Sailboards

If I want to go through the discussion of the BIC Dufour Wing, perhaps I should put my spin on windsurf boards. Since I do NOT do any wave sailing nor bump n jump, I tend to call them sailboards. Where I live there are rarely days where the pros go and put on a show.

In terms of windsurfers, people who sailboard or windsurf, I call them newbies, average joes or intermediates and the pros.There are SO many things to learn, one tends to feel like a newbie more often than not :-) For me this is part of the attraction of modern windsurfing. There never is an end to the things to try and learn ...

The BIC Dufour and other earlier boards were longboards that were long, with a centreboard, small fin and made as one big piece continuous piece of "plastic". At this time there were NO footstraps yet. I do not want to go into the full history of boards here, mostly would like to get into the confusing issues of today's boards. 

Since the term longboard exists, there must also be shortboards. These are shorter and made with styrofoam covered with multiple layers. Believe it was around 1979 when Gary Efferding, an aerospace engineer, experimented with vacuum bagging the sandwich layers. 

The previous pic looks retro - very punny cuz Bruce Peterson has his name on this pic. Here's a more up-to-date pic from WindSurfing Mag:

This new technology is obviously much lighter. It is also more fragile. For learners and newbies, board manufacturers will often put an extra layer of soft material to save the sailor's knees when getting on the board and to reduce scuffs and dings. Once a boardsailor becomes more proficient and starts to go faster, there is a danger of catapulting i.e. getting thrown over the front. If one hangs on to the boom, usually everything works out. However, on occasion one may punch a hole in the nose or front of the board. People  try to use nose protectors or attach foam on the boom. The good news is, these repairs are common and quick. When I punched a hole in my shortboard with my harness hook, it was repaired professionally within a few days and cost only $60. So, don't worry, just let it rip !!

Shortboards no longer have centreboards and have specialized fins often made of carbon. Boards used to have only one fin, butt wave boards now often have two(2) or even four(4) fins !! I will dedicate another discussion just to fins, since they are a critical element in the whole picture today. At first these boards were quite narrow and there were even speedneedles that broke world records in terms of speed on the water... Now the boards tend to be wider, even the waveboards are wider than boards of say ten (10) years ago.

One thing that was standardized with the shortboard is the mast- track. At least now a mast-base can fit into ANY of the modern boards. No longer need to worry about the piece that came with the board. The only thing I have discovered that is board specific is the length of the screw(s) for the fins. Here not all boards are made equal. There are power boxes, tuttle boxes, deep tuttle and the older US box.

Boards became so wide, there is a class of boards called formula boards and also hybrids, that are up to 100 cm/ 1 meter wide. These boards also use specialized fins up to 70 cm in length. The formula board sails are typically race type sails with cams and are as large as 12 sq m. Once again, I will dedicate another discussion to the sails.

Nowadays there are young people doing all kinds of tricks on bikes, skateboards, etc. Well, the same is true of sailboards. This is called freestyling in the windsurf world. They are now at the point where they use man made ramps and rails, just like many of the other crazy modern sports.  Obviously this can be hard on the equipment and the people !!

from http://www.whitelionwindsurfing.blogspot.com/

As seen above, boards come in all shapes n sizes and have many different dimensions AND uses. One speaks of liters which ironically is the same as cc's. Liters are spoken of as giving the board flotation. Some say the minimum flotation required for a person is their weight in kilograms plus about 20 or 30 more liters - this is for newbies and their first board. The Sail Calculator of James Douglass can make suggestions for first boards. Width obviously gives stability. There are many other aspects of a board as well, such as weight, width one foot forward (from the tail end) aka OFO, vee, tuck, rail, etc. Also speak of the components/composition and in today's world one speaks of carbon, kevlar, epoxy, etc...

Let me find some diagrams to illustrate parts and namings  ...

The above image is from the WindSurf Magazine of May 2005 pg 67.


Most of my diagrams and pastes come from the web and I may not credit them all and I apologize for that. If ever someone wants me to remove their information, they need only e-mail me and I will gladly settle out of court - just kidding :-)


For more terminology check Board Design.

One aspect of a board that seems obvious is the "front" and the "back" of the board. For a green newbie this is NOT so obvious. I am always trying to make sure they know the "front" of the sail and the "front" of the board. This helps when I am yelling instructions from the rowboat or paddleboat :-)


Okay, one has a sailboard, fin(s), mast(s), boom(s), sail(s) and what next ? Obviously one needs clean water without too much current. Winds need to be side-shore or onshore and NOT too strong for one's experience.  As a beginner, the lighter the better. Would be nice to have some nice sunshine and clean launch spot too. One thing I find is the biggest PITA, is finding a place to rig the sail on land. Once in or on the water, what next ? People get going with sail uphauling or water start techniques. When going fast on the water, one eventually planes or has less board surface on the water. (Guy Cribb is known for his instruction clinics and documents and here he explains about EarlyPlaning)  

taken from Jim Douglass blog - not sure where he got it

legend:  LB means longboard, F is Formula and B&J stands for bump n jump

Planing is one thing, but there are actually people who hydrofoil with windsurf boards. This requires a very specialized foil.

To turn the sailboard one needs to "tack" or gybe/jibe. These are sailing terms which mean turning with the wind or into the wind.  Boards usually go at an angle to the wind, butt down-wind runs are possible. One cannot go straight upwind.

So, depending on the board, one may need to waterstart a sinker, be able to do tight jibes/turns, plane in light winds, freestyle, slalom race, wave sail, bump n jump, schlogg and explore , etc. etc The board is obviously a very important part of the equation and dedicated windsurfers/boardsailors have more than one and perhaps many boards. Personally I have four (4) boards ranging from 124 to 200 liters and from 63 to 79 cm width AND I still donut have a hi-wind board.


Bic still makes boards, but is still more suited to newbies and average joes. The original Windsurfer disappeared, butt is still used the world over - especially in Australia. The name Mistral has been around forever. Now Starboard seems to have more board types than any other supplier. They are especially known for their formula boards (and the GO back in the day). Fanatic boards seem to be known for their quality and speed. Other well known brand names are AHD, Angulo, Carbon Art, Drops, Exocet, F2, Goya, Hifly, JP Australia, Mike's Lab, Naish, Quatro, Roberts, RRD, Seatrend, Tabou, Tiga, Thommen, Wind Obsession, etc... Roberts and Mike's Lab were custom boards that seem to have become mainstream. Custom was the way to go many years ago. Today average joes like me can get what the pros use !!


A completely different concept is the tandem board. Two (2) people of about equal skills can plane, jibe and have a riot together. Unfortunately for the fun, they are $$$. Better to rent em. 

And here is the biggest windsurf board yet :

Not only are there many different types of boards, butt the supplier list seems endless. Personally I try to support the local shops as much as possible. I do buy used and have purchased in the U.S. I do NOT deal with companies like windsurf-direct and they have been reviewed badly in the first 2011 Windsurf Magazine. My windsurf buddy ordered a really nice LTD at an amazing price from the Carolinas. It was shipped without bubblewrap and arrived with the pack open at both ends. Needless to say delivery was refused. Foxwatersports repaired the board and they were re-negotiating and then Fox sold it to someone else. I had suggested to my buddy he drive down !! He feels like he missed a deal of a lifetime. A Fanatic Hawk LTD 135 for around $1200 !!!


