# of battens, really 3

damel · Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 247

I can't say much about the performance of sails with 4 or 3 battens because I have never tried one. They will obviously be lighter but I find it funny that the profiles of the sails look more like old sails from the early 80s. I always thought that we took twisting the leach too far and we are now finding somewhere in the middle but is the 3 batten sail in this movie digressing too far back in time. I will admit the sail seems to perform well in the hands of the talented sailor in the video. I am glad there are manufacturers and sailors that test the extremes so that average sailors like myself can benefit from their R&D.
http://vimeo.com/33857652

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Leech twist and high batten count are intended largely to extend a sail's stability and control in its upper wind range, which this sailor isn't pushing.

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

i would try one ...

maybe this sailor isn't pushing stability, but looks like he's having fun

yes, kinda old school, but with modern fabric and carbon kit, it seems to work....

light is right

Number-nine · Joined: 09 Aug 1989 Posts: 496 Location: cape cod

I want to go to cornwall and try one

paulf. · Joined: 21 Mar 1996 Posts: 435

Odd geometry gives an entirely different looking duck jibe. looked stable under apparent wind on the wave face. interesting.

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

5-oceans makes a decent 4 batten wave sail - 3 batten must be the latest experiment AND it got your attention Smile

http://www.5-oceans.com/4_batten.html

This sail was conceived, designed, built, tested and refined for wavesailing. We paid particular attention to its rotation axis, wanting it to be quick in the hands, we did this by making it higher aspect, which allows the sail to be sheeted in, sheeted out or oversheeted very easily, perfect for tight turns on the face.We also concentrated on the spanwise camber distribution and its dynamic interaction with the twist profile. The sail can be set up moderately full at the second batten under minimal downhaul and sailed full power but with control. We have achieved this through a complex layout of thread orientation in the panels- put simply the sail actively changes shape through designed "give". Of course you can also set the sail up with more normal levels of downhaul, which pre-loads the spring effect of the structural fibres to a greater degree. Its built to last from high end fabrics NOT cheap x-plys. The State-of-the-Art

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

Hell, I would go to Cornwall, and wave sail with 7 battens.!!!!!

....I was there once without kit, but the settup is surreal

Wind-NC.com · Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:47 am Post subject:

Yuppers- Light is right!! In any case, semi-soft wave sails have been around for decades, and this sail doesn't look too far off the beaten path. Looks great for wave schlogging! (if you notice- there isn't a single clip of him planing out)

PS- If you haven't tried any of the short luff Four Batten sails out there, come by and demo the Gaastra IQ. Light is Right!! Full power, too. Enough to where I usually rig at least one size smaller than everyone else out there. It's like cheating Very Happy

And unlike the 3 batten sail in the video, the 4 batten sails DO have enough stability to sail overpowered, jump, blast back and forth, etc...

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

Although I haven't done much wave sailing, and correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like most wave sailors are on the smallest possible sail for the given conditions. Just enough power to get out through the surf and catch a wave. A sail that is small and light and easy to handle is the goal.

Since being overpowered is usually not the case, the old style sail with few battens and without twist makes some sense. Because sea breezes tend to be somewhat consistent compared to inland venues, a sail with a broad wind range isn't needed.

Of course, these are generalizations and there are always exceptions, but this is my take on the "new" sail.

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

agree and disagree techno...

Biggest sail for any condition, not the smallest.....but the wave itself generates apparent wind....

You want push to help you on any move, otherwise you are just surfing, but you don't want to be blown out the back.

Horsing a bigger sail around gets a little touchy....so biggest sail for the conditions, but usually like a meter smaller than you would take for the same wind in flat water...more in onshore....