Sail Away

Today Drew Petrou of Staaf Sails answers these Ask Someone questions. Enjoy.

Q1: I am currently purchasing a new Dufour 40 with the tall rig. I am looking to purchase sails for use in the middle East principle for fast cruising and some racing. The temperature can reach 50C in the summer and the UV is generally high to very high. What sail material and cut would you suggest. Winds are generally 10-15k but can quickly rise to 40K. Seas when rough are short and steep.

A1: The sail cloth that resists UV the best is carbon fiber. It costs a bit more than other laminate sail cloth but the UV resistance properties are worth it. Dimension-Polyant has a great line of laminate sailcloth that uses carbon fiber as the primary load bearing fiber and a layer of taffeta on both sides of the fabric. This cloth is available in many different weights or denier as we look at laminate cloth, and a suitable blend for your boat is a combination of GPLX 7, GPLX 14, and GPLX 21. This cloth is very strong and well suited to rapidly changing conditions. I’ll attach a cloth brochure that will detail the cloth construction and application range.

Q2: Asymmetric sails come in a number of different cuts depending on the wind angle. Is there a cut suitable for a very wide range of wind angle?

A2: This is a great question and everyone is looking for the “all-purpose” A-sail. To answer your question: Yes we can design an all purpose sail that you will be able to sail in a broad range of wind speed and over a large range of wind angles. But in truth you will never be able to sail as high as a flat cut reaching spinnaker or code 0 and probably never be able to sail as deeply a large running kite. Sails can be optimized to perform over a large range of conditions or specialized to fill a hole in your inventory There is always a “best of both worlds” solution if you are willing to overlook the extremes.

12/21/05

Farr Follow-up

Q: I appreciated Russ Bowler's frank "VOR Perspective" piece in today's Anarchist. But while he hinted at concerns over the upcoming Southern Ocean leg, his comments beg the real question: Given the ability for designers/ sailors/ /sponsors/et al, to agree on a box rule that could provide safe, yet exciting, competitive ocean racing; and given the state of the art in grand prix racing boat design and building...Why on Earth did everyone agree on a rule that created boats that almost certainly will have catastrophic failures, very high odds of crew injury - or worse, crew being catapulted out while the boat flies along at 30-40 knots in 30-40 foot seas at night with green water continually blasting over the decks all the way back to the helm? Is is likely there is no harness capable of withstanding the shock loading of such an event, or if the harness does sustain the load it will break out whatever fitting was provided for attachment. Perhaps all crewmembers will need to be permanently harnessed to the standing rigging, allowing them to stay attached to the boat and be drowned...as there will be no way to recover them at these speeds while the boat is in effect a submarine. It certainly appears that the survivors will have had an indeed exciting ride, but hard to see where the fun, exhilaration, thrill, etc. of sailing will have been part of the experience. It is also obvious after leg one night one that the boats are likely to have structural failure, indicating bad strength/weight tradeoffs, again with the crews' lives at stake. Leg one night one was surely a warning shot, but why would Farr and the rest need this warning shot - which was fired on a night with conditions not as severe as expected conditions in the design brief for this race? I suppose I should also be asking why the crews of Movistar, with many miles of offshore experience on their boat, and the other boats have agreed to continue? I cannot understand this and would love to hear the rationale.

A: Certainly a lot of very good questions raised by your reader. It is difficult to produce an event that is both safe and exciting as he suggests. From a pure engineering perspective if the boats were built to the 12 meter Rule with scantlings according to Lloyds Rules for Ships then as an engineer my job would be relatively easy and risk free and I could sleep soundly knowing that the boat was over designed and never going to meet a wave at speed and crews were safe as long as they could keep the bilge water under control. However, there would be no interest from sailors or sponsors for such an event.

Rule evolution does not generally come from complete agreement between sailors, designers, sponsors, rule authorities et al. It usually springs from, and is controlled by, one of these sources and certainly among designers there is often a wide variety of opinions on what new rules should produce. In the case of the VOR 70 I believe everyone had a good idea of what they were developing and understood the risks and rewards.

