Vincent's Workshop: Camber

Vincent Langer

, Manuel Vogel

· 11.07.2014

Vincent's Workshop: Camber

Heavy, unwieldy, expensive - these are still the preconceptions about camber sails. But if you set up your stuff correctly, even ambitious hobby racers can get a lot out of it. Vincent Langer reveals which adjustments are worth making.

Vincent Langer gives professional tips on camber sails: construction, storage and how to solve problems with bouncing or stubborn cambers.

In a small wind window, camberless sails are on a par with freerace or racing sails. If the wind conditions change, the sail comes up trumps with its small plastic braces. Thanks to the pre-shaped, harder profile, it maintains speed for longer even in lighter winds and is easier to control when the wind picks up. What few people realise is that camber has to be adjusted first.

Vincent Langer reveals his profit tricks

Spacers" are used to change the contact pressure of the camber on the mast. This allows you to adjust the hardness of the profile, change the leech in the top and improve the rotational characteristics. I will explain the most important tricks below. Have fun with it! Your Vincent Langer

1. assembly and storage of camber sails Assembly: Folding the camber can only work afterwards if you thread the mast over the camber! (1). Sequence: Pre-tension the luff, mount the boom and pull through the trim sheet, fold the camber, pull through the luff finally. Dismantling: Reverse the order of assembly. The "Hau-Ruck method", in which everything is simply slackened until the camber flies off by itself, quickly ends with broken battens!

Storage: Camber sails should not be stored rigged for days on end. For longer breaks you can relax the luff a little (this protects the mast and sail) and leave the camber folded up. Unfolded camber often presses heavily against the mast sleeve (2), which is detrimental to durability. If you pull the sail over the tarmac, the mast sleeve is quickly worn through. Vincent's TIP: Leave the camber folded up during longer breaks and only relax the luff slightly. Take the sail down completely overnight!

Spacers work like washers (4) and ... (Spacers are included with all camber sails, often even in different thicknesses. You can use them to fine-tune your sails).

... are inserted between the batten and camber (5). This gives the camber more contact pressure, which makes the sail more stable. Simply remove the camber, place the spacer in between and attach it again.

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Photo: Manuel Vogel

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Vincent's Workshop: Camber

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