Buying sails is one of the great (if expensive) pleasures of owning a boat. Everyone who buys a sail will have different priorities. The out and out racer will want pure performance, irrespective of cost and longevity. The diehard cruiser will put longevity (and maybe cost) first. Most of the rest of us come somewhere in between.
While we had our Sigma 33, which raced under strict one design rules, all the decisions were taken for us: you simply ordered standard class sails from the class sailmaker.
That restriction helped to keep the cost of running the boat under control, while open handicap racing has become something of an “arms race,” with exotic carbon and Kevlar laminates becoming the norm, even at club level.
But what to choose now that we are no longer governed by class rules and cruising, not racing, is the priority? With our racing background we want sails that set beautifully and give optimum performance. We still do the odd race, after all. But ease of handling is also a major priority, when sailing two up.
This week we ordered a new mainsail. And as it was the first time for about 20 years we had ordered a main outside the constraints of one design rules, we were surprised to find just how bewildering the choice had become.
If ease of handling is the first priority, of course, you can go for in-mast furling, but we quickly discounted that option, as it comes at too great a cost in terms of performance: the sail has to be almost shapeless to roll away neatly, and without battens (or even with vertical battens) the leech is not properly supported.
Our compromise for ease of handling is lazy jacks and stack pack (which can be taken off on the occasions when we race and have a crew to help take the sail down.) But if you have lazy jacks, there is an argument that says you should have a fully battened main, too.
Fully battened mains are easy to handle short-handed and durable, John Parker of Parker and Kay Quantum sailmakers said. But they aren't as completely controllable in shape terms as a conventional “short” battened main - which is why you don't see them on inshore racing boats, where speed and performance is paramount.
However, the choice isn't simply full battens or not, as you can specify a combination of the two. In the end we settled on two full length battens at the top, which should make the sail easier to hoist and recover, and two short battens lower down, which should mean it is still “tweakable.”
With that dilemma solved, there were still two more fundamental decisions: should it be made of woven material (Dacron/ polyester) or higher tech laminate? And should it be cross cut or radially constructed?
We reminisced with John that the when we bought a main from him for our first boat, things were much simpler: all mainsails were cross cut polyester, and batten length was dictated by a formula laid down by the IOR rule.
So have all the advances in the meantime brought real gains? The answer is yes: it means everyone can have exactly the sail to suit their personal preferences, priorities or prejudices!
John said that for durability there was still nothing to beat the conventional cross cut sail. However, for those demanding the best shape possible, the tri-radial design would give better performance, and have a “dramatically improved shape-life.” The same was true of the materials: a polyester sail would remain serviceable for longer, but a laminate sail would keep its shape better.
After much discussion and consideration we eventually decided to have a Pentex laminate radial cut sail, putting performance first. But even then there were all sorts of details to consider: loose foot or shelf (loose), two reefs or three (the original sail that came with the boat has two very large ones, effectively one-and-a-half and three, which seems to work very well, sailing short-handed), did we want a Cunningham (yes), did we want fast stripes (yes), even what colour did we want the sail numbers (black).
The new sail will truly be made to measure. We can't wait to see it. It's a good idea to buy sails at this time of year when sailmakers give out of season discount (to try and avoid idle times in the winter and then an avalanche of work when people start thinking about sailing again in the spring.)
It also gives you something to look forward to as this year's sailing season draws to a close. And it means we don't have to worry about what to get each other for Christmas!
For more information visit www.quantumsailsgbr.com