Boards cost a lot. They change a lot. Where would one start ? I feel I was VERY lucky to start with the BIC Dufour Wing on an inland lake, progress to the F2 Comet 330 and the BIC Samba - plus I was wise enough to progress to a 160 liter , 79 cm wide shortboard. To buy the wrong board and then stop windsurfing is a loss of $$$ and one less buddy on the water. To buy a board one outgrows too quickly is also such a waste. I always say "beg, borrow or steal." Kidding of course, butt take lessons, take your time, try stuff and  
BE PATIENT.

One board NOT to be dismissed is the Mistral Windglider. It is NOT really a sailboard, but it does have a sail, mast n boom, etc. It is inflatable and FUN for all. Found it easier to get non-athletes AND kids on a Windglider than on a very floaty longboard with a small sail !!

 
The latest "craze" seems to be the SUP aka Stand Up Paddle. Special carbon paddles are used and people surf the waves with them. Some SUPs come with the mast track for windsurf sails. People actually say these boards manage to get out over the surf with much less problem than one would anticipate from such long boards. Some are considering going to this type of board for teaching rather than the traditional long board like the SB GO or AHD ZEN. This allows one to teach on the board and when there are waves , light winds or NO winds, one can still get out on the water. I actually have done this with my BIC Dufour Wing using a long canoe paddle and the six(6) year old son on the front of the board. He loved it. Told him, improve those swimming skills and there will be a sail on the board :-) Kids just love the water and lake experiences.
 

Once you find a board you love or works for you, you too will begin to appreciate the freedom and feel the world around you. I did NOT try to describe ALL the different types of windsurfing, the different types of boards, etc. My feeling is go local ie check what others are using in your area or where you intend to go . What is interesting in our times is: there are windsurf vacation spots where you can learn and try all kinds of equipment...

Since I had an issue with my shortboard, I have started opening the "vent plug" when the board is not in use. MUST remember to close it when I go out on the water. My psychological trick is to take both screw drivers out whenever I attach the fin. Philips for the fin and straight for the vent plug. Some people put markings on the board to show where straight line on screw should be lined up when tight. When I open my vent, there is sometimes a hissing. Have tried the "wick trick" where you put board in the sun and paper towel in vent. Does not seem to find any more water. They say the vent plug should be opened anyway when flying, when in hot car, etc...


I have been doing some analysis on the numbers {since I love statistics} and I drew up a chart of sailboard volume and ideal sail sizes. Someone commented to me on a forum that board width is just as important these days. So, I added approximate board width to the chart as well. This is all just number collecting at this point, but I enjoy it.

click to see more clearly

In June 2011 WindSurfing Mag had their article and analysis of free ride, free race n slalom and light-air shortboard tests/reports. I used the numbers to re-evaluate whether the above numbers still hold true. It semed like the boards were getting a little wider and volume was still a factor in sail range, but width was becoming more n more of a deciding factor. The boards were 100 to 155 liters and 62 to 90 cm wide. Here's the numbers I came up with:

 
In the volume vs sail size discussion, the numbers still seemed okay for the 125 to 155 boards. However, the smaller boards from 100 to 125 liters now handle bigger sails - in some cases it seems as much as 1 square meter !! This shows one needs to look at the specs more closely on the smaller boards as per year of manufacture !!! This is logical. I just did not expect such a big difference ...

In April 2011 there was a test/report on twenty(20) hi-wind boards. Will do an analysis on those numbers to see which factor is the most consistent - volume or width? The two(2) are strongly co-related at these low volumes and widths - here is my chart:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I LOVE windsurfing/boardsailing and hope to be able to continue til the day I die.


...bye bye miss american pie ... :-)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I believe I already discussed the "new" shapes like the StarBoard/SB Serenity. The SUP is out now and there used to be hybrids. I am happy that people are spending effort to try and get people on the water in light winds because that was the big kick in popularity in the early 80's. Jim Drake is doing experiments at SB, AHD has the SeaLion and has some newer ideas as well ==> ahd-back-to-the-future-tacktik


This dude builds his own surfboard - for a windsurf board, you have to add the mast-track, but the rest of the process is the same. It looks like WAY too much work for me - it better be good after !! Surprisingly the video does NOT show someone surfing the board !!

Here's another one I just discovered that I find entertaining - perhaps due to the music with the Charlie Chaplin look ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLTXB5wNfa0&NR=1&feature=fvwp 

I just discovered that the Whitelion Blogster on my liste has built MANY boards . 

Check it out !! BoardBuilding 

I discussed board costs a little bit in the section about my starting shortboarding ...

A fellow is trying to sell his SUP/windsurfer on kijiji in May 2011 and wrote a nice summary/story:

The stand up paddle and windsurf board is spotless and in new condition as it’s only been used 3 times and extremely well taken care of. It’s stored in a board bag which provides protection. The brand new board bag is not included but can be added for $120 (The bag retails for $180 plus tax – a savings of $83).

The Starboard SUPer 12’6” the best hybrid stand-up paddle and windsurf board around. It has the exact same size and shape as the Starboard 12’6” Cruiser but the Cruiser does not have the windsurfing features of the SUPer. With the SUPer, you can buy one board for stand up paddling as well as windsurfing.

Windsurfing focused features include a fully retractable daggerboard (never been used) and 2 positions to screw in a mast base.

It's covered in EVA for great grip and comfort (whether standing or on your knees). This board uses Starboard’s AST construction.

It has a long 12’6” / 380cm length to give it nice glide and speed. It’s 30 inches wide to give good stability for stand up paddling in a variety of conditions but not so wide that it’ll slow it down. It’ll be much more stable than paddling a narrow and tippy windsurf race board. It’s the perfect family board to get everyone involved.

It's a great board to learn to windsurf and stand up paddle on.

In addition to being an excellent beginners board for flat water, the shape is excellent for advanced paddlers that want to try downwind paddling in high wind. The shape is also good for long board paddle surfing if you have the skills for it.

The original fin and fin bag from Starboard are also included.

Here’s a link to Starboard’s web site for more info on the board:
http://www.star-board-sup.com/2011/products/profile.php?post_name=2011_super-126

The 12’6” SUPer and the identically shaped 12’6” Cruiser have been 2 of the best reviewed SUP boards. See below for complete text of one review. Here are web sites for 2 more reviews:

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Starboard-SUPer-126/

http://www.kenalu.com/forums/showcase-index/starboard-12%E2%80%996%E2%80%9D/


For more photos of the bag, go to:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-sports-bikes-NEW-Board-Bag-for-Stand-Up-Paddle-or-Windsurf-board-126-385cm-W0QQAdIdZ282243513

REVIEW:
Starboard SUPer 12'6"Paddleboard and Windsurf Board

Source: http://www.isup.asia/index.php/reviews/test126.html

Amara and I have been using the finest windsurfing equipment made for playing renting and teaching in our Watersports Centre at Blue Lagoon Pattaya. Amara's experience goes back over 30 years. We have been testing Starboards SUPer 12'6" with the view to keeping these boards in stock and on the beach year round and introducing them as the ideal family and resort board.

As a pure SUP - this shape first entered the market as "The Cruiser" and was years ahead of even the big name board manufactures. It was ahead for the following reasons:
- Carry Handle moulded into the board and placed in balanced position.
- Construction Materials - evolved under some of the toughest and most competitive conditions on the water.
- Tail Rocker, the curve in the tail allows you to easily pop the front half of the board out of the water, for easy turning by shifting your weight back on the board. This also provides good release of water "rather than dragging its rear end"
- Thinned out rails at the rear of the board, provide a carving edge for hooking into the face of a wave.
- Full EVA covering - non slip - non scratch - tough.
- Very stable even for big guys.
- Fast, it was a viable race board before dedicated race boards reached the market.
- Textured EVA in the standing area, so that you know where you are on the board without looking down.


