Getting back to your original question, there should be no loss of feel with cammed sails other than they are more stable in gusts.

I sail with cammed sails almost all the time and the only disadvantage I find with them is the waterstarting issue, and even that's not a big deal these days.

There is no loss in the ability to feel the wind direction and you don't need to have a GPS to know when you are sailing well. Like others have mentioned, you may not have it rigged correctly.

They can sometimes be difficult when rigged on a mast with the wrong bend curve, which may result in poor rotation of the cams or a leech that is too tight or too loose.

If they are rigged incorrectly you may find them twitchy, but when rigged right are generally smooth.

How is this sail rigged compared to the recommended settings?

x sport guy said...

I had wondered if telltales were worth trying, but in my case them and the sail would spend most of the time wet, stuck to the sail and useless.... a bit like me after a catapult

They say you should stick them on facing backwards so they are less inclined to stick when wet. Audio cassette tape is recommended.

How would you monitor them? Maybe with a GoPro cam.

FormulaNova said...

Getting back to your original question, there should be no loss of feel with cammed sails other than they are more stable in gusts.

I sail with cammed sails almost all the time and the only disadvantage I find with them is the waterstarting issue, and even that's not a big deal these days.

There is no loss in the ability to feel the wind direction and you don't need to have a GPS to know when you are sailing well. Like others have mentioned, you may not have it rigged correctly.

They can sometimes be difficult when rigged on a mast with the wrong bend curve, which may result in poor rotation of the cams or a leech that is too tight or too loose.

If they are rigged incorrectly you may find them twitchy, but when rigged right are generally smooth.

How is this sail rigged compared to the recommended settings?

Shi..use. It need a 460 mast.Its a sailworks one so it should have the correct bend other than the fact that Im using a lot of mast extension.. I have a 430 + 45cm extension that interferes with putting the sail on & off.The luff is really tight over the top of the extension & this is 6" below the bottom camber - I need help to get it on & off the mast as the luff is so tight down low. I think I can only just get enough downhaul..475cm mast ( 430 + 45cm ext) + 186cm boom.The boom is so short I have to bring it down from the top & squeeze it over the battens to get it on & then the clew sits on the boom end .I can probably outhaul it 1cm..?
So not ideal..

NotWal said...

x sport guy said...

I had wondered if telltales were worth trying, but in my case them and the sail would spend most of the time wet, stuck to the sail and useless.... a bit like me after a catapult

They say you should stick them on facing backwards so they are less inclined to stick when wet. Audio cassette tape is recommended.

How would you monitor them? Maybe with a GoPro cam.

Why audio cassette tape? Why not just buy the ones for sailing? Wouldnt you be able to see them through the clear part of the sail? I havent actually got a sail out & had a look.
Assuming they'd work the same as on a yachts sail ..just glance at them occasionally & adjust the rig angle to get them both flowing.Its been 25 years since Ive sailed so the memories a bit vague but I think if the inner one is stalling the sail needs to come on & if the outer is flying up you need to ease it off..correct me if Im wrong..
Im talking about subplaning conditions or when you are just getting going..probably be too "busy" to look when you are hoiking along..

Assuming they'd work the same as on a yachts sail ..just glance at them occasionally & adjust the rig angle to get them both flowing.

If you can't feel it in your hands/body, I don't think seeing it in the tell tales is going to help you adjust the rig, more so in subplaning conditions. Sure telltales are useful when you've got a fixed rig to trim, but on a sailboard where you are constantly making subtle adjustments every few seconds, or pumping to get on the plane when you see/feel a bit of a gust, I doubt that the feedback from a telltale would be of much use.

sboardcrazy said...


Shi..use. It need a 460 mast.Its a sailworks one so it should have the correct bend other than the fact that Im using a lot of mast extension.. I have a 430 + 45cm extension that interferes with putting the sail on & off.The luff is really tight over the top of the extension & this is 6" below the bottom camber - I need help to get it on & off the mast as the luff is so tight down low. I think I can only just get enough downhaul..475cm mast ( 430 + 45cm ext) + 186cm boom.The boom is so short I have to bring it down from the top & squeeze it over the battens to get it on & then the clew sits on the boom end .I can probably outhaul it 1cm..?
So not ideal..

I don't know what to say. Your description suggests it is not rigged on a good matching mast and extension, and together with the boom being possibly too short, means it may be why you are not feeling that comfortable with this sail.

Is there a chance of borrowing someones 460 and a bigger boom and trying that?