Rail tape

[toolate]

Does rail tape affect board performance in any measurable way?
Is it ok to wrap the tape onto the bottom a small amount?

[yugi]

If you are asking the guy in charge of keeping an Americas Cup yacht’s hull fast: yes.

Is it going to affect my speed more than the 5 beers I had last night: no.

The little lip of rail tape that’ll affect speed most is the one at right angles to board direction. Lips in line with water flow will hardly affect. But I think here the right question to ask is: but why wrap to bottom? If it isn’t useful to you, don’t. Cut it.

Coming from yacht racing and moving to windsurfer racing I was shocked how windsurfers dragged their boards on the beach and generally chucked them about. Let alone that damn gap in the US fin box. I got my ass kicked. Board handling skills mattered much more than perfect hulls. Good lesson in life.

If you spend the time you'd use cutting the rail saver thinking about how to paddle better you'd gain more speed than the tape would slow you down.  Think about that.

[Edit to add]: I'm not cutting the beers. Yet. Still too young.

[Paddle On]

all my boards have scoff marks from me paddling to catch waves, except the ones with rail tape.  i am a convert and will have it on all my future boards. actually wondering why it doesn't come standard or as an options? i shop that installed it puts it on the top edge of the board, when on a wave it doesnt even touch the water.

go for it