So ka43 what sails do you have, how are they spaced and is it perfect? Geometric spacing is a great concept yet it seems brands can't agree what that spacing should be? If it was the answer shouldn't all brands have landed on the perfect spacing and all brands be producing the same size.
Geometric spacing is just more bs introduced into this sport to make money and the sport as a whole wonders why more people aren't attracted yet they continue to make it more complex. But hey anything to make the sail makers life easier so that his wonderful 5.8 is scaled to a perfect 8.3.
How much of this is psychological given that alot of the arguments are about a piece of cloth the size of a teatowel... and you can tell the difference? As greenleader said there is alot of variation on exact sizing. Minimum there is 0.1m variation on most brands so with the example earier 4, 4.2, 4.5 wouldn't you be a bit pissed if you've spent $800 on a new sail and the difference is? I also see it all the time same as greenie why last year we laid my 8.8 over a different brands 8.3 and f*ck me there was no difference. Makes sense then to order a 5.3 and a 5.8 knowing they could be as little as 0.2m difference between your two sails (which you've also forked out the $ for differences in masts) and that difference hidden in luff and boom lengths.
To further quantify the argument of geometric spacing lets take a look at the history of windsurfing sails (race sails only as I actually admit wavesails should have a bit closer spacing say 0.4 but hey it's not a perfect world). So early 90's- the most popular era for racesails ever... sails are spaced at 0.5m. It then changed to suit racing requirements with two ranges being bought depending on where you wanted your sail biased biased with sails from 5.5-6.8 having a twin. Sail ranges combined, then sails developed alot more range. 0.5 spacings kicked around for a while until geometric spacing became the norm. Odd then that just when sails developed more range that the spacings between sizes became smaller.
In 1994 I would have said to you there is a huge difference in range between my 5.5 and my 6.5 Neilpryde MkIII's. In 2008 I say my 5.8 and 7m can probably be spaced a little further apart if I wanted but I know that if I want the best performance between two sails without them being so close that i am d*cking around between choosing sizes then 1m spacing is still the way to go.
This is actually all trivial to me, the thread came from discussions i've had with other sailors who obviously have nfi what they are talking about either and that in ordering my sails in the past I've always tried to aim for that 1m spacing apart from wavesails where I go that bit closer together. Most have already posted that they have more sails than I do, even with being extravagant in having a sail for speed. Oddly having reduced the number of sails I need to just 3 my tow hasn't decreased.
Seems the only wankers are those that pass judgement on others without ever having sailed, met or talked to them. I'm not a professional windsurfer or a sailmaker so I guess this thread shouldn't exist ay and that goes for 99% of threads. God forbid that anyone would question the state of the world, everyone should obviously stick to knowing their trade as it's what they do. Anyway i'm off to contribute to the sport and take a poll at the beach to see how exact people put their fins in fin boxes
I don't know why since having studied hydrodynamics I suspect a more useful question should be is it wise to fill the gap around the fin
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