Hadron H2

Originally posted by SimonW99 . On the Hadron it appears to have an adjustable forestay, allowing the rig to depower like a supernova. In which case it would carry its sail size across a wider range than on a static rig without having to let the head bend off continuously.

Originally posted by jeffers the D-Zero mast is incredible to watch in gusty conditions, it does a lot of the work for you as it bends off as the gust hits and then comes back as the boat accelerates and the pressure comes off the rig. Great work by all those windsurfer designers down the years constructing a system that only very lately became understood by a not quite as retarded dinghy sailor than the norm.

ftfy

It was what was so appealing when I first saw Dans rig on the Punk, you would have thought RS with their boardsailing experience might have achieved it earlier, but not so, only that rig and to a lessor degree the rig on the D1, which presumably because it has to be stiff enough to support a kite doesn't seem to have quite the magic of the Zero rig.

But they do also de power if you rake them, well de power in that the foil becomes less efficient and the c of e comes aft. Thats the joy of a race board, the rig doesn't move back, the foot goes forward so the c of e remains in balance with the c of r, and we then get a bonus of end plate effect.

I'd love to design a dinghy to work the same way, I reckon it could be perfect.

Edited by iGRF - 16 Feb 16 at 3:59pm

Originally posted by iGRF Originally posted by jeffers the D-Zero mast is incredible to watch in gusty conditions, it does a lot of the work for you as it bends off as the gust hits and then comes back as the boat accelerates and the pressure comes off the rig. Great work by all those windsurfer designers down the years constructing a system that only very lately became understood by a not quite as retarded dinghy sailor than the norm. ftfy It was what was so appealing when I first saw Dans rig on the Punk, you would have thought RS with their boardsailing experience might have achieved it earlier, but not so, only that rig and to a lessor degree the rig on the D1, which presumably because it has to be stiff enough to support a kite doesn't seem to have quite the magic of the Zero rig. But they do also de power if you rake them, well de power in that the foil becomes less efficient and the c of e comes aft. Thats the joy of a race board, the rig doesn't move back, the foot goes forward so the c of e remains in balance with the c of r, and we then get a bonus of end plate effect. I'd love to design a dinghy to work the same way, I reckon it could be perfect.

Well neither the Aero or the Zero are exactly "FAT" heads, not in the way that H2 is. My first Alto sail, that is on it's last legs but I've repaired time and again because it works exactly the way Keith describes, as soon as the winds up it twists off a treat and it can be repowered once I learned exactly how important the kicker was, but to give an example of how effective it was, we broke our kicker five minutes after the start of the Round Sheppey but still got round the 35 miles in a force five to six, and that was thanks to a fat head sail.

Now the aero and zero fall more into the category we used to refer to as 'power'head, i.e the head is supported by a top batten but the twist comes more from luff curve induction when downhaul is applied and when mast bend sideways occurs it actually tightens the sail up. I've not studied the Aero rig, can't say it was my favorite feature of that particular craft, it went when you pulled on the rope bit, and went with a bang, quite a surge of acceleration as I recall, but I never really got to sail it overpowered so can't really comment, I just didn't like it because it was cloth and cloth stopped being an efficient sail material years ago in my mind.

Fat heads also give you the ability to put the area up top in more wind in sheltered lakes, but they also allow a shorter boom less likely to dig in on a rock and roller that that boat clearly is judging by the video of the first gybe.

But it's got stays so running by the lee ain't easily going to be on the cards, unless of course that adjustable forestay lets you run slack shrouds, like you have to on the Solution, not ideal but let off some kicker and that big old head could twist off enough to be effective. I'd have to try it and see, I'd love to have a go in one, one day, to see wether you could work the magic. I had a blinder the other week coming from third past the two boats in front one of which was a good guy in a Solution, doing that running by the lee magic, I love learning this stuff.

Edited by iGRF - 16 Feb 16 at 5:26pm

I can explain it in laymans terms, as it is very prevalent on raceboards and you can actually feel the power drop in your hands so to speak as you are holding the boom when you rake the rig back, with the foot pedal, fully sheeted in and in your harness on the fly.

I figured that as things are in the optimal sailing position, with the aerofoil set to develop power from the combination of the actual wind and the created wind, so initially the power from the created part of the apparent wind is depowered by the change of angle, this is more prevalent in boards as we're going a bit faster than the average dinghy, so having depowered we then have to foot off a bit close the slot and build up more created wind.

So on a dinghy, dropping the rig back must have the same effect, but since they don't go so fast, the created element of the wind never really gets as established so the power doesn't come on and have the heeling effect, that and the natural tendency of the rig raking back must be similar to boards in that it must produce a windward effect, So you have the twofold effect of the foil not being so efficient in its presented angle to created wind and the lessor effect of heeling the boat so not having the thing blown over replaces the inefficiency of the rig laying over sideways, with a more vertical rig driving properly from the true wind.

Well that's my theory anyway.

Edited by iGRF - 21 Feb 16 at 8:17pm