How to do a racing jibe in windsurfing ? What is the better type of sail to try to do is first racing jibe (wave sail or slalom sail) ?
You can see a video of the professional windsurfer Anders Bringdal here.
Waves sail pro:
Waves sail cons:
Slalom sail pro
Slalom sail cons
Slalom sail
These sails are all about speed. If you want to travel fast, get a Slalom sail. They reach such high speed because they have special "chambers" that are inside the sail and clip onto the mast. Although speed comes with a price since you do have to exert a little more effort to turn this type of sail
Tuning a Slalom sail to extract maximum speed is great fun and can become a technical as you'd like. Many of the pro's record measurements such as boom height, downhaul and outhaul after each session so they can accurately reproduce a sweet setting. Most slalom/speed sails are from 6.0 to 10.0 meters.
Wave sail
Wave sales are built for somebody who is starting out in the sport. They are meant to get beat up. generally reinforced to be able to handle the beating they'll receive when you get it wrong. If you wreck with this type of sail, it will come out of the water perfectly fine, unlike the slalom which might be in pieces. Wave sails are also very easy to handle, which makes turning a lot easier. The rear of the sale is also cut high to avoid getting it caught in surf. The downside for wave sails is that you don't get the speed of a slalom sail. But it is more sturdy, easier to handle and great for beginners. Sizes are generally 3.5 to 5.5 meters
