimmed flat quickly in stronger gusts. If there are children on deck who are already planing and surfing in the loops, the sail will eventually reach its limits. The rig then feels a little spongy and the unprofiled battens can no longer properly stabilise the profile in the top.
STX PowerKid - the conclusion
The inexpensive Powerkid set is quite simply made, but offers a good basis for light winds. If you are just learning to windsurf and are limiting yourself to light wind up to your first gliding experiences, you won't feel any restrictions. However, as soon as regular surfing in planing winds, jumps or strong wind manoeuvres are on the agenda, the sail and boom will noticeably reach their limits.
Price; weight; light wind power
Basic equipment; Control in strong winds; Long boom
Long vario stop
Technical data STX PowerKid Rig 2.4
- Weights (own measurement): Sail 1.76 kg // Mast 1.78 kg // Boom 1.44 kg
- Mast: STX 296 (GRP material)
- boom: STX 130-175 cm
- Scope of delivery: Sail, mast, boom, mast foot cup, rope, uphaul rope, bag
- Price (set/test model): 429 Euro >> available here
- Info under stxparts.com
