Time for new sails........

The number and variety of new sail designs is STAGGERING!

I'd like to upgrade the mainsail and add a 135% genoa to my inventory for an Ericson 28+ and I am in the process of receiving quotes and ideas from numerous lofts.

The sailing I do is mostly daysailing, some racing and weekend cruising every now and then. The boat is rigged for racing. (Hood Gemini foil headstay, adjustments for my adjustments....the whole thing.)

I want fast sails but they have to be durable because I don't want to replace them in a couple of years.

Has anyone with a fractional rig put a newer/flatter main on their boat? What were the results?

Is tri-radial design a fad or does it work?

Has anyone tried "tape drive" sails? (like the UK variety)?

Any good recommendations or warnings?

Thanks in advance,
Nick

Hi Nick,
I have UK tape drives. The style I have is what they call there cruising tape drives. Its mylar with white taffeta on one side and black carbon fiber tapes on the other side. I have had them for about three years now. I have a main, 100%, 125% and 155%. I just won first place over all in the 04 single handed trans pac. As you know single handing is very hard on sails. These sails all look like they looked when new. When I was in the market for new sails the tape drives were the cheapest high tech sail going. I have been winning races ever since I bought my UK "cruising" sails. You can see a picture of my boat and sails at the UK web site www.uksailmakers.com look for the latset news letter.
Good luck Good sailing

Phil

28+ sails

Nick,
I think we have been talking about sails, but as to the biggest question I see in your list: A flatter main is usually better for most boats (flatter than many of the older sails out there), ut especially for your boat-it is tender and the mnain is very big.

Please send me a private note if you have not recieved a quote from me..
Cheers!

I agree with Seth. A little "flatter" is better for 90% of the boats out there. I have used very full-cut mains and, with proper adjustments, they were fast... And without controling that built-in fullness all the time, they were not....
(Note for the record, "Racing" or "Cruising" has *nothing* to do with this discussion.)
What I found was that as the cloth aged and the shape migrated aft a bit, It got harder to tweek lines enough to optomize it at all. This would lead to excessive heal, loss of speed to weather, and evil helm problems on reaches and beats.
I note that our original main that came with the boat was improved a lot by a re-seaming. Then, a couple years later, I got a new main with moderate fullness. It works great for me, and I do not have to futze with it too much.

Looking back at my own ancient history, the Ranger 20 we raced OD for so many years in the late 70's had a flat main from the git-go. Since it was fractional we still used mast bend to control the upper part for bigger air.
It was the same with our fract. Niagara 26. Nowadays the MH rig on the Olson takes more hydraulic pressure than I am comfortable putting into it to bend the mast at all..... Altho it *will* bend about 6 inches...
:eek:

Thanks again to Seth for checking in regularly with good commentary.

Loren in PDX

ps: and, do not forget dacron. It still has a tremendous cost-benefit ratio, IMO.

sails-what else?

Loren has us usual filled in the blanks properly! I will agree that in many cases Dacron is a good cost/benefit solution, but for some boats-either because of the nature of the boat (aspect ratio) or it's intended purpose, the small upcharge (at least with Doyle it is small) for a cruise laminate fabric or even a radially constructed dacron sail (with the correct dacron of course) is well worth it. Using a fabric/construction method in which the strongest yarns in the material can be aligned or nearly aligned with the loading throughout the sail will result in a stronger, more durable sail-every time! Often the real payoff for these sails is in the 3rd or 4th year, when the dacron sail's draft is creeping inexorably back towards the leech, whereas the upgraded sail still has a nice round entry and straight exit...

These are real benefits, and each owner must think about his/her specific requirements, and hopefully find a sailmaker (insert shameless plug here) who will listen and help you find the best solution.

Good sailing and fair winds all!