Hi Erez,

for an excellent DIY folding sail rig, which does not interfere with your paddle stroke have a look at http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/mag/36/osdgl.html This design was later published in Sea kayaker Magazine in Seattle.

The NSWSeaKayaker is the magazine of the New South Wales Sea Kayak Club, in Australia.

There are other sail rigs from the Tasmanian Sea Canoe Club and the Maatsuyyker Canoe Club at http://www.vision.net.au/~jennings/sail/sail.html and http://www.tassie.net.au/~lford/sails.htm

My lateen sail rig will be published in the NSWSeaKayaker in October 2000.

If you are seriously considering a kayak sail, then you should also consider parafoil kite rigs or sled kites. The disadvantage of these is that they tend to pull you into trouble - it can take minutes to launch or retrieve a kite, meanwhile you're still moving ...

Key features of a good sail rig are: * low centre of effort - keep the capsizing forces low to the deck * far enough forward to stay out of your normal paddle stroke * simple rigging

The best designs will allow you to dismast, fold up and stow your sail rig after you capsize and before you roll back up. That's about ten seconds, under pressure. You _will_ capsize, on occasion, when playing with sails on kayaks.

In my opinion, spinnakers are hopeless. They are downwind only, they are very unstable as they flog around and they need all your concentration all of the time. In contrast, My lateen and Norm Sanders' sprit sail are very relaxing to use. These two rigs, and the rigs the Tasmanians use, allow you to reach up to 90 degrees off the wind, depending on your hull. I have even seen a Pittarak (similar to Derek Hutchinsons "Icefloe") crawling upwind with a Tassie-style sprit sail!

Sails tend to work best in winds from 10 knots to 30 knots or so. A high degree of skill can make it possible to sail in winds over 30 knots, but at those wind speeds, your paddling companions will probably go just as fast, just with the wind pressure on their backs.

Good luck with your sailing.

Andrew Eddy

: Hello all,

: I'm looking for published articles on kayak sailing, & kayak sailing rigs
: articles that were published on sea kayaker magazine or any other
: magazine.

: can anybody tell me the name of the article & what issue was it published
: in ?

: any help appreciated.

: Erez