By the way...
...in response to your original post. I wouldn't get excited about a few small tears or invest in a new sail immediately, especially if you are new to sailing. Where are the tears? We had a few on the trailing edge near the head of the sail which my Wife sewed up. Thankfully, when we bought her a sewing machine I noticed that for a few dollars more we could get another 25 or so stitching variations, including a small zig-zag pattern useful for sail mending ;-) Don't feel bad for her though...she has a huge sewing room with a wood lined post and beam cathedral ceiling...which I had to use an extension ladder to paint.If I were you, I'd invest in some sail tape, which is adhesive backed. The stuff is quite tough and will perhaps get you through your first season for a $10 investment rather than an $1000 investment.IMO,Bob