Hi,

I am looking for some clarifcation on wind ranges of sails. I read that some poeple have three sails that cover them from 10-25 knots of wind and others have 10 or more sails ??

I have a 5.4, 6.3 and a 7.1 for Freeride flat water sailing at this stage. I am still in the beginner phase, planing in the harness and trying to get in the footstraps at the moment. My board is 130ltr. I weigh about 80kg. From another post I read yesterday about planing safely I see that I am in the catapult phase as I experienced a few times last week .. lol, although not funny at time time..

Here is what I have found so far

7.1 - can get planing in 13 knots and is ok till 17 knots, gusts above this I find hard to hold on

6.3 - 15 - 18 knots

5.4 - 18 knots and above. Strongest wind I have been out in is around 22 knots. I get flying downwind but find it hard work going up wind.

Are these wind ranges typical or will I find that as I progress I can get a wider range out of my sails?

Another question is what is the range of a sail set to maximum downhaul vs minimum? Say the 6.3, if I set this to maximum should I be able to hold onto it above 20knots? Just trying to make sense of all the variables of wind strength and sail choice on any given day, and then how much downhaul/ outhaul.

Thanks

I am not sure I would get too concerned about these technicalities at the moment. You say you are still trying to get into the footstraps......I would concentrate on practice and advancing before I'de worry too much about the wind range of your sails. You will find that once you are able to comfortably get into the straps you will be able to fully commit your weight into the harness and get your weight more outboard and a more locked in stance. Once you are doing that you will be able to hang onto the bigger sails comfortably in more wind.
Practice, practice , practice at this stage.

Thanks Mr Love .

It's not that I am worries about it so much but that I want to make sure I choose the right sail for the day and not be under powered or overpowered. I was out last week and the wind was ranging from 15-20 knots. I took the 5.4 out and wondered if I should have had the 6.3 .. But then not sure if it would be appropriate when the wind was up around 20 knots.
When the wind dipped I was chugging around on the 5.4

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Bluefusionman said..
Thanks Mr Love .

It's not that I am worries about it so much but that I want to make sure I choose the right sail for the day and not be under powered or overpowered. I was out last week and the wind was ranging from 15-20 knots. I took the 5.4 out and wondered if I should have had the 6.3 .. But then not sure if it would be appropriate when the wind was up around 20 knots.
When the wind dipped I was chugging around on the 5.4

You will have to work it out for you & your current ability. Take lots of notice to the water conditions and learn by trial & error which sail to use when the conditions look like... that. Practice practice practice.
Use what you have similar to what others are using and next time they are on that sail and the conditions are similar choose your sail accordingly from previous experience.
Learn how to tune your sail if you get the size wrong of just come in a change (you will get quick at it)

What sail to rig is the eternal dilemma, it won't get easier to decide as your gain skills and experience. One thing is certain the greater selection of sails you have the more likely hood you will choose the wrong one.

All this talk about its hard to go upwind, what fin are you using ?

When I started I only had one sail a 6.5 ...all I could afford ,15 years ago ,I learnt to sail it over powered and under powered.and learnt how to adjust it ,I'm 85 kgs .
for that wind I would of used the 6.5 or your 6.3 would of been good too.
get in the straps and it will fall together .if your board has a bit of width you can just chug along at low speeds too
providing you have enough fin ..I would probably have a 34-38.keep practising ,it's a great sport .

you have a great quiver for a beginner

Thanks all great advice, definitely keen to get out their whenever I can and very keen at this point. I will definitely be sticking with it

I have 2 fins, one is 44cm freeride fin, not sure of brand, it's pretty straight
the other is 36 cm and has more of a curve, this is the one I was using on 20 knot day with the 5.4 sail

i could get upwind but chugging, whereas the other guys out (with 20yrs experience) were planing straight past me I was only planing in the one direction and then fighting getting back to the starting point. Something I will have to figure out

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cammd said..
What sail to rig is the eternal dilemma, it won't get easier to decide as your gain skills and experience. One thing is certain the greater selection of sails you have the more likely hood you will choose the wrong one.

So true , same with fins , then u get a windomometer and it gets worse still.

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cammd said..
What sail to rig is the eternal dilemma, it won't get easier to decide as your gain skills and experience. One thing is certain the greater selection of sails you have the more likely hood you will choose the wrong one.

Choosing the correct sail is easy its the one you rig up last after trying the other two first.....

Hi bluefusion,
I'm 83kg and ride a floatier board than you and use all free-ride sails and I'm also in early stages, my quiver:
7.3 = 12+ knts (I don't normally go out less than 12)
6.5 = roughly 14-18 knts
6.2 = roughly 19+ knts
46cm fin for all sail ranges.

You've got a good spread of sails, I reckon you should get 5-6 knots range from each one before having to switch.I hold tight with the 6.2 in 20-25 knot gusts.

This is generally what I do...
Start with minimal downhaul, and add more as your session or conditions get windier.
(Or start with lots and let it out as you feel you can handle more power.)

