Hi everyone, I have a problem when I use my 4.7 sail on waves with side wind, when I set the bottom turn and open the sail I can't see the wave well because it remains covered by the sail, it only happens to me with the sail 4.7 which is the biggest of my quiver, it is a severne blade (5 battens), very often I am overpowered with this sail, could it be due to this? When I use other smaller sails (4 battens) this doesn't happen. Is there a technique to be able to see the wave well?

in good conditions, fully engaged, you can lay the sail flat in the bottom turn - best view in the world.
In less good conditions, there is a way to peek around the mast leaning forward and... sometimes the sail window.
I've never seen quite well thru sail windows, being it vinyl, mono or x-ply..usually southwesterly depression low-light conditions..you see a wave contour but not those critical nuances..which is kind of a punchy fun gamble sometimes.

thanks for the advice, I'll try it soon, I'd like to find something online regarding the technique of leaning over the mast in less good conditions, I'll try to do a search.

Its just the angle as eventually you do need to open it up and at that moment the visibility goes away - there will always be one set of conditions where u briefly need to see up and back between window and leech.
No cure unless you have bigger window - fragile sail.
Or change angles - less than perfect fun

So i say practice forgetting that you cant see just before the lip, as everything we do is sorted started before the wave is ready if that makes sense
Setup n hit it lol

thanks, the problem is that I often don't even see the base of the wave very well, but it happens when I'm overpowered and maybe I thought that I can't move the sail far enough away from me.

Ok maybe im not reading you right, but when looking at the bottom of the wave, in sideshore wind, youre starting to drop in and would be over-sheeting at that point not opening up the sail....

Losing sight of the lip is something we get used to. Especially when we want to use some drive in the sail.
Wipe your sail clean after each session to have as clear a window as possible. Lean it back and away before dropping and maybe try to engage more rail to lean the sail a touch more at the bottom.

Now it should happen with all sails though.

I use Hot Sails Maui KS3. Apart from it being the best feeling wave sail I've used, it also has a big window so I never lose sight of the wave. I tried the new North Sails and the lack of being able to see the wave was too much for me to deal with. I also tried the Severne Blade, and while the window was almost big enough for me to see the lip the whole time, there's still a small period of time where I had to just go on faith. Very unsettling.
Try a KS3, you'll not regret it (unless you can't buy one, then you'll regret that you're not on one).

I think severne window shape is optimal in terms of what thrusterx is talking about, if it is opening the sail before rail transition.
If it is initiation of bottom turn, then ususally look behind the clew anyway.
Only problem with severne window shape is when waiting to drop in, window area near mast stays a little low but you can always peak a look front of the mast quickly.
Blades have smaller window, especially the new ones which the window is kept only between main panel battens, and x-ply olso reduces the clearness.

I would propose to try out clew first wave riding

cheers

thanks to all for the advice

Another brand who has figured out where the window should be is Goya:




That little triangle of window above the batten is the difference between seeing the lip vs blind faith.

Had a session on a Blade today in perfect cross shore wind and decent waves. Was very unimpressed with the window not extending all the way to the mast near the batten above the boom. I kept mistiming my top turn because I had no idea what the wave was doing. I couldn't tell if the lip had suddenly started pitching or if the wave had gone a bit "fat" and slowed down? Half the time I was either turning below the lip or blowing through the back of the wave. Eventually I figured out if I kept the sail more upright in the bottom turn and bottom turned as if it was cross onshore then I could look back at the wave through the window better as I was coming back up for the top turn. Prior to making that change the logo high plus sets were easier to get the timing right as I could see the lip above me as I was coming out of the bottom turn. However even making that change there was still a short period of time when I couldn't see the lip so I still messed up a few waves. The visibility was never as natural as on the KS3 or Goya sails.

Looks like Duotone also knows where the window should be.