I don't believe the VOR 70's are experiencing anything that is a higher risk than that experienced by the ocean going multihulls or the Open 60's. I'm not sure this makes it right but the point is that to keep up with the development of ocean sailing the Volvo race organizers had to move to something that would interest the sailing community. In the next 3 months we will see if the readers conjecture on the dangers is validated. From my observations, I am impressed how the crews are working hard at understanding and managing their boats and the dangers they present. Don't let leg 1 night 1 be the sole basis for your judgment. Give them another leg or two.

Regards,
Russ Bowler
Farr Yacht Design, Ltd.

12/19/05

Tanked

A boat builder question and answer this time, the answer provided by Jeff Kent of Composite Solutions Inc.

Q: I have an older Lindsay 505 hull with wood tanks and deck that are in very bad shape. Provided the weight of the boat is good and the hull is structurally sound I would like to make carbon replacements for the wood structures. I was thinking of making a mold off the tanks and decks. Is this a project that is possible by the average Joe or am I insane? Is this a reasonable technique to resurrect this boat?

A: The real question I think is how bad are the tanks gone? If the were of ply and the outer veneers are gone but the geometry is intact there may be hope to remove a few of the plies evenly. and then replace with on layer of 200gsm 2x2 twll carbon fabric and epoxy. if carefully done, this can be done without a vacuum, just bublebuster rollers and peel ply carefully applied. If any voids can be filled to make it air tight, do so, then use a vacuum bag.

The above method is probably the least invasive to the geometry of the hull. If tooling was made from the existing tanks, it could work but it would take a lot of time and materials just to get tools. Then you would have to make the tanks with carbon skins and a core of Nomex honeycomb or PVC foam. This is all much to do and I don't believe it to be worthwhile unless time and funds are unlimited. One option is to see if Mark Lindsay would be interested. He is at Boston Boatworks in East Boston MA. Hope this helps!

Regards,
Jeff Kent

12/13/05

Men of the Cloth

This sailmaking question is answered by Quantum's Larry Leonard.

Q: Now that we have laminate sales, multi directional cloth, seamless welding, carbon fiber etc., etc., what is the next evolution of sail design going to be?

A: We believe the next big step in sail development will be called “Smart Sail” Technology. This concept was developed by Quantum following extensive research in the area of upwind sails using aero-structural coupling. This study was undertaken to expand on the “simple lines of stress” model being used by most of the sail manufacturers employing custom fibered membranes. Through this research it quickly became apparent that loads within a sail are dynamic, varying endlessly, as any one of the following, wind speed, wind angle, lead position, sheet tension, or halyard tension, changes. To address these changes, Quantum locates fiber not only in the primary direction but also in the secondary and tertiary directions, creating a fiber matrix, with many crossings, eliminating the bias load, normally carried by Mylar film.

In addition, now that it is possible to predict the deformation of a membrane or sail, and fiber can be placed in any direction in any density, then logically it must then be possible to engineer a sail that deforms in a positive manner, enhancing the speed of the yacht, as opposed to past designs that became inefficient as a result of improper structure. This results in a “smart” structure that has the potential to flatten and twist as desired in higher wind ranges automatically eliminating some of the normal movement in lead position to accomplish the same effect. This has become our goal and is the next logical step in sail development.

For those of you that enjoy the science of sailmaking, you may view the research paper that inspired this development here.

12/06/05

Fabricated

Today's Ask Someone is regarding sail cloth and is answered by Moose McClintock from Dimension-Polyant Sailcloth Technology.

Q: Are there any new cloths coming out?

A: We're doing a new line based on easier construction techniques that should translate into less expensive sails for the sailor. Over the spring/summer we started developing FLX2, a crosscut laminate with a double "X" pattern for bias stability. This has been used for most of the summer with very good feedback, it's currently targeted for the weeknight and casual weekend racer who wants higher performance but knows he's not going to be able to afford the membrane style sails or the higher performing but more costly tri-radial sail. While currently being done as an Aramid style only, we'll be introducing this as a Pen style in both racing (film only) and cruising (taffeta on both sides) styles in late December.

