GRF's rig school

Well what do you want to know then?

Probably what I'd like to know.

Why dinghy sails are what can we say without being too rude..

So lets say they are in transition.

Now they are approaching windsurfing speeds and apparent wind vectors
are moving further forward than shall we say they once were, then
different effects can be used to control the twist, and the way the twist
progresses.

Most dinghy sails have traditionally been developed for displacement
sailing. Sails are cut full with a tight leech and controlled largely by the
use of the kicker and to a lessor degree the Cunningham. I've aso learned
that th mast can be bent using the shroud thinghies, and the GNAV
system, but to nowhere near the degree that we can get with a
windsurfing mast.

I've also noticed that sail makers and mast makers dont seem to be shall
we say acting enitrely in concert with each other. No windsurf sail maker
would undertake a new sail without having the bend curve of the mast
described well before he started. Whereas you guys seem to alternate.
And it takes ages, look at the RS100, look at Mike Lyons and his Halo
project it's taking aeons, why? because more often than not neither one
nor the other seem to know what is trying to be achieved in advance..

So, in short there's a hell of a lot of trial and error going on, and lots of
not entirely efficient rigs. imvho.

Just what can be achieved in a forum, other than comparing the basics, i
don't know, all I do know, is where the sail is developed taking windsurf
knowledge on board the rig does tend to look a whole lot better than
where it isn't and I'd site foiling moths as an area where they seem to be
making headway.

Now the bit about having the two foils, I'll give you ground there, we
don't have them. Other than where tandem rigs on the one board have
never proved more efficient than a mono, but the fact still remains, a sail
is a sail, as a foil is a foil, wether it be a boat, an airplane, a cat or a
leadmine.

They just need designing to suit the application.

So, if you're planning to hang a kite and f-off fat topped sail off a bendy
mast you had better have a pretty natty design solution.

I maintain no such solution exists as clearly illustrated elsewhere.

Edited by G.R.F.

Listen and Learn chum and you might not waste as much of your time as you
currently do...

Originally posted by blaze720 Anyone out there feel that the true spirit of the one they once called "Doug Lord" in hushed tones and behind closed doors is begining to stir  !!!!  Has the contagen spread ?

 

Most definitly.  He also had all the theories, but never seemed to be able to put it into practice!!!!!!

 

I was making that comment only very slightly with tongue in cheek.... Maybe it's now GRF Lord!!!

P.S.

If you take the flying moths example....I am 89kgs (i would suggest too heavy) and 6ft (oh well...simply too big)

So I can't sail that class.....but that doesn't make them crap, toilet or any other derogatory remark you can think of, it just means they are not for me....shame though because I like the speed.

+1