Batten Tuning ?

Hi expert speedsters

How much difference does batten tuning make?

I recently bought a 5.0 and 6.2m Patrik SF set of cross-over sails for Slalom (Fin) and Foiling.

On Slalom they feel perfect. Great feeling, cam rotation is epic... the cams are so tight on the mast but flick around easily with wind from behind!

On Foil they feel again very good, but if I'm hyper critical, a little bit soft... I can feel the luff curve change in gusts.

So I want to know what happens to a sail if you replace the battens with stiffer ones... does it harm the slalom performance, making the sail too stiff and not forgiving over chop or gusts?

Thanks

That beautiful 6.3 is for sale now!

That sail looks very nice!

from my experience:

Changing the shape/taper of the front of the batten in cam sails makes very little difference and can actually destroy cam rotation, or lead to other issues with it. On most sails the profile shape is pretty much locked in by the sail shaping and changing the batten tips has little or no effect on it.

Changing the rear part of the battens can make a HUGE difference. Softening can allow the draught to move back, stiffening can really stabilise the draught. I am almost always looking to use the stiffest battens possible on the rear end of the battens. But some gains can be made in certain conditions by using softer battens around the boom to allow the draught to be a bit further back.

Do you rig the exactly the same for fin & foil? I use the Patrik GT3 5.0-7.4 for both and love this rig on both fin & foil. I aim to rig them the same way regardless of fin or foil. To spec & only maybe -1cm on DH. Lots of adj for draft with OH.

i would leave the battens alone. a lot of testing was done on batten stiffness!!! Hours and hours. you do need to adjust the tension on the battens they dont look good. Which mast are running?