Newsgroups: rec.windsurfing

Dan Driscoll seeking clarification:

(Kirk Lindstrom) writes:
>>>I like the good race sails as they seem to have a good, wide range ...
(Janusz Mrozek) writes:
>>So I'm confused.  I thought that race sails have a narrower, not a wider,
>>wind range than intermediate sails, and that's why one needs more of them. 
>>Am I just wrong?
(Tom Albertz) writes:
>I'm afraid you are wrong.  Race sails handle a wider wind range than
>rec sails.  They hold their shape better; don't deform in the gusts,
>etc.

}"Race sails handle a wider range than rec sails"?
}
}Okay, I'm getting confused. I thought the latest design in sails was the
}flat pre-twisted leech which is supposed to spill excess wind in gusts.
}Are these these the designs referred to as "intermediate"?
}Do the pure "race" sails have more rigid shape up top, which prevents escape
}of wind during gusts?
}If so, then how do they end up being faster? I thought it was recently 
}discovered that lots of shape up high resulted in more wind friction which 
}caused a low top end in regards to speed.
}
There is a several page interview in "Gorge Performance Review" (or some
such mag with a name close to that which I got in the mail this week) with
Bruce Peterson of Sailworks.  He answers many of these questions fairly well.
In a few words, most of the R&D money goes into Race sail development.  For
that reason, Sailworks (SW) only has 3 lines of sails (race, wave and CAM 1
(+1)).  This way, BP feels that SW can service their customers better instead
of having a huge selection of sails (such as the 3 biggies) where most of
the nonrace and nonwave sails are more marketing than anything else.  
Anyway, my experience with the newer race sails says that when fully powered
and a gust hits, I accelerate PERIOD.  My modified '89 Rushwinds (GS LEs which
were race sails in '89) handle much like the "intermediate" sails of today
in that they handle gusts well, but don't have the tremendous acceleration
that my SWs have.  BP went on to say that the 4.6 SW Race was DESIGNED to
be sailed from 20 to 40 knots.  The way the sails handle gusts are different
for every size (at least for SWs) but they generally open up at the top
to "exhaust the wind" while moving the CE a bit forward and lower which
accounts for the added control (this was new to me and explained alot).  I
believe my modified RWs just keep the draft in the same location (more or 
less) and exhaust the wind like the newer sails.  BP goes on to say that he
designs each sail around a certain mast and uses different battens for
every sail to get the desired shape and gust handling characteristics (one
reason I've never liked North Sails since they seem difficult to select
the correct mast though once the right mast combination is found they work
quite well).

Well, that was more than a few words.  Check your local shop for the mag.
if you want more info.

}Please excuse these questions if they seem naive. I'm trying to understand my
}
Great questions, this is what this forum is for!

}So if this shapely race design is more powerful, how can they handle a wider
}range? It seems the sails that spill gusts would be more suited for a wider

Better design - more R&D money spent on them to do it right rather than
marketing money to get one to buy "intermediate sails" that you will
later want to upgrade if you get REALLY INTO windsurfing.

}range because they're easier to control, but would result in lower speed.
}
}Maybe what you actually mean is
}
}"Race sailors can handle a wider rage than rec sailors"
}
True, but I've taken the advice of buy used race sails rather than new
"intermediate sails" since I bought a new IM sail and later sold it to
get a used race sail when I discovered the difference.  Well, actually,
I buy new race sails since I sail so often it is worth the money to me.
This was 2 years ago when I was just a beginning shortboarder.  Rec
sailors will also benefit from good equipment.  One friend was
light-years ahead of me 2 yrs ago.  He said I was so fast on the
learning curve since I bought good equipment.  He is still better, but
at least we can sail and jibe in the waves together at 3rd Ave.

}-dan
}(doing more musing than sailing, unfortunately)
}----------
}