Hi, SBC,

It's already been done.

Back in the early nineties in the USA, there was a crew called Multi Sail who marketed a sail with a zipped-on section below the boom.

In low wind, you used the full area of the sail, then as the wind rose, you zipped the foot of the sail off.

Can't recall that it was ever tested by the US magazine "Windsurfing", so I don't know how well it worked, but the company is no longer around so perhaps it didn't work that well.

Regards,

WindmanV

I am pretty sure Lefebvre also did an adjustable sail back in the day... have a look at www.lefebvre-sails.de/ for more futuristic designs.

sboardcrazy,

I think the thing is sail makers rather sell two sails at $900 each than sell you an adjustable sail at $1000.

Mark _australia said...

No matter how you do it, the sail would suffer performance-wise

Plus, its the same as all other extreme sports - everyone wants to go faster and higher etc and 'compromise' gear never sells well.

However if you were Allison Shreeve crossing Bass Strait with a 10m sail and you ran into 25 knot winds you'd probably give your first born for a sail with some zip open vents.
I suppose she could have pulled out her handy swiss army knife and made some judicious excisions...

Sailhack said...

Just carry a pocket knife & some duct tape...too strong = punch a few holes in it...to little = tape it back up!

Is THAT why they call you that?

Yeah, it wouldn't work - unless manufacturers really put their considerable talent, imagination and ability into something that would instantly reduce sales by at least 50%.

I've dreamed of this myself many times, but considering the forces at work on a sail while planing, and the fact that making small adjustments to equipment can make such a huge difference to performance, how are they gonna make, say, a 7m which converts to a 5m and still works just as well? On the same mast, even?

There is one solution that may help (or not...) -> rig up both sails, then use whichever sail is the correct size, and save the de-rig for packup time. Just make sure to tether you spare sail to something that wont blow away.

pirrad said...

a project i did a while back to make a small sail bigger for a land yacht.zip on section ,battens slotted into gaastra gtx batten adjusters,mast tip ext.wouldnt work [i dont think for a performance sail]could have merrits though for beginner-kids sails sub planing conditions.

Funny.....that looks just like the "compact clew" on the new NP race sails - obviously not zip on those sails.

I think if companies put the R&D in, they could come up with a competitive product - anything is possible but for the freeride windsurfer but would we find it sexy and apealing with only one or two sails taking up room in the shed.

I think the windsurfing market relies so heavily on gimmicks, it's not funny (no offence "mkseven") and for some reason, I buy into it every year, I think they just have to be sutble. For some reason, i just want this years board/sail/mast etc yet you can see guys from 10 -20 years ago blasting around, having fun, doing loops etc. Fat nose, no nose, teardrops now wide style, tail cut outs, double wingers, scoops, tunnels and the list goes on.

Twin fins were around in the ninties but only lasted a couple of years. It seems to do a loop every decade.

Don't get me wrong, there have been some massive leaps ahead that provide greater appeal to the market place, and then a whole lot of little changes that do nothing but differentiate a product from one year to the next

It's worse than the car market with all the acronyms. I think one of my favourites was the Gasstra MC2x - 2 adjustable external cams - actually a really good sail from what I remember, had it in a 5.7.

The thing is, am I having more fun than the guy 15 years ago, am I a better sailer or have I just done 1 year 10 years over - this is what I am trying to do now, get better and not do the one year over and over and I don't think that the gear is the limitation.

Hmmmmmmmm after all that crap following a couple of red wines - I still wouldn't like a zipper in my sail......not cool!

Mathew said-
There is one solution that may help (or not...) -> rig up both sails, then use whichever sail is the correct size, and save the de-rig for packup time. Just make sure to tether you spare sail to something that wont blow away.
I did that last gale..unfortunately I didnt think of it until too late as by then i was too buggered to use them .I would have to buy extra masts etc though.I just happened to have a really old boom for my 3.3m ( one length & tie on inhaul).So if I ever get an extra mast + boom & extension etx it may work..more $$

I'm still iffy about airpipes - they've been around for decades and I have yet to see them work!

sorry back onto adjustable sail, it can also be a bad thing- damage your sail you have nothing either side to use in the meantime. We windsurfers are a funny bunch, largely i think we are either technophiles or we just love seeing lots of shiny new toys. Anytime the industry has offered a solution it hasnt met acclaim- eg neilpryde shock concept- several sails, 1 mast, put into compact price effective package.

I long time ago I read about someone sailing around Tasmania, with a sail you could decrease in size (rolling up the edge and zipping it into a pocket I think). So long ago my memory might be playing tricks.

Look see here:

www.winzurf.co.nz/co/com/multi/multi1.htm#DELTA3

Could you extend the boom, and make a new clew in the add-on part of the sail?

Hi, All,

Here is a Multi Sail ad showing their whole range:





Also, I wuz wrong. There was a test of a Multi Sail and here it is (note how long it took to downsize then upsize the sail):




I hope both images turn out correctly for all viewers.

SBC: please ask easier questions in the future (!)

Regards,

WindmanV

under two minutes to change sail size!,with all the new materials,sail design and fittings the concept would work second time round.