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Improving older race sail camber rotation-hacks?

 
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grantcantsail



Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:27 pm    Post subject: Improving older race sail camber rotation-hacks? Reply with quote

I finally got around to messing with an older 6.3 Rushwind GSR sail I bought that I never liked the rotation on. Anyway, I found some of non-roller inducers never fit the mast that well and sanding them a bit to fit the mast helped quite a bit. I messed with downhaul, outhaul and batten tension a lot & I think its pretty good now but I'm left with 2 questions:

1) Would replacing the 2 lower inducers (still the hardest to pop) with roller inducers make much of a difference?

2) Would going to 2 softer battens (they are beefy tapered tubes) be a better solution?

Wondering if anyone else has been down this path.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're definitely not kidding about working with an older sail. Nevertheless, your rotation problem could be related to the bend curve of the mast, or its stiffness. If the mast is out of sync with the requirements of the sail, there's not much that can be done to alleviate the problem.

The mast issue aside, I would recommend contacting Bruce Peterson at Sailworks. If I remember correctly, he was one of the principal designers of Rushwind sails in the late 80s and very early 90s. Given the fact that his loft in Hood River is a full service sail repair facility, he will have an array of different battens, and possibly cambers, to best match up to your sail.
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PeconicPuffin



Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 1830

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back a few months ago when you posted about planing through the carve of a jibe but failing to plane out, that wasn't on this particular sail (or another cambered wing with cam rotation problems) was it?

BTW "grantcantsail" is a brilliant handle!

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Michael
http://www.peconicpuffin.com
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Those old Rushwinds post '89 are some of the best recreational camber sails around, even compared to current stuff.
I still use my early '90's Rushwind 5.7 3 cam, and it matches up to any modern sail in speed, handling, and ease of rotation.
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grantcantsail



Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Different sail but all my sails have cambers which is stupid I know. I plan to get a decent handling light sail eventually but in meantime I'm rocking a 8 batten race sail that is kind of hard to water start and heavy.

New mast isn't happening (I fully support the notion that the answer to all windsurfing problems is more gear though-particularly if its bought somewhat at random). I think it fits the sail pretty well in terms of stiffness -its just the diameters were a bit off so that's fixed.

Just wondering is anyone has deliberately messed with their cams and battens to re-tune/de-tune a sail a bit.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While you might not want to spend any money right now, I still think that Bruce Peterson might be able to offer some helpful information. It's definitely worth a phone call.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

grantcantsail wrote:
Just wondering is anyone has deliberately messed with their cams and battens to re-tune/de-tune a sail a bit.

Yes. My 6.2 one year handled like a brick wall compared to its smaller quiver mates. It had power, but just wouldn't turn and throw abruptly when desired. Puzzled, I took a closer look and found the problem: the damn thing had a CAM in it!. Smile

I yanked that optional piece of crap out of there, threw it in the trash, and got my sail's groove back.

I submit that's the cure for that 8-batten brick wall of yours, too, unless maybe you're trying to win international racing pot of gold (and never fall). Of the many hundreds of sails I've tested, let alone owned, no one stands out in my memory -- and not in a good way -- more than the 1996 Gaastra F-1* 7-batten horror story. It was for pro racers only, IMO, and only if they never dropped it.

* Ironically enough, the giant rocket engine that put man on the moon was called the F-1. That's about what Gaastra's version felt like.

And tweaking batten tension has helped many a sail that wouldn't rotate, or held an S shape.
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grantcantsail



Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Ill call Bruce and see what he says. FWIW I have contemplated taking the cams out and was going to try it but ran out of time. It has a huge sleeve so not sure its a great idea.
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