Please note: We are temporarily in maintenance mode, and some features, such as Buy&Sell, Forums and Messaging are temporarily offline. Back soon!

Forums > Windsurfing General

How to find out sail size - not marked on sail

Reply
Created by gregwed > 9 months ago, 1 Jun 2012
gregwed
QLD, 556 posts
1 Jun 2012 12:03PM
Thumbs Up

How do you find out a sail's size when it is not marked on the sail? Can it be measured?

I have an Arrows Flight Freestyle sail, I think around 2004 age. Gold and silver in colour. Searched the web and only found 2005 onwards and some of this refers to a gold/silver sail of 2004 vintage, but no stats or photo's.

Cheers

Mobydisc
NSW, 9029 posts
1 Jun 2012 12:11PM
Thumbs Up

Lay it over sails you know the size of? This would give an estimate at least unless the sails are completely different in shape.


Cambodge
VIC, 851 posts
1 Jun 2012 12:29PM
Thumbs Up

Rig it and go for a sail. Then if...

Underpowered => size = too small
Overpowered => size = too big
Comfortably powered => size = just right

(for more details please consult the Goldilocks manual)

mkseven
QLD, 2315 posts
1 Jun 2012 2:18PM
Thumbs Up

There is a way to measure but it is overly complicated, one of the old raceboard boffins will be able to tell you.

Take a closer inspection around the foot, on proto sails it is often written in pen under tack or on the foot panel.

If that fails easiest way other than overlaying is rig to find out mast & boom measurements, then compare to other similar sails of that period.

Squid Lips
WA, 708 posts
1 Jun 2012 2:12PM
Thumbs Up

Might have to get out the grade 5 maths books and see how to calculate area.

JayBee
NSW, 714 posts
1 Jun 2012 4:26PM
Thumbs Up

Luff Length (m) X Boom length (m) X 0.75 will get you as close as you will ever need.

4.64 (mast) *1.94 (Boom) *0.75=6.7m^2

The reason its 0.75 instead of 0.5 is to take into account the roaches. The roach factor could be anywhere from 0.7 to 0.8 but it shdol eb close enough.

JB

sideskirt
328 posts
1 Jun 2012 2:33PM
Thumbs Up

That's pretty close, but in my cases it gives 0,3m^2 more than actual size. But still good.

StakaFlaka
WA, 25 posts
1 Jun 2012 9:03PM
Thumbs Up

Check out maui ultra fins site. I remember seeing it showing you how to calcutate fin area. Should be the same for a sail I think

http://www.mauiultrafins.com/MUF7_english/FAQ.html

dinsdale
WA, 1227 posts
1 Jun 2012 10:57PM
Thumbs Up

Squid Lips said...

Might have to get out the grade 5 maths books and see how to calculate area.

Given the many curves etc I'd reckon you might get out the uni calculus books.

Brien
NSW, 172 posts
2 Jun 2012 2:53AM
Thumbs Up

Just pin it out flat and break it up into 4 triangles. The one which will encompass the luff curve you can multiply by something like .66 to allow for the curve. It is primary school maths, no calculus or differentiation needed. But it would be much easier to lay it over similiar sails and make an educated guess.

JustinL
NSW, 468 posts
Site Sponsor
2 Jun 2012 8:02AM
Thumbs Up

Interesting to know
The RSX is class legal as a race board. Race board sails are 9.5m max. If you lay the RSX sail over a 9.5m sail it is bigger.
I have read the RSX 9.5 is actually 9.8m

Squid Lips
WA, 708 posts
2 Jun 2012 11:02PM
Thumbs Up

dinsdale said...

Squid Lips said...

Might have to get out the grade 5 maths books and see how to calculate area.

Given the many curves etc I'd reckon you might get out the uni calculus books.




Since sail sizes are rounded off to 0.1m^2 (about 2 A4 sheets of paper) you wouldn't lose much accuracy by breaking the curves into a few triangles

Squid Lips
WA, 708 posts
2 Jun 2012 11:04PM
Thumbs Up

Cambodge said...

Rig it and go for a sail. Then if...

Underpowered => size = too small
Overpowered => size = too big
Comfortably powered => size = just right

(for more details please consult the Goldilocks manual)


Sounds like the new Naish sizing



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Windsurfing General


"How to find out sail size - not marked on sail" started by gregwed