Pinching: How Close?

[(PeteCresswell)]

Has anybody got a ballpark number for how close to the wind a
freeride board with a wave sail can point?

I'm seeing 60 degrees for Micronesian sailing canoes, 40-50
degrees for cruising mono hulls, 30-40 for racing mono hulls...
but can't find anything for windsurfers - specifically short
boards with wave sails.
--
PeteCresswell

[Ben Kaufman]

From my limited experience with wave sails, using a small slalom board (81
liters) I would guestimate about 60 degrees on plane.

Ben

[exkraut]

On Oct 2, 8:08 am, Ben Kaufman <spaXm-mXe-anXd-paXy-5000-

I would think the angle depends almost entirely on the size and
quality of your fin - yes, size DOES matter!

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per exkraut:

>I would think the angle depends almost entirely on the size and
>quality of your fin - yes, size DOES matter!

Good catch.

I should have stipulated "Freeride Fin, 48 cm"... or "Freeride
Fin, sized for the sail".
--
PeteCresswell

[sm...@seattletimes.com]

Been awhile since I've been on this forum since moving out to Hawaii.
One thing you learn after being out here is that there are some
sailors who are just ridiculously good at sailing upwind. One guy I
sail with here uses a board about the same size as mine, 85 liters,
sails a 5.3 only, and can heel upwind better than anyone else by far.
Heading to an upwind spot about a half mile from our launch, he'll get
there in two or three reaches, maybe 5 minutes. It takes everyone else
about 15, if they get there at all. Nobody has a clue how he does it.
The unusual thing is that he rigs his sail so that it's about a foot
off the board, and he has his harness lines spread way apart and he
uses a roller bar hook. There has to be something there.

[Dan Weiss]

There likely is a lot going on there. I assume you guys are all using
wave boards, or something that isn't going to pearl on every drop in.
Lots of rocker and pretty soft rails. Wave sails or wave-like RAFs.
If that's the case, what he's doing is allowing the board to ride a
bit more free of the chop and at a higher top speed. If his sail is
that high, so are his booms -if even an inch or two. I would bet his
mast foot is also forward a bit. Wide lines are long lines, and the
roller bar allows him to reduce the amount of sheeting power without
reducing sheeting angle -just a bit more than a std. bar.

He rigs like Robby Naish used to do. Huge triangle for control and
speed. It keeps the nose high and even, and makes for a very
comfortable ride. Confort means confidence, and we need confidence in
our fin grip to go faster, and speed is the only way to get the fin
really firing. I bet your friend is getting close to actually riding
the fin at times.

I suspect this may be what's happening.