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vtm81
Joined: 03 Aug 2009 Posts: 50
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject: Low aspect sails feedback |
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Anyone tested the Low aspect ratio sails?
Naish has the Chopper
Maui Sail has the Mutant
HSM has the Quad
Any positive/negative feedback? Thoughts?
I am a lightweight rider
Thanks |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hemlines on skirts go up and down.
Feel is different, like hemlines. Low aspect needs stable battens and seam shaping to some extent, and the gustiness and holiness of the wind is felt along the harness lines and booms.
Taller, hi aspect sails are usually more stable, need less tech to be stable, but can raise and lower your body in gusts and holes.
Which is better? Like hemlines, you decide what to buy.
NP racing sails have been super low aspect for 4 years.
Needs of a rec sailor can be different than needs for a racer. |
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U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001 Posts: 5467 Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
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jingebritsen
Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:21 am Post subject: |
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we've done them before. they were taller then, and not very good in larger sizes. maui and other trade wind spots allow for very specific designs that may work elsewhere. quite often that is not the case. i've got doubts about this latest bling coming from the promotional machine that shows guys doing fantastic stuff in really windy and nearly perfect conditions.
storm winds here in florida are very rarely steady. sure wish i could enjoy stronger, steadier winds more consistently. steve and i are discussing trying a few proto's like this, but i'm not chomping at the bit to see them come around again. doubt it will even happen until we start working on 2014 stuff. _________________ www.aerotechsails.com
www.exocet-original.com
www.iwindsurf.com
http://www.epicgearusa.com/ |
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U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001 Posts: 5467 Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
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vtm81
Joined: 03 Aug 2009 Posts: 50
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:48 am Post subject: |
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Is four batten sails and low aspect sail fall into the same framework or is it two different concepts?
NP Fly and Ezzy Elite 4 batten sails seem to be higher in aspect ratio. |
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U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001 Posts: 5467 Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
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U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001 Posts: 5467 Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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the Ezzy review is in Windsport fall 2012 pg 31
I would say the Elite is not a low aspect sail, he says he went with a slightly taller aspect ratio _________________ K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
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DanWeiss
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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It seems that some confusion exists about 4-batten sails. Way back when, most wave sails were 4-batten to be as soft as possible off the top. They were very on/off and well suited for the rocker lines and widths of the earlier wave boards which tended to be turned more off the back foot.
As many wave contests began to be held in side-on locations, upwind stability became important as well as more understanding that simply getting upwind more quickly can get you to the wave before your competitors. 5-batten sails became the norm.
I believe that the incorporation of new-school freestyle pushed the development of the Naish Boxer as a functional wave sail. The very short mast lengths allowed easier rotation. I think these sails show the most dramatic development across the brands as most can make them both maneuverable, powerful and fairly stable -at least enough to get upwind.
The other extreme side of 4-batten sails resides in the recreational arena. They are usually excellent sails in design and much, much lighter than a similarly-sized wave sail. They cost less and will last as long unless used heavily.
From the limited testing of the new 4-batten sails the one common feel seems to be that they favor an upright sailing stance common to new freestyle and wave boards. I suspect that this is due almost entirely by the very soft masts rather than the designs in particular but doesn't make for a sail that you can really jam in a straight line. At least not as well as a more traditional onshore wave sail. _________________ Support Your Sport. Join US Windsurfing!
www.USWindsurfing.org |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20936
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Generally speaking, high aspect sails favor top end speed, big-gust stability, and quicker handling (think turbo-charged sports cars), while low aspect ratio favors power out of the holes/lulls (think big-V8 musclecars). There is no definitive "best", only "preferred". For many years I used and loved my deep-drafted, low-aspect-ratio Hurricanes because my chosen sailing style produces many holes/lulls in the apparent wind, and I wanted immediate power to resume or keep planing the instant I scrubbed off speed by maneuvering hard and often. The sacrifice was instability in really huge gusts (I wasn't concerned about every last bit of top speed).
The last Hurricane was made in Y2K, so I had to move on. My next chosen brand offered more aspect ratio options, so I gave that tradeoff a lot of thought and experimentation both initially and every time I changed quivers. I pretty quickly decided, and still feel, that I prefer to get my power out of the holes, whether self-induced via maneuvering or Mother Nature-decreed, from more square meters + higher aspect ratios than from longer booms (lower aspect ratios). The higher aspect ratio (plus newer design and materials technologies) now provides the big gust stability and top speed, while the extra square meters provide the musclecar power off the line. Best of both worlds, IN MY OPINION, and only with sails designed to handle the extra power without letting the draft (the center of effort) drift.
Of course, newer designs and materials have greatly lessened the drawbacks of lower aspect ratios, so all the above may be moot. If that's the case, this old idea may still have plenty of life left but may not be a valid reason, by itself, to buy new sails.
Mike \m/ |
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