Suggested sail size?

[shmish]

I’ve been keeping my eye for a while now, looking for a sail smaller than 4.2. My current wave-ish sails are 4.2, 4.6 and 5.0. All sailworks revolutions from 2008 that I picked up a couple of years ago for peanuts. I may end paying a reasonable amount for a smaller sail because of availability and because I’ll have to get a mast too, probably along with a RDM mast extension, so I want to make sure I get the right size. I haven’t been out a lot this fall/winter because of work but it seems to me that 4.5 is pretty popular for people that are maybe 20-30 lbs heavier than me.

A few weeks ago I would have thought 3.7 would be good for me, and as my older sails get replaced I could go 3.7, 4.5, 5.0. With a 3.5, I think it would be 3.5, 4.2, 5.0. The way things have gone the past week or two, I wonder if something even smaller would get the most use.

I also have a 1993 3.3 Revolution. I feel like it has a pretty small wind window, I felt I went from underpowered to overpowered really quickly. I don’t know if this is the nature of small sails, nature of the older design, or my skill level.

[Domd]

I have Revo's also 3.8 4.2 and 5.0. I weigh 200 pds with a quite a small board at 70L.
I use the same sails for foiling but I guess your question relates more to regular windsurfing.
There's a few things to consider. If you get a 3,7 or 3,8 with your current setup you're golden. You already have 0.4 increments in size which in larger sails is narrow but makes more sense in smaller sizes. If you switch your 4.2 to a 4.5 then you will have a 0.8 difference to go to your 3.7 which in these winds is enormous. By the time it is windy enough to get your 3.7 out, you will be in total survival mode on your 4.5. You want to have a bit of an overlap in sail range so that you avoid being in that survival situation or even worse, you get on the 3.7 because you cant handle the 4.5 anymore but it's still not quite windy enough for a 3.7...Frustrating! So keep the quiver as is, and add a smaller size which will make everything more manageable. Buying a RDM is definitely a good idea. In fact switching to RDM's is a great idea. With that quiver, you can get away with 2 masts. I have only a 400 that covers me for everything. I have more recent Revos so the luff length is shorter so for the 5.0 and 4.2 its perfect but a bit stiff and long for the 3.8 but it still works very well for me at my heavier weight. As for your 1993 3.3 you are right, the range in these years was very narrow and in any case winds that strong are very gusty so it's hard to keep in control anyway. Good luck!

[Michael]

If you get a 3,7 or 3,8 with your current setup you're golden.

I think this is spot on! Get a 3.7 or 3.8 revo with a sailworks backbone 370 or Nolimits skinny 370. The backbone mast is bomber! The days you will need something smaller are rare but you could always pick up a 3.4 down the road, if you want you can have my 3.3 Ezzy wave.

[arg]

I concur with the above two posts.
In addition, is any one of your current sails about to rip and become unusable?
Which sail size do you tend to reach for the most at your most commonly sailed spots?
Do you have a board that is well matched to sub 4.2 sails?
Answer the above questions first, as that may take priority.

It is the ratio of the sail size difference divided by the size of the larger sail that is critical to maximizing sailing enjoyment versus pain to your wallet. So for your 4.2 and 4.6, that gives a ratio of 0.4/4.6=0.087 which is a bit low. And the 4.6 to 5.0 is 0.4/5=0.08. A new for you 3.8 (or 3.7) would yield a ratio of ~<0.12. If you want to ever invest in a new quiver, think about these ratios and for sure build the new quiver around the presumably newest small sail in your quiver. These ratios are typically in the 0.1 to 0.12 range for small sails, and the ratio can increase for larger sails sizes as the power of the wind speed exponentially drops. There are lots of sources of information for this quiver building sail size ratio. Good luck.

For reference, I have 3.7, 4.2, 4.8, 5.3, and a couple of big sails. With these smaller sails, I most often reach for a 84 L wave board, but in really nukin' conditions, with the 3.7, I'll grab my smallest board at 75 L. I weight 75 kgs + wetsuit + harness + yesterday's beers...

[shmish]

Thanks everyone.
Domd - I'm using these sails with a foil too. Skinny it will be...
Michael - thanks, it wouldn't hurt to grab that 3.4 from you if it needs a home
arg - I have a 71 L, 84 L and 115 L freeride boards. With a 3.7 I can eventually migrate to 3.7, 4.2, 4.7, 5.5 (I have a 2019 Retro) if some sails fail. I'm 66 kgs + gear. I think 5.0 was my most used sail at Squamish but I might do more windfoiling this year which means 4.2 and smaller.

It sounds like 3.7 is the way to go and fingers crossed all these sails will last me many more years.