What do people think about these?

pieterbijlwindsurfing.com/luderitz-speed-challange-champion/

I think a few profilers down your wetsuit legs would be far more efficient, ask Yoyo!
Great job on the recent PB Hardie!

That is cool , they look like they would work and obviously do. I guess there to hard to rig for normal sailing though.

Hmmm...
Easy enough to make some to try out.

Don't get how they fit or work I know those pro battens are just as expensive as a sail though, in saying that most PWA sailors use custom battens.

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choco said..
Don't get how they fit or work I know those pro battens are just as expensive as a sail though, in saying that most PWA sailors use custom battens.

Looks like the 'profilers' fit around the front of the mast at the cams.

The Pro Batten kit costs A$620 for 4 battens!! The whole set costs A$850, and that is before freight from Europe.

But, as a bonus you get to save 250grams on a NP Evo 9.5m sail.

Tried the profilers idea years ago ( 90s!) but realized there is a better way of doing it that eliminates the inconvenience with rigging etc. Still his sail looks nice.

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yoyo said..
Tried the profilers idea years ago ( 90s!) but realized there is a better way of doing it that eliminates the inconvenience with rigging etc. Still his sail looks nice.

I'll bite YoYo.
What is the 'better way'?

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sailquik said..

yoyo said..
Tried the profilers idea years ago ( 90s!) but realized there is a better way of doing it that eliminates the inconvenience with rigging etc. Still his sail looks nice.

I'll bite YoYo.
What is the 'better way'?

Have a talk to Slowy, he made his out of foam. I did a set as well.

That just proves once again that nothing is really 'new'.

How did they go for you Roo? I am assuming there were some issues with them, or we all would be doing it by now?

I didn't feel they made much difference for all the effort. Modding the cams to use an rdm mast was better overall, and stiffer battens in strategic places helped more. That's what I still use.

My guess is that if they make a difference it's probably only in the tenths of a knot which could be significant in a tightly contested professional competition like Luderitz, but that the average sailor wouldn't be able to notice any perceptible change?

Maybe the manufacturers could just use good battens in the first place ?

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Roo said..
I didn't feel they made much difference for all the effort. Modding the cams to use an rdm mast was better overall, and stiffer battens in strategic places helped more. That's what I still use.

Pretty much my findings as well. Running sail profiles with and without profilers through XFLR5 confirmed it made bugger all difference when compared to foil shape etc. To make a significant difference you probably need a Luff Pocket 50% of chord.
Keep in mind mean camber is reduced when profiling windward leading edge. Which is why you feel less power and back hand.

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mathew said..
Maybe the manufacturers could just use good battens in the first place ?

You mean 'expensive' battens

Some do.......

But remember that, a particular sort of batten profile and stiffness that suits one sailor for one particular set of circumstances, may not suit another sailor in different circumstances at all.

Batten stiffness and profile is always a compromise in a production sail. Less so in the top of the range race or speed sails of course, but those sails are more dedicated to particular purpose as well.