"We are dedicated to innnovation, combined with proven aerodynamic principles. Changes are only considered if they make the sail perform better, last longer or easier to use. Our success is defined by the confidence of every Windwing sailor." .... Bill Hansen.
BM: Tell us a little bit about yourself. How and when did you get into
windsurfing and begin designing sails?
BH: Sailing and aerodynamics has been a lifelong passion - I don't know
exactly why. Perhaps some sort of latent viking genes from my ancestors,
and my exposure to airplanes (my father had several during my childhood.)
I won an Outstanding Illinois State Science award as a seventh grader with
a wind tunnel in which a scale airplane could be flown, and later became a
licensed pilot at the minimum age. Serious sailing began in college and later,
as a physicist at UC Berkeley, I was very active in several one-design
classes on San Francisco Bay winning numerous season championships,
single handed races, specialty regattas, etc. I also lived on a 49' classic
ketch for close to 10 years during this period and made/altered my own
yacht racing sails as a hobby.
Windsurfing really began as a diversion from competitive sailing in 1982
- no crew, no haulouts, no protest meetings - just pure fun on the water.
I bought an original windsurfer, looked at the sail and knew I could do
better. I immediately made a 60 sq ft sail with full battens and a short (6')
boom. With this, and several subsequent high-aspect fully battened sail/rigs,
I quickly became a proficient windsurfer and graduated to short boards in
record time (for those days). It wasn't long before people were asking for
them and Windwing was born. The bird logo came from observing the ease
with which seagulls fly and their constant presence along the coastal waters
also seemed appropriate.
BM: When you began making sails, did you design them strictly for certain
conditions found in the Bay area? Were these sails more race oriented or
bump/wave oriented?
BH: Well, both race and wave actually. Originally, the sails were more long
board regatta type sails, but my interest quickly graduated to wave sailing at
Waddell Creek which was just beginning and I had seen enough of the Bay
racing sailboats. The better local racers came around looking for these new,
fully battened sails and they were also wave riders, so I did both. It was a
natural since the short booms, and full battens were perfect for the surf and
my yacht racing background made race sails an easy task. Regarding the
Bay's conditions, Northern California has such a variety of conditions, flat
water, bump, river, lake, coastal surf - I never considered (and still don't) that sails, which worked there, wouldn't work anywhere. Several of
the major windsurfing sail designers like Barry Spanier, Larry Herbig and
Monty Spindler are from the Bay area, so it obviously is a very special place
to sail and learn sailmaking.
BM: Which lines do enjoy most designing, race or wave?
BH: Hmmmm, I never had to choose before.
I really enjoy all kinds of sails because they each have a difficult set of criteria
and problems to solve. Wave sails can be fun to design because of the
potential for graphic appeal, but I'm too conservative to make that a primary
emphasis. Our wave sails are less well-known but making waves in today's
market because this type of sailing is still a primary passion for me. In fact, I
try to get to the coast, or ride swells, whenever possible and have made many
coastal trips so far this year to the Santa Cruz area (Waddell, Scott's and Davenport), Southern Oregon (Pistol River) and Hatteras. The new Interface
is a prime example of our dedication to a truly versatile and durable wave sail.
Race sails are also very interesting and our new Race CS design represents a
fresh approach to solving the race sail problem. A lot is going on with race
sails today, but for me the ultimate race sail would be one that we would all
use, whether we race or not, because it is the fastest and best handling sail.
That was my original goal when I started making windsurfing sails, and here it
is almost 16 years later and I'm still working on this problem. I try to use
experience and a combination of basic design principles to achieve the best
combination of range, speed, and upwind VMG, without sacrificing user-
friendliness. The new Race CS is the closest I've gotten and it certainly has
turned more than a few heads with its surprisingly easy rigging and handling.
For the first time in years, recreational sailors are picking it as the sail they most
want to use and dedicated racers are winning with the same sail.