As a Windsurfing Board
- Smooth, smooth and did I mention Smooth?
- The long waterline and efficient shape, makes her glide at speed in merest puff of wind.
- The width is just right for windsurfers at the beginner to intermediate level - The - Starboard Start Board is ideal for first lessons, but after that the SUPer 12'6" brings the reward of effortless speed in light wind. The width also puts light wind freestyle tricks into the "definitely attainable" orbit of mortal beings.
- The Center-board System has been perfected over the last 8 years and is now excellent. - The foot operated knob that raises and lowers the Center-board is easily removable.
- This is the style of board that made Windsurfing a smash hit in the early 80's.
- Highly recommended

As a compromise between SUP and a Windsurfing Board
- The Center-board adds 3kg to the weight of the board
- We recommend adding a piece of rope between the double leash inserts to provide an extra handle for entering and leaving the water.
- No foot-straps - a good idea - on this style of board, foot straps are not required. They would add weight and cost and get in the way far more than they would be useful.
- If we have a large group of SUP students or windsurfers, we can use one piece of equipment to look after our guests. This saves money and storage space.
- Unfortunately we are completely out of stock until late January 2010


To give you some idea of the boards performance as a pure Paddle Board - please read below.

The October issue of BOARDS (reputable UK windsurfing magazine) conducted a test and review of the leading SUP's available on the UK market. This is the first industry test and comparison that includes a Starboard SUP. Starboard's 12"6 was put to the test against its rivals and shone brightly... very brighly!

The non Windsurfable model received very high praise

"The board was clearly one of the fastest on test"

"The Starboard (12"6) was extremely popular with all testers"

"... highly rated by all for its maneuverability, speed and ease of use"

The full result for the Starboard 12"6 reads as follows

Starboard offer two models of paddle board: the 12'2" (shaped by Mark Raaphorst - top SUP rider), designed for wave riding and the more athletic rider and the 12'6' (by Svein Rasmussen/ Jim Drake) which we had for our test, designed for more stability for both SUP and light wind freestyle.

On The Water: The Starboard was the longest board on test, it looks quite narrow with a thin tail and a lot of rocker. Before you even climb onto it, you can see that the tail rocker actually lifts the tail clear from the water! Climbing onto the board, it's noticeably less stable than some of the wider boards here.

As soon as you start paddling, stability is not a problem and it glides very well. The board was clearly one of the fastest on test, feeling quite easy to maintain a decent speed over a long distance.

Despite its length, it maneuvers very well and can be pivoted on the tail very easily. The board picks up small waves and swells easily and is easy to steer while riding.

Fitting: The deck of the Starboard is covered in decent EVA (not wrapped around the rails). There is a nice guide on the deck that shows you the balance point of the board and hence where to stand. The Starboard also features a well-placed carry handle in the middle of the deck, making it a lot easier to get to the water's edge!

The board is supplied with a 23.5cm flex fin, as seen on long boards (surf). It also has FCS inserts for two thrusters fins.

There is the option of a centre-fin to give stability to those who are learning and to allow the board to be used as a longboard (windsurf) along with brass inserts for Windsurfing Mast attachment.

Popularity: The Starboard was extremely popular with all testers. It made first place in terms of popularity (it was in the top two for every tester), and was highly rated by all for its maneuverability, speed and ease of use.

Strengths: Speed, maneuverability and versatility in waves and on flat water.

Weaknesses: Slightly harder to balance on than some bigger boards.

Overall: The Starboard is a great all round SUP for both flat water and small waves. It's easy to use and has something to offer everyone from complete beginner to advanced wave rider It has a really nice balance of length for glide and straight line stability and a thin tail with lots of rocker for maneuvers and wave riding. Add to that well thought-out fittings and the board is hard to beat. 

-------------------------------------------------------

There is this magic material called "dyneema" . It seems it creates a hammer proof windsurf board - if it was to cost $200 more per board - that in my mind is reasonable... That is how much a nose repair would cost anyway !!


---------------------------------------------------
Some search hit this blog about "calculating a windsurf board volume".
Nowadays that should NOT be necessary. Information is posted directly on the board.
Older boards or custom boards did not have data on the board.
Since my BIC Dufour was received before much internet and after it's popularity - so, NO info in the mags, i did a calculation of the volume at that time ...

It may be fairly obvious that volume is area and not weight, butt i wish to stress the obvious just the same...

Let me see if i can dig up my calculations :-)

First I broke the board down into sections and used the theory that a circle would reflect the shape of the board - this yielded a volume of 462 liters = obviously way OFF.

Next looked up the area of an oval which is length times width times 0.8
Again broke the board up into sections and came up with a figure of 157 liters. This is a little more reasonable, butt obviously low. It looks much bigger than my 160 liter short-board !!!

The closest approximation was using the simplest method. The board is 378 cm long, 68 cm wide and 11.5 cm thick. These values are all at the longest, widest and thickest points. If we assume the board was a block then 378 * 68 * 11.5 = 295.6 liters. Now we know it is not a block and if we assume it is more like an oval shape from the top, then 295.6 * 0.8 = 236.5 liters. We are already approaching more realistic numbers. We know that the board is also shaped. Since the board is NOT a lean mean machine, then perhaps we can apply the oval logic i.e. use a 0.8 factor. So 236.5 * 0.8 =189.2 liters. This number is only 5 % off the figures literature has given me - namely 200 liters.

So, i would simply use this method to estimate volume of a board in the future.
Length in cm * width in cm * thickness/height in cm * 0.8 (for oval) * 0.8 (for shaping) / 1000 (to give liters)

Will try this approach with the modern 160 short-board to test validity.

Length = 268 cm
Width = 79 cm
Height = 10 cm
So, 268 * 79 * 10 * 0.8 * 0.8 / 1000 =  135.5 for a 160 liter board
This is a larger margin of error 25/160 * 100 = 15.6 % error.
The problem here is there is a significant difference between a 135 and a 160 liter board.

How can we adjust for that and where is the error coming from ?

My original estimate for thickness was 13 cm and adjusted to 12. When i looked from the side, i put 10 cm.
If i put 12 cm as the thickness check out the results !!!
268 * 79 * 12 * 0.8 * 0.8 / 1000 = 162.6 liters
WOW - cannot get much closer than that...
2.6/160*100 = 1.6 % error ONLY
This shows that the thickness MUST be evaluated CAREFULLY...
------------------------------------------------------------------
there is also the question of how to get your rig and board to the water.
personally donut believe in carrying it on one's head.
here Tinho , the master instructor, gives us some good hints !!
http://www.calema.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=140

Fins

Fins also called skegs are the engine under water, boards are the engine on the water and the sail over the water. Fins are a key element in the entire equation that were ignored in the early days of the longboard. They used to have a U.S. box connection where the placement of the fin was slightly adjustable. Those connections are also called Chinook or A-box. Now most fins go into the tuttle or power box one way and one position.


