I got a chance to take my new NeilPryde Speedster (6,7) out for a whirl on Monday and Tuesday. (I bought some from left-over 2018 season stock for 41% less than the '19 price. Bit of a silly colour, perhaps.)

I'm loving the shape and the leech but I'm really struggling with the bottom-most batten. Even on land, only a slight pump pops all the others out but the bottom-most one remains stubbornly bent the wrong way, after a transition, no matter what I do.

Is this a sail-trim issue? I'm guessing so but I'm no sail trim expert. What should I try to fix it?

We had gusts up to 30 kts on the days I was trying it so I had it rigged on the lower clew and the down-haul was cranked pretty hard. (Ripples from the leech were just tickling the "max" mark that NP print near the head of the sail.) Rigged on an NP SPX90 RDM mast.

I did the setup and trimming and only got a brief go with it before handing it over to my wife who reported exactly the same observations re. the lower batten when she finished her session. She couldn't get it to rotate, nicely, either.

30 knots, let your wife try a 6.7.
More outhaul, downhaul Or softer mast. It's not supposed to work at the rigging area. Shorter base.

let some of the tension off the batten and see if it improves.

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LeeD said..
30 knots, let your wife try a 6.7.
More outhaul, downhaul Or softer mast. It's not supposed to work at the rigging area. Shorter base.

She schooled me on it, too. Fair enough, it was my first time on a board in six months and I got fat over the European Winter. Also, it wasn't a constant 30. It was probably only a bit over 20 with gusts to 30.

More down-haul and out-haul are definite possibilities and I'll try that when I get to sail, next. I can also try it on my 65% carbon RDM since that will be softer.

I think I can't let any more tension off the batten. I'll check, again, but I think the screw's in as far as it goes.

screw in applies tension. if the screw is in as far as possible then the batten is over tensioned.

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Gestalt said..
screw in applies tension. if the screw is in as far as possible then the batten is over tensioned.

With NP lever locks , when the screw is in , it reduces tension .

I've had and got sails where the bottom batten won't flip under planing type winds without a massive pump . You seem to have the correct mast and downhaul . If you have a couple small crinkles on the batten pocket , that is maximum slackness for the bottom batten . Bottom batten should be tight and loosen up as you go higher .
Could be a bit of new sail stiffness and not enough wind ?

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Imax1 said..

Gestalt said..
screw in applies tension. if the screw is in as far as possible then the batten is over tensioned.

With NP lever locks , when the screw is in , it reduces tension .

thx