BM: Did setting up a R& D loft in the Gorge have any influence on your sail
designs or change your thoughts about how your sails were currently
designed?
BH: Not really. The move was a business and personal lifestyle decision. I
grew up in a small town and have always enjoyed the area since my first
sailing trip to the Gorge in 1983. I usually made 2-3 Gorge trips per year, so
it isn't really anything new. The typical gusty, holey conditions have encouraged
a trend towards more power and versatility in the very smallest sails and this
is a key factor in the Interface, but the Interface is first a wave sail and the construction shows it. The race sails are mostly based on sailing in SF Bay, as
the Gorge just isn't a good place for race sail development. What the Gorge
has to offer, more than anywhere else, is the absolute extreme of Bump and
Jump sailing, an abundance of great sailors ready and willing to put your
designs to the test and a never ending variety of visiting sailors and consumers from all over the world for feedback.
BM: Can you explain to us about the "de-coupled head" design on your
race sails?
BH: Well, the decoupling is only part of the story. The truncated head is
actually the more important feature, and the primary difference between
my Race CS and other race sails. The de-coupling feature simply directs
the downhaul tension up the mast rather than through the sail body, thereby allowing for free rotation of the sail membrane without excessive looseness.
It is a way, through a combination of basic sail design parameters and a
floating head cap, to solve the problem of aeroelastic response without
special tricks like whip tips, overly loose leeches, short battens to prevent
flapping or elastic couplings. It has also greatly reduced the downhaul
required and made the sail very easy to rig.
The truncated tip shortens the span (and mast) and gains useable area in
the head directly behind the mast tip, especially when the sail is swept
back at speed when reaching. But, a truncated tip has to twist properly
or you create a myriad of serious performance and handling problems.
Most solutions to creating twist evident in the market so far cannot
properly handle a truncated tip, so you just don't see it much but it's
validity is well known. The goal is extra power and added performance
through an efficient planform with responsive twist.
BM: With most mast manufacturers making RDM type masts (regular
diameter in the lower half and reduced diameter in the top half), does the
skinny mast still have a place in market today? Was there just not
adequate industry support to keep more sail designers interest in skinnys?
BH: Yes and Yes.
Anyone who is serious about their wave sailing, goes out when their ability
may not be up to the conditions or appreciates the finer things in life, would
like, no love a skinny. They are light, easy to grab (and I have hands big
enough to palm a basketball) and durable. The key to your question is marketplace. The market is controlled by companies with great investments
in tooling for mandrels, cams and boom ends not to mention their warehouses
full of masts and sail designs dedicated to them. The original mast specifica-
tions for diameter were more based on vaulting poles than engineering a
good composite mast. We are left with this legacy and it just isn't talked
about. Some of our best wave team riders use them and so do I. In fact,
I've had a skinny since the first day I heard about them. Why? Because
I want to make sailing easy and a wave mast that's 2 pounds lighter, easy
to grab quickly and securely in a tight spot and doesn't break just makes
my sailing day a lot better. I don't see any benefit for skinnies in longer,
stiffer race type masts as they are no lighter in these specifications. As
such, this makes the skinny a little unique and specialized in the general
market, but aren't most really good things?
BM: Where do you see Windwing's current position in the marketplace?
What expectations do you have for Windwing's future?
BH: We've always been sort of unique and a little bit on the fringe with our
Berkeley idealism and independence. We could never compete on an
international basis with USA production and this kept us small. But, we
developed a very loyal following and now that we are on an equal footing
with our competitors, the international market will allow growth, stability
and a better product value for our consumers. We can put much more
into the sail and supply it at a competitive price - anywhere in the world.
This has taken nearly two years to put in place. In North America, we
have our niche. We're not number one in sales but we're number one in
service and we all sail as much as possible so we know what we're talking
about. We have over thirty national amateur titles under our belt, a long
history, the technical knowledge and experience to be successful and most
of all, control our own destiny. Plus, we support the dealer. Without him,
the viability of the sport will slowly deteriorate and the consumer's options
will be compromised.
