are newer sails especially the full cambered race sails getting more extreme downhaul
i have just one np rs:r 7.2 and i have broken 2 masts over 3wks. time...could be that my masts are kinda old, broke again 2ft. below the mast mase, but are these sails or any other brand really have more curve
Hi,
I recently bought a second hand NP RS6 7.2 and I have found downhauling it to the correct setting is an extreme sport.
I'm using an older NP 460 carbon race mast which probably has a similar curve to the current masts. The masts need a lot of bend in them to rig the sail right. I still am not sure if I have ever given the sail enough downhaul, I may have to buy a new mastbase. From what I have been told the sail's leach should be fairly loose from the top down to just above the boom, sort of going in a diagonal line from the top to the boom.
guys thanks for the responses, but on this particular sail the panel where the half logo of np just below the 3rd leech indicator is just a tad floppy and what i saw during the races they had theirs even floppier to point it was a bit loose close to the clew..i asked about mine and that's 'supposed to be just perfect, they were just over doing it since they had bigger sails in stronger winds...it's costing me a fortune but maybe time is telling me to get rid of older masts
paulie, you really mean bamboo as in a living plant cuz there are lots but imcs is probably down to 10
moby what they told you was right and i just think my masts are just old one is a x7 and the other a gaastra 6000rs or qt am not sure the paints gone..i'd like to believe that too notwal but as far as i remember i have 2other masts in storage i don't know why that has breakage in that part of the mast haay yay yay! damn this sport you ache but you just have to love it..
i guess what i meant by 'ache' is $$$ when it comes to mast breakages[}:)]
To make your downhaul experiences easier, I would replace my downhaul rope before anything else.
Go and treat yourself to 1.5m of "Formuline" (same rope that comes standard with the new NP extensions). Its a relatively thin rope (at 3.8mm I think) but it will increase your downhauling potential by at least 80%. I could never downhaul race sails by hand until I used this rope... A few of the windsurfing shops (WindsurfNSnow in Sydney for example) have it in stock by the metre.
On top of that, try this technique for downhauling. I don't like to recommend cranks because I've seen too many masts break and cams crushed with them...This method is easy and all you need is your harness:
carbonsugar.com/technique/save-your-back-rig-it-right/
hi sean i was just looking at that site carbon sugar last nite anyways they do sell dyneema and spectra here but a bit expensive however what i think i have is just the former in old condition but still can hold...i was checking np's rig tuning guide on video and if you check the floppy part micah has his from basically the clew up to the top and that's a lot of downhaul even the floppiness goes way in the middle of the monofilm
i hope i could do the same which i did but unfortunately destroyed the masts..as a top race friend told me here "don't worry bout downhauling, enjoy the 'sail'" and now am thinkin' yeah right how could i enjoy now when i have to wait for a mast
, but haven't tried on cammed sail
, but haven't tried on cammed sail
