Experimentation with Softer Battens

[sav1]

Has anyone experimented with using softer battens in the uppermost or top two sleeves? It would seem that a less rigid battens would allow greater sail twist and therefore a better range when a sail becomes overpowered. I would imagine there would be a limited range of a sail modified in this manner and the sail would be slower to respond to load changes.

[bred2shred]

Sail twist is controlled by leech tension which is really a factor of mast stiffness and downhaul load - softer mast = more twist, more downhaul tension = more twist. I don't think batten stiffness is going to have an impact on twist or sail shape in the very top of the sail. The sail shape from the top one or two battens upwards is basically flat on most windsurfing sails anyway, so I really don't see it making a noticeable difference.

I would leave the battens as the sail maker designed them and focus on other ways of improving sail range like proper tuning and sailing technique.

sm

[adywind]

+1 to bred2shred.
For more upper wind range the shapers add more battens and/or cambers. Top slalom sails made to withstand extremely overpowered conditions have 8 battens and 4 cambers at least.
By puting soft battens yoll do the opposite-it will flap like a flag;become twitchy and probably get damaged up there at some point.

[konajoe]

Almost all modern sails have absolutely 0 draft up that high when rigged per manufacturer recommendations. There's no lift being generated up there. It's a drag reduction feature.

On the other hand, if you are dealing with an older sail that comes to a point up at the mast, then yes, folks have used softer battens up there for that purpose. Those older sails had draft the whole way to the tip, like a sailboat sail.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

A bit off the point, but...

In pre loose leech days some of us mere mortals were into seeing if we could sail in severe gales. I experimented by altering an old 3.7 sail, fo ruse with my custom wave board, and epoxy Rotho wave mast.

The problem was how to reduce speed in out of control gales and rough seas, while still having a fair power to keep going. (Diminishing the sails speed range.) I cut a series of graded sized circles out of the top half of the sail, close to the outer edge, to create turbulence and kill the speed.

A severe cross-off gale was the crunch moment, and, amid much merriment from 'friends' (not going out today, of course) I tried it. (Couldn't chicken out after all the hyping!)

The fact was, much to my surprise, it actually worked after a fashion. The speed WAS reduced and it was like sailing at the end of a bungy cord, a kind of springy feel, as the rig gathered itself up in the severe gusts before pulling onto a more controllable plane.

Sadly, the violent slatting destroyed the sail (the holes ran into each other) but talking to the Coast Watch lookout people afterwards, who had been watching, I was told they'd recorded a burst of 63 m.p.h. during which I'd actually been up and running. I didn't mind that!!

The experiment ended for two reasons. 1) Loose leech sails had just been introduced. (I bought a 3.2 North Zeta.) 2) I didn't like extreme gales anyway! But the point is there seemed to be so much happiness in those less than perfect gear days of mass participation, and that is what seems to missing nowadays, where everything must be perfect.

Still satisfying, of course, but, give me my longboard and dinner box, and a days exploring of islands and new headlands, and that's what lghts my fire, along with a multitude of memories of past journeys.

Long may life last!

[jingebritsen]

GT

reducing speed for control is a common mistake. reducing speed increases drag and forces one to sail even more physically over powered. best thing to do is let the kit run as fast as it has to. we are speeding along so that all the forces reach near equilibrium anyway.

more controllable speeds? smaller kits in higher winds. more speed oriented designs. racer stuff comes to mind.

[boardsurfr]

[techno900]

Reducing speed / going slower means a smaller sail, or a smaller board or a smaller fin or more down/out haul or some combination of the above. Trying to slow down by sheeting out or heading up will just wear your butt out while giving up much control. Just trying to blast ahead at full speed can work for the experts, but they too will be sacrificing a lot of energy. Better for most of us to head in and rig down.

Two weeks ago, we had a warm and windy Sunday in the southern Outer Banks. I went out on a 4.5 on my new Tabou 3S 96 liter and after about a minute, I knew that if I stayed on the same sail, I would wear out much too quickly (not in tip top shape at the moment). I came in and put on my 4.0 and had a great day. Sometimes underpowered, but once planing, easy to keep going. More fun for me to spend a couple of hours on the water rather than a wild a crazy 45 minutes.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

I think you may have misunderstood John. I agree with Boardsurf about reducing speed in severe gales, and rough seas, and I was fully committed to the harness and mastfoot pressure, once I realised the sail actually worked.

As I say, it absorbed the heavy gusts before the wind flow could establish over the turbulence, and accelerating to a speed at which it definitely topped out at. (My whole aim. and within my safety zone.) The intentionally induced turbulence acted as a speed governor, while still being under normal control.

I was tickled pink by that day, and the 63mph gust, and my still 'trucking' it was the icing on the cake. It was on the basis of that test that I bought the new 3.2 North Zeta (and a 4.2 - a far better sail for normal high winds) but that 3.2 was a bitter disappointment. It was all or nothing, and had no forgiving features (unlike my crazy sail) so I more or less retreated from silly type blows.

I'm not expert enough to be semi-suicidal in the sea (Too many others drowned) and I can't breath when being blasted by gobfulls of flying spray (more like jets of solid water in crazy gales) so I leave that to others now.

But as I said, they were fun times when you rode what you brung, and compatibility was something only for the windsurfing gods. (Though the Zeta has now given way to a Pryde Combat 4.2 and fancy carbon proper matching mast, on my Cross 84.)

Where did it all, and everyone from those joyful times go to!

[cgoudie1]

They're in Hood River. And I still think you should Holiday across the pond
some day and join us, before you're too old to fly that far ;*)

-Craig