Rule 23.

[Martin_Cph]

23. WIND INDICATORS
(a)​

​

​

Wind indicators may be attached as desired​

provided the sail is not cut and the buoyancy
qualities of the hull and mast are not impaired.​

(b)​

​

​

Ribbons, wool or similar wind indicators may be
attached to the sail.

So lets have it - what works best and why?​

 

[dredies]

After reading Frank Bethwaite's "High Performance Sailing", I was convinced that mast head indicators were the way to go. What swayed me to the more common mast mount (Little Hawk II, Kingfisher, C-Vane, etc.) is the fact that it's at eye-level, letting you watch for the shifts without having to crane your head skyward. A couple of tell-tales are great for upwind, but I find the indicator very helpful for downwind angles.

 

[ChalmersP]

Ive got 2 sets of the wool tell tales on my sail along with 2 sets of the really light material tales, the wool ones work great when they are somewhat wet, and the light material ones work really well when its light! Hope this is what your looking for
ChalmersP

 

[Rob B]

Tell tails on the luff of the sail and a C-Vane just below the goose neck on the mast.

 

[AlanD]

So lets have it - what works best and why?​

[/left]

What ever works for you. Virtually no one runs a similar set up. ​

For me, multiple set of wool tell tails positioned 30% of the way back on the sail and at the 25, 50 and 75% of the way up the sail, further, with the 25%, I have a set positioned 200mm further forward and 200mm further back. I've used these identical locations for 15-20 years, although I admit, one or two sets are obsolete. I also use a Hawk wind indicator mounted forward of the gooseneck. The higher indicators are more useful for reaching and the bottom ones for going upwind. ​

Despite having all this, much of the time I don't use any of the above, unless I feel the boat not going as fast as it should be for the conditions, they are more for confirming that the sail is set optimally. Keeping your head out of the boat and sailing by feel is generally more important.​

Edit: I used to have them on the luff at the 25, 50 and 75% positions, but generally with a laser sail, I found them not to really function as well as the ones further forward.

 

[Strangler]

I came to Lasers after 30 years of 2 person boats so was used to jib tell tales upwind and burgee running. My Laser came with a Little Hawk for mounting under gooseneck. I thought it would be too low to be much use. But I tried it and gradually got more and more impressed with it. One time I had a guy to leeward, he had a burgee. I could see I was reacting a second or two quicker to the small lifts [6 knots], thanks to the hawk.
I mount it upside down if its likely to be a crowded startline - less chance of it being pulled off by a wayward windward boom/sheet.

 

[Deimos]

I mount it upside down if its likely to be a crowded startline - less chance of it being pulled off by a wayward windward boom/sheet.

I had always wondered why some people mount them upside down. I had always thought that the friction when upside down would be greater (when "correct way up", it is rotating on a point rather than on the flat retainer surfaces).

Ian

 

[glasky]

Check out the phesant feather masthead wind indicator from Bethwaite Design - this trully is the best - but can get expensive if you asil in waters where the mast can end up in the mud on most capsizes. In the latter case sail 'tufts' are the best compromise as long as you include a set above the insignia at or below the top batten height and about 35-40% of chord from mast to give feedback in light airs.

 

[LooserLu]

Hi,
usually I only need a windindicator to recognize raw the winddirection. Therefore the windindicator "Surfpilot" has been approved well, for me. The smal red indicator is able to be replaced, if it got broken, damaged or lost.

Ciao
LooserLu