Expectations? I never entered a race I didn't think I could win. This
applies to Windwing as well. Of course, I didn't win all the races, but
after a while I started winning more than I lost. You're seeing it now, at
Windwing. Race sails that again are setting new standards. Wave sails
that are more than just strong. At Windwing, performance and handling
are the first priority - then we put in the strength of construction, then the screened-on logos, then the marketing. This is what we do and this is what
I expect. We don't always get the customer, but our customer always gets
a great value and our friendly, honest service.
BM: Can you tell us a little bit about your sail design process, from
prototype to production? How long is this process?
BH: It varies. I wish I could say it is all computerized and very
sophisticated but I would be less than honest. I have a very technical
background dating back to my career as an applied research physicist
but my strength is intuition and practical on-the-water experience. I've
competed internationally as a speed sailor and done OK as an amateur
racer in slalom and course racing, but that doesn't make a good sail.
What makes a good sail is knowledge, combined with a sense of
moderation, the ability to put yourself in the footstraps of the user,
objectivity and testing. This is what gives a Windwing that unique
stability and feeling of confidence to widen the user's performance
envelope.
First I look objectively at who is going to use the sail, his equipment,
his sailing conditions and his time on the water. Then I develop the
basic design parameters - planform/aspect ratio, number of battens, mast
selection and strength of construction. Then I develop the twist and
shape criteria for the planform and batten layout. I do all of the final
layouts full-scale and by hand, but the designs are in my mind first,
then I make small, back of the envelope or napkin sketches and finally,
I make formalized computer illustrations for further review.
As I've been doing it for 16 years, many of the design changes are
evolutionary and based on the prior years designs and consumer feedback.
New designs are prototyped and tested - sometimes for over a year,
sometimes only for a few hours or even minutes depending on the feature
being tested. Our production cycle is yearly, but we are small enough to
make instant changes when we see fit. Normally, I collect a years worth
of feedback and actively sail myself to see what needs improving and
what doesn't. Then, I go into the creative mode to solve the problems -
big and small. The patterning and pre-production protos take several
months and instituting new designs into production takes about a month.
BM: How do you go about getting feedback on your new designs? Team riders?
BH: My own sailing, dealers and distributors, team riders and most of all,
consumers. I rarely have to ask - it is usually volunteered. Our
customers and team riders are very actively interested and many feel
obligated to offer their heartfelt feedback - objective or not. It is my
job to filter all the information and see that the correct changes are
made - or none at all. This can be very difficult to do without stepping
on well-meaning toes and alienating various individuals but it must be
done.
BM: Can you let us in on any secrets of what's in store for '98?
BH: I've never been very secretive - sometimes I just don't know until it
happens. I don't think sail designs should be constrained to model years
but the market or should I say the major players have determined this
cycle of new designs and old closeouts.
Certainly, the success of our new Race CS technology deserves to find a
home in a less sophisticated, less expensive sail. I don't believe in
offering an excessive array of highly specialized models such as the
much publicized no-cam slaloms, just to create interest and sell sails.
Our batten stabilizers are light, simple, effective, easy to rig and fit
in a small sleeve so why not use them? I could be wrong, but I believe
today's sailors need more performance AND easy handling, not less of one
for the sake of the other. I intend to provide this, it will be better,
and the customer will appreciate it for what it is - a better performing
AND better handling sail.
The Interface is very successful and still gaining popularity, so I
anticipate few major changes - just more fine tuning and a bit of a
weight loss program.
The Interface Lite will become more independent of the Interface and be
more like our very popular, but discontinued, Black Diamond Air without
losing it's durability. Bump and Jumpsters take note!
Thanks for the interview, it has been fun!
Hope to see you on the water and keep your nose down in the turns!
Bill Hansen, Windwing
Copyright WaveHog Web Designs 1997. Brian Mckenzie
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