We're also in the process of reintroducing our racing nylon style, our Formulon line, which has a unique coating process to ensure non-porosity and long term stability. We've had it out in limited production and results have been beyond expectations with a Pan Am games win, several NA and Mid Winter wins and overall exceptional feedback. Ask your sailmakers for more info on both lines.

12/02/05

Yacht Design

Here we have questions for a designer, these kindly answered by designer Rob Shaw.

Question 1:
With regard to the boats designed with huge mains, fractional jibs masthead kites, and no backstay (i.e. the new Shaw boats), how much support does the main provide when running as deep downwind as possible?

Question 2:
Will the mast stay in the boat with the main down and the kite up?

A: It really depends on what your rig configuration is. The Shaws have 30 degree raked spreaders with the caps running right to the mast head, which provides the mast head all the support it needs to run the masthead gennaker. All the main might have to offer is to lock the mast in with some pre-bend so you don't have it inverting, but with raked spreaders that shouldn't be a problem. We run the gennaker on a tight reach with the main inside out often so it's not doing much for you then. A few of the guys have run home after post race drinks at the club with just the gennaker up and had no problem. Also you will probably get a lot of lee helm, downwind the main is just providing you with some balance with all the drive coming from the gennaker.

11/28/05

Model Builder

This one answered by weather and navigation guru Bill Biewenga. Enjoy.

Q: Everyone knows about grib files, and that software like MaxSea and others integrate grib file info for display over cartography, but also for input into routing algorithms. I am interested in evaluations, recommendations, and understanding the consequences of which particular numerical models produce the grib files which I can get. Talking weather here, such as wind, pressure, waves, possibly precipitation. There are numerous numerical models producing grib files: AVN/GFS, Theyr, Navy, NOAA WavewatchIII, etc. I understand some predict over land as well as sea, some are finer grid than others (just interpolation?). Is there any systematic evaluation of which models predict best under what conditions or over what geographical areas? I sail in mainly in the western north Atlantic. A comprehensive, well organized, and detailed answer would be wonderful! Thanks. A good answer to this question would take SA to a new level in my opinion. Increase the info to BS quotient! Again, thanks.

A: I'll try my best to increase the info to B.S. quotient. GRIB stands for "GRaphics In Binary", and as you mentioned, GRIB files come in a variety of flavors from an assortment of models. From my perspective, the GFS model seems to work best on average for the sailing you're doing in the North Atlantic. None of them are perfect everywhere. Some are better in the tropics and others are better in extra-tropical areas. That's why, when I'm using computer generated models - whether they're in a GRIB format or printed out - I also try to look at weather information that has some kind of human intervention involved. That might be a weather routing company such as Commanders' Weather or it might be weather maps that I get from the Ocean Prediction Center, either by weather fax or from the Internet.

The models come in various resolutions, most often in 1 degree grids. A variety of computer generated models at various altitudes - including the surface - can be found at: http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/cmet.html. The models do, however come in higher resolutions. RAMS data as an example is available for a few selected spots. It's very high resolution and even graphically forecast a storm approaching the Olympics in Atlanta when they were being held there and indicated which parts of the city would be most severely affected.

For your purposes, however, I think the GFS models - offered for free through www.saildocs.com - will probably offer you generally provide you with what you need. Keep in mind, though, that computer generated models and GRIB files do have limitations. They tend to smooth the data, as you imply with your question about the resolution of the data. And some are better in different situations than others.

11/18/05

Yacht Design

Here is one about yacht design, answered by Tim Kernan of Kernan Yacht Design:

Q: I Have a late 1/2 tonner with the genoa tracks next to the cabin sides. Other similar boats have the tracks further outboard by about 3-4" and I was told by a sailmaker that I'd be faster doing the same. I have always been told that tighter sheeting angles allowed one to point higher. What gives?? Should I move the tracks outboard or pull the traveler car higher to keep the slot open??

A: We'll need to know what the actual sheeting angle is, measured from centerline, with the clew as the origin. Older generation wisdom was to shoot for 8 degrees, sometimes you would see it even lower at 7 degrees. Current thinking is up to 10 degrees, but you have to factor in that most current boats are set up with inhaulers. So at standard setting, the slot is more open, but inhaul for height when you need it. Definitely you will need to be able to get to 8 degrees at a minimum for height, particularly on an older generation IOR type hull. It is probably not worth moving the tracks, but your best bet is to check the actual angle, then go from there.

