Secrets of Sail Tuning, skin tension - Wojtek Brzozowski Windsurfing

[@stefanogiusti5423]

Wow! What a tip! Thanx a lot!

[@schobihh2703]

you are crazy. I like it 🙂

[@borges4662]

This is very interesting. The sailworks hucker sails use this idea, a lot of tension for high end stability, and more shape and a tightish leach up top for power, to cover a huge wind range. When i tried a race sail after the hucker, i was left wondering what the point of carrying around so much loose flapping sailcloth was.

[@elliottaylor8344]

Why dont the factory just make it that way if its better

[@AlainNLDB]

I really like your last advice: keep the sails that you really like, new models are not always necessarily better. As windsurfers we tend to always look out for new gear, but if your current gear works well for you, just enjoy it.

[@slogo8879]

I assume that you measure the different amount of stretching/cutting for each batten beforehand, having rigged the standard sail and downhauled it, ...maybe you could show the measuring process.

[@lasersailor184]

Very interesting. How much are you spending per sail getting the sailmaker to modify it?

[@firstnamelastname2669]

So the big question is 'Do other pros modify their sail cut too'? Or indeed do they choose 'a good one'? Would show if this is personal preference or widespread. I've always found the aerodynamics of lose leech hard to square with other windsport development. OTH many of us will have experienced that 'pull without lift' from tight leeches - but perhaps that is the indeed lack of skin tension. It is undeniable that many/most sails have some ugly creases when static.

[@thomasgroneberg8172]

Hallo Woitek, do you use the recommend mast? RDM or SDM?

[@pochron1105]

Wojtek, how mast-specific is this? If you cut your sail like this and your mast breaks, will the sail work fine with another one of the same model or another one within the spec?

[@surfkos]

Does the adjustable outhaul system helps for the stability/speed of the sail? I never used it cause i am bored

[@firstnamelastname2669]

Try rigging your setup with a tighter and looser outhaul. If there are situations in which each are preferable to you then a adjustable is worthwhile for your setup. What I also love now is that with a Lisa twist lock pulley rigging is faster than with a standard outhaul.

[@hossor123]

If you use a bit less downhaul, would not that give the same effect?

[@krautsurfer8181]

So basically you reduce the amount of loose leech in the sail by quite a bit. A normal sailor would just decrease downhaul to have a tighter leech, but by doing so would reduce the skin tension of the whole sail as well. And reducing the overall skin tension makes the sail less stable in gusts. How do your sails behave in heavy gusts? Obviously the mast still flexes leeward and lets the leech open to let off excessive power. Does it feel a bit more top heavy after the recut? Interesting nonetheless!

[@EDFjetRC]

Watch again the second half of the video. I explain all that. The stability of the recut sail in the gusts is greater than the stock sail. My profesional windsurfer career is the best prove of it. :)

[@krautsurfer8181]

@@EDFjetRC thx Wojtek 👍

[@krautsurfer8181]

@@EDFjetRC another question, how do you determine the amount of sail area that needs to be removed at each batten?

[@loskiff]

Hi Wojtek, how can your sail be less overpowered if the leech is less loose? How can the sail manage to let the wind escape when the gust hits?

[@fonsvandenhove]

To me it seems that the sail still opens up sufficiently, but without the flappy leech.

[@namaxamedia4521]

If flapping, loose was a good idea the plane wings would have one... Wouldn't they? The most important part is undisturbed wind flow! Mast will band enough.

[@PabloBergara-dy8mu]

So you are giving the sail almost an old school profile, like a neilpride from the 90s? I always felt something was wrong when watching races of modern super big and floppy sails not only not going faster than in the 90s but also losing confort and gybe speed.. (I must be wrong, but it feels counter intuitive to progress towards something bigger for similar results) (Yes, I´m an old dude XD)

[@EDFjetRC]

The ols Neilprydes in 90s (I was NeilPryde rider for 15 years) were to flat in the profile so the skin tension was not sufficient. Present sails have way more profile that can be used to create skin tension and sail stability. Only there is a myth that looose leach is better while in reality nothing loose is better. We create a lot of skin tension spoiling it all up by too loose leach.

[@PabloBergara-dy8mu]

@@EDFjetRC Thanks a lot!

[@sandromatias4699]

So, i like a lot your videos, but this time i have to disagree....you are changing the caractheristics of the sail, severne is always very Open in the low and Middle leech, more than others, thats what makes a superb sail....so in theory every sailbrand is opening too much the leech? They dont test them?

[@sandromatias4699]

When a gust hits you if you close the leech it Will bend the mast sideways , and that is more ineficient than Disturbed sail panels...

[@sandromatias4699]

For me you Change a slalom sail to a foil sail...thats only my opinion

[@firstnamelastname2669]

@@sandromatias4699 That was my thought too. However Wojtek has said previously that the fin sail needs a lower aspect. Not sure how skin tension would vary.

[@jeroen-surf]

Ahh I always thought that there was something funny going on with the leech innyour sails when I watched your video’s! It’s very interesting…but no drawbacks? You don’t mention any drawbacks. Also, the sail designers of the big brands such as severne, duotone, neil pryde are no fools and don’t ignore such gains for no reason. So why are they not doing this? There must be a good reason, as like i said they’re not stupid and they know what they’re doing. That being said, thanks for sharing this, sharing one of your secrets!

[@xbeat4940]

8 years continuous Use of new Severn Sail The old R8 works better for me than the Mach 5 The newest slalom sails are not always the best. I can understand your theory. Please dismantle the old sail and explain it to me. I'd like to modify mine.

[@paulsp2k]

This doesn't make sense to me. If it were a good solution then the sail makers would be doing it already. I suspect what you are actually doing is tuning your sails to work really well in a narrower wind range. Having an open leech improves a sail in low winds as it prevents stall, and in high winds helps depower in gusts. The only time you would want a tighter leech is in moderate winds for the sail size. For me then, this solution will mean I have to buy more sails as each sail is now only suitable for a more narrow wind range. For racers, who I understood tend to sail in the overpowered zone of each sail, surely s loose leech helps them to control the gust that otherwise would totally destroy their speed on these recut sails.

[@sandromatias4699]

Agree

[@pochron1105]

It does make sense because sails are made in bulk and no manufacturer has the time to put them on the mast to make sure that they are perfect. Okay the sail science improves over the time, but material and labour cheapening does not stop either. I've seen cases of people literally buying Severne with dedicated mast and having the rig look pretty poor rigged at recommended settings. Wojtek mentioned that the usable wind range is actually better. Given all his world cup winds and his sailing that I saw, I'll just listen and take notes...

[@rcggijzen]

Hope Ben Severne is watching this, he can learn a thing or two ;) Quite bizar, a Severne-sponsored professional rider with 20 years of sail-development experience re-cuts the sails from his sponsor, more or less 'by default' after receiving the latest models, to fix what is wrong with them. I would say you are sailing for the wrong brand! If a wrinkle in a panel half way is noticeable in performance, how bad is an uphaul cord ? I would expect disturbances near the leading edge are even worse? I noticed you don;t have an uphaul cord mounted. Not a coincidence?