There are currently two designs of a sail:
Camber Induced sails
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These have 1-5 camber inducers, plastic devices at the ends of battens which cut against the mast. They assist in holding a rigid aerofoil shape in the sail and to give it better speed and stability, but at the expense of maneuverability and the lightless and easiness to use the sail |
feels. The current trends seem to be that only larger race sails have camber inducers. For most the firmness of the sail is also determined by the amount of battens.
Rotating Asymmetric Foil (RAF)
| RAF sail have battens which project beyond the back aspect of the mast. When tacking or jibing, the sail has to be flipped to the other side of the mast, hence the rotation in the name. Only when the RAF sails are filled with wind will the aerofoil shape on |
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the leeward side be formed. They can be absolutely flat and de-powered when sheeted out. This is a much appreciated feature in freestyle and wave riding order.
In comparison with cambered sails, the RAF sail offers less power and stability when sailing straight, but are much more easier to handle when maneuvering. The RAF sails are also much easier to rig.
For other windsurfing equipment information:
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ADVANCE WINDSURFING 