Generally rig sails full for their lightest wind (not much downhaul, not much outhaul); and flatter for their top end wind (more downhaul, but also more outhaul)
Don't be afraid to rig and test multiple sails in a session - just for the hell of it - yes you might lose a bit of time on water - but you'll quickly figure out which one works best in what conditions. Experiment. Get a good feel of what each off them feels like - its all very personal.
You'll soon be able to gauge each sail's range for your strength and weight ....and ability. "Rig for the lulls and hang on for the gusts"

As a beginner, keep a diary/spreadsheet of each of your sailing sessions - board, sail size, fin, average wind start of session, gusts, average wind end of session, gusts, and finally ...notes on performance (twitchy, planing issues, overpowered, anything that will help build a reference library for you as you're starting).

Get into the habit of checking BOM actual observations for your location (or closest location) on the day you sailed - that'll help you dial in to what the wind actually felt like - on your skin, on the water, with the sails you've selected during your session etc. But do it within 3 days of sailing or the 30min observations will be gone. When you go out for a 3-4 hour session its a good reference point to look back on.

Happy sailing.

One could ply endlessly on your questions.
The quiver you have , is damn good for 3 sails. They 130L is large for a powered up 5.4m sail. Using a smaller fin would help, but its a large board, good for the large sail and suitability diminishes as the sails get smaller.

Those with 10 sails, probably have a wider range of size. With more sails it is at times harder to chose which size to rig, and would tend to change size early when its not right , both. These can be considered good and bad. More sails will keep the quiver overall in better condition .

This is a good theory , to consider :;THAT which size is the mainly used MOST , then build around it.
You should find that going larger may have diminished return, ie a 8.5m did little for me over a 7.5m .

3.7 4.0 4.3 4.8. 5.4. 5.9 6.4. 7.0 are my current sizes , if I was a gorilla and a Formula or such I would have a larger sail, like 9.0.
YMMV

YOu will progress with time on the water TOW, sails themselves vary widely as to range and adjustability

Hey thanks heaps everyone !!

Looks like a couple of good days coming up this week.. I will be able to put all the good advice to use hopefully

With time, the range of your sails will get larger. When learning to use the footstraps and plane comfortably, it's normal to need a larger sail than someone with more experience. The bigger sails then feel too big quickly.

As you get more time on the water (and maybe lessons or advice), you'll be able to use a smaller sail in the same conditions. Once comfortable in the straps and going fast, and with catapults becoming a rare thing, you'll also be able to hold the sail in more wind.

For now, try to pick the right sail for the wind, and don't hesitate to rig up or down if it feels too small or too large. Rigging gets faster with practice, too. If the sail feels just a bit too big or too small, try adjusting it (outhaul, boom height, downhaul). If there are others where you sail, ask them for feedback on how you rigged your sail. I have seem some beginners and intermediates rig sails so poorly that it was amazing they could sail the thing at all!

Go practice and have fun!

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Bluefusionman said..
Thanks all great advice, definitely keen to get out their whenever I can and very keen at this point. I will definitely be sticking with it

I have 2 fins, one is 44cm freeride fin, not sure of brand, it's pretty straight
the other is 36 cm and has more of a curve, this is the one I was using on 20 knot day with the 5.4 sail

i could get upwind but chugging, whereas the other guys out (with 20yrs experience) were planing straight past me I was only planing in the one direction and then fighting getting back to the starting point. Something I will have to figure out

Your doing very well by the sounds of things.

You can increase the wind range of sails by playing with out haul and down haul but chugging on a 135 litre board is pretty easy and the other guys of 20 years experience planing past you are doing just that because they have been sailing all those years but don't let that put you off.

If the place you sail in is tidal, then it might push you one way more than the other, hence you can't get home but up wind practice is a good thing too, might be worth sailing in a different tide state. Thats and you are always better and more comfortable on one tack compared to the other, like skating, you have a preferred side.

Depending of the conditions you sail in very much depends on your quiver of sails and their sizes, ask the local guys whats best.

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Bluefusionman said..
Hi,

I am looking for some clarifcation on wind ranges of sails. I read that some poeple have three sails that cover them from 10-25 knots of wind and others have 10 or more sails ??

I have a 5.4, 6.3 and a 7.1 for Freeride flat water sailing at this stage. I am still in the beginner phase, planing in the harness and trying to get in the footstraps at the moment. My board is 130ltr. I weigh about 80kg. From another post I read yesterday about planing safely I see that I am in the catapult phase as I experienced a few times last week .. lol, although not funny at time time..

Here is what I have found so far

7.1 - can get planing in 13 knots and is ok till 17 knots, gusts above this I find hard to hold on

6.3 - 15 - 18 knots

5.4 - 18 knots and above. Strongest wind I have been out in is around 22 knots. I get flying downwind but find it hard work going up wind.

Are these wind ranges typical or will I find that as I progress I can get a wider range out of my sails?

Another question is what is the range of a sail set to maximum downhaul vs minimum? Say the 6.3, if I set this to maximum should I be able to hold onto it above 20knots? Just trying to make sense of all the variables of wind strength and sail choice on any given day, and then how much downhaul/ outhaul.

Thanks

You're spot on with sail sizing in my opinion. As others said, too many sails, equals too many choices for which to choose.

I have a 5.2, 6.0 and a 6.8 size sails. Works perfect from 13-25 knots. I use one board which is 115L and narrow which handles great in large chop and waves, along with 3 fins for each sail. Your board maybe too floaty for the 20 knot and above wind range, but you can dail that part in later. Looks like a good setup for up to 20 knots though.