Hi there everyone!  I have searched "MainSail.com" to see if there has been any discussion regarding buying new sails.  There doesn't appear to be any which really suprises me - so here goes.

     I am currently considering buying a new mizzen sail for my Westerly Longbow ketch.  Has anyone any experiences of good/bad service from manufacturers?  I am not quite sure if I should go for a loose footed mizzen or a rope foot.  Any views?  I do not race but I do appreciate efficient sailing.

Hi Lenny

I am afraid I have little experience of ketch rig, so am unable to offer any specific advice about mizzen sails. However, I cannot see any reason why you should not have a loose footed sail. It makes the shape easier to control, and has the advantage of not collecting water when it rains!

We buy our sails from John Parker at Levington (Quantum Sails East.) They are not renowned for being cheap, but do offer a very efficient and personal service, making "bespoke" sails for individual boats rather than getting standard items off the shelf.

We have always found John extremely helpful in talking through our needs and advising us which design/material would be most suitable. He is well known for racing sails (made the suit that took Chieftain to victory in this year's Fastnet, among others) but also specialises in efficient cruising.

It's very difficult to generalise about sails (as it is with any other branch of sailing!) as people's needs are so individual. The ideal sail for you will depend on how many miles a year you do and how many of them in heavy weather, as well as your budget and whether you prioritise performance over longevity, or vice versa.

We have gone for Pentex cruising laminate, which is more expensive than Dacron, but should keep its shape longer, and therefore perform better. It is less expensive (but also heavier, a disadvantage) than racing laminates, including kevlar, carbon fibre etc - but should last longer to compensate!

And then there is the question of whether you choose a conventional cross cut sail, or one with radial panels (Better performance and shape retention, but higher initial cost). And do you want short battens or long ones? And what reefing system?

How much do you enjoy tweaking your sails? There is not much point in buying performance orientated sails (which will cost more) if you are going to hoist them and forget them. But if you are the kind of sailor who changes the halyard tension on and off the wind, and adjusts the outhaul to control camber etc, as well as trimming kicker and traveller as well as mainsheet, a more sophisticated sail will repay the additional expense in terms of increased performance and enjoyment.

Hope that helps!

When we bought a suit of new sails about 7 years ago we were very impressed by the claims made for Hood's Vectran material. The first British Steel round-the-world fleet were equipped with sails of this material and under the rules they were not allowed to replace any, so all of them were used throughout. After the race Hood subjected them to detailed examination and said that they were unable to detect any change of shape. So much so that they said they would be fine to go around again. The report is still on their website.

We bought a Genoa and mainsail from them. We were in Holland then, but they sent a man over to measure up and then to fit them. They are heavy, excellent for cruising but not ideal for racing, although performance is superb. After 7 years of hard use, we sailed all year round in Holland and now cruise for 6 months of every year, I cannot see any stretch or shape change at all. The UV strip stitching has been redone and a few small stitching areas have been hand sewn. Otherwise they are almost as new, just a bit dirty.

They weren't the cheapest on the market but the sails they replaced were clapped out after three years.

Many thanks Vyv,

     That's really useful.

Regards

Lenn y 

Dear Lenny,  I have been looking for new sails and have come up with this firm

www.sailsuk.com

Regards Michael

Thank you Michael,

     I will have a look.

     Does anyone have any experience of companies that they definately would NOT use?

 Regards

Leonard

Buying new sails is always a neat thing to do - there aren't many experiences that beat putting up a new sail for the first time.

These days with CAD, you will rarely get a bad new sail, but a Vyv implies, its how the sail is going to be in 5 years time that really matters.

A large part of the reason that Hood sails are so good is the fact that they manufacture their own cloth, and, I think everyone, even other sailmakers would agree that Hood sails outlast the rest by a substantial margin - probably last at least twice as long and still keep their shape.

The important considerations when ordering a new mizzen are------

Don't buy the cheapest cloth, buy the most expensive if you can.

Don't buy a sail made from highly coated/tempered fabric, they are fine for racing but after a year or so, the coating cracks off and the sail starts distorting. Make sure the weight of the cloth is adequate, I would suggest a minimum of 8oz (whatever that is in metric) - unless you buy from Hood.

Make sure the sail is cut very flat, a bigger belly looks more powerful, but you don't need it and in a breeze it will distort and require continual fiddling with halyads and outhauls (the latter not being easy on a mizzen). Also bigger bellied sails don't last as long, over time the flow runs aft as they stretch.

Personally I wouldn't go for a loose foot, in a breeze they rattle against the boom, they add considerably to the loads on the outhaul fittings (mine self destructed last autumn because of this).

Don't be tempted to have a large roach, it looks good, but the sail won't last as long. After all it is a cruising boat!

As it is a mizzen, it is likely that the sail will be used in very strong winds - small jib, no mail and full/reefed mizzen, if you want the sail to last, consider asking the sailmaker to triple stitch it - wont cost much more but it will last a lot longer. Also for this reason (used in a lot of wind) get the sailmaker to use stainless steel shackles on the sliders, the nylon ones often let go in a big breeze, esp when hoisting and lowering or when putting a reef in.

If you don't want to go to the expense of a Hood sail (and I believe they aren't that much more) I have seen some nice looking ARUN sails around. After all its not a racing pedigree that you need but a long lasting nicely cut sail.

Trust this helps.

David,

     Again very useful & informitive!  As the result of what I have read so far in The MainSail forum I am heading towards an expensive Hood material, bolt rope footed but still have to be pushed "over the edge."

Regards

Leonard