Large sails: cam or no-cam?

Dear wsfrs,

Can you share your experience with the larger sails (8.0-9.5) and
express your opinions about cam vs. no-cam sails?

Which ones are better? Easier to handle? Larger wind range?

Thank you.

I own (and sail) an 8.5 XT2 Sailworks Cammed sail, and a
9.5 Retro No Cam sail. As far as I can tell (presuming adjustments
for size). The only advantage the cammed sail has is a little extra
glide in holes. The no cam does require more constant tuning also.
I'm not a race kinda guy, so take that into consideration. I have
these
huge sails to get me planed up early. Both sails are pretty easy to
rig, but I won't be buying another cammed sail. The no cams work
just as well (maybe a little better) for my sailing.

-Craig


On Aug 5, 12:22 pm, sergey.kun...@ wrote:
> Dear wsfrs,
>
> Can you share your experience with the larger sails (8.0-9.5) and
> express your opinions about cam vs. no-cam sails?
>
> Which ones are better? Easier to handle? Larger wind range?
>
> Thank you.

Per sergey.kunkov@:
>Which ones are better? Easier to handle? Larger wind range?

I'm only experienced up to 7.5.

Having said that, one has to define "wind range".

If the definition includes not getting overwhelmed by killer
gusts when sailing ludicrously over-powered, I'd give the nod to
non-cammed sails. Reason: you can luff them and they go flat.
OTOH, you try to luff a cammed sail and the cams are still
creating a foil whether you want it or not.

OTOH, if you mean the ability to go into a hole, lose the wind,
and then come out of it as fast as possible; cams seem to have
the edge. Reason: when you finally do get a little wind on the
sail, it's already got a shape. You don't lose the time/energy
it takes to fill the sail. Same thing when responding to little
puffs in light air.

OTOOH, I'm guessing (maybe somebody who actually knows can
comment) that a few pumps on either sail creates a more-or-less
equal situation.


Easier to handle? I think it goes to camless no matter what.


"Better"? Neither one. "Horses for courses." It's a matter
of what one wants the sail to do and under what conditions they
want it done.
--
PeteCresswell

All my big sails used to have cams. From 8.0 to 9.5, between 2 and 4
cams. My favourite sail of all time was a 2000 Gaastra GTX 2 cam. I
thrashed that sail big time. Then I worked out a good deal with the
local Simmer retailer and went to zerosevens which are their 7 batten
RAF sails.

At first I didn't like the 9m. It felt a little gutless, a little
"squishy" compared to the solid cammed feeling. In fact almost from
the start of owning this sail, I told myself when I came to upgrade
it, I'd be back on a cam sail...no question.

Over the weekend I demo'd a 2 cam 8.5m freerace sail...and hated it.
Particularly in the gusts where I found it to be hard to depower,
always "on" and I really got worked in winds I thought I'd be Ok on
the Simmer.

Could be the Simmer is a better sail, or I had the 2 cam rigged wrong.
Either way, I'm staying with RAF.