11/17/05

Ask the Sailmaker
Papa Roach

Q: Dear SA,

I have the following question for Harry. I'm looking to replace the cruising main on my 32' fractional rigged cruiser/racer (no running back stays). What would be pros & cons of replacing the existing conventional triangular main with a fully battened massively roached sail?

Kind regards,

William Burville
Plymouth UK.

A: The decision of whether or not to replace you current main with a very large roached main will depend on several factors. First consider how the boat balances in its present configuration; do you have weather helm, neutral helm, or lee helm. Adding more sail area in the roach of the main will increase weather helm.

Next, determine how the new main will work in conjunction with your current rig. If you have a permanent backstay the amount the roach will overlap the backstay needs to be taken into account. And finally consider the type of sailing you will be doing the majority of the time.

Offshore sailor Steve Daschew is a big proponent of very large roached mainsails. We worked with Steve and John Conser in developing and building the mainsails on the "Sundeer" line of yachts that Steve designed and built. The idea is to add a substantial amount of very efficient sail area, mostly for offshore sailing where you may sail for days or weeks on the same tack. Having more sail area in the main provides a lot more power without making the rig taller and is especially useful when doing a lot of trade winds reaching. It also allows you to sail with smaller, more easily handled headsails, and as the wind increases it is easier to reef the main than it is to change headsails.

The only downsides are it may add more weather helm than your boat needs, and it may make the mainsail harder to raise and lower. Not only is the sail heavier because of the extra area and the battens, but it also puts more load on the luff cars. You may find it necessary to upgrade to some type of low friction luff track system such as the Harken, Fredrickson, or Tides Marine Strong system. Generally increased weather helm can be taken care of by reefing the main in conditions when it is present. The mainsail should also be designed with a first reef that is positioned such that the roach will pass through the backstay triangle when reefed. This is very important if you are day sailing or sailing in an area that requires frequent tacking.

If you are looking to add more sail area to your boat, especially if you tend to do extended passages, it is a very good way to go.

Harry Pattison
Elliott / Pattison Sailmakers
949 645-6697
On the web at www.epsails.com

11/10/05

Ask the Sailmaker

Butch Ulmer from UK/Halsey tackles this one.

Q: I sail in two classes. One exotic, one very traditional. The traditional class has a rule that insists on "woven", i.e. not laminated sail construction. What is best within that very limited rule box?

A: Many classes insist on woven material (Dacron or polyester) for their working sails. Usually (as in this case), they are more traditional boats. The two major benefits that accrue from this requirement are lower cost and improved longevity. The major drawback is loss of performance as woven materials are typically stretchier, particularly after the sail has been used a fair amount.

To cut down on the amount of stretch, cloth makers add resins to woven materials. The resins (as long as they remain in tact) glue the woven yarns together and make the fabric behave more like a laminate. (A good analogy is wire reinforced glass – think of the wire as the yarns and the glass as the resins). Heavily resined woven fabrics have low stretch (particularly when new) but they are stiff, hard to handle and tear easily.

The right fabric in this case depends on how “traditional” the boat in question is and how much the person in question wants to win!

10/17/05

The GPL line of fabric from Dimension - Polyant has been the staple for the last three or four years and really set the standard. It does have some differences from the new generation "load path" sails that you see out now, (D4, 3DL, Fusion, etc.). Even though GPL fabrics may look like they are 100% carbon they are actually blends of carbon and Technora. Technora is the trade name for a Japanese version of aramid, which is black, like Kevlar is the Dupont trade name for its aramid fiber.

In GPL fabrics the carbon yarns are wide, flat ribbons rather than bundled yarns which you see in the warp direction. They are inserted over the top of a Technora scrim and then laminated between mylar films. The advantage of this construction is that the carbon ribbons have no sizing or adhesive applied to them. You can see this when you cut into a piece of the fabric. The carbon is soft and supple. You can bend it, beat it, tie it in knots; and it retains it strength. It is this characteristic that gives the GPL's their great durability. I have yet to see a GPL sail that suffered a catastrophic failure; the carbon yarns just don't break down.

