The Mistral Powerhead made by Gaastra was a revolutionary sail as it represented one of the first mass produced sails that moved away from the traditional triangle shape and added battens at the top of the sail to give the 'powerhead design' and shorten the boom length. Just look at todays sails with their wide tops and short booms and consider that a part of the Powerhead legacy.
Its unique design and modern feel made it a favourite in a period where sailors were transitioning from soft sails to partial/fully battened sails. (Consider the 1984 Neil Pryde UltaNova and the NP RAF series that dominated the mid and late 80's as the beginning of the fully battend sail era).
These Powerhead sails came with the Mistral boards of the same year and are still highly prized parts of classic/old school windsurfers today. The graphic design of these sails always stood out and they are considered both powerful and relatively easy to handle.
NOTE: The Mistral Powerhead made by Gaastra should not be confused with the Gaastra Powerhead of the same year. See catalog pictures of the 1983 Mistral Powerhead made by Gaastra and the Gaastra Powerhead at the bottom of this page.
1983 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2
The 1983 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2 with the 1984 Mistral Maui
The 1984 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2
The 1983 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2
The 1983 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2 (foot)
(ABOVE) The 1983 Mistral sails made by Gaastra catalog - these sails were generally designed to be purchased with Mistral boards but you could find them for sale individually.
(BELOW) The 1983 Gaastra sail catalog - these were the more generally available Gaastra sails for the same year. Notice that the cut of the sail is different (not having the curve in the leach). These sails were also called Powerheads.
Video featuring the 1983 Gaastra / Mistral Powerhead 5.2