There are giant formula fins like in this image. Rarely have I seen such flex or asymmetry on land...Other fin types are free-ride, slalom/free-race, weed, wave, bump n jump and freestyle. Perhaps I missed some ? What sets types apart ? The obvious factor is length and is often cited as the measuring stick. Fins or foils as I like to call em have MUCH more character than that !! There are factors such as width {top and base}, area, thickness, rake (angle of attack)  and material (carbon, G10, etc) which affects flex and stiffness. Just recently discovered that Fanatic boards use GFK fins. What's that? Craig Gerntenbach of Fanatic informs me these are just "moulded polyester fins, with good twist characteristics". Length and shape together make up the type of fin more than anything quickly visible.


What are the fin "parts" really called ? check here: http://www.vmgblades.com/learn/fin-parts/

Oh yeah! They come in ALL shapes n sizes. 

The most bizarre is the hydrofoil.

 

See in this video, just how much fins actually "flex" while in the water:

 

Just as sails have ideal wind ranges, so do fins... In other words it is important to match board, sail and fin for the conditions and the type of sailing one is about to do. I call this aligning the engines :-)

Lately wave sailors have been using boards with two (2) and even four (4) fins. So, once again we are off to new horizons :-) Locally I have NOT seen any dual or quad fin setups and personally know just enuff about the single fin. Suggest you look elsewhere if u r lookin 4 info on dual or quad fins - sorry mate. However, here is an interesting discussion on quad setups by Keith Teboul:   http://www.vimeo.com/17300703

Last year, 2010, the water was extraordinarily low here and as such, there were many board and fin repairs in the area. My fins took a beating and I like to try n fix my stuff myself. Fin repair happens in the off-season, but this was the first year where a light sanding was NOT enough. After searching the web and writing on a few forums, I tried and like Marine-Tex. Bit of a pain to apply and one must discover the trick  of sanding it wet. This makes me wonder, will it be susceptible to damage when wet ? :-) time will tell...

Personally have a long 53 straight up race stiff fin for my 10-oh sail. The 47 weed fin does well for the 8.5 and gets used for the 10-oh as well. A 40 cm slalom fin is my ticket to fun with my 7-oh. Fin suppliers now have charts for sailors to choose fins. Nowadays board width is a factor in fin selection as well. My personal fin favorites are Select Fins - they are known to whistle at high speeds - just sand one side of the back edge of the fin. Custom Fins exist that are very specialized -- like the Black Projects Fins which has specs like 40, 45 or 50 knots !!!! Wolfgang Lessacher makes world renowned fins and will ship. Check www.designlessacher.com

In the past people changed sails to change things up. Now people are realizing the fin is just as important. Personally have one fin for each sail. Cannot be bothered having more than one weed fin, but this may become a factor when I get into the smaller sail sizes... Here's a picture from the WindSurf Magazine of July 2002 giving a fin overview. As you can see, there are lots of shapes and sizes, all with their special purpose and special function(s)...

Believe the following chart was taken from the Select Hydrofoils website showing relationship between board width, fin sizes and sail sizes:

Here's a couple of pics showing the "rake" on the fins, straight up n down 53 cm race vs 47 cm weed vs 40 cm slalom:

 

Surprisingly the 7 or 8 degree angle or rake on the race 53 and the slalom 40 do not seem that different !! The weed fin seems to have a rake of about 40 degrees. Some are advertised at 45 degrees for extreme weeds.

Just found an article in the July 2006 Windsurf Magazine with Gonzalo Costa Hoevel. He calls choosing fins a 3 step system. Step one is about board analysis. Ironically he says to put planing fins on the faster boards and faster fins on the early planing boards. He says the early planers have straighter outlines and need fast fins with some rake, small tip area and less flex or more stiff. The faster boards are "rounder" and he suggests power fins or early planers. These fins have less rake/angle (more straight up n down), more area in the tip and softer flex. The video of the fin above and the formula bent fin for me seem to exhibit a lot of flex. Step two for Gonzalo is assessing your goal and step three is knowing your fins. He says the softer fin gives more "kick" or "lift". Upright means planing AND upwind control - like a keel. The profile or thickness plays a factor as well. He states "A fin with a thicker foil gives you more power, upwind angle, but sacrifices top speed. A thinner foil gives you better top speed, butt in lighter winds you lose early planing and upwind angle. A fin that has the thickest point of its foil forward creates a smoother, more controlled riding sensation. Moving the foil back gives you more speed, but it's a more technical-riding fin - especially when going upwind." He also mentions that people overlook area of a fin and compares this to only analyzing sails based on luff length !! Here is a video that covers some areas regarding windsurf fin physics. They actually are saying that at over 40 knots pressures cause water to boil at room temperature !!

Fins are usually made with hi-tech components and are precise pieces of equipment. As such, they do NOT give them away. I have about one fin per sail and they are about $200 each. Some people also have overlap since they may require weed fin(s). Used fins are closer to $100 each and can easily be repaired with Marine-Tex. Just remember to sand wet. Here's a good link with everything you wanted to know about fins, butt were afraid 2 ask: http://www.carbonsugar.com/design/everything-you-should-know-about-fw-fins/

Wrote to Roger Jackson of Starboard about undersizing fins and this is what he said:
Hi Joe,
You are underfinned if when you reach top speed and "push" laterally across the top of the fin it lets go and spins out.
My personal "rule of thumb" for fin length is the fin has to be greater than 1/2 the board width or OFO width.
The wider the board and the greater the footstrap off set, the more the 1/2 board width applies.
On a Futura or other freeride board with inboard and outboard footstrap positions, you can generally run a smaller fin (perhaps < 1/2 the OFO width) with the footstraps in the closer to centered positions.
The smaller fin (or underfinned) also depends alot on sail size and overall board speed.
I have really tiny (<25 cm) speed fins that are great if you can head off wind and get them up to > 25 knots board speed.
At 30 knots + board speed they are solid as a rock, but if you have conditions where you can't get them up to speed, you can push them loose any time you like if your speed is < what it takes for these tiny fins to "hook up" and stay hooked up.
Hope this helps,
Roger


What are F4 fins? {note to self}   

 

Fins

Fins also called skegs are the engine under water, boards are the engine on the water and the sail over the water. Fins are a key element in the entire equation that were ignored in the early days of the longboard. They used to have a U.S. box connection where the placement of the fin was slightly adjustable. Those connections are also called Chinook or A-box. Now most fins go into the tuttle or power box one way and one position.


There are giant formula fins like in this image. Rarely have I seen such flex or asymmetry on land...Other fin types are free-ride, slalom/free-race, weed, wave, bump n jump and freestyle. Perhaps I missed some ? What sets types apart ? The obvious factor is length and is often cited as the measuring stick. Fins or foils as I like to call em have MUCH more character than that !! There are factors such as width {top and base}, area, thickness, rake (angle of attack)  and material (carbon, G10, etc) which affects flex and stiffness. Just recently discovered that Fanatic boards use GFK fins. What's that? Craig Gerntenbach of Fanatic informs me these are just "moulded polyester fins, with good twist characteristics". Length and shape together make up the type of fin more than anything quickly visible.


What are the fin "parts" really called ? check here: http://www.vmgblades.com/learn/fin-parts/

Oh yeah! They come in ALL shapes n sizes. 

The most bizarre is the hydrofoil.