The downside to this construction is that it is not possible to really pre-tension the carbon ribbons during the lamination process, which means the fabrics have a little bit more initial stretch than fabrics made with pre-tensioned yarns. To overcome this they use the Technora scrim as a base which is pre-tensioned. This does two things. First the Technora warp yarns take care of any initial low load stretch; just to the point where the carbon yarns become loaded. Second, the Technora fill yarns provide the needed structure and strength in fill direction.

In any of the "load path" sails all of the yarns are laid down under some pre-tension and bonded to the full size lower mylar skin. Current technology does this with a "stringing" machine which is basically a computer controlled overhead gantry with a head that will lay down a pattern of multiple yarns in each pass it makes over the lower mylar skin. In this process all of the yarns have to have adhesive applied to them as they are laid down, and usually have a fair amount of sizing to keep all the fibers in each yarn bundled together. The adhesive and sizing stiffen the yarns and reduce their flexibility; and the flex properties of carbon go down quite a bit The result is that in most cases designers have gone to a combination of carbon with either the yellow or black aramid in somewhere around a 60:40 to 80:20 blend. The idea is to have the carbon take the primary load while the aramid yarns, which are now better in flex than the stiff carbon yarns, provide for some extra protection against catastrophic failure. In this scenario the better choice is to use Technora which is the best of the fibers in flex.

Aramid fiber is still quite a bit less expensive than carbon, and it is certainly strong enough in lower load applications. In "load path" sails the ratio of carbon to aramid is based both on cost and high load performance. There is little if any advantage to building a sail for a 25' boat in carbon. Generally speaking the higher amount of aramid you have the less the sail costs, but the more it will stretch. Over the next few years you can expect to see sails built with less and less aramid. The aramid yarns in the fill direction don't add much to the shape holding ability of the sail because as long as the carbon hasn't broken down it stretches less than the aramid, so the aramid never gets really loaded. Already some designers are starting to make sails that are 100% carbon in the primary yarns. You will probably see more and more of these, especially in the America's Cup sails where strength and weight are more important than long term durability.

10/3/05

Ask the Sailmaker

Main, Man

. This week's answer courtesy of James Heckler of Lidgard Sails

Q: I'd like to know what if any the difference is in the main battens being perpendicular to the leech or the luff.

A: The main purpose of having battens in your sails is to help support the sails shape. The number, placement, and orientation of the battens will affect how well they work.

Most of us are a bit crazy about weight aloft. So we want the battens to do their job, with the minimum amount of weight up there, and get maximum benefit. We also mostly like sails with lots of roach - we need more sail!

To support roach you either need a rounded shape (like in a Spinnaker) or battens - the better your battens are the flatter the sail will be "out the back". Most sails use a combo of shape and battens to give the support you need. I have attached a picture of a typical mainsail chord for a Dacron sail. You can see that the shape is a little rounded in the back - not dead straight.

Battens need to go beyond the roach into the body of the sail to be effective. If you put your battens on at 90 degrees to the leech (or more importantly 90 degrees to the straight head clew line) then the length of batten needed to get into the supported part of the sail is at a minimum - which is light. Also, if you are talking about a cross cut Dacron sail you are also lining up the battens with the fibres in the cloth. So when you pull tension on the battens, you are loading the cloth in a less damaging way than if you had the battens square to the luff.

If you put short battens square to the luff then you need a longer batten to get the same support. But, it makes the sail quicker to flake up and put away - so maybe it spends a little less time flogging in the breeze when you drop.

Full length battens are almost always installed perpendicular to the luff. This is because they carry compression load all the way to the mast and this load is most efficiently passed into the mast at this angle. It also becomes pretty much impossible to deal with the sail when raising and lowering if they are not close to 90 degrees.

Full length battens have a whole range of benefits to sail shape and life - but they have been covered in other posts. My personal opinion is that they are worth it for most boats;the increased weight is more than covered by the improved performance and sail life.

