I've just about done all the un-picking and Cutting I need do. Given the way the Sail was made and if,as I suspect, the Pocket is sewn back as is and the Cams are used I will finish up with a 4 to 2.5sqm Sail with a 25%+ Double surface. If it works as I think it will and as it did for Hang Gliders then I have a bunch more Lift in the vertical (Damn! The correct term eludes me as ever). Which should in turn beget me a bunch of extra speed?? That is the theory anyway. Like I said it worked for Hang Gliders. I am sure it's aesthetics will be great as well. Has the Double Surface thing been tried before that anyone knows of?

Ron

how do you plan to get the cammed battens to flatten out once you are going fast?

Goddamn! Gizmo use your imagination! The other Verticle, the wing is standing in the vertical. I usualy refer to it as Virtual Wind but that isn't the correct term.
I can imagine why it was a bugger to turn. The Jib would be pulling against an upwind turn though I would have thought it would have turned downwind easily.


The Luff Pocket at the base will be close to 400mm tapering to around 100mm at the Head. Like I say the improvement to Hang Gliders allowed the wing to get narrower. When I last flew the Spyder if I remember correctly it was somewhere in the Vicinity of 30" and a weight ratio of just shy of 1lb to the sq foot. Yes it was a big unit designed to carry around 12Stone.



Ron

Or are you meaning horizontal Ron?

Now you've got your brain thinking large mast pockets, why not take it a bit further and doing a double skin sail?
And take it then a bit further again what about a "padded" sail, to create a soft wing.
BUT this probably be taking it into the grey area of the mini rules in regard to "no wing"

Class5 also limits the mast pocket size;
S3. The internal circumference of the mast pocket must not exceed 240 MM (i.e. 120 MM long when laid flat).

OK! So the new sail came home yesterday and I mucked about cutting battens and setting it up. I am disappointed in the way the cams have affected the sail shape. I think our style of sailing is to use the mast to best advantage with a given condition, whereas the Wind Surfers have to have their sail set at a given and that is where they remain regardless of winds. However when I released the Cams the sail was an altogether Puppy Yeah Ok! It looked Sweet. I won't know exactly how it performs in high winds but in this afternoons 15-20kts it showed to be powerful in gusts and seemed to have more Torquing moment on the Rear Wheels under power. Whilst out on the Strip I took particular notice to the Sail Head and it do look good so when I can get a photographer to operate my camera I will also post pic's of the Sail in action. Tomorrow I have to make a couple of fine adjustments and then I will upload a couple of pics.

Ron

Final triming done and Cams removed and it doesn't look a lot different to the Paper Cut Out of what I'd envisioned.




Trials today didn't do as well as I would have liked but the conditions, gusty 15 - 20Kts would have been more suited to the bigger sail. 20kts + are more it's thing.
Ron

Points noted Nebbian,
I will Tighten those battens next time I have it rigged but the Down-haul tends to right itself under Fully Sheeted In. There is a tad of slack in the Head as well but it seems to correct itself as well under pressure. The Sail seems to have a greater Torque Moment on the Rear End, particularly noticeable on wet Tarmac but hopefully that should drop off at higher speeds as it seemed to show up under gusts. We shall see and I will keep this Post open for updates.

Well there is an upside to the AUS S02 go to

www.aromadictionary.com/articles/sulfurdioxide_article.html [}:)]

Ron