Not sure if this has been covered before however.....

To achieve "maximum" speed for your sail size are you better to be picking a sail that you are consistantly overpowered with or selecting a sail that does not spill out the wind all the time?

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Old Salty said...

Not sure if this has been covered before however.....

To achieve "maximum" speed for your sail size are you better to be picking a sail that you are consistantly overpowered with or selecting a sail that does not spill out the wind all the time?

Power and control

You select the sail size first, a sail that will give you enough power for the conditions, you rig it with enough fullness (this is preferably engineered into cut of sail), with enough downhall, to give you the exhaust of excess wind,, which gives you control.

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Old Salty said...

Not sure if this has been covered before however.....

To achieve "maximum" speed for your sail size are you better to be picking a sail that you are consistantly overpowered with or selecting a sail that does not spill out the wind all the time?

If you are bearing off then rig as big as you can hang onto coming back upwind.

Incase I have missinterperated what you wanted

Letting out the downhaul will not make your sail faster, it'll just make it a top heavy dog

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elmo said...

If you are bearing off then rig as big as you can hang onto coming back upwind.

Incase I have missinterperated what you wanted

Letting out the downhaul will not make your sail faster, it'll just make it a top heavy dog

And use an adjustable outhaul. It will allow you to flatten the sail for the upwind leg. This decreases the sideways pull of the sail while sailing up wind, hense allowing you to carry a bigger sail. Then let it off for the down wind run. This gives the power you want..........IMHO

Hardie is right about control and Bender is right about the outhaul giving you control. A smaller sail can be more efficient if you are a lightweight. I have suffered trying to hang on to a big sail when those on a smaller sail are going quicker. It also depends on type of sail. Bagging out a cammed sail is ok but does not work for wave sails. Had some great runs on wave sails but as you go broad they do not hold the profile and lose the power.