Some class rules specify batten layout - and there can be area advantages for going angled or square. In the end a lot comes down to preference and the type of sailing you are doing.

James Heckler

Sail Designer
Lidgard Sails
Auckland

09/19/05

Ask the Sailmaker

A couple weeks back we ran a picture of a Quantum Farr 40 Code 2 jib. One of you Curious George's had a question about it, so here is the answer.

Q: The sail in the picture looks like a 100% which I assume would be for heavier winds, the draft looks more forward for heavy winds but the depth looks full which would seem to indicate light winds? Please comment on the sail shape and the conditions it is being used in.

A: This is a Code 2 Jib for a top level Farr 40 team. The wind range is 8-14 knots. These depths with the appropriate entry and exit have proved to be quite fast in the class. Photographs are a great way to analyze sail shapes and an excellent way to document your inventory. By creating a pictorial history of each sail, you will be able to document fast sail shapes and then can extend the performance life of your sails by predicting when a re-cut is necessary.

Best regards,

Larry Leonard
President Quantum Sail Design Group

09/12/05

Ask the Sailmaker

Here Mark Reynolds from Quantum gives the skinny.

Q: I have just taken delivery of a new Pentex sail for my 6.5 metre sportsboat. The mast has quite a bit of mast pre bend to take mast head spinnakers, which I knew would cause some problems with the cut of the new sail. The new sail has creases from mid way up the luff to the clew ( the boom end ). Do I straighten the mast or put more pre bend in it???? There is some flutter on the leech telltales also.

A: Sounds like the classic over bend wrinkles. The mast is just bending more than the sail can handle. You either need to take out some bend or add some luff curve to the main so they fit each other. It’s hard to say without looking at how extreme your pre bend is to say which would be better. If it’s easy to straighten the mast a bit I’d look at that first. When the breeze is on good and the mast bends even more you want to be just starting to see these over bend wrinkles. If they come to early straighten the mast or add some luff curve to the main.

08/31/05

Q: I would like to ask Larry Leonard from Quantum Sails the following question: The rumours are saying that you are using the very old Genesis string machine (used by Sobstad Sailmakers and Peter Conrad back in the old days) when you are making Fusion sails. Is this true?

Regards
Jan Johansen

A: While we did inherit a laminating machine from Sobstad we do not use any of their stringing machines. We've invested quite heavily in the plant in Malaysia in both the site and in the equipment. All stringing is done by new equipment and with heads that can lay 12 fibers at a time. Sobstad' original equipment could only string one fiber at a time. The laminating machine has been totally refurbished.

To give you a feel for the quality of the product I have attached a photo of a Farr 40 Code 2 Jib.


Best regards
Larry Leonard

08/17/05

Ask The Sailmaker

Q: I just got a a new set of racing sails, made of Bainbridge DIAX-LSP sailcloth. My question is can I use my roller furler to store my jib when the asymmetric is hoisted, or will this damage the laminate

Regards,
Dick Sanders

A: Diax LSP is a Pentex based laminated which is a little worse for UV degradation than regular polyester so you certainly would not want to leave it furled without a cover for long periods of time. But to leave it furled while you are sailing downwind with the asymmetric up is not a problem. This answer courtesy of Harry Pattison, E/P Sails.

08/15/05

Ask the Sailmaker

Mast Bend

. Here is the first one with the answer courtesy of Doug Christie, UKHalsey Sailmakers.

Q: We often hear about the pros and cons of straight mast versus a mast with prebend. With a typical one design or race keelboat i.e. with a reasonably bendy mast, what are the decision parameters and what advantages does one style have over the other. - David Cattle.

A: David,
There are a few considerations.
1. It is generally best to have as straight a mast as possible as this allows your sail designer to put a better % of any given girth measurement into roach rather than luff curve. With modern fabrics, long battens and full battens it is very easy to support this roach. The logic behind this is to help create helm and also projected area downwind.
2. Some classes have restrictions on position of mast at step, partners and rake. Rigs with swept spreaders are often forced into a situation of requiring pre-bend. I still try to get as straight a mast as possible through rig tune, then design around this set up.
3. Some soft masts with limited fore and aft support need prebend to ensure any pumping goes the correct way. Inversion is bad. The sail designer just has to hit a moving target with luff curve making his job a little tougher.
4. A straighter mast also ensures that more of the backstay tension goes into fore-stay tension rather than being lost in compression. This allows your sail designer to build gruntier headsails. In combination with the flatter more forgiving main this is a good starting point for an easily trimmed setup.
5. Whatever the amount of pre-bend a stable mast is fast. Reducing pumping allows a more consistent sail shape.