 

See in this video, just how much fins actually "flex" while in the water:

 

Just as sails have ideal wind ranges, so do fins... In other words it is important to match board, sail and fin for the conditions and the type of sailing one is about to do. I call this aligning the engines :-)

Lately wave sailors have been using boards with two (2) and even four (4) fins. So, once again we are off to new horizons :-) Locally I have NOT seen any dual or quad fin setups and personally know just enuff about the single fin. Suggest you look elsewhere if u r lookin 4 info on dual or quad fins - sorry mate. However, here is an interesting discussion on quad setups by Keith Teboul:   http://www.vimeo.com/17300703

Last year, 2010, the water was extraordinarily low here and as such, there were many board and fin repairs in the area. My fins took a beating and I like to try n fix my stuff myself. Fin repair happens in the off-season, but this was the first year where a light sanding was NOT enough. After searching the web and writing on a few forums, I tried and like Marine-Tex. Bit of a pain to apply and one must discover the trick  of sanding it wet. This makes me wonder, will it be susceptible to damage when wet ? :-) time will tell...

Personally have a long 53 straight up race stiff fin for my 10-oh sail. The 47 weed fin does well for the 8.5 and gets used for the 10-oh as well. A 40 cm slalom fin is my ticket to fun with my 7-oh. Fin suppliers now have charts for sailors to choose fins. Nowadays board width is a factor in fin selection as well. My personal fin favorites are Select Fins - they are known to whistle at high speeds - just sand one side of the back edge of the fin. Custom Fins exist that are very specialized -- like the Black Projects Fins which has specs like 40, 45 or 50 knots !!!! Wolfgang Lessacher makes world renowned fins and will ship. Check www.designlessacher.com

In the past people changed sails to change things up. Now people are realizing the fin is just as important. Personally have one fin for each sail. Cannot be bothered having more than one weed fin, but this may become a factor when I get into the smaller sail sizes... Here's a picture from the WindSurf Magazine of July 2002 giving a fin overview. As you can see, there are lots of shapes and sizes, all with their special purpose and special function(s)...

Believe the following chart was taken from the Select Hydrofoils website showing relationship between board width, fin sizes and sail sizes:

Here's a couple of pics showing the "rake" on the fins, straight up n down 53 cm race vs 47 cm weed vs 40 cm slalom:

 

Surprisingly the 7 or 8 degree angle or rake on the race 53 and the slalom 40 do not seem that different !! The weed fin seems to have a rake of about 40 degrees. Some are advertised at 45 degrees for extreme weeds. Just found an article in the July 2006 Windsurf Magazine with Gonzalo Costa Hoevel. He calls choosing fins a 3 step system. Step one is about board analysis. Ironically he says to put planing fins on the faster boards and faster fins on the early planing boards. He says the early planers have straighter outlines and need fast fins with some rake, small tip area and less flex or more stiff. The faster boards are "rounder" and he suggests power fins or early planers. These fins have less rake/angle (more straight up n down), more area in the tip and softer flex. The video of the fin above and the formula bent fin for me seem to exhibit a lot of flex. Step two for Gonzalo is assessing your goal and step three is knowing your fins. He says the softer fin gives more "kick" or "lift". Upright means planing AND upwind control - like a keel. The profile or thickness plays a factor as well. He states "A fin with a thicker foil gives you more power, upwind angle, but sacrifices top speed. A thinner foil gives you better top speed, butt in lighter winds you lose early planing and upwind angle. A fin that has the thickest point of its foil forward creates a smoother, more controlled riding sensation. Moving the foil back gives you more speed, but it's a more technical-riding fin - especially when going upwind." He also mentions that people overlook area of a fin and compares this to only analyzing sails based on luff length !! Here is a video that covers some areas regarding windsurf fin physics. They actually are saying that at over 40 knots pressures cause water to boil at room temperature !!

Fins are usually made with hi-tech components and are precise pieces of equipment. As such, they do NOT give them away. I have about one fin per sail and they are about $200 each. Some people also have overlap since they may require weed fin(s). Used fins are closer to $100 each and can easily be repaired with Marine-Tex. Just remember to sand wet. Here's a good link with everything you wanted to know about fins, butt were afraid 2 ask: http://www.carbonsugar.com/design/everything-you-should-know-about-fw-fins/

Wrote to Roger Jackson of Starboard about undersizing fins and this is what he said:
Hi Joe,
You are underfinned if when you reach top speed and "push" laterally across the top of the fin it lets go and spins out.
My personal "rule of thumb" for fin length is the fin has to be greater than 1/2 the board width or OFO width.
The wider the board and the greater the footstrap off set, the more the 1/2 board width applies.
On a Futura or other freeride board with inboard and outboard footstrap positions, you can generally run a smaller fin (perhaps < 1/2 the OFO width) with the footstraps in the closer to centered positions.
The smaller fin (or underfinned) also depends alot on sail size and overall board speed.
I have really tiny (<25 cm) speed fins that are great if you can head off wind and get them up to > 25 knots board speed.
At 30 knots + board speed they are solid as a rock, but if you have conditions where you can't get them up to speed, you can push them loose any time you like if your speed is < what it takes for these tiny fins to "hook up" and stay hooked up.
Hope this helps,
Roger


What are F4 fins? {note to self}   

 

Sails

As you have seen in some discussion here already, the early sails were considered to be like a bag of wind (in polite terms) and some called em a sac of potatoes :-(

Just take a quick look at this one:

Neil Pryde website took their picture OFF = bad publicity ?? 

found a "new" one

Notice how there is almost NO curvature in the mast. There are creases in the sailcloth running in all directions. The "sticks" or battens are tiny and are NOT full sail ie they donut run from sail tip to mast. Full battens help the sail retain its shape. When it is very windy and one holds this type of sail at 90 degrees to the wind, it flaps back n forth so much it is hard to hold onto. Early booms were just awkwardly long. The sail material was cloth and later it was dacron, both of which do not stretch much, butt seem to last forever.
One thing to note is the earlier sailboards were definitely FUN oriented - people put their friends and pets on their boards as they went out. Not much safety equipment here - just playing about !!!

If my nonsense mistyping bothers you (or you enjoy it) please let me know :-)

When we speak of sails like this one, there is no need to distinguish the type of sailing one is about to do. No need to speak of wave (on shore, side shore), bump n jump, slalom, race, freeride, free-style, etc. This all came later...

I need to be careful when I use the term race. There is a specialized raceboard that is along the lines of the longboard and they have specialized sails - as do all the sail groups. One blog has gathered a list of all the specialized sails for the longboard race boards :  http://windsurfraceboard.blogspot.com/p/sails.html

In the 80's there were all kinds of things happening in the windsurf world. Robby Naish became a household name in the windsurf realm. In 1984 windsurfing became an Olympic event. Fred Haywood goes over 30 knots - perhaps on a sail designed by Barry Spanier. Full battens including foot battens make their appearance. Monofilm apparently made its appearance around here as well. Monofilm is a clear stretchy material that wears out with UV rays and is more susceptible to breaks and creases than some of the newer materials, which in some cases still incorporate monofilm. As it loses its clarity, it is losing its strength. Here one can start to make the sails quite tight with a rigid constant shape - downhaul and outhaul hard !

Other names in the sail industry were and still are Niel Pryde, Gaastra, Maui Sails, David Ezzy, Simmer Sails and others. It seems even camber inducers made it onto the scene this early.


