sail size - Page 5

mac33 · 30th September 2009, 01:08 AM

i will give it a go now that that i have got use to rigging up 2 sails/boards.
i have tried this before and could not wait to get back on 5.0m
the stress on mast,leech flutter are other negatives of this setup.
however next 20 + day will rig up 5.8m and close to max downhaul setup.
looked at y/tube clips last night of le defi for an hour,love to have a go if had money for travel.

http://picasaweb.google.fr/windsurfi...75279240601602

Darko_Z · 1st October 2009, 01:20 AM

To get planning with 5 m², sail in only 13 kn wind, sounds fantastic even with light weight of 67 kg. Normally, with 67 kg, you need 15 to 16 kn wind for that and according to sail calculator you need 18 kn wind to get comfortably at plane.
We would all love to use 5 m² sail and get planning in 13kn, but reality is different. For me main goal for windsurfing is planning 100% of the time. My weight is 90kg, with 5 m² sail and 94l board I need at least 24 kn wind to get planning, if wind drops below 20 kn for 15 s, I go down.
With bigger board and sail 9.5m² I can get planning in 11 to 12 kn wind, for 7.8 m² I need 14 kn and for 6 m² 19 kn.
I try to choose my sail big enough to plane most of the time, but still small enough to keep control in wind gusts. This is important since there is no such thing as steady wind. Usually, if average wind is 15kn, there are wind gusts over 20kn for 5 to 10 s and wind lulls around 10kn for 15 to 30 s.

Generally, I prefer to sail overpowered for 10s every few minutes, than schlogging for few minutes and then get planning for 10 sec.

If I have to sail more upwind or downwind I tend to use bigger sail so I can reach much better angles of sailing. I experimented with sail setting below recommended min setting and could get planning with less wind. But then the batten tension was too high and one batten was broken.
New sails have much bigger wind range than old sails. It was harder to control my old 8m² sail in 20kn than new 9.5m², so there is no need to be afraid from big sails, except for the price.

Farlo · 1st October 2009, 08:54 PM

Hi Mac33, don't be afraid of stressing mast or sail; these are designed to work that way. Hopefully you will enjoy this set-up. Keep us posted.

mac33 · 1st October 2009, 11:23 PM

i will give it a go, may be few weeks for 20+ knots.

sailed today on 7.7m/fanatic75 combo.

no whitecaps at all but web shows blowing 8/14 knots.

only one sailing apart from few beginners.

formula sailing dying off in perth just as i am getting into it.

planed around half the time, a bit of a battle getting back upwind.

yesterday blowing 15/18 had good racing 3km reaching on f2 64wide and 5.8

a bit slower than 2 big guys on ka 8.5m/sonic75.other 64sonic/7.8mpryde.

through lulls and upwind about even.initial planing no contest i easily better. topend speed peak was 27 knots, i would have been 26 or so.

bought smaller 32fin today replacing 36fin for hopefully more topend speed.

probably needed a bit more downhaul for topspeed.

30th September 2009, 01:08 AM	#41
mac33 Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: perth west australia sail swan river 3km wide Posts: 42	sail size i will give it a go now that that i have got use to rigging up 2 sails/boards. i have tried this before and could not wait to get back on 5.0m the stress on mast,leech flutter are other negatives of this setup. however next 20 + day will rig up 5.8m and close to max downhaul setup. looked at y/tube clips last night of le defi for an hour,love to have a go if had money for travel. http://picasaweb.google.fr/windsurfi...75279240601602

1st October 2009, 11:23 PM	#44
mac33 Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: perth west australia sail swan river 3km wide Posts: 42	sail size i will give it a go, may be few weeks for 20+ knots. sailed today on 7.7m/fanatic75 combo. no whitecaps at all but web shows blowing 8/14 knots. only one sailing apart from few beginners. formula sailing dying off in perth just as i am getting into it. planed around half the time, a bit of a battle getting back upwind. yesterday blowing 15/18 had good racing 3km reaching on f2 64wide and 5.8 a bit slower than 2 big guys on ka 8.5m/sonic75.other 64sonic/7.8mpryde. through lulls and upwind about even.initial planing no contest i easily better. topend speed peak was 27 knots, i would have been 26 or so. bought smaller 32fin today replacing 36fin for hopefully more topend speed. probably needed a bit more downhaul for topspeed.

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1st October 2009, 01:20 AM	#42
Darko_Z Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 34	To get planning with 5 m², sail in only 13 kn wind, sounds fantastic even with light weight of 67 kg. Normally, with 67 kg, you need 15 to 16 kn wind for that and according to sail calculator you need 18 kn wind to get comfortably at plane. We would all love to use 5 m² sail and get planning in 13kn, but reality is different. For me main goal for windsurfing is planning 100% of the time. My weight is 90kg, with 5 m² sail and 94l board I need at least 24 kn wind to get planning, if wind drops below 20 kn for 15 s, I go down. With bigger board and sail 9.5m² I can get planning in 11 to 12 kn wind, for 7.8 m² I need 14 kn and for 6 m² 19 kn. I try to choose my sail big enough to plane most of the time, but still small enough to keep control in wind gusts. This is important since there is no such thing as steady wind. Usually, if average wind is 15kn, there are wind gusts over 20kn for 5 to 10 s and wind lulls around 10kn for 15 to 30 s. Generally, I prefer to sail overpowered for 10s every few minutes, than schlogging for few minutes and then get planning for 10 sec. If I have to sail more upwind or downwind I tend to use bigger sail so I can reach much better angles of sailing. I experimented with sail setting below recommended min setting and could get planning with less wind. But then the batten tension was too high and one batten was broken. New sails have much bigger wind range than old sails. It was harder to control my old 8m² sail in 20kn than new 9.5m², so there is no need to be afraid from big sails, except for the price.

1st October 2009, 08:54 PM	#43
Farlo Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 513	Hi Mac33, don't be afraid of stressing mast or sail; these are designed to work that way. Hopefully you will enjoy this set-up. Keep us posted.