OK, were ready to pop for a new set of sails. We are very avaid fans of our club Wed. nite races, so performance is our goal. It seems all lofts claim to have the best cloth, design, life, not unlike the current political ads. Light air > 5 knts. is where we need the most help. Our PHRF of 227, puts us on the fast end of our fleet but our boat is, of course on the heavy end of the fleet. this makes it tougher to compete with the lighter boats. I'm thinking along the lines of a loose footed main, top two battens full, cunningham, one reef point, and adding a 3 or 4 to one outhaul. Also a 150 Genny on the Hood roller, with two draft stripes, telltail window, rope luff for sail shape when reefed. How can I learn the facts about the cloth, and be able to choose for my self. What about Mylar for this useage, what are the advantages, disadvantages? Any pointers you can offer on this sail replacement subject will be a big help. Thanks Stan
Sail Shopping
- Thread starter Stan5396
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See what your competition is using...
...then look at your budget. If it was me I'd go with a pentex laminate. That's not the top end but it is more than adequate for club racing. Laminated cloths are usually defined by the type of fiber that is laminated between the mylar scrim. Visit, or call, a couple of sail lofts and talk to an advisor. I had estimates for my C27 from North, Quantum, Uk and Ullman here in San Diego... The 150 pentex, without roller furling add ons such as UV strip and luff pad, ran about 2k... but you can get discounts for off season and multiple sails. A local shop, Point Sails quoted around 1500 using pentex cloth that had some indiscernable cosmetic blemishes, warranty included. that's what I'm going with. Your description of intended purchase is pretty standard. What you really need to decide is the cut of the sail. If you are only going to use the head sail for racing then I recommend a full hoist "deck sweeper" design where the clew and foot of the sail are very low to the deck and the luff runs the full length of the forestay. If you will daysail and cruise a bit, I recommend a higher cut clew with a slightly less than full hoist so the sail will be easier to handle short handed and offer better visibilty underneath it. Needless to say, if you do get the deck sweeper have a large window cut into it so you can see out to leeward. If you talk to a sailmaker, all this will be explained to you, and more.... even the online sailmakers, such as Air Force will offer this assistance. The local lofts will come to your boat to measure and then go out sailing with you to help you dial it in.
...then look at your budget. If it was me I'd go with a pentex laminate. That's not the top end but it is more than adequate for club racing. Laminated cloths are usually defined by the type of fiber that is laminated between the mylar scrim. Visit, or call, a couple of sail lofts and talk to an advisor. I had estimates for my C27 from North, Quantum, Uk and Ullman here in San Diego... The 150 pentex, without roller furling add ons such as UV strip and luff pad, ran about 2k... but you can get discounts for off season and multiple sails. A local shop, Point Sails quoted around 1500 using pentex cloth that had some indiscernable cosmetic blemishes, warranty included. that's what I'm going with. Your description of intended purchase is pretty standard. What you really need to decide is the cut of the sail. If you are only going to use the head sail for racing then I recommend a full hoist "deck sweeper" design where the clew and foot of the sail are very low to the deck and the luff runs the full length of the forestay. If you will daysail and cruise a bit, I recommend a higher cut clew with a slightly less than full hoist so the sail will be easier to handle short handed and offer better visibilty underneath it. Needless to say, if you do get the deck sweeper have a large window cut into it so you can see out to leeward. If you talk to a sailmaker, all this will be explained to you, and more.... even the online sailmakers, such as Air Force will offer this assistance. The local lofts will come to your boat to measure and then go out sailing with you to help you dial it in.
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