At the left is an example of an "exposed" cam inducer that illustrates how with the curvature, the batten can be locked to the mast...Some people suggest that any sail larger than about 7.5 square meters have cams. Some of these larger sails today have from none to six(6) cams. Typically when there are cams, there are two(2) to four(4) cams. A cam locks the shape of the sail right away and does not require wind to shape the sail. Thus it is said to be better in reduced wind also called lulls in the wind. When one is using the "wrong" mast, sail is new or just not rigged correctly, it may be difficult to flip the sail fully from one side to the other i.e. cams may stick. I have heard of people filing cambers, butt for me that should be a last resort.



It was not just about going fast, but people were catching air and starting to do tricks like forward loops. However, the chart at the left shows that speed was definitely a factor. In the last couple of years kites seem to have taken over in the top speeds on water world-wide. So the competition is now between really expensive sailboats, windsurfers and kiters :-)


I believe it was in the late 80's when Bruce Peterson of Sailworks now (Gaastra back then) discovered by accident the whole concept of the sail leech twisting off and opening up. This twisting allows sails to have much more range in that they do not become overpowered. The extra wind will “spill” out of the leech. This seems to allow a gradual powering up of the sail. Apparently, the leech  also lowers the CoE or centre of effort of the sail. I call this the point of power or PowerPoint. When the CoE is lower, it is more stable, like a person with a lower centre of gravity is more stable for gymnastics or martial arts.  It seems the CoE needs to align with the CLR/ centre of lateral resistance that runs off the fin. In order to do this with a lower CoE, the mast track had to move back on the board.

Older sails had more power, but less range and control. To cover this, "newer" sails became larger. Earlier the biggest sails were in the 8.x range with many cams. Now we are up to 12.x. I imagine that over 12.x it just becomes unmanageable in terms of human capabilities i.e. imagine uphauling such a sail? With the larger sails come the larger fins/foils. Larger foils require wider boards. Wider boards plane up earlier and do not need as much low end power. What I am trying to say here is: this twisting off of the leech thing had a major impact on the whole windsurf model.


It seems stronger materials like X-ply made it into sails in the early 90's. And now in the 2000's there are newer, lighter, stronger and more expensive materials like technora...

Apparently it was not until the late 90's when camless sails came back into popularity. Today it seems the race, slalom and formula sails have the cams whereas most other sails do not... There is a light movement back to cams where there are only two(2) cams on the sail to provide stability...

At the beginning of this discussion, masts had little bend. Now masts have bend, twist and flex. As such it is important to put the correct mast on the sails. This is still only part of the equation. When rigging a sail many factors come into play besides the mast.

Now there are videos on sail sites, youtube and vimeo showing average joes how to rig camless and even cammed sails. Setting the mast extension correctly, putting enough downhaul for leech twist-off, tightening battens and not too much outhaul all come into play.

Then of course for each person there are the additional factors of boom height, harness line position, does one use adjustable outhaul, etc etc.

Today's sails range in size from 1.x square meters for kids to 12.x square meters. Cannot emphasize enough to get the matching mast that the sail maker has recommended. High winds call for sails in the 3.x to 5.x square meter range. Mid-winds are 6.0 to 8.5 and light winds are 8.5 to 12.x. This is a generalization because I have read about formula racers using 10.0 sails in quite high winds !!!

The good news is boards have sail ranges and sails have recommended uses. They are expensive, but at least they are repairable and my 2006 Pursuit monofilm sail is still going strong. Then again so is my 20 year old Dacron 7.0 3 cam sail. Still prefer my 10 year old Gaastra Flow 3x over the 20 year old NP sail.

Some sails have more than one clew hole. In case you forgot :-), the clew is at the "back" of the sail where the outhaul "rope" is attached. Have heard there may even be sails with three(3) clew holes. Have had discussions with fellow windsurfers where we felt the bottom hole left the leech a little more open and as such, for stronger winds. Conversely, using the top hole keeps the leech a little tighter for lighter winds. Interestingly enough, a "shorter" fellow tried the top hole in lighter winds after a discourse on the subject. He did NOT like it and went back to the lower clew hole. Today I saw a video from the Viet Nam PWA with Antoine Albourne, Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Cyril Moussllman. They all seemed to iterate that the top hole was for "taller" sailors and the lower hole is for the "shorter" sailors.

Sail makers have been reducing the sail length at the boom. This is being done with a clew cutout - as it is called. It seems it has been around a number of years and yet, Maui Sails is only starting to try this configuration in 2011 on their infamous race sails TR - version 7 in 2011. From my understanding this gives a sail a much lighter feel and is much easier to swing about - like in jibes...

As I write these notes to myself and whoever else is interested, I start to realize why starting windsurfing is difficult. There is a lot of information, expense, learning and very weather dependent. This is not to mention the equipment needs to be stored when not in use and a vehicle with which to transport it all.

Guess the lesson is, people should NOT start as I did, with a really old board and NO instruction. New gear is much more user friendly and there is a wealth of info on the web. For me the local shops are my biggest sources of information and I am more than happy to "encourage"/support them. All my new stuff is purchased locally and they answer questions via e-mail.

The latest n greatest is NOT required to have a GREAT time. I did discover though that the monofilm sail helped me get planing. Have planed with the older sails since, but after changing the fin. If one likes the great outdoors then sports like windsurfing and motorcycles are natural choices. I have yet to scream inside my helmet on my first windsurf session of the year. This was an annual routine for me on my old 750. I have made it to the smile and a whoop when I did a chop hop. Yes, windsurfing is thrilling and makes me feel closer to nature and my fellow man/woman.

One term one comes across when speaking of windsurf sails is "centre of effort" or COE. In these discussions other terms like apparent wind come up as well. As an average joe windsurfer, I read about the concept, but feel it is not necessary for me to have a great time on the water. Since I have always lived near the water, many concepts and ideas just seem to come naturally without too much thought or analysis. I prefer it that way. It reminds me of the golf swing. The more effort one puts in or thinks about it, the worse it seems to get. Just relax, keep trying stuff and try to repeat what works best FOR YOU. The same applies to me for the fins. I listen to people and read the literature, but do not need to fully understand foil functionality, etc. IF you are interested, there are plenty of articles on the web discussing COE, CLR, apparent wind theory, etc. Let me see if I can find a good "simple" one ....How great is that, found one from one of our local windsurf shops :-)
Windsurf Sail Physics 101 
On this blog I have also added this page:  jim-drakes-windsurf-physics

Here is a video of a fellow making a "custom" sail - in case u r interested: Vid of Making a Custom Sail

Where I live two (2) boards and about three (3) sails should cover the majority of conditions for me. Since I really look to sail in all conditions, I will have three (3) boards and four or five sails... Just remember I had one board and three(3) sails for about 10 years to start :-)

B4 I forget, the sail calculator is good as a point of reference: sailcalculator.xls

Here is what I use for my sail reference => Sails vs Wind Speed

If I wish to speak of windspeeds perhaps I should put up a little windspeed converter. I use kph and then divide by 2 to get approximate knots.

clique to get bigger clearer image

As discussed, I am a numbers guy. So, how can I relate sail size to wind ? My sail sizes multiplied by Beaufort scale are always around 42. If I call my 10.0 a 10.5 then 10.5x4=42, 8.5x5=42, 7x6=42 and 6x7=42. Now if only I can get used to the Beaufort scale :-)

Found some of the following numbers on the redsurfbus blog.. I just added some extra numbers and some of my own data.

clique for clearer image

 One sail I would like to give honourable mention is the "kitewing". It is referenced in the Winter Windsurfing section of this blog. It has no mast and generates plenty of lift...