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Doug.

08/09/05

To:Hans Fogh

Question:

What was the development of the laser sail like? Did you use the Finn sail as a reference when you designed the sail?

Thanks Hans!

Hans Replies:

I worked 10 years for Paul Elvstrom and sailed against him in the Finn. I also sailed 5 Finn Gold Cup. We made many sails for the Finn and also for the OK Dinghy, so I had a lot of experience making sails for a non stayed mast. I used some of those
ideas but because the Laser did not have sail tracks for mast and boom we came up with a fixed sleeve for the mast and loose footed for the boom. Over the last 2 years I have just designed the Mega Byte sail and have used a top full batten which if I had to design the Laser sail today, I would do the same.
Thank you for your questions.

Best regards from Hans Fogh

December 4, 2001

Tom Whidden

Question:

Please ask Tom Whidden about the threats to the Volvo/ AC programs that if they did not by North's downwind sails they would not be sold 3DL's. I would love to hear his explanation.

Regards,
BEN

Tom Replies:

Dear Ben....Thankyou for giving us an opportunity to respond to your question about Volvo and AC campaigns sail buying policies.

First and foremost, North does not ask for or require exclusivity from a campaign either verbally or contractually. We are happy for them to buy sails from any competitor at any time. In fact, we feel that presents us with a chance to learn and test against other ideas and technology and to improve our own. Secondly, I know of no campaign that would ever grant us complete exclusivity whether or not we are speaking of upwind or downwind sails. If any AC or Volvo campaign decided to build their downwind sails elsewhere we still would be thrilled to offer and build the 3DL upwind sails.

The greater irony is that we at North Sails feel that our greatest competitive edge today lies in downwind sail technology. Certainly our ability to sell every Volvo group and all but one AC group proves that we have taken R & D and exhaustive testing seriously.

Believe me, we could threaten all we wanted but I don't know one AC or Volvo syndicate that would agree to buying North downwind sails simply for the right to buy 3DL sails.

Regards....Tom Whidden

November 24, 2001

Paul Cayard

Question:

With Paul Cayard seemingly on the bench for the AC. I'd like to know if he's thinking about trying for the Olympic team once again in the Star.
Signed, A. Rhody

Regardless of how AC 2003 plays out for me, I am thinking of the Olympics in 2004 and have just bought an new Star with that in mind. Next spring I will sail in the Miami Olympic classes regatta and then the Bacardi Cup, then the Worlds in Marina del Rey in August. Star sailing in the sailing that I enjoy the most. I think it is the best of pure sailing skill.

1. I've been doing a lot of practicing the in M-24 over the last few months. We do a little of everything, 2 or 3 boat tuning, various drills, practice starts and short races. I would suggest doing the same. You need to work on your boat speed (helm technique and tuning), your boat handling (short races and drills like tacking and gybing) and tactics (practice racing and
   regattas).
2. To depower the main I start off with some backstay and then quickly go to the traveler. There's a range when you have to use a mix of the two with some mainsheet thrown in and the tiller so you really need 4 hands! Then when it's really windy you have to just go to the mainsheet. You can also use a bit of vang depending on the cut of your main.
3. Perhaps you've noticed vang sheeting affecting the jib shape. In most boats that don't have rock hard rig tension (a tight leeward shroud) you have to be careful about going to vang sheeting to quickly. When you use the vang to get leech tension you are not pulling back on the rig like you do when you use the mainsheet to tension the leech. The result can be a little more luff sag resulting in a fuller jib, not generally what you want. With the deck stepped mast in the M-24 we just use the vang sometimes to dial in a little extra bend and to take over the leech when the mainsheet is eased way out in strong wind.
   

November 15, 2001