Gusty/Up and Down

[andymc4610]

[FreakDrew]

The magic sail for gusty conditions is the HotSailsMaui Super Freak.

Put aside your pre-conceptions of what a sail should be made of and try one out. Switching to Freaks was the best thing I've ever done in my 34 years of windsurfing. The combination of modern dacron and kevlar is particularly effective in handling gusty weather.

http://www.hotsailsmaui.com/sail.php?uid=1

(not a team rider or anything, just a very happy customer!)

Drew

[zirtaeb]

The reason a Hot SF works is that by using that sail, you have given up all possibilities to remain planing or to go fast, so what do you have left? Anything is better than nothing.

Last Sat., at Berkeley, 2-29, on the inside. I was slogging along and watched a sailor in front of me waterstart from the opposite side. When we passed going in opposite directions, the gust came in and slammed him into the water, while I went my merry way. Later on, he was backwinding his sail, standing on the same side I was.

[FreakDrew]

Zirtaeb - I'll assume that you know what you're talking about and are joking... if not...

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/HOT-SAILS-MAUI-SUPERFREAK/

and that's from 2005. The Freaks have improved eons since then.

Drew

[LeeD]

Shall I grace your reply with one of my own?
Your 1% vs the majority 99%?
Well, it's your windsurfing, your fun, and your choice.

[FreakDrew]

What can I say... I guess I'm just not a follower

Drew

[scargo]

The only thing I'd add to this thread is that when you're over-downhauling a big sail to cope with strong gusts, be careful not to use too much outhaul. I think it ends up having the oppositive effect of not letting the leach open to dump wind. So when I rig big for up & down conditions, I downhaul past specs, but outhaul just barely past neutral.

Of course, up & down conditions can also militate in favor of a middle-sized sail and your next-bigger board. The floatier board will be easier to keep on a plane in the lulls, and because the wind is so up & down, it isn't generating nearly the chop that consistent wind would -- so when those huge gusts do hit, the big board will be fine over the flatter (relatively speaking) water.

[U2U2U2]

[jingebritsen]

i've got an old story i love to repeat that applies to this thread.

29 - 49 mph winds at the hatchery. dale cook and i are on our respective kits, 4.2 sail matched to the right kind of sail. he on a go fast, 80 liter rocket ship board, me on an onshore 95 liter exocet. he had the hucker and i had the aerotech 4.2 air x sail. we were both happy and planing around. carrying on in our usual way.

some folks had 60 liter boards and 2.7 sails. they were sinking in the lulls and slamming in the gusts. then there was the former fearless leader of the mag. he had the hucker 4.2 matched with an 88 liter side off specialist board for "light winds" in places like hookipa. he was as miserable as the folks on tiny gear. his problem was reverse.

he had a board that topped out early and sai that was ready to keep up with dale and me.

i did not have the 4.2 especially flat with tons of tension, and would agree that too much outhaul takes all the shape out of a sail. i like 2-3 cm of positive out haul tension, no more. just as importantly, the mast may not allow a extreme amount of down haul either. if the bottom battens start to S, you've got too much....

[cgoudie1]

Rick would be proud

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTZwhO-ggcw

;*)

-Craig