sboardcrazy said...terminal said...
It may help understand what you are trying to achieve when sheeting the sail correctly from a way of seeing when a sail is sheeted correctly.
When I was sailing a dinghy, I could watch a short length of wool on the other side of the front sail. It was a short distance back from the leading edge. If I sheeted in too much, the turbulent wind on the front side of the sail would make the wool flap around. When I sheeted out just the right amount, laminar flow was established and the wool was horizontal and straight.
You could sheet out slightly too much and still have the laminar flow, so it was a case of checking every so often by pulling the sail in again until turblulence appeared and letting it back out enough to make it laminar again. Would be easy enough to stick one on with a bit of sail repair tape.
No-one seems to use that in windsurfing, as you need to keep your eyes on other things. The bigger diameter of the mast as opposed to the forestay wire on the dinghy means the windsurf sail is slightly less sensitive to the sheeting angle anyway.
I used to sail & used telltales.I once posted a topic about whether you could use them on a sailboard sail..So do you? I imagine you wouldn't be able to see the one on the other side of the sail ...? Sailing you are behind the sail & can see both sides but the sail is between you & the telltale sailboarding..It would certainly make life easier if you could use them sailboarding although the speed you go and all the chop etc you might not have the time to be able to scan the telltales without 'splooosh!'
I was able to see the shadow of the teltale or 'something' on the jib through the sail - which was something like Dacron, so I think you might be able to see it through a light coloured panel on a windsurf sail.
