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Too much downhaul?

 
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rtz



Joined: 31 Oct 2010
Posts: 296
Location: Oklahoma City

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 8:17 pm    Post subject: Too much downhaul? Reply with quote

Can you tell from these shots? The battens sure rotate nice on the mast though.



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outcast



Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 2724

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maui Sails website has extensive video collection including this one which should help:

https://www.mauisails.com/video/53

I think you have a bit too much for most days, but if you couple that with your other post on the mast cap, that's probably a good mast cap length if you have a bit of base left over (2cm) in otherwords max downhaul

It's pretty close tho, and comes down to preference

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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some brands and models need FAR more DH than that, MANY need more, and a few need less. Check their websites or your dealer, and experiment.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out Sailworks' rigging recommendations for their Revolution sail line. By clicking on "sail tuning", they provide some excellent pictorial views and commentary for sails rigged for light, medium and high winds, regardless of the sail brand you are using.



https://www.sailworks.com/the-gear/sails/revolution.html
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking at the top mini-batten and heading towards the mast, what proportion of that distance is floppy and what proportion is taut? To me, it looks like 2/3 floppy and 1/3 taut. If you agree, then you can go to various reference sources and see what they say is the right amount it should be, as that is a common way of communicating the correct amount of floppiness for low, average, and high wind.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One thing that is important remember is that things aren't always like they seem. A properly rigged sail on the beach in no wind looks nothing like what it would look like powered up out sailing. That's fact that can be difficult for many to understand, and why what the sail designers recommend is so critical.

You might want to check out how your sail and mast look in powered-up conditions. It only takes a few seconds to look and check things out. It's almost like an actual breathing thing. Ideally, you should be in control, both in the gusts and lulls.

The thing I like about sails today is that they can be so tunable to balance well in varied conditions.
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, powered up. That's the hard part.
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VinceSF



Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 249
Location: Maui, HI

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 11:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Too much downhaul? Reply with quote

Yeah, it's probably set at max downhaul. If the sail feels gutless, it has too much.
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manuel



Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Posts: 1158

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Absolutely impossible to tell from these photos without knowing the sail, sail specs, masts, outhaul tension, and conditions.

In my Tips & Tricks section, I have a "Am I rigged right" question. There you'll find information on how a sail feels when it's properly rigged.

One issue is that it does take a little bit of time to develop the feel. That's why it's good to follow the sail specs, use the appropriate mast and get feedback from other sailors.

Posting a video will be more helpful as well as simulating the wind by holding the base and the tip of the mast down with your foot (needs two people).

In brief, too much downhaul, the sail will have too little power, will release slowly to plane, feel twitchy, on-off. It'll depower too quickly out of gusts.

The downhaul locks the sail pull vertically from top-to-bottom. The more you pull, the farther down the power goes. It needs to be enough as to bleed the extra power off the top of the sail without pulling too much from above. Outhaul is similar only horizontally side-to-side.

Some riders prefer power to come from higher than others. It depends on the type of stance and leg balance between your feet.

Generally, overpowered we use more downhaul, underpowered we use less. Strong downhaul, the sail feels light and quick. Light downhaul, feels heavy and slow.

Race sails have lots of downhaul, freestyle sails can have almost none!

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