On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 10:59:41 +0100, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

Rhys,
I agree with your assessment. I need a new suite of sails. Where do I start
looking for stretched racing sails?
Do you have recommendations?
Steve

I sense sarcasm. I did not say "stretched", and I can only tell you
that we have an active race element at my club (we hosted a NOOD event
last summer) and that a sail deemed OK but not cutting edge
competitive by a guy on a Farr 40 can be the world's most expensive
dropcloth OR it can do decent service on a cruiser.

I converted a Spectra/Mylar No. 1 from a C&C 34R to my Viking 33,
which is a '70s IOR influenced boat with a big J and a small main. I
paid about $200 for inspