Interview Jesper Orth AUS 10 Teamrider of KaSails and RRD
One of the most recent teamrider changes in the windsurf world, we all have read about in the media, was that of Jesper Orth (AUS 10) going to KaSails.
Time for Localsailing to ask some questions about Jesper's specific trim and tune tips of his new gear. Jesper is giving us very extensive info about how he is tuning the KaSail Koncept, in combination with the RRD boards and Vector fins. If you want to be in front part of your slalom fleet, then read on!!
LOCALSAILING: Jesper I was quite surprised to see pictures of you of the Lancelin slalom race using the KaSails Koncept. Why did you prefer to use the Koncept instead of the KaRace?
JESPER: I actually only had some of the Koncept sails (8.3 and 6.4) available to me at that time. I had only been sent a few sails to try and I was still looking at my options with other sail brands. Now looking back it was pretty much the slalom race in Lancelin that convinced me about the great performance of the Koncept, and their potential for PWA racing.
LOCALSAILING: Can you explain to us what the main differences are between the Koncept and the Race and when to use the different types. I always thought that the Koncept was a 100% speed dedicated sail for the GPS and speed records?
JESPER: Koncept was originally designed as a 100% speed dedicated sail. It is designed for speed on a broad reach. However, this hasn’t been to the detriment of the sail in general sailing use and can be used for speed/ slalom sailors all the way down to freeriders. It’s also a more user-friendly sail than the race sail. When you point the sails off the wind you will instantly feel the acceleration, speed and comfort. The KA race is developed to perform better on a reach and pointing slightly better upwind (figure 8 slalom). It feels a little more stable in the hands, and might handle the top end speed a bit easier on a reach. Entry foil on the KA race is finer than the Koncept. I would say that the Koncept is a more “active” sail to use for slalom. I mean this in a good way as you always have the power to play with there on the backhand, but you have to be aware of this and maybe change your sailing style a touch. The KA race is more stable, and you don’t have to adjust and move around to master it.
LOCALSAILING: What can you tell us about the wind range of the Koncept and the Race? Nowadays it is very important with the PWA63 rule to be able to cover a wide wind range per sail. It is even more important for these long distance races when you don't exactly know what wind variations you will meet on the way.
JESPER: Downwind Slalom races are often just 3-5min races. What you need is power, acceleration and good rotation for the jibes. You won’t run out of power with the Koncept. For long distance it is a lot about comfort. I would say if the long distance is more like a figure 8, then the KA race would be the logical choice. The more down wind the course is the more it will favor the Koncept. For the PWA I would say that 6 sails are plenty to cover all conditions. I like the fact that with the Koncept sails you can use a slightly smaller size, compared to other brands. In the jibes you have an advantage in my opinion, as the Koncept don't have as long boom length as other race sails and the fact that the sleeve is narrower with just 3 cambers makes the jibe very fast and easy.
LOCALSAILING: How and when you trim your sails (Koncept) differently for different occasions in respect to sail shape; depth (where and how much), loose leech, etc? occasions like Slalom races , speed sessions but also long distance races?
JESPER: I would say there is not much difference in the rigging. I would rather use a little less downhaul than too much to make sure the leech engages all the time. If you over downhaul the sail you kill the performance. If I have too much power on the backhand and leech, then I will adjust the boom lower, mast track a little forward, loosen the batten tension a touch (over the boom) and try a slightly softer mast.
LOCALSAILING How do you prefer the set-up of board, rig and fin (what works best for you) when you have a down wind slalom race and when you need to sail higher courses (figure 8 style slalom).
JESPER: The things I adjust are as follows. Slightly higher boom for downwind, mast track a little further back, slightly longer harness lines, smaller fin and less outhaul.
For figure 8 slalom it is the opposite. Many times the changes are only small. If there are 2 clew eyelets then normally I would use the top one for downwind and the bottom one for figure 8 slalom. If you play with masts, then normally I find the softer one is a bit better for figure 8.
LOCALSAILING: Can you tell us about the trim of your sails in general in respect to boom height, downhaul and outhaul tension? And does this vary for you depending on the conditions? (chop, swell, flat, gusty, etc).
JESPER: I nearly never touch the downhaul setting when I find a good one. I adjust the outhaul the most. I would almost always sail with the sail very deep (touching the boom). As my style is very much towards downwind slalom, then I guess I am always looking for a powerful set up with good control. For flat water I would tighten the outhaul slightly and for choppy water I would release the outhaul slightly. I find a lot of control with a deep and soft foil as it keeps the board more down in the water, this can of course be slow if the conditions are flat and you can allow the gear to "fly free" a bit more, so here I would adjust a little.
