27 posts
i sail dinghies and have recently taken up windsurfing. i cant get my mast to bend any where near the luff curve of the sail. so the leach tends to hook and i cant get it to twist off. i have gotten two of the same sails that are np slalom world cups that are about 15 years old but still quite new as the guy who gave them to me had his board stolen years ago.
i was wondering if there is anyway i can get my fiberglass mast to be softer (bend more) so it will match the sails better.
WA
12886 posts
A 15 year old sail is totally different to a modern sail, it wasn't designed to be loose leech, twist off, or suport enough downhaul to do it. If you try to get aloose leech with downhaul you'l probably damage the sail.
Saying that thou, how many pulleys are you using???
If you've just got one or 2 loops going thru a single eylet, you won't get enough downhaul even for an old sail like that.
With 3 loops it shouldn't be a problem.
The sail was probably meant to have shape over it's whole length and not be flat at the top.
But a combination of outhaul and downhaul should give you a 1/2 useable sail, even if it is a NP and 15 years old.
I guess you have the camber inducers with it?? they are meant to help hold it in shape.
Rigs have improved out of site since that sail was made. You'd be much better off with at least a late 90's version and a carbon mast.
27 posts
no cams i heard them described as like a slalom/wave sails(4.6 and 5.8). i have annother one with cams also from np (6.6).im using 6 to one and pulling with harness on tail. mast doesn't bend enough i recon if you look at the sail before and after (mast and cunningham/downhall).
27 posts
has anyone had any success recutting older sails? these really are quite new but old time wise. whats the main differences in sail shape between old and new sails?
WA
12886 posts
are you using a combination of downhaul and outhaul?
A 6:1 pulley should be heaps for sails that age.
Wave/Slalom of that vintage sometimes had removable cams.
What material are they made from, if they're dacron a 6:1 pulley could wreck them!
If they're monofilm, they may not be as old as you think, and can probably handle as much as the 6:1 will give it, and the fiberglass mast may be the problem, they may need carbon to set properly.
Yes I've tried reshaping sails but it was a disaster!
The main difference is the loose leech, and flater head, allowing the head to twist off, giving them much better gust response and top end.
Newer sails are also flater all over than older sails, probably because bigger sails are being used and flater gives less drag.
If you know what you're doing you could maybe recut the luff to introduce twist, but I don't think you'll find anybody here who would attempt it.
Am I wrong????
QLD
2174 posts
A 15 year old sail would probably disintegrate if you tried to re-shape it!
A lot of the windsurf shops, and this forum, has second-hand gear - you should at least try to get something from 2000 onwards - you may even find some kind person who would give away their old gear just to see someone use it...
1979 posts
You would probably get some modern second hand gear for less than it would cost to get someone to recut the sails for you.
WA
29 posts
Yeah I started out with old sails - the biggest difference I saw was that the newer sails are a hell of a lot more malleable (not sure if this is the right word, you know what I mean though) and so can handle a bigger wind range = more time out on the water. For me the equation is easy, time on the water is priceless!!!
