Best 8.0 sail for planing in marginal winds.

[gvogelsang]

[U2U2U2]

mis-read the fit into the Mini , it doesn't fit 'easily'

8.5 to 6.5, may work better than 6.5 to 8.5

[GURGLETROUSERS]

As U2 says, matching up different makers sails and masts can be a minefield.

A priceless advantage for those of us who must spend carefully (close out deals of older stock etc) is having as a friend a main dealer, who is an expert wave sailor with extensive knowledge of what can actually work on what, regardless of all the techno-crap. (And an understanding of what my limitations as a sailor are. We aren't all world champion sailors, regardless of what our ego may claim!)

Nobody, however experienced, can ever know it all, but it will be a sad day when we are coerced by the marketing techno-crap to follow the 'only way forward' (read fashion, as has often been the case in the past -too many examples to bother listing).

There is an assumption in many that every windsurfer should continually strive to attain the highest performance level possible. Have any of these people ever stopped to question WHY? When did it become a sin just to ENJOY the whole experience, at, say, a mere 7/10's effort? Aren't those who follow that path the ones who actually last the course, and remain in the sport for life?

So, my rigs may be all a little bit mis-matched, but so what! On any satisfaction scale, I'm quite well up, thank you! (And not a techno-crap sprouter!)

[jingebritsen]

again, for thousandth time, rdm's do not reflex back to a more aerodynamic wing shape as quickly as sdm's. therefore, when a gust hits, the sail becomes more like a flag, and less like a wing for a longer period of time. all flags do is create drag. wings lift.

most classic clinical proof was when a fellow tester said this about a 6.4 bump and jump sail with one tube batten during a test one year, "i don't like that sail, it's too heavy feeling." a brand was gracious enough to send us 2 identical sails. one with an rdm, the other with a race sdm. when i switched with him, and he sailed the sdm one, guess what his new impression of the sail was?

if one can not tell the difference between the 2 types of masts because of limited experience, then that's okay. but when it has been proven, over and over, that one has no experience, then one should stop arguing about it. guess why so few pro's participate on these forums? clueless folks spreading cluelessness about like a bad disease.

[adywind]

I get the point of D. Ezzy perfectly:big guy on a 80 cm wide board who wants to stay on the plane as much as possible in the lulls -solution Lion 8.5.
Ok but you have already the V8 which is more or less the same and you wanted a sail that doesn't rest on your cars dashboard and feels light in transitions. Am I missing something ?! My solution was the lighter Cheetah that depowers as soon as you sheet out and gives you a boost by sheeting in to accelerate quickly albeit with a bit less stability /and overlaps nicely with the 6.5/. My solution to stay longer on a plane is a good size freerace fin that will enhance the planing and upwind ability of your board and preventing spinn outs at the same time. But of course who the hell am I, right?

[gvogelsang]

[adywind]

I found the GOT reference a bit overly dramatic and decided to remove it, but you were too quick

[gvogelsang]

[adywind]

Not the largest .You and your board can handle 9.0 or more with big enough fin. The 8.0 Cheetah just looks like the best compromise to suit your requirements. You can't have it all.

[adywind]

Why don't you disclose your entire board and sail quiver currently so we can think of ways to streamline it ? Trying to look at the whole picture by having only bits and pieces of information and guessing the rest is too confusing and can be right out misleading. You probably have done it already somewhere in the forum, but my memory is pathetic and I realy would prefer not to dig thru old posts.