LOCALSAILING: Looking at the PWA 63 slalom rule, what sails sizes are you going to use? And in combination with what board sizes. (RRD Xfire's)
JESPER: I’m currently still testing the sizes in Koncept and KArace and it might end up with a mixture of both ranges? With the RRD Xfire boards I will probably go with the 122, 102 and 90. But the 112 are also very good so it is a hard choice really. It just depends what sails works best on the different boards. I’m trying to keep my setup as simple as I can, so you are never in doubt what size sail and board to race.
LOCALSAILING: Jesper, you are also a team rider for RRD. Maybe you can tell us a bit about the boards that you use? And perhaps some special RRD Xfire tuning tips.
JESPER: I have been very lucky to sign up with RRD for this year. When I tried the boards last season they left a very good impression and I knew they were onto something really good. I have now tested all the Xfire boards over 2-3 months , and I’m very happy with the performance all through the range. They are very comfortable to sail, the stance is just right. The rail shape makes your feet feel at home at all times. Jibing is smooth and easy and you don’t have to “angle” them in any special way to get a good jibe, they just throw you around every time with ease.
LOCLSAILING: what fins types are you using and why?
JESPER: I have been using fins from Jeff Fagerholm (Vector Fins Maui) for some years now and we have a good relationship. I frequently testing new models for him and give feedback. For the RRD I’m still testing what fins to use from Vector. First I used way to big fins on them. Soon I realized that I could use quite small fins. My favourite for each size is the 122 = 42, 112 = 38, 102 = 34, 90 = 32. I have used the G-10 Canefire model, but also mix it up with some molded Canefire fins that Jeff just send me.
LOCALSAILING: You just started with KaSails, what will be your first design job? Where are you going to put the focus on the coming time with KaSails?
JESPER: Everything is quite new for me with KA and we are currently sketching up our plan for the next year. As with any sail brand at the start of a new year it always seems like there is a lot to do as we strive to improve. The main focus for me will be working with the rest of the team on all fronts to push KA forward. I have found the current designs and ranges very good indeed, but there is of course room for improvement. There are some very talented persons involved in the brand. We have Martin Love who is an award winning industrial designer in the car industry. From him the brand gains a lot of valuable input towards the graphic and many other aspects. The European importer Peter Weitenberg is also very involved on many levels, and has a lot of constructive feedback. Andrew (KA owner) himself is the “anchor” in the business and overlooks every move and decisions and is active in all design changes etc. All in all it is a very unique team with a lot of skills.
LOCALSAILING: Years ago when North sails and Hood sails (in yachting business) were competing, North sails had a competitive edge being one of the first sail designers to make use of computers. And so, could easily replicate the sails designs without making and modifying huge templates. These times are the past of course but have been very important for the sail makers market in every field.
When you design sails what tools do you use? Do you make use of an extensive database? And what computer design tool do you use? What is so good or easy about it?
JESPER: I’m not sure if many people know that the sail design software McSail that is used by many of the biggest sail brands, is owned and made by Andrew himself. He is the mastermind behind all the programming and numbers. I’m very convinced with all his knowledge that we will be on the very front in terms of using the best technology, and it gives us a huge advantage. I’m still learning more towards the technical side of things, and can gain a lot from Andrew’s insight. To have a big data base of sails through the years is very important indeed. Often you would go back and look at a sail file many years ago, because you knew this sail had just the right leech twist, and then I look at another sail file where for example the luff curve was nice. In the end you have a lot of valuable information you can use to progress into the new designs.
LOCALSAILING: When are you planning to break the 50 knots barrier?
JESPER: It is small steps at the time. My focus has mostly been on the slalom sailing, -. I use the GPS a lot and I'm on a team of the GPS team challenge. For me the nautical mile is a better challenge for me right now (on the slalom gear) as it tells a bit more if the gear is comfortable,
if you can go high speed for a great distance – like in slalom races. I will hopefully have some days in Sandy Point in the near future and start to tune my gear up for some speed runs. The KA team sailors are already pushing the 50kt barrier. 2 sailors have broken the 50knots for 2 sec, on the Koncepts and others are just behind.
LOCALSAILING: You will compete in the PWA, what is your goal for 2010?
JESPER: Top 10. Last season I did more finals then any other year, but my overall result would swing a bit, as there were also very bad races etc. It takes a long time to do consistently well in PWA slalom, and I guess that is why we see the guys with the most experience are normally winning. It is all an exciting mission for me as it is a lot of pieces you have to put together to perform well. I'm looking forward to this season.
KA Sails Australia
LOCALSAILING: Thanks for sharing the trim and tuning tips with us via this very nice interview, Jesper. It has been very informative. We wish you all the best in achieving your goals for 2010.
