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Home >> Technical >> Sail not responding when downhaul released
During the first 18 months of RS Aero production, until Dec 2015, RS Aero sails were supplied with non-elastic bolt ropes. There are not many of those still around as many of those original sails were upgraded retrospectively by RS.
Those sails with elasticated bolt ropes that are now approaching 9 years old will, over time, have some reduced elasticity in both the bolt rope and the sail cloth. The downhaul will still release on them but it wont spring up as keenly as on a fresh sail.

A couple of important things to consider to help easing the downhaul;
- The downhaul will not release easily up the mast whilst the kicker (vang) is tight as that bends the mast and reduces the tension in the downhaul. On releasing the kicker the sail will spring back up the mast as the mast straightens, if the downhaul line is released. So a technique is to release the downhaul and then release the kicker to make the sail move up the mast.
- Whist sailing downwind if you want the downhaul to go off further a useful technique is to release the kicker momentarily and then pull it back on to the original tension. If the downhaul line is slack, the sail will then creep up the mast as the kicker releases and the mast straightens.
- Have a bungee above the downhaul floating block pulling it up the mast. Therefore you can release line through the cleat, even if the sail does not move up the mast immediately,. Then when the kicker is released the slack in the downhaul ine will allow the sail to move up the mast.




Reply
25/01/2025 14:53:00
Peter Barton
Posts: 5139
I have a similar problem with my 9 sail. When I hoist my sail, the head of the sail is close (2-3 cm) to the eylet on top of the mast, and the lower thimble is near the end of the rail. When I use the downhaul during my ride, the sail itself seems to stretch itself. The distance between sail head and eylet become up to 10 cm and the sail neck remains more or less on the boom. I have a rubber leash to bring back the sail neck to a higher level, but for my opinion the sail became to old and lost it´s inner tension and must be replaced. The good thing is, fully dressed my weight is 110 kg, so I can sail the 9 sail under all conditions without using the trim lines :-) Hiking and easing the sail is enough.


Reply
14/07/2024 13:22:00
neonerl
Posts: 14
No, it should 'bounce' back up. I was told some of the older sails aren't as elastic so people use shock cord to help. See tip 2 on this blog:

https://www.roostersailing.com/blogs/tuning-guide/aero-upgrade



Reply
14/07/2024 11:18:00
Miles
Posts: 1
Hi,

when i hoist my 7 sail there is normally 3cm between the bottom of the tack and the bottom of the track. However, if i apply a little bit of downhaul, bringing the sail down to just above the end of the track, the sail does not go up again when i release the downhaul. 

Is this normal?

Kind Regards,
Brendan




Reply
16/05/2024 14:57:00
brendan.oleary@tpg.com.au
Posts: 1


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