Twenty-five years since Malena received her cambered-panel sail.

  • 08 Jun 2019 21:25
    Reply # 7567249 on 7550336

    I recall reading, somewhere,  that innovative ideas take about 15 years ,on average, to go from introduction to acceptance and wide spread use.

    I hope that helps. You're in good company, Arne.

    All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.  --- Arthur Shopenhauer

  • 03 Jun 2019 09:42
    Reply # 7552523 on 7550336
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Spreading the news in JRA surely was slow before we got a website in 2010. My story about that new sail was signed the 4. Dec 1994, but when NL 29 landed on my doormat (3.3.95), there was nothing about it there. Only in NL 30 (8.9.95) was the story included. In other words, it took one year and three months from bending on the sail, to showing it in the NL.

    I wonder if the lack of interest in the nineties partly stemmed from the busy discussions around Bunny Smith’s Insect Flight Theory (IFT) and development around this.

    Things slowly started to change after the first JRA rally in Stavanger in 2004. Robin Blain sailed my Johanna, and appeared to be surprised by her narrow tacking angle. Slieve McGalliard  wrote a comprehensive technical report from that rally in JRA NL 44 (Jan. 2005), which may have triggered a few.

    The web has changed this. Info flies infinitely faster: After my first sail this spring, at 4. April, I wrote about it the day after, and then it was instantly available to anyone.

    And they say everything was better in the old days  -  hah!


    Last modified: 03 Jun 2019 12:08 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 03 Jun 2019 08:57
    Reply # 7552483 on 7552120
     but his persistence has finally paid of and so many can now benefit from his work. Well done mate.


    Yes indeed!

  • 03 Jun 2019 01:51
    Reply # 7552120 on 7550336
    Anonymous wrote:

    Yesterday it was twenty-five years since I brought the home-made, blue, cambered-panel sail aboard in Malena. The first sail trip was made just a few days later. The photos below were taken a month later. As can be seen, Malena only sets six panels here, awaiting a new, taller and hollow mast to be constructed.


    The sad thing, it took more than fifteen years before people actually started listening to what Arne had to say... but his persistence has finally paid of and so many can now benefit from his work. Well done mate.
  • 02 Jun 2019 22:20
    Reply # 7551618 on 7550336

    Gosh, Arne.  It's hard to believe that was an 'experimental' sail.  I will be more than happy if I can get my sail to set as well, with the joint experience of 25 years of cambered-panel sail makers to draw on!  I remember reading about all this when we were in Spain, I think it was: in those days it took months to catch up with the latest ideas!

    It makes me feel old, though :-(

  • 02 Jun 2019 15:59
    Message # 7550336
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Yesterday it was twenty-five years since I brought the home-made, blue, cambered-panel sail aboard in Malena. The first sail trip was made just a few days later. The photos below were taken a month later. As can be seen, Malena only sets six panels here, awaiting a new, taller and hollow mast to be constructed.

    Both the way of making the camber and the way of assembling the sail along the battens were highly experimental. Still, the sail turned out to perform very well, and to my surprise and relief, it even held well together.

    When the sail finally fell apart, around 2010, it was due to the worn-out and sun-burnt nylon sailcloth. The seams still held up fine (polyester thread overspun with cotton). That sail never saw a sail cover.

    Some of you may recognise the photos from JRA NL 30. I found it was time to let you have them in colour...

    Cheers,
    Arne


    (Edit: Full size photos at Photo album "Arne's boats")


    Last modified: 28 May 2023 09:31 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
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