Clearly adding spacers didn't work so now I am thinking of trimming the cam to improve rotation. Do I just cut off a few mm of the end that sits up against the sail?

Yes, I've successfully done that on multiple sails.

The best way to make a cam softer for better rotation, and without damaging the strength or integrity of the cam is to use a round file on the area I indicated on the picture. Best to play safe and file 1mm increments until you're happy. Bear in mind, you will end up with less depth in the sail, less power..

Done. Will let you know how it goes. Currently the sail is unusable....well it's great for one reach until you gybe and the cam won't rotate

Let us know how ya go ,I got a 6,3 Maui sail that is stubborn as a mule at rotating ,looks like the same cams

Keep in mind, it's not always the cam's fault.
I've found on a few sails, downhaul can make a huge difference, either too much or too little can make it hard to rotate.
Hopefully the Goldilocks spot for rotation, will also be good for sail performance!

I've owned many NP V8s. The big 9.4 has always been ****ty. All the other sizes work perfectly. Propper mast and sail knowledge. Some sails just don't want to play the game. The first one I modified the camms heaps and it was OK at best. My new one , I just lean forward after each turn and bash the bottom cam with my fist. The top cam pops in a coupleseconds later. I shouldn't have to do this with a $1600 sail. It's my borderline planing sail. The 8.7 in 13 to 16kts kts is a ripper.

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thedoor said..
Done. Will let you know how it goes. Currently the sail is unusable....well it's great for one reach until you gybe and the cam won't rotate

Taking material off the sides makes no difference, it's just the groove in the middle the sail presses on so that's where you need to remove material

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Ben1973 said..

thedoor said..
Done. Will let you know how it goes. Currently the sail is unusable....well it's great for one reach until you gybe and the cam won't rotate

Taking material off the sides makes no difference, it's just the groove in the middle the sail presses on so that's where you need to remove material

Sounds good I took about 3-4mm off and then had to file in a new groove


Gonna rig it up

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Trim the cam carefully, removing a tiny amount (1-2mm) where it presses the sail. Test frequently to avoid overdoing it.

no wind so couldn't test rotation fully but its got a lot less resistance to manual rotation, so that feels promising

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Imax1 said..
I've owned many NP V8s. The big 9.4 has always been ****ty. All the other sizes work perfectly. Propper mast and sail knowledge. Some sails just don't want to play the game. The first one I modified the camms heaps and it was OK at best. My new one , I just lean forward after each turn and bash the bottom cam with my fist. The top cam pops in a coupleseconds later. I shouldn't have to do this with a $1600 sail. It's my borderline planing sail. The 8.7 in 13 to 16kts kts is a ripper.

It's something you shouldn't have to do but you could potentially cut 5-8mm off the batten length, that'll help.

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izaak said..

Imax1 said..
I've owned many NP V8s. The big 9.4 has always been ****ty. All the other sizes work perfectly. Propper mast and sail knowledge. Some sails just don't want to play the game. The first one I modified the camms heaps and it was OK at best. My new one , I just lean forward after each turn and bash the bottom cam with my fist. The top cam pops in a coupleseconds later. I shouldn't have to do this with a $1600 sail. It's my borderline planing sail. The 8.7 in 13 to 16kts kts is a ripper.

It's something you shouldn't have to do but you could potentially cut 5-8mm off the batten length, that'll help.

But I can shorten the batten length by the adjuster. Which I have tried and makes no difference, just leaves wrinkles in the sail. My 8.7 ,8.2 ,7.2 , and 6.2 work great. It's odd that it is only the 9.4 which is sticky. The older and newer model. Other people have complained with the 9.4 . I have gone to the extremes with all adjustments and still makes no difference. I even thought possibly this biggest size should be set with minimal downhaul, to get maximum wind like a race board sail with a tight leech , but that was horrible and the cams still stuck.Yep , same masts on all sails , 95%. I think it's a design flaw.

You can also apply this stuff to the mast where the cam hits it. In fact, you can apply it to the whole mast EXCEPT where you'd like the boom to stay put. Works really well to help slide the mast in smoothly and is somewhat durable - I reapply every five or six sessions:www.mclubemarine.com/sailkote/

My 8.6 overdrive is a pig to rotate if it has to much downhaul, but 9.4 gets better with more downhaul. On a slightly different topic I've decided that the overdrives only have one downhaul setting that works, any adjustments for conditions I just do with outhaul now

Success! Needed a sharp pull but rotated easily on water

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