Each time I sail , I learn new things about boom placement, harness line placement, etc and that is part of the fun as well..

Barry Spanier of Maui Sails uses the owl wing as a flight indicator and inspiration. Do not know why, but I prefer an insect wing - perhaps because due to its transparency one can see all the cells and re-enforcements. {notice the clew cut-out :-) }


 Sails are not cheap and they wear out and/or may require repairs. People repair their own battens and cambers, but few people actually repair their sails. A typical repair around here seems to be 100 to $200. Sails themselves can go from $300 to over $1000. The worst part of all this is: you may also require a matching mast and/or boom. A 100% carbon mast can also be close to $1000 , as can a 100% carbon boom. Used sails, masts and booms are MUCH less. Once again, people want the new stuff. Just remember, monofilm does wear out - it needs to be clear and hopefully free of crinkles/creases.Thus far, my used sails have all been under $300 and my new one under $500. AND they all work just fine :-)

In my other "posts" I try to rate the products that I currently have. I rate the BIC Dufour and the AHD FF 160 from my perspective and my experience as an average joe windsurfer. As yet, I have NOT done the same thing for the sails. So, let me try to do that now ...

Originally my first modern sail was supposed to be a Sailworks Retro 8.5 with appropriate mast et al. Bruce Peterson of Sailworks discovered the leech concept and the Retro had been around for quite some time. The problem was and still is today, these sails are quite expensive. I believe in supporting the local shop and thus i did NOT do any on-line shopping - other than checking the SW website. There are other shops in town and they have Aerotech, Gaastra, MauiSails and Niel Pryde. It turns out the MauiSail was the best return for the buck and the mast was going to come out as a really great deal as well. There was also the fact that The Team with the infamous Barry Spanier had their stamp on this sail. Both Retro and MS Pursuit are non-cambered 8.5s with similiar luffs/height and widths/boom. Both require a 490 cm mast with an IMCS of 29 {see mast "post" for more discussion on masts}. Usually I try not to let just cost influence my choice, but as an amateur, I could NOT see any significant difference for an average joe in these two(2) sails and setup. So, the purchase was made of a 2006 MauiSails Pursuit 8.5 with a 490/29 90% carbon Autima mast and an aluminum boom.

Now, that was a LOT of pre-amble and yet no discussion on rating. This is still my favourite sail and not just because it is my first sail. One thing I discovered, it takes a lot less downhaul than the SW Retro. My w/s buddy has SW Retros and is a bigger fellow. When he downhauls his Retro, he looks like he is struggling. Barry Spanier confirmed on the MS forum that the Pursuit and MS sails in general do NOT require as much downhaul force to get to correct setting. Phil McGain of MS is able to rig MS sails with NO additional tools. I tried that, but then again i am not an Iron Man like Phil {he did the iron man routine in 2010 i believe it was}. The sail size is ideal for me in lighter winds 15 to 20 knots about ie 20 to 40 kph winds. The sail has a lot of range and although these "modern" sails were NOT made to keep the leech tight, when I keep the leech tight, it still works well. I use this sail with tight leech on my BIC Dufour Wing and it goes really well. This means this sail has a HUGE range. One can adjust downhaul and outhaul !! Did my first planing with this sail and it convinced me to go out and buy a MauiSails race sail TR-4 10.0 for those really light winds. Will discuss that sail next. One thing i commented to Barry about was, the logos came off quickly - no big deal. Was also surprised that after four(4) years, Barry called my sail old. I feel it still has a ton of life left !!! If I had to do it again, I would definitely purchase this sail again, but i do really like cambered sails as well. One thing i would change is - i would purchase the appropriate MS mast rather than the better deal on the more carbon mast. I will NEVER purchase Autima again. I tried to contact them for info on their mast via e-mail and phone and forums and got nothing. All i wanted to know was some numbers on their mast. MS masts are considered hard top, while SW and others are constant curve. This works with MS, butt is NOT ideal. One day i will get to try an MS 490 mast on the 8.5. I tried the 520 MS 100% mast on my 8.5, butt it was pretty tight ie might work in high wind, but less range... Oh yeah, I did ask Barry Spanier on the MS forum why there was one less batten on the MS Pursuit than say the SW Retro. Barry asked me why i would put one more ? OK ... On another spot on the same forum KP and Barry discuss how more battens keep the shape better !!! I am NOT one to argue with Barry nor with the performance of this sail. Josh Angulo when he was with MS for a short while seemed to like the MS booms and the Pursuits ...
UPDATE: just read that the Autima mast is considered hard top (no numbers) and as such that is why it seems to work so well with this MS sail that is hard top rated. So, will NOT be purchasing an MS 490 mast to replace the Autima for a numer of reasons. Masts cost too much, the current mast is doing the job and when i replace the 8.5 i may consider either cambered or Sailworks Retro, but that brand is expensive for me. If all I have to worry about is that windsurfing is cost and yet have all that stuff in the garage, maybe i should just start being thankful and stop my whining. When i was young , people said be thankful that you are healthy - what did they know? Now i have friends and family dying around the age of forty(40), which i consider quite young compared to my age and the age of my mother , who is still living. Moral: live in the now. No Fear, No Loathing and only controlled folly. PEACE of MIND - and that is where windsurfing helps me - when i am on the water - all the bad stuff is forgotten - and no nonsense of whining about costs and not enuff stuff :-)

Okay, what about my other MauiSails sail ? I also have an MauiSails TR-4 10.0 sail. I call it a 10-oh because it is just so oh oh BIG :-) The TR sails go up in number since the first year of introduction. This year in 2011 they have the TR-7's with a clew cutout for the first time. That makes the TR-4 a 2008 MS sail. I purchased it in 2009 - used obviously, but it was like never used !!! Before we get into my personal sense of the sail, let us investigate the why-fors. I purchased this sail because I wanted to get out sooner and faster. AHD suggested I not go larger than 10.0 with my current AHD FF 160. I tried an MS-2 11.0 with the board and liked the combo, but NOT the sail. Thus I limited my search to the TR 10.0. This is a race sail and as such requires the proper mast and ideally a carbon boom. I got really lucky. The sail was sold with the appropriate MS 520 mast at 100% carbon and the boom I purchased separately was an HPL which turns out to be a carbon boom!! I probably have the only TR sail in Montreal because our local MS vendor does NOT carry them and has NO experience rigging them.

Okay, let us get to the rating - assuming the setup has the appropriate mast and carbon boom. This sail is a race sail and I am only wanting it for light wind flying. It does fly !! Also, I used it on 40 % of my windsurf outings in 2010 !! Another 40 % were on the MS Pursuit 8.5. Thus light wind is the main element on the menu here in Montreal. The sail has cams and can be rigged with cams attached before boom or after putting the boom on. In any case, it is NOT difficult to rig for a race, cammed sail. For the "de-rigging" it is important to note a couple of elements - remove the boom, manually release the bottom cam AFTER slightly loosening downhaul and then SUDDENLY release all downhaul , in essence popping the cams off. Ok, that's enuff about rigging , what about the sail ? First of all, it is HEAVY. This means it is difficult to uphaul. I considered an EZ-uphaul, butt they are like sixty bucks $%^& Could make one myself or use my standard tricks which are: beach start whenever possible and if by chance i fall in or drop the sail, get it out of the water QUICK. The issue is: when the sleeve gets full of water - time to swear. Once going, the sail is just GREAT. The other issue i had that is now resolved is the popping of the cams from one side to the other. Never had this issue on my older cammed sails, but then again, they were NOT strung tight like a drum either. On the MS forum, some people seem to never have this issue and others have it when the sails are new. After about 20 riggings , loosening the batten under the boom just slightly and putting McLube on the round portion of the cam  - all is well. When there is a little bit more wind, it helps as well - again, around the boom, the sail is rigged tight. These sails have a ton of range and are made to allow touching the boom ie protective lining there. Would I buy an MS TR again - YOU BET. Probably used or off e-bay though. People are raving about the TR-7s already and they are just out.

