Ullman sails on Nacra F18

Just wondering, is it possible to use ullman sails (main, jib, probably made for a tiger) on a (old model) nacra f18?

Thanks

Sander

You could probably use the mainsail if you changed the halyard lock system/head board.
The jib and spinny would be sheeting at the wrong angles I think.

Why would the jib and spinny be at wrong angles?

As far as I know the Tiger mast is noticeably stiffer overall then the Nacra masts. Therefor using a Tiger main on the Nacra could make you end up with a mainsail that is far too flat to be competitive. There is not much you can do with tuning to correct that. This is certainly a thing to check.

Wouter

While on the topic of F18 sails that are not factory for that platform. Are there many yet who get sails cut by an experienced F18 sailmaker that are cut for a certain mast and even crew weight?
I ask because I have a Mystere Twister with original main and jib and eventually with the new full battened jib rule, getting a new set of sails, but not from factory (if they are even still around). We run a new Tiger spin that looks great, but would at some point be looking into a main and jib to stay competative.
cheers

Wouldn't a sail cut for a flexible mast (needing bend to flatten) be too full on a stiff mast, rather than too flat? Agree on the non-competitive assessment.

Andrew, that is the way I see it as well.
But get the luff curve wrong, and the sail is no good anyway for racing. As a fix, a sailmaker can adjust the luff curve, but it is a fix and not perfect. Max draft and amount of draft will not be as good as a sail designed for the mast.
Jib might be easier/better, if the forestay is is set up with the same bridle lengths and the distance from the forestay-selftacker is identical etc.

Andrew,




Sander is considering putting sails made for a Tiger (stiff mast) on to a Nacra (flexible mast), exactly the opposite of what you describe. In effect, your statement is beside the point, irrespectibally of the fact that is it in itself a true statement.

Wouter

I think the spinnaker luff on the Nacra F18 is a bit longer than that of the Tiger. By about 6 inches. The jib should work okay provided both are from self tacking boats setups. The luff of the mains are withing about 1/2 inch of each other, but you would need to change out the headboard.

You can do this if you are not interested in the fastest boat. The masts are very far apart in terms of stiffness. If you are getting all the sails for free and using them for pleasure sailing only I would say okay. If you are a racer I would say nay.

Jay and Pease Glaser can make you a sail based on your weight and mast bend. The problem may be determining how to relay the mast stiffness to them. Glaser Sails

Later,
Dan

So I guess that would not be a good idea, good to know.

I believe other sailmakers do make sails for the Nacra F18 (North, Glaser?) has anyone ever compared these to the standard performance sails?

Stay away from North, they don't appear to have figured out the shape for beach cats.

As mentioned before, the luff curve of a Tiger main may not match that of a Nacra mast, however if you realy want to, a sail maker can change this. This does not mean the luff curve of a factory Nacra main will be right for your crew weight as well. Sails are very personal and should me matched up with your mast bend properties, crew weight and race conditions (wind, waves).

As for the jib, if the luff length is close, it will be OK. Jibs have a fair bit of adjustment on the clew boards as sheeting angles change with mast rake.

As for kites, luff length is less important as you can always adjust your pole hight or halyard hight. Sheeting angle is the most important part. Most F18s have a fixed sheeting point which I am not a fan off as mast rake will also effect sheeting angle for kites. If you get a kite that has a different length foot, it will throw out your sheeting angle also.

As for sail makers, most of the reputable sail makers (if you choose not to go factory) know what they need to do ie shape and sheeting angles for the major F18 types and can also make personal changes to them to suit your weight / race conditions. For spinnaker shapes, the size of the fleet also comes into play. For small fleets, you want a kite with plenty of grunt for max VMG, whilst large fleet racing you will want a flatter kite for gaining hight if you need to attack or defend on the downwind. Some good aftermarket sail makes include Pablo from Ullman ITA, and Langy. Norths Brisbane, Australia also make some good kites but still working on their working sails. Gran Segel make great Tornado spinnakers, but don’t know if they have been successful with F18s.

Gran Segel in Malmø has some very nice spis for F-18s, but they are not as well known for them as for the Tornado spis.

I have a '05 Nacra F18 with a stock main, as well as an Ullman main. It fits perfectly ... No modifications necessary. I opted for new battens so I would not have to cut the ones from the original sail. Have only used it once but can notice the difference in the shape.

I have been using Ullman sails on an 05 Nacra F18 and they work great. The main is a little flatter than the stock sail and does not have as much sail up top but that may have changed.