Are dinghy sail-measurements secret?

[dancrane]

I've been trying to source an asymmetric spinnaker. I thought I'd bought one, but something seems to have gone wrong with the sale (sound of teeth grinding) and it looks like I'll be on the hunt again. But, there isn't an asymmetric made for my dinghy, so I need to find something approximate...

...and I realise that even at best, it's only ever going to be about right. But what makes it much more difficult is that there don't seem to be any tables of standard measurements or maximums for different classes' sails.

I can see that with the exception of some very restrictive classes, it's often down to the individual sailmaker how sails are cut, so there'll be flatter or baggier ones with slightly longer or shorter leeches, maybe even a difference in area...

...but I've been surprised not to find any listed maximum dimensions for sails, even for very popular classes.

Mainly I think I'll need to know the luff/foot dimensions for various classes' asymmetric kites, so I can do some drawing and measuring and estimate which class's kite might be persuaded to fit my rig. Not easy when these measurements seem to be shrouded in secrecy! Am I looking in the wrong places? Thanks... :encouragement:

 

[VicS]

...but I've been surprised not to find any listed maximum dimensions for sails, even for very popular classes.

I have a list of 23 dimensions or the main, jib and spinnaker of my sailing dinghy!

i found about 70 measurements defined for the standard Osprey sails

 

[dancrane]

Good grief, I have been looking in the wrong places. And I'm normally not bad at searching online.

Where should I be looking, Vic? Any chance of a link?

 

[markhomer]

Class rules

 

[dancrane]

Hmm, thanks, I looked at various classes' rules, but apart from interminable waffle, I can't find any actual sail measurements.

All I want is the luff, foot and leech measurements for RS spinnakers and similar, but I've found none...

I even hauled my big symmetric out of the bag, so I'm probably about to lurch back towards standard Osprey spinnakering...

 

[markhomer]

Ok you could try another tack then , why not post on " dinghies and dinghy bits " face book page saying you would like to buy an asymetric of x approximate dimensions after working out what you need , this is a group with enormous membership and many must have spare sails they could sell you

 

[dancrane]

But it only for the standard sails and spinnaker. No mention of an asymmetric.

That's the thing, I need the asymmetric dimensions of other classes, to gauge which might be made to fit the Osprey.

I don't need my own sail measurements of course...I can just grab a tape measure.

Various RS boats (which appealed to me mainly because they all seem to have chosen non-conventional kites) specify in their rules that all sails must be from an approved RS supplier...which I can understand, but still, nowhere are the actual dimensions of those approved sails written down...

...or not where I can find them, yet.

 

[dancrane]

...post on " dinghies and dinghy bits, this is a group with enormous membership and many must have spare sails they could sell you

Thanks Mark, that's pretty smart. I've never used Facebook yet, that may be why I'm in the dark.

Interesting though, that people don't seem to sell their old sails nearly as often as they buy new ones...otherwise I'd have had no problem finding one.

 

[lw395]

Rs, and the other ' manufacturer controlled' classes don't need to publish dimensions, they just sell allegedly identical sails.
Unfortunately this applies to a great number of Asy classes.
The other asy classes with open sailmaking tend to have kites in the 'bloody huge' range, e.g. Int14, Cherub, B14,....
International Canoe might be worth a look as that's a single hander?
You could try the 'replica' or training sail makers, they might have odd used sails with dimensions.

I would guess RS400 or RS500 would be your best bet, they do come up used on ebay now and then.
RS200 is small, RS800 is v. big.
Buzz another option.
L4000 quite big, L3000/V3000 possible, L2000 possible.
Rs Vision maybe?
29er biggish I think?

Doesn't the Y&Y classes guide or the info on Noble insurance class pages at least give areas?

 

[dancrane]

The other asy classes with open sailmaking tend to have kites in the 'bloody huge' range, e.g. Int14, Cherub, B14,....

International Canoe might be worth a look as that's a single hander?

I would guess RS400 or RS500 would be your best bet, they do come up used on ebay now and then.

RS200 is small, RS800 is v. big. L2000 possible...29er biggish I think?

Thanks, I'd noticed around the club that the unrestricted classes seem to have made the most of the freedom to cut big kites...

I've been watching for an old RS 400 kite, BobC of this parish suggested he might be able to find one for me, but nothing yet.

Plus, I've noticed how very long the RS400 bowsprit is...and securing a very long sprit is likely to be amongst my hardest jobs...so I was thinking maybe RS700, which seems to have its tack much nearer to the mast than the 400, despite being bigger in area.

As you say, sail areas are quite widely listed...but I'm guessing that the way they're cut may make a smaller sail harder to fit to a boat not designed to carry it, than a bigger one of less extreme proportions.

In any case, singlehanding the Osprey will mean that any spinnaker is only carried in gentle or downright calm conditions...

...that's why I was initially bent on finding a whopping asymm that I could haul to the masthead, because in a force 1, why not?

But the prospect of shelling out thrice what the whole boat cost, for a new mast (and waiting months for it) restored my sanity.

 

[markhomer]

Thanks Mark, that's pretty smart. I've never used Facebook yet, that may be why I'm in the dark.

Interesting though, that people don't seem to sell their old sails nearly as often as they buy new ones...otherwise I'd have had no problem finding one.

Think you will find many offers if you ask , most folk think no one want their own sails , those with two would normally keep a spare , but some folks end up with loads , thoroughly recommend asking on afore mentioned fb site , also you could join the osprey facebook group and ask there , you prob arent the first person to think of doing this .

Another forum with specifically dinghy sailors is on yachts and yachting website , join and post there , you will be inundated with advice , sort wheat from chaffe and you may find answer there ,or even be offered exactly what you want .

Just saying


Good luck

 

[dancrane]

Sound advice, thanks again. :encouragement: