Windsurf center sails

[juan1]

on windsuft centres they use to have their sails rigged for mounths , how this affect to the masts of the sails and then to the way the sails work? Can i left my sails rigged at home? Regardsjuan1

[Roger]

Juan1,
The fact that they leave sails fully rigged and tensioned (full downhaul and outhaul) is the best reason
NOT to buy used sails and masts from windsurf test and demo centers.
The masts almost always develop a "set" and remain somewhat bent in the direction that the downhaul put bend in them for several months.
All sails stretch a bit when first rigged from new, but sails that have been rigged for months with full tension tend to be stretched out well beyond normal.
So, they have lost some of their designed in shape.
As far as leaving your personal gear rigged, it's not a good idea. Might be OK if you let the outhaul and
downhaul off most of the way, but that streches the sail in a different direction.
Roger

Dont think its a problem at all for the sails;infact its probably better for them than continual rigging derigging and leaving sail on mast untensioned definitely puts creases in them....

Few years ago I bought a sail that had been rigged and untouched for 2 and a half years. (Was from a shop and it had been used as advert on ceiling)
When derigged I carefully compared sail with a "brand new " one.. There was no difference in luff lengths or shape.. Sail sailed perfect and is still going strong. (A Tush T Bird 7 metre) I dont think modern sails stretch much; they burst when over stressed...Stresses involved with rigging are small compared with abuse they get on water.. (Especially wave sails)

However the mast had a slight curve and I`ve witnessed quite a few masts from hire centres with a similar pre-bend in them... In theory the carbon masts shouldnt go this way but they do !!!! (Not all though ????)

[juan1]

What about leaving it rigged for the weekend¿ Will be better to ease downhaul and out houl by night or i can let the sail rigged completely for the fri / saturday till sunday afternoom?

[Roger]

On demo event weekends, we have always released the outhaul first, then the downhaul, and removed the booms so we can stack 6-12 sails in a huge formula quiver bag.
We rinse the sails first to get as much sand as possilbe off each sail then release the outhaul and most of the downhaul.
The big white nylon bag has stake loops on all the corners, so the sails are secure from changes in windspeed
and direction.
We also usually put a few large wide boards on the top to hold everything down.
Sails seem to last extremely well and are sold for good prices at the end of the season.
So, if you release all of the outhaul tension, and most of the downhaul tension (make sure the camber
inducers come off the mast and open the can zippers if you sails have them) ande it's probably OK for a weekend.
Roger

[BelSkorpio]

A luxury problem but nevertheless an interesting topic.

I think that if you're not using the mast in another sail, why not let it develop a "set" for the specific sail.
I see no harm in that.

As long as the rig keeps out of the full sunlight.
I've already had a 490 mast snap in a rigged sail laying for more than one hour in full sunlight on the beach.
When I took out the mast, I was very surprised of the "almost boiling" temperatures that came out of it

Probably the bigger rigs will have more problems with it.