So guys. I am new to windsurfing and I therefore dont have much experience (I can only beach start, plane a bit, gybe and tack) there fore I dont have much knowledge about sails. I have recently bought a severne SWAT and I have noticed that when I rig and when I am i am on the water the battens get stuck next to the mast and wont rotate freely. This has got me a bit worried because I dont want to wreck the battens or worse the sail so any tips would be appreciated. Also I have tried tightening outhaul downhaul but nothing seems to realy help I have alsk tried adjusting the tension of the battens but that isnt much use either. The only real way that I can fix it is by pulling on the downhaul so much that it crinkles the sail and starts make quite a few loud bangs. Please help me out because I dont want to wreck my brand new sail ![]()
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What sort of mast do you have? Sounds like the mast mightn't suit it.
I have severne overdrives and they go ok on my constant curve 460 lightstick Sailworks mast but wouldn't rotate on my 430 lipstick sailworks mast as it was too stiff below the mast. They are cammed sails so yours wouldn't be as critical but you still need the sail and mast to be compatible.
Is your mast RDM (reduced diameter) or SDM (standard diameter)
If you have the correct length mast and rig the sail on the recommended settings it should be fine. (that's the correct mast, base and boom lengths)
Sounds like you don't have enough down haul on tho.
let us know how you go
Have a look online at some rigging guides.
I'm using Severne S1's on a Neil Pryde mast, about the worst combo I could get but it's what I had.
If I put too much downhaul on the leach goes really floppy but the batten just above the boom is still over the mast. It's just a case of getting it rigged as well as possible which has a nice amount of floppy leach but the battens still need a good pump to get them to rotate over. Not ideal but at least I can get out on the water.
Batten tension should be just enough to get the little creases out of the batten pockets.
Outhaul within 1-2cm of the boom measurement on the sail.
Downhaul, pretty close to the measurement on the sail, check the size of the floppy leach, if you take some tension off the leach gets tighter, if you put too much on the leach is really really floppy.
There are some good youtube videos on sail trimming.
Cheers
Graeme
Thanks guys this has really helped. I will have alot of things to try next time I get out on the water. By the way my mast is a standard diameter
What size is the sail? What length do you set the mast extension to?
A 4.7 should have 3cm of extension.
5.2 = 18cm
5.7 = 32cm
Photos?
You sail should be crinkly/floppy at the top when you've down-hauled correctly. No idea what the loud bangs might be. ![]()
SWAT Rigging Guide:http://www.severnesails.com/sites/default/files/rigging-guides/Severne%20No%20Cam%20Rigging%20Guide.pdf
I think it is a combination of not enough downhaul, wrong curve (albeit only slightly) and SDM - a Swat would be cut on a RDM (?)
It will work OK - but only if downhauled enough