I've recently been mucking around with the rigging my on NP search 5.4, specifically the top and bottom outhaul holes.

might be wrong here, but seem to remember that the top hole is supposed to give you a tighter leach, But I didn't really notice any appreciale difference.
(probably doesn't help that when I'm doing this I spend most of the time sailing, looking up at the sail, which usually results in me falling in)

I'd be interested in others views on the use of these.

Grumps, top hole soft breeze, bottom hole strong breeze. Bottom hole gives flatter shape according to web site and WSP Reg
Have a 5.6 search myself, and works for me, not that I am any expert at all.
Last Thursday 4-6pm ran with bottom hole at Pinneroo, needed a flat shape with the breeze running 18-20 on a 130 lt. Saves me crashing as much as I normaly do when the breeze springs up

Hope this helps.

Mineral

Leech,
if you can't be bothered why bother to post......

grumps, i always say " if its windy, stick it in your bottom hole "

just as 2cm of downhaul makes a huge difference to sail handling, so does top/bottom hole adjustment.
tune it on flat water with an open mind and a bit of time to spare. (something few of us have a lot of)
and you will be surprised how it translates to surf/open ocean control!

Because I am work I have plenty of time to ponder this question.

Logically I dont see how this can happen for a static sail (i.e. a sail rigged but no wind or rider force exerted.
Mathgeek that I am, I calculate that the largest change in rigging force from changing the clew position is 0.2Kgs. I assume 10kg outhaul tension and that the clew position changes by 17cm. These changes are deliberately large to magnify any result.

www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=2888

So if the effect is not a "static effect" then it must be a result of the way the boom is loaded up when sailing. I think it is a similar effect to raising the boomclamp height. When you raise the boom at the mast you only get a fraction of the incease in height at the harness lines (proportional to the ratio of the distance between the lines and the mast and the lines and the clew.
By raising the clew height as well as raising the clamp height you get more height increase at he harness lines, resulting in more of the riders weight being carried vertically by the boom (resulting in greater downward pressure on the mastfoot (resulting in earlier planing)) ;-)

I think this is what is going on, (but then I am better at my maths then my windsurfing).

JB

I had an NP V8 in 8.5 a couple of years back. I think it had 3 clew holes. I recall a major difference on this particular sail, lowest clew definately resulted in more twist (definately depowered and planed later). On the lowest clew, the sail felt less twitchy.

What happens if I thread my outhaul through both holes!!!! Oh the possibilities.

when i bought my KA formula sail the rigging instructions said to use the top hole in light winds. use the bottom hole in heavy winds.

the reason given was to do with leach tension and twist. lower hole = more twist.

I used to tie a long (approx. 200m) piece of string to the spare hole and the other end to a tree or post on the beach. Kept me from going out to far.

quote:

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Originally posted by mr bagus

Leech,
if you can't be bothered why bother to post......

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Any opportunity to voice my opinion of NP.

Used them for a while but after reading the article about the NP sweatshops in China I'm not spending another cent on NP equipment.

quote:

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Originally posted by stamp

from www.cielearn.org/journal_2005/2005nf_sweating.htm

"Sweatshop workers are paid much too little to afford normal housing, so many factories provide their own dormitories. Neil Pryde, a company that makes and sells yacht sails and sporting equipment, has a plant in Shenzen, China. Workers are offered dorms for the equivalent of $20 a month. Each room houses 10 workers in five bunks. There are 18 rooms per floor leaving one bathroom for every 180 workers. This makes for long lines after work gets out, sometimes leading to fights. This is not surprising, as the workers are only allowed a maximum of two bathroom breaks during their eleven-hour shifts. (Kahn, 2003)"

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