Which Radial is Right

CM

New Member
I have recently Atkinsed myself down to size where I can use a Radial rig and sail. After borrowing and buying used radial sails, I realized that is just what they are used. I am going to buy a new Radial sail. My question is which sail is the better performer? Hyde? North? I think I will be using the Radial when winds are > 12 knots and my full rig <12 knots. Does one of the Radial sails perform better as winds increase? Is the price difference worth it?

Thanks

CM
 
Hi CM,

Being a Vanguard dealer and also having the same question I e-mailed Vanguard a few weeks back. The said simply that both sails are pretty much equal and the Hyde is only more expencive because it is not a huge seller (compared to the North sail) and it is manufactured in Europe. They also mentioned that some Olympic sailors in the Laser class feel that the Hyde sail is better but in the Radial class there really is no favorite.
 
Atkin diet!?!?!?!? Do you know how unhealthy that is for you. Tsk tsk...
 
I can't grow taller to increase my ability to hike further out of the boat, so the the only alternative is to decrease my mass to within the range of the Radial sail.

CM
 
I happen to own a ridiculous number of radial sails (6- 4 Norths and 2 Hydes). I have found that the Hydes last longer and are actually slightly different in sail shape and seemingly bigger (i placed a new Hyde on a new North and I do not know how this is legal but the Hydes passed inspection at the laser radial worlds twice); however, there seems to be little difference in speed when I have done speed testing with my cousin when we switch sails and we used different sails at the radial NAs (he got 6th and I got 7th, but he had amazing upwind boatspeed using a Hyde but at the worlds I had better upwind boatspeed with a Hyde). Surprisingly, the big difference is not the sailmaker but the sail style. If you are a bigger radial sailor (over 145lbs) you should use the MK5 not the MK6. The MK5s are discontinued but are so much bigger, which brings me back to the question on how these sail sizes are legal. For your money the MK5 North sail is the best sail sold in NA. The MK5 is the older model and does not have the blue corners.
 
i have just bought a brand new north mk 6. a fellow club member ordered a hyde mk 6.

after seeing the above post i called him to test mattsterett's theory/discovery.

we found the hyde was a bit bigger at the bottom of the leech and the north was slightly bigger at the top of the leech
 

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