i think i have worked it out...
maybe you are right and all of the sailmakers, professional windsurfers, speed record holders etc have been wrong all these years.
or
maybe aerodynamics do make a difference with the performance of a foil.
Maybe all those advanced thinkers have finally had a look at reflexed foils.
They should provide more range in a sail.
I am thinking now of an ultralight that can descend almost vertically due to fully reflexed tips....
just went out for a quick session, 18knts, took my firerace and 6.7 hellcat (no cam) was all good, top speed, except in the lulls/dulls (?) where I lost my plane....
Wouldn't happen (or not so fast ) with a cammed sail.
But gybing was a breeze and waterstarts too
I saw a video a little while ago where they fired short bursts of smoke trails over a wing in a wind tunnel and they proved that the air doesn't meet up at the trailing edge.
So, given that the "suck' of a cammed (or panel shaped RAF) sail is much more than it's direct wind pressure, can a windsurfer sail drive upwind if it is perfec tly flat? ?
Well I've never tried it, but I can imagine it would be awfully twitchy. angle of attack is going to be very critical, too much = instant stall, too little = not enough lift, and there's probably only a degree or so between the 2.
I wouldn't like having to rely on it, stuck downwind somewhere.
It depends on what point of view your looking from but from what I can see the evidence points to the greater the number of cams in a sail is directly proportional to the greater profit margins achieved from selling them.
I don't suppose anyone has any thoughts or info on the likely top end speed differences between a wave sail, RAF freerace, and cammed slalom sail in smaller sail sizes??
I have a 5.5 crossover sail that I will keep for waves, but wondering about getting a 5.7 freerace sail (hellcat) for more speed on flatwater. Would there be little top end speed difference in smaller sizes/higher wind, or still worth it?
Matt, you forgot the R&D costs race sails vs wave sails. Race sails way more complex and way more hrs burned getting them right.
Now you have a cambered sail you will never look back. As stated non cam is like a hybrid 3 cylinder electric compaired to the V8 of a cambered sail. It will be faster more stable and easier to sail "when theres wind". negative not many slightly heavier but generaly cambered sails have beter masts that are lighter which outways this.
Enjoy the new ride and do some PBs.
