Why dont the factory just make it that way if its better

you are crazy. I like it 🙂

Wow! What a tip! Thanx a lot!

I really like your last advice: keep the sails that you really like, new models are not always necessarily better. As windsurfers we tend to always look out for new gear, but if your current gear works well for you, just enjoy it.

This is very interesting. The sailworks hucker sails use this idea, a lot of tension for high end stability, and more shape and a tightish leach up top for power, to cover a huge wind range. When i tried a race sail after the hucker, i was left wondering what the point of carrying around so much loose flapping sailcloth was.

I assume that you measure the different amount of stretching/cutting for each batten beforehand, having rigged the standard sail and downhauled it, ...maybe you could show the measuring process.

So the big question is 'Do other pros modify their sail cut too'? Or indeed do they choose 'a good one'? Would show if this is personal preference or widespread. I've always found the aerodynamics of lose leech hard to square with other windsport development. OTH many of us will have experienced that 'pull without lift' from tight leeches - but perhaps that is the indeed lack of skin tension. It is undeniable that many/most sails have some ugly creases when static.

Very interesting. How much are you spending per sail getting the sailmaker to modify it?

Hallo Woitek, do you use the recommend mast? RDM or SDM?

If you use a bit less downhaul, would not that give the same effect?

Does the adjustable outhaul system helps for the stability/speed of the sail? I never used it cause i am bored

Wojtek, how mast-specific is this? If you cut your sail like this and your mast breaks, will the sail work fine with another one of the same model or another one within the spec?

So basically you reduce the amount of loose leech in the sail by quite a bit. A normal sailor would just decrease downhaul to have a tighter leech, but by doing so would reduce the skin tension of the whole sail as well. And reducing the overall skin tension makes the sail less stable in gusts. How do your sails behave in heavy gusts? Obviously the mast still flexes leeward and lets the leech open to let off excessive power. Does it feel a bit more top heavy after the recut? Interesting nonetheless!

Hi Wojtek, how can your sail be less overpowered if the leech is less loose? How can the sail manage to let the wind escape when the gust hits?

Ahh I always thought that there was something funny going on with the leech innyour sails when I watched your video’s! It’s very interesting…but no drawbacks? You don’t mention any drawbacks. Also, the sail designers of the big brands such as severne, duotone, neil pryde are no fools and don’t ignore such gains for no reason. So why are they not doing this? There must be a good reason, as like i said they’re not stupid and they know what they’re doing. That being said, thanks for sharing this, sharing one of your secrets!

8 years continuous Use of new Severn Sail The old R8 works better for me than the Mach 5 The newest slalom sails are not always the best. I can understand your theory. Please dismantle the old sail and explain it to me. I'd like to modify mine.

So you are giving the sail almost an old school profile, like a neilpride from the 90s? I always felt something was wrong when watching races of modern super big and floppy sails not only not going faster than in the 90s but also losing confort and gybe speed.. (I must be wrong, but it feels counter intuitive to progress towards something bigger for similar results) (Yes, I´m an old dude XD)

So, i like a lot your videos, but this time i have to disagree....you are changing the caractheristics of the sail, severne is always very Open in the low and Middle leech, more than others, thats what makes a superb sail....so in theory every sailbrand is opening too much the leech? They dont test them?

Hope Ben Severne is watching this, he can learn a thing or two ;) Quite bizar, a Severne-sponsored professional rider with 20 years of sail-development experience re-cuts the sails from his sponsor, more or less 'by default' after receiving the latest models, to fix what is wrong with them. I would say you are sailing for the wrong brand! If a wrinkle in a panel half way is noticeable in performance, how bad is an uphaul cord ? I would expect disturbances near the leading edge are even worse? I noticed you don;t have an uphaul cord mounted. Not a coincidence?

This doesn't make sense to me. If it were a good solution then the sail makers would be doing it already. I suspect what you are actually doing is tuning your sails to work really well in a narrower wind range. Having an open leech improves a sail in low winds as it prevents stall, and in high winds helps depower in gusts. The only time you would want a tighter leech is in moderate winds for the sail size. For me then, this solution will mean I have to buy more sails as each sail is now only suitable for a more narrow wind range. For racers, who I understood tend to sail in the overpowered zone of each sail, surely s loose leech helps them to control the gust that otherwise would totally destroy their speed on these recut sails.