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Eolis 2.0 (Paimpol-Voiles)

Hi-tech cross between a kite and a windsurfer

The emergence of the Eolis almost marks a return to their roots for the Paimpol Volies company. As its name Indicates, Paimpol Voiles was once a sailmaker and with the choice

materials and cambered shape the Eoils leans more to a yacht or fun board sail rather than a traditional kite.

With a sail in Mylar laminate and tensioned battens which also serve as the stand-offs, the Eolis 2.0 looks like some sort of hybrid of a windsurf sail and a delta type kite. From the first look, the Bolis is markedly different from the other kites in the range. The pre-shaped bag allows the kite to be stored without removing the wing tip battens. The packaging is of good quality but has the inconvenience that it can't be stored in a large kite bag with other kites.

Assembly is simple and quick. You need to force the battens in but the kite is strong enough. To insert the batten, you need to pass it through an eyelet sewn in the leading edge and push it into the pocket sewn onto the back of the sail, then put the other end of the batten into the connector on the lower spreader.

Tuning is carried out by preset knots which correspond to different flight styles and different conditions. It's worth noting that the bridles are made from sleeved Dyneema. For us, the Eolis is a beginners' kite destined for the recreational flyer who may be looking to go way beyond the first few hours flying and the basic maneuvers. The kite looks hi-tech and will please those looking for a kite like the "pros".

FLIGHT TEST
We first tested the kite in a light wind (average 5mph) then in a stronger, regular wind of around 16mph.

In both cases, flying the kite "normally" (no tricks), the Eolis 2.0 was well behaved and had a large wind window which could be exploited from one edge to the other. For this style of flying, lines of 100 to 120 feet are ideal. The Eolis flies neither too quickly nor too slowly and responds well to commands. It is claimed that the kite flies from 3mph but we thought that it would be more like 5mph for a beginner to use it successfully.

If the pilot followed the tuning guidelines, there were no problems. The FolisZ0 took off and climbed straight up and would rest stably at the top of the window. Using large hand movements it would perform nice regular loops and with "push/pull" controls the angular turns were precise and sna~ py. We felt that the stiffness and responsiveness of the laminate sail would make the kite give its best in a more steady wind. In the force 4, the Eolis gave its all. The taut sail was marvelous: the stiff laminate produced sensations which were very satisfying for the pilot discovering the kite in a real wind. Once again, the kite was very stable with no oversteer, no stalls. Straight lines were fine with no wobbles. The sail keeps driving and keeps its shape at all times, even if the 6mm frame is a little bendy.

A few words about the "dead launch" and the stand-offs / battens. The Eolis will not always get itself into position for launch but with some care, the kite can be maneuvered into position and can then be taken off with a pull on the lines. Next we tried a few tricks. The Eolis 2.0 was surprisingly good at the basic freestyle moves. The axel is easy and the kite will pop onto its back for most of the axel type tricks. The flat spin tricks were a bit more difficult as line wraps were frequent.

CONCLUSION
With the Eolis 2.0 Paimpol have brought a high performance kite for everyone to their range. Not the top or bottom of the range, the Eolis 2.0 is a machine which will be attractive to those who are interested in kites, but don't plan to spend all their leisure time flying. It is the type of kite that gives immediate pleasure, without having to play around too much with adjustments.