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gaastra Windsurf Sail
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pw2000



Joined: 28 Jan 2022
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:52 am    Post subject: gaastra Windsurf Sail Reply with quote

I am a beginner and I bought a second hand Gaastra windsurf sail second hand 5m.

At the top of the mast there is a stopper with a little bit of rope. I think this is to hold the sail to the Mast.

There is also a hole in the sail to attach the stopper in some way.

How do I attach the stopper to the top of the Mast and attach it to the rig?

Is there something I can buy to do this? or a special knott?

I set my rig up from scratch each time.

All help and advise appreciated.



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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

2 rope gets tied to that metal o grommet of sail.
Mast goes into opening of the webbing.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Slide the sail onto the mast until the mast tip protrudes.
Slip the cap over the tip of the mast.
Tie the cap's dangling cordage to the grommet.
Go to the other end and downhaul the sail. (How much downhaul is a whole 'nuther thread.)
Outhaul the sail (also in those other threads.)

If all that leaves the bottom of the sail way too high off the pulley (the closer the better), undo everything and lower the top of the sail by lengthening the dangling cordage by re-tying it.

If your cordage knot puts the sail so far down that the pulley gets in the way of proper downhaul and outhaul, undo everything and raise the top of the sail by shortening the cordage (not by cutting it; just by re-tying it.)

Mike \m/

Repeat this tedious process until you're able to tune the downhaul and outhaul properly* and the bottom of the luff sleeve is pretty close to the pulley. Then NEVER UNTIE THAT FRIGGING CAP CORDAGE KNOT AGAIN, or you'll be back to square 1.

I was a Boy Scout knot-tying local champ, but I still researched knots to find one that will NOT slip in this application. You do NOT want that to happen.

* Use the forum's SEARCH function (or just Google) to determine correct outhaul and downhaul instructions. As a beginner, you MUST NOT just use your own judgement, as it Will. Be. Wrong. and will guarantee disappointing performance.

This next tip is not a casual suggestion. It is a direct order: Take professional windsurfing lessons from a trained instructor. They will prevent literally YEARS of frustration and keep you from giving up the sport unnecessarily.

If you absolutely have no access to professional lessons, travel to them. If even that is impossible, find some online lessons. This sport is not amenable to learning by the seat of one's pants, which is one of many reasons it's so damned addictive.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"This next tip is not a casual suggestion. It is a direct order: Take professional windsurfing lessons from a trained instructor. They will prevent literally YEARS of frustration and keep you from giving up the sport unnecessarily.

If you absolutely have no access to professional lessons, travel to them. If even that is impossible, find some online lessons. This sport is not amenable to learning by the seat of one's pants, which is one of many reasons it's so damned addictive."


Contrary to the above comments, you can teach yourself to windsurf. I did it without too much of a problem, and that was during the days of narrow boards and tie-on booms. In fact, I learned to sail out, turn around (tack of sorts), and sail back to my starting location repeatedly on my first day. Admittedly, it was a demanding 2 1/2 hour process where I fell in probably 50 times, but I figured it out all by myself.

The only prerequisite to a good learning experience is making sure you have a board and rig that is suitable for learning. I learned on a narrow longboard, but these days relatively short boards that are wide and floaty enough are quite suitable. With regards to the sail, you should be OK with a 5.0, but ideally a 4.0 makes your first day or two a bit easier.

When I learned in 1985 there was no internet, so I didn't have You Tube videos to help me through the learning process. Fortunately, there are tons of videos today that will help you with every aspect of learning, including the details of how to rig everything.

For sail rigging, I would suggest checking out Sailwork's website using the following link and click on "sail tuning".

https://www.sailworks.com/the-gear/sails/revolution.html

A little more depth can be found here.

https://www.sailworks.com/revolution-rigging

In closing, taking lessons can help some folks immensely. However, they can be costly and often tough to find in your area. Taking a vacation and taking lessons elsewhere is markedly more expensive, especially if you have to take your family along. In my time, I've seen many folks spend tons of time and money on lessons and never overcome being a beginner. The key to success is dedication and unwavering commitment. Believe me, with that kind of focused energy, you can and will overcome all obstacles.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lessons.
Some people need them.
Some don't.
But everyone needs lots of time on the water.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm self-taught, too, but not for lack of trying to find useful lessons. They weren't available in the U.S. or the one foreign country I traveled to for WSing, and the internet didn't exist. Looking back over those 43 years, I'd have gladly paid $1,000 just for good lessons and the frustration they could have avoided.

Come to think of it, I TRIED that ... three world-class WSing destinations, three highly recommended schools/instructors ... three wasted (as far as lessons go) 4-figure experiences because anybody could claim to be an instructor back then. Instructors, schools, and the internet have changed all that now.

I've actually SEEN one guy learn to plane through jibes, for example, in one season. He became a world-class pro. I've had two more claim, without proof, that they were often planing through jibes in just days ... in one try, in one case. At the other end of the bell curve, I've known scores of aggressive WSers who couldn't count on a planing jibe for their first decade, even in places with year-round WSing seasons. You lie somewhere in that range IF you have ready and frequent access to wind and water any day of the week.

How about it, PW, do ya feel lucky?



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pw2000



Joined: 28 Jan 2022
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Isobar :

I did a rya beginners course 10 years ago at a small lake in the UK 2 mins from my workplace. I have sailed about 20 hours in 10 years and still I am a beginner.

I can get up wind and tak. I did a jibe on the beginners course to pass but I cannot do them any more . I have not yet hooked into the harness which I want to do.

I am hoping to improve this year and go more often.

I have planned once by fluke and I loved it.

Do I think you can learn by yourself?

I am not that good so I might not be the best person to ask .

Yes I do. If you have can watch YouTube videos and you have your own equipment and place to practice and time .

Probably quicker to do a course though.
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm with the rest of the "boys" I started in 1981 and I am still going. No lessons. I was a high school and college gymnast. So good strength and balance. We all learned this with out lessons. For me it was not easy and I thought about quitting a bunch of times. So glad I didn't. This sport has taking me cool places and I made lots of friends. All that said, go some where warm and shallow and get lessons. If you don't know what your doing wrong, how can you fix it. It all starts with ringing your gear. And the right size sail for the wind conditions. Get that wrong and you will fail. Lessons can teach you off the water skills like rigging and all the on the water skills you will need to get you having fun. Why reinvent the wheel. I wish i could have had lessons way back then. But it was like the blind leading the blind so to speak...
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pw2000



Joined: 28 Jan 2022
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Novann

I am trying to rig my sail and I bought second hand gear which might turn out to be a mistake.

It's a Gaastra sail and is 5m. It says on the Gaastra sail bag and sail that I will need a 455 to 465 mast. The mast I have is 465 which came with it so once I attach the stopper I will downhaul all the way to the end of the mast.

Is that all I have to do or is it more complex?

And then put the boom on and follow the settings on that.

Do you think it will work?
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How old is the sail? A 5.0 on a 460ish mast must be very high aspect design, which puts it to be quite old (early 90s or older). Usually a 5.0 rigs on a 400 mast. If it is as old as I think, newer rigging requirements really don't apply, like a looser leech on the upper 1/3 of the sail. Also, older designs definitely aren't as tunable as more modern sail designs.
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