Sport Today

Hi,

Will that combination work for me? If so, which extension do you
recommend (length and model)?
My board is Starboard Ftype 148l, I am 90kg/190lbs. My other sail is
Gaastra Matrix 7.5m.
I have to add that I'm a beginner (my second season, doing ok, but not
planing yet, probably mostly due to the lightish winds on my spot).
I want something which is easy (read quick) to rig (can't spend an
hour rigging like formula folks) and gives me lots of power in light
winds (like 3Bft and slightly below).
I've read great things about Retro 9.5.

I'd obviously prefer to avoid buying a new mast.
Also, I've seen broken mast reports for this sail and 490 masts :-(.

Thank you,

-marek

P.S. Anybody knows how can I buy Sailworks in Europe?

That's the only part I can even guess at. I would ask Sailworks that
question, their customer service is second to none and that might get
you the best answer.

Length should be fine - the Retro specs call for a 490 (total luff
length is 527, so you'll need a good extension such as the Streamlined
46cm one Sailworks distributes in the US: http://www.sailworks.com/web/moreinfo_1.cfm?Product_ID=109

The question then is whether the Yes mast has the right bend curve. If
it's a standard constant curve mast, it should be fine. There's an old
version of the Yes website out there (I think they may no longer be in
business?) at http://www.yes-sails.com/2004/categorie.asp?IDCategoria=2
where they talk about their masts being constant curve. The rated
stiffness certainly matches (IMCS of 29; Sailworks specs 28-30 for
this sail). If you have no way whatsoever of rigging the sail on this
mast before you buy, it seems like a reasonable risk to take, since
the Retro is a little more forgiving and less mast-specific than other
sails in this category (a lot of the tuning can be done via perimeter
tension adjustments - do a google search on Retro tuning and Roger
Jackson/sailquick, as he's given a fair amount of info on that), so
I'd say your risk of a total mismatch between your existing mast and
the Retro are lower than with most of its no-cam competitors (cambered
sails, btw, throw in another set of monkeywrenches, as you then have
to worry about mast diameter being compatible with your specific
camber inducers).

The 9.5 Retro is a great sail, and should fit your usage pattern
perfectly. You might even want to consider going with the 10, since
it's rangy enough to bridge the gap to the 7.5 but has a bit more low-
end grunt to get you planing, but then you're looking at a 520 mast
for sure. You won't find a large no-cam out there that balances power
and control as well as the Retro (and yes, it does rig quickly and
easily). Use the adjustable outhaul (it comes with the sail, along
with instructions on how to set it up) to really get the full range
out of it; can't go wrong with it.

Rigging instructions:
http://www.sailworks.com/web/documents/sails/Retro/rigging.cfm

That one's easy: http://www.sailworks.com/web/pages/international_dealers.cfm

Cheers,
-Andreas
http://g-42.blogspot.com

Oh, one more thing - that 55% carbon mast you have will feel a bit
sluggish in large sails, compared to a higher-carbon content model.
The bend curve may be right, so the sails will work just fine - but
the responsiveness will suffer (and then, of course, you're dealing
with lots of swing weight up top). So you're probably going to want to
upgrade your mast in a year or two (just don't try a buddy's high-end
high-carbon mast before you're ready to spend the money - you'll
suffer serious spar-envy...). The Retro will work well with probably
the widest range of masts on the market, so you'll have choices. Of
course, there's Sailworks (either the Powerex built models, or the
high-end Italian ones), but you'll also be able to use Powerex's (or
any of the rebadged versions, such as the ones sold by Naish), and
Fiberspars, and get a perfect match on the bend. Some brands lock you
into their masts exclusively because they use funky bend curves -
something to consider when you're buying sails.

Thank you Andreas for your input.
What fin size would you recommend for that sail (my board is FT 148)?

-marek

Marek,
never having sailed one of those - is it the one described here?
http://2005.star-board.com/products/ftype.asp

If so, the tail's a little narrower than a full-on formula board, so
you don't want to go with the really big fins. I'd think something
around 60cm would be about the biggest you'd want; mid-50's is
probably more appropriate. The 56cm stock find is probably a good
start, as the 9.5 would be typical for that board. So if you have the
stock fin, try that first. Also, beg/borrow/steal to try other fins on
it to find something you really like.

-Andreas
http://g-42.blogspot.com

Yup, that white large thing.

Great, that sounds too good to my wallet ;-).
Cheers,

-marek