I am actually considering that IF i ever replace the 8.5, i would replace it with a TR 8.4. For the 7.5 I would use a Pursuit or Switch and in the 6.x I would just get a Switch - maybe RDM ?? My issue is $$$ -- I cannot afford this stuff new and the sail ranges all require a different mast. Tried to get a 460/100 off e-bay just this week and was outbid in 10 minutes. Must be all that automatic bidding, Guess I will just have to wait until i have some more funds. Find it difficult to purchase a mast and then wait to get the sail. Same if i get a sail and need to wait for the mast :-( My sails under 8.5 are older sails that work for now and are used about 20 % of my windsurf outings. I do not go out in 30+ knot winds. My skills or experience is just not there YET. So, my next newer sail would be in the 7.x arena. Fortunately or unfortunately a SW Retro 7.5 AND 7.0 would fit on my current Autima 490. Have seen these on used market for about $400, which is cheaper than mast + sail in the MS arena... So, for now I MUST STOP THE SHOP. IF i see i need a sail in 7.x, i just hope i can get MS with the mast. Otherwise it will be a combo purchase or SW Retro...

I also have two(2) older sails that I will rate briefly.  I have a 1998 Gaastra Flow 3X 7.0. As the name implies, it has three(3) cams. They are rigged by sliding the mast through them rather than applying pressure and popping them on later. This can be tricky at times. The mast cannot have a marine lubricant like McLube or the cams keep sliding off. Also found it helped to make the bottom batten bend the opposite direction of the other battens while rigging. The batten tensioners are still straps, but these ones still work fine. The reason I bought this sail and like this sail is: it rigs on my current 490 mast. That means it is a taller sail with less boom. The newer Matrix and Pilot seem to have these characteristics as well. For what I use it for, this is a great sail and well worth the $80 I paid. I hope to replace this sail with a 7.5 like a SW Retro or even a Gaastra Pilot/Matrix which all fit on a 490. The issue with Sailworks is the cost. It has to be a used sail. The Gaastra and MauiSails are a little less expensive. The MS sails in the 7.x range do not fit on a 490 and do not have an open head. I realize this is all about performance and perfection. Eventually I will get a 460 mast, but they are so damned expensive. I cannot even seem to outbid people on e-bay $%^&*(

I also have a 1994 Simmer WorldCup Race 6.0. This sail was purchased in order to have a small sail for winter sailboarding on ice. It rigs on my old epoxy 450 cm mast and the batten tension straps slip. It does what it was meant to do and on really windy days when i am overwhelmed on my 7-oh, i put this sail on and try stuff. It serves its purpose and will eventually be replaced. This older sail also has three(3) cams and i never remember having any issues rigging or cam rotating issues when going from one side to the other.

Here's another wind chart that came out of discussions from the Starboard forum:

"http://img1.fotoalbum.virgilio.it/v/www1-1/649/64903/105409/velaperfetta-vi.jpg"

One thing I find VERY interesting is they suggest 6.5 down from 8.5. I
go down to 7-oh from there. Also , if i extrapolate, it looks like i should use a

7.5 in winds of 16 to 20 knots with my 97 kilos. I tend to start with an 8.5 in 

those winds.  

-------------------------

there is also the question of how to get your rig and board to the water.
personally donut believe in carrying it on one's head.
here Tinho , the master instructor, gives us some good hints !!
http://www.calema.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=140

Quote of a quote from Windsurfing Mag April 2010 - Frederic Suares 

"An optimist hopes for wind.

  A pessimist complains about the wind

  A realist adjusts the outhaul."

I am surprised that i did not seem to write anything here about building a sail quiver.
People suggest choosing a starting point and then percentage wise up and down from there. 
For example:You are starting and a sail you choose is 7.0. This sail is not too hard to uphaul and gives decent performance in mid to light winds. Since you like light winds, you decide to get a larger sail. Obviously , if you purchase an 7.5, it would be too close with too much overlap. How about 8.0 ? This is better, butt in today's sails one can go with larger ranges. This means one could easily go from 7.0 to 8.5 or perhaps even 9.0. For this discussion, let us say 8.5. This sail is 8.5/7.0 = 1.2 times larger. So, if we were to go to a giant sail, then we might consider 8.5 * 1.2 = 10.2 or 10-oh rounded down. Now there is already a three(3) sail quiver from 10-oh, 8.5 down to 7-oh which covers light wind to mid winds.Now, going down, 5.9*1.2 = 7.0 and thus a 7-oh sail would be the same spacing. 
If we continue this logic we go down 6.0, 5.0, 4.2 and 3.4. Now we are getting around the "atomic" zone.


This would give 3.4, 4.2, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.5, 10.0. 
A total of seven(7) sails to cover ALL conditions - requiring about 5 masts and 4 booms $%^&*()
TOO much for an average Joe like me !!!
My quiver was built around my 8.5 since I am a heavyweight, had some experience windsurfing on longboards and live in a light wind area. My good sails are still only 8.0 and up. My sails and skills still struggle with mid winds 7-oh and down.
If you are lighter and/or in a better wind area your most used sails will be further down the scale.
You may start with a 7.5 since this is a VERY popular and useful size in terms of ideal sail for some boards.
Then the full quiver might look something like this:
3.0, 3.6, 4.3, 5.2, 6.2, 7.5, 9, 11.0
The 3.0 is really small and the 11.0 is really large.
3.6, 4.3, 5.2, 6.2, 7.5, 9.0 looks better and for my area and me => 5.2, 6.2, 7.5 and 9-oh and i would be covered for the majority of the conditions locally. 
Personally I started with MauiSails and am happy with those sails. I may try Severne since they too are hard top and will work on my masts. If you do not stick to one brand, you might consider sticking to brands with similiar mast types. Some people build their quiver on the same manufacturer and sail model !!
I have been lucky to find some used sails in excellent shape for not too much money. Some of these are BETA sails from the manufacturer, butt these sails are great sails for an average Joe like me and save me $$$
My current quiver:

Maui Sails TR-4 10-oh with 4 cams - thinking of selling it
Maui Sails MS-2 8-oh with 2 cams - used on longboard too - MOST used sail
Gaastra Flow 3X 7-oh with 4 cams
Simmer WCR 6.0 with 3 cams - mainly used for ice windsurfing 

When I replace the 7-oh and down, there will be NO cams. The 7-oh works well, rigs on a 490 cm hard top mast  and so , it will be some time in the future ...

The board quiver is:

Fanatic CAT 210 liter longboard - use MS-2 8-oh - want to try 10-oh and 7-oh
AHD FF 160 liter shortboard - use 8-oh and 7-oh
Fanatic BEE LTD 124 - used 8.5 here once or twice - need more practice

Lots o luck and feel free to ask me any question - if i do not have the answer, I will find it on the many forums and/or blogs that i frequent daily !!!