kytesmurf said..Thatspec said..There was a thread a while back where a sailmaker here on the board proved that the sailcloth is not the problem, it's the dacron / frame stretching and allowing the draft to shift rearward.
That all said though the result is the sailcloth gets baggy regardless of how it happens.
I did have a V1 3.5 Strike that appeared to be sewn incorrectly and one side was baggy and flapped a lot. I gave it to a sailmaker who put about an 8" cut perpendicular to the TE and "took it in" a bit, taped and sewed it. No Idea how much but maybe it wasn't enough. The TE still flutters and flaps on that side
There are some interesting perspectives in that thread, though unfortunately SeaBreeze says it's too old to resurrect for a response, so I thought I'd share an alternative take here: what if, instead of tightening the sailcloth, you support the frame, possibly with some lightweight battens along the trailing edge of the sailcloth (i.e. perpendicular to how most wings are battened), pressing outward between the centre strut and wing tips?
This way, if the issue is indeed with the frame structure being pulled in (as opposed to the sailcloth bagging) over time, you support the frame and keep the sailcloth taut.
Of course, if the issue is instead with the sailcloth stretching, then the transverse battens will exacerbate the issue, but at least it's one way to find out the true cause.
So the question then is: how would adding a batten along the trailing edge affect wing performance?
You're fundamentally correct. Frames stretch out with lighter dacron frames, from the original thread wings have developed a lot. So much so that between v2 - v4 wings I've noticed that fundamental longevity has increased.
My v2 strikes were clapped out at 8 months of use, my v4's perform as if 1 month old, with the same. Brands have learnt a lot over the years. Tapered strength and different weight cloth has been the key here.
We've mucked about with battens in canopy, in frame and so forth. This works and adds performance for blasting, but wave riding and freestyle it's a bit ****.
If you replaced the frame with something spectacular, or just in the T-junction with Tyra-ply/ 3Di raw I'd argue you've the best wing available. Problem is, we've still got 5-10 generations of wings before north/ someone else will release this - lots of money to be made in the meantime.
Anyway - add battens or do whatever you can to add longevity it's all fun and games to learn!
