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Recommend a big sail for my big board
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windrockwater



Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:08 pm    Post subject: Recommend a big sail for my big board Reply with quote

I could use some help on a big sail. I have a 6.2 for strong wind and a 7.3 for most lighter wind days. I am on either a 11' windsup or a techno 160. I am 6'5" and 220 lbs hence the bigger boards and sail sizes than most people use. I already have a 490 north mast collecting dust and am thinking about a big honking sail to have fun with when the wind is real light. Like today when I was just a little underpowered with the 7.3 on the windsup.

I am not a fan of cambers. Any ideas? I see some 9.5 sizes and some 8.5 sizes. Not sure what would be a nice maneuverable sail type and size for my needs.

Advice appreciated.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Recommend a big sail for my big board Reply with quote

[
Yep,

My recommendation would be a 9.5 Retro, which will rig on your 490 mast
(with some extension).

I own one.

-Craig

quote="windrockwater"]I could use some help on a big sail. I have a 6.2 for strong wind and a 7.3 for most lighter wind days. I am on either a 11' windsup or a techno 160. I am 6'5" and 220 lbs hence the bigger boards and sail sizes than most people use. I already have a 490 north mast collecting dust and am thinking about a big honking sail to have fun with when the wind is real light. Like today when I was just a little underpowered with the 7.3 on the windsup.

I am not a fan of cambers. Any ideas? I see some 9.5 sizes and some 8.5 sizes. Not sure what would be a nice maneuverable sail type and size for my needs.

Advice appreciated.[/quote]
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mrgybe



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 5180

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My biggest sail is an 8.5 Sailworks Retro which I use on a 133 RRD ZRide. It has no cambers and rigs on a 490 mast. It would be advisable to check the specs of your mast to be sure it is compatible. On light wind days (which for me is around 15mph.....I'm 6'3", 202lbs) it has been a lifesaver. It's easy to rig and downhaul/ outhaul adjustments give it a big range. The combo of big sail, 490 mast and big boom means it is a little heavy and unwieldy, but with a bit of practice you can plane through jibes. Flatwater blasting on a big sail and board is a nice change and a lot of fun.
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windrockwater



Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the tips. I guess a question I have is about size. Is there a diminishing return over a certain size? Both of the specs for my two boards say they are good for sails up to 8.0/8.5. Is that releveant? Why would I not just get a 9.5 size since that sail size seems common and these are two big boards.

If my mast and boom can accommodate 9.5 should I get that instead? I see it this way: on super light wind days, I just want big sail area to get moving. The windsup is so stable that frankly I don't fall in much. So up hauling or water starting seems not to be a consideration. Does that make sense?

I only have experience with a 8.0 size sail which was nice. But it broke. So I want to upgrade and upsize at the same time.

Hmmmmm.
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whitevan01



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 607

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ok, I'll chime in with an alternative to the sailworks sail. How about an Ezzy Cheetah 8.5?

nice, locked in profile, lots of power, smaller and easier to handle than 9.5, no cams, will last basically forever, etc.

of course, whatever sail you choose, you will need a larger fin to get the most out of it.

I'm sure whatever you choose will give you hours of fun.
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

freespeed 9.0 worx great for lots of my Planing light wind app's.

http://www.progressivesports.com/windsurfing-sails.php

7.5 phantom for non--planing widSUP app's.

diminishing returns on non-planing with 9.0's. been there, don't like that.

7.5 phantom is light and easy to throw around for its size. esp for larger folks.

http://www.progressivesports.com/windsurfing-sails.php

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UncleRandy



Joined: 18 Sep 2009
Posts: 63

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi i would go with a 9.5 Most will fit on your 490 mast. U all ready have a
7.3 i think a 8.5 would be to close. Ezzy ,sailwork's etc. i would stay cam less
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anything past 9.5 is, in my opinion, a waste of sail cloth. Past 9.5 the drag
overcomes the planing threshold and you don't plane up any earlier.

But.............. all the boards I've ever ridden with a sail larger than the
recommended range were "unbalanced". By that I mean they were
hard to pump correctly, hard to get to plane with the sail they were
carrying, and hard to ride once planed up (the nose would dive among
other things), so I'm not a big fan of too large of a sail on too small of a
board. I suspect you could mitigate some of this with a much larger fin.

-Craig


windrockwater wrote:
Thanks for the tips. I guess a question I have is about size. Is there a diminishing return over a certain size? Both of the specs for my two boards say they are good for sails up to 8.0/8.5. Is that releveant? Why would I not just get a 9.5 size since that sail size seems common and these are two big boards.

If my mast and boom can accommodate 9.5 should I get that instead? I see it this way: on super light wind days, I just want big sail area to get moving. The windsup is so stable that frankly I don't fall in much. So up hauling or water starting seems not to be a consideration. Does that make sense?

I only have experience with a 8.0 size sail which was nice. But it broke. So I want to upgrade and upsize at the same time.

Hmmmmm.
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

techno 160 is more than likely to handle a 9.0 sail. brand managers dumb down things fro time to time.
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shreddbob



Joined: 31 Mar 1987
Posts: 361
Location: Hawaii

PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My take is:

Non planing (wind SUP): probably light/flexy 7.5 or so best light wind sail. Bigger would only be helpful if you found a mast that made a huge sail less rigid than they usually are. This mast would be less stiff than for planing conditons. Without the mast matching, a big 9.5 just adds weight and not appreciable forward speed to the equation, because these big sails are usually geared toward being very rigid and stable in planing conditions. You need the sail to be flexy/responsive in light winds. Also, the tighter the leech the better since you are not expecting to have to spill much wind out the leech in such low wind, and you have a long waterline to counteract the sail pulling from up high and on your back arm. The flexiness of the sail/mast is important so the sail takes on its best aerodynamic shape in the light winds, and also so you can feel the light puffs and react.

Planing (Techno 160): You're now wanting a somewhat more rigid sail that is stable in planing winds. The stability comes from the head twisting off appropriately for your weight and wind strength. The heavier you are, the stiffer the mast you should use. I think a few cams in sails bigger than 7.5 help with stability. As far as biggest sail for your board, the tail width is the big factor. The manufacturer takes this into account when they give the intended sail range. Sure, you may be able to go up a bit and have it work, but the board won't balance out as well as with a sail in the specified range. The wider the tail, the bigger the fin and sail the board can carry well. (In other words, you need a wide rear footstrap spread to counteract the forces of a huge fin--once you have that right then you can take advantage of the pull of a huge sail. And putting too big a fin on a narrower tailed board will just have you doing wheelies.) The photo shows the tail widths of my 100 liter Fanatic, versus my 144 liter 85 cm wide/wide-tailed AHD. The AHD is a "free formula" type board with a very wide tail. This board takes a 62 cm fin and a 9.4 Neil Pryde V-8 sail very well. Your Techno does not have this wide a tail, so you won't gain much over 8.5 in my opinion.

So maybe an 8.5 and two masts is optimum? But you probably won't want to do this unless you have another sail that uses the alternate mast already.



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