Sport Today

Has anyone tried either the new Aerotech 10.5 VMG or the Neil Pryde 10.6
RX1?  What are your impressions?   My biggest sail is a 9.3 Pryde Z1.  I
use it with my Fanatic Falcon 9', which is a great combination.  I am
really impressed with how balanced this setup is on a 52cm fin.  I
wonder whether acquiring a 10.5 or 10.6 sail is worth the investment.  I
just bought a Starboard Go for my girlfriend, so I now have a board
around that will handle a 10+ meter sail.  Are these super big sails fun
(comparable to the fun of sailing a 9.3), or are they strictly designed
for light air competition-- manageable but not much fun?

Thanks in advance!

Mike

I have the same question. It could well be time for nice lightweight (10-11lb)
camless powerhouses in the 10-11 meter sizes to get the most out of these wide
boards.

I am sure they are coming.  Weight is a really a factor for recreational
sailors(I am in this category). I  could
use a 10.6 around here myself. I am
looking at the extra weight of it, though(I know,balance and swing weight
factor in) and I dunno, might hold off.  

Dave

Thanks for all of the great feedback.  I am still trying to absorb this idea

that jumping from 9.3 to 10.5 moves the wind threshold down 1 mph.  A fellow

could spend thousands of dollars for that one extra mph!  I think that my
desire to get the 10.5 sail comes mostly from reading too many windsurfing
magazines-- thanks for helping break the spell I was in.  The 9.3 should
continue to suit me just fine.

I think I shoul buy a big kite for really light wind days.

Mike

Michael Winter wrote<<Has anyone tried either the new Aerotech 10.5 V>>

I'm wondering about the 10.5 VMG myself...the VMG's are very light in the upper
panels (lighter than the NP sail)...for weight, I think it's the way to
go...also, as a higher aspect sail, the boom throw is less extreme (shorter
boom length).

Sailquick Roger may have some notes on the Revo in this size.
Michael
US5613

To both Michael's et all.....
In my experience, if you want really good lite air performance, you
need something with a little lower aspect ratio and alot more static
draft.
If you want to sail a 10.5 in 13-18 knots, and have marginal low end
power (i.e. under 10-12 knots, then higher aspect is the way to go.
I don't think you can have it both ways.
Lower aspect ratio, lots of overall draft, will create lots of low end
grunt (i.e. the sail will pull you right up onto a plane in 7-8 knots
(9.5
Retro here, the largest they make) but these sails are far more
"tuneable"
with an adjustable outhaul as the clew tension in a "perimeter loaded"
sail like the Retro actually bends the mast, pulls the draft forward and
loosens up the leech up at the top of the sail. So, slack the adj.
outhaul
for "locomotive like" low end power, and then tighten the outhaul once
you get up to say 12-14 knots, and you get less draft, and a flatter
(even negative if you really use both the downhaul and the outhaul)
upper profile for good top end speed and stability.  
A race sail, like the VMG, needs to be tuned pretty flat, which
diminishes
the overall draft (especially in the top of the sail where the static
draft
may actually be negative). So, less draft equals less low end "grunt"
but the
flatter profile can be pumped (alot) to get the apparent wind moving
around
the sail, and then, once you get the apparent wind up in the 12 knot
range the
"Race" sail will make good power and have lots of range.
So, I guess the obvious question is, are you buying these sails for low
wind
power (the ability to simply pull you and your board up onto a plane
with
little or no pumping in 7-9 knots depending on the board, the sailor
weight,
and the sail size), or do you want to pump alot, to create the apparent
wind
required to get a taller, higher aspect ratio but overall significantly
LESS
drafty sail going, but have more top end stability and speed designed
into the
sail.
If you sail in conditions that are 8 g20 all the time, the VMG may be
the better
choice, but a properly tuned Retro or one of the less drafty camless
designs
will do essentially the same thing if tuned for the conditions.
It's your choice, but put very simply, draft= low end power, which is
more a
characteristic of slightly lower aspect ratio sails.
If they make a 10.5 VMG raceboard sail (i.e. for longboard racing) I
would expect
it to have a lower aspect ratio, and more static draft, therefore better
low wind
power.

-
sailquik (Roger Jackson) US 7011

10.6 > RX1?  What are your impressions?  Are these super big sails fun
designed > for light air competition-- manageable but not much fun?

Mike-
Unless you are racing shortboards, probably not. Bill Hansen from
Windwing posted a theoretical relationship between sail size and planing
threshold which predicts that a jump from 9.3 to 10.5 would lower the
planing threshold by about 1 MPH windspeed. From my own measurements,
the difference in planing threshold for a 6.7 and a 9.5, using the same
board, is about 4 MPH windspeed. If you are looking to power a longboard
in sub or marginal planing conditions, the bigger sail may be worth it,
but carefully consider the boom lenghth and depth of draft. I don't know
about the 2000 models, but in the past the Aerotech Advantage VMGs had a
relatively short boom length for their size (high aspect), while the
Course VMGs (now called Dagger VMG) had much longer boom lengths and
more low end power. I have enjoyed the 1998 9.5 Course VMG for 2 years
on both a longboard and a Thommen 305. I have tried the 11.0 Course VMG
and thought it was too big to be fun on a shortboard, although it is
possibly the most powerful sail on the market. Another sail that looks
interesting from a power aspect is the 2000 North Strike 9.3 which has a
boom lenghth of 253 cm. Check out http://www.neilprydemaui.com/
discussion group for comments from other sailors about the big NP sails.
I'll let you know in a month or so about the 9.5 Retro.

G

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Before you buy.

Michael Winter wrote<<  I am still trying to absorb this idea
that jumping from 9.3 to 10.5 moves the wind threshold down 1 mph.  >>

It shouldn't really surprise you...percentage wise, it's like going from a 6.0
to a 6.7.  Not a big difference.

Michael
US5613