I do a lot of this stuff in my work life, though it'd be interesting to run a test case in this forum and see what people can learn from it. It's a personal challenge really, to those who can put their mind to it.

The challenge... look at an idea (even if it's hair-brained )and see what you can build on it. Try to hold back your initial judgement as to why it "won't work" and focus on what you like about it and how it could be done better. There is no better way to shut down creativity than to reply with a "No, because...." or a "Yes, but....." response. Set yourself to reply with a "Yes, and....." type comment that adds to the creativity. If you do see a big issue with the idea, you can come back with a "Yes...but...and..." trio. This gives you a chance to highlight what you don't like about the idea, but compels you to provide an improvement that would fix the problem.

The idea is to be playful, nothing is too crazy. Remember, reserve the temptation to criticise, as that will likely be read as a reflection of your own biases, rather than anyone's ideas. Have fun!!!!

Here's the Idea :-




Instead of a weight vest that adds weight "all the time", how about a vest that adds more "righting moment" when you need it. The harder you pull on the harness, the farther the weight extends away from your body. It gives you the upside of a weight jacket without the downside of excess weight on the board in the water.

choco said..
Are you guys still in lock down?

Worse... no wind!!!!

Your not stoned around a camp fire right now are you ?

Imax1 said..
Your not stoned around a camp fire right now are you ?

Who does that these days?
Most of the crew here is 70+ n havin a Bonox with an arvo nap.

I'd like a fin that gets smaller the faster you go.

duzzi said..

kato said..
I'd like a fin that gets smaller the faster you go.

I'd like a board that adjusts its shape, width that is, the windier it gets!

Yes please

choco said..
Are you guys still in lock down?

Yes, and..

sailquik said..
I think I would extend the weight out from an attachment in the harness area to reduce strain on the back, abs, trunk But that may reduce the leverage effect..... Hmmm...?

I'd second Sailquik's idea AND ..
Rather than using a scissor mechanism, I'd mount the weight on the top of a rod. The rod would be ~40-50 cm in length (the distance from your harness shell to your shoulder-blades). The bottom of the rod would be attached to your harness's hard shell with a spring mechanism designed to pivot the rod-weight away from your back when it is released.

The mechanism to release it could be a simple rope. One end is tied to the top of the rod, near the weight. The rope runs over a shoulder where the other end is held under tension in a cleat. The cleat would be secured in place on your chest by mounting it on a PFD or a second rope to your harness hook.

When you see a gust about to power up your sail, you would release the rope from the cleat, allowing the rod to pivot away from your back. When you no longer need the righting moment (gust fades, you run out of water or you change course), you pull in and re-cleat the rope.

The drawback is the need to take a hand off the boom to release/re-cleat, so you need to adapt your hand technique..
The benefit is the pivot mechanism allows you to carry less weight than you might have with a weight vest.

JCBoston said..

sailquik said..
I think I would extend the weight out from an attachment in the harness area to reduce strain on the back, abs, trunk But that may reduce the leverage effect..... Hmmm...?

I'd second Sailquik's idea AND ..
Rather than using a scissor mechanism, I'd mount the weight on the top of a rod. The rod would be ~40-50 cm in length (the distance from your harness shell to your shoulder-blades). The bottom of the rod would be attached to your harness's hard shell with a spring mechanism designed to pivot the rod-weight away from your back when it is released.

The mechanism to release it could be a simple rope. One end is tied to the top of the rod, near the weight. The rope runs over a shoulder where the other end is held under tension in a cleat. The cleat would be secured in place on your chest by mounting it on a PFD or a second rope to your harness hook.

When you see a gust about to power up your sail, you would release the rope from the cleat, allowing the rod to pivot away from your back. When you no longer need the righting moment (gust fades, you run out of water or you change course), you pull in and re-cleat the rope.

The drawback is the need to take a hand off the boom to release/re-cleat, so you need to adapt your hand technique..
The benefit is the pivot mechanism allows you to carry less weight than you might have with a weight vest.

I like your thinking. The core idea is that your trying to get the most "bang for buck" from a lighter weight than a 10kg weight vest. Pivoting out from the waist makes a lot of sense from a fatigue perspective AND .. rather than having to manually adjust the weight into position, I'm wondering what other action occurs anyway, when you get powered up, that could be tapped into to drive the weight outwards and conversely, bring it in quickly when you fall out of a gust. Could it be 1. Straightening your front arm ? 2. Straightening your front leg ? What else ??

sboardcrazy said..
I'd like a board and sail that automatically morphed into the right size for the conditions.

Why not reverse it and have your body Morf into bigger when the gusts hit. Oh wait.........that been happening to me for a few years, but it only seems to go one way.