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loosing power in the sails - in very high winds and gusts
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Author:  yakman [ Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:27 pm ]
Post subject:  loosing power in the sails - in very high winds and gusts

I have found that in the strongest of winds ( 20-30's), even with a reefed sail I loose power to the sail.

I am not sure if its because I am being rocked back and forth in the rough seas that the high winds produce or if its something else

I am not sure if I am explaining it right, but basically in the strongest of winds and gust it seems that the AI gets blown out....

Maybe I have to furl more of the sail in and use even less, I probably had 35 - 40% of the sail out and still didn't seem to be preforming like it should or could have.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Author:  AlohaDan [ Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

Furl in to at least the second batten. But experiment for conditions you are experiencing. Sometimes it's just a little more furling, a little less, etc.

Don't try to point too high. She will head right into the wind with her weather helm.

Downwind you need even less sail.

Author:  Dikkop [ Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:48 am ]
Post subject: 

A sail like the one on the AI is a compromise. I windsurfed during 26 years and I have seen manufacturers trying to come up with sails that would perform well over a wide range of wind forces. But in de end the solution was to have a set of 3 or 4 sails, each one dedicated for a particular small range of wind. (3-4 and another for 5-6 and another for 7 and more Beaufort). The sail on the AI is in my opinion at its best in a force 2 to maximum 4.
Ideally the battens should be stiffer and more horizontally oriented but that would make reefing impossible.

Also, as the sail gets smaller when reefing, the effect of the wind on the hull, the amas and akas, the remaining part of the mast and the sailer gets more and more important. (Windsurfers use smaller boards in strong winds).

The sail on the AI is a compromise which is the case for all sails that can be reefed. but a good compromise I think because of the limited "elbowroom" one has on the AI. (Changing the sail while on the water is not an option I guess :)

Gilbert

Author:  yakman [ Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:32 am ]
Post subject:  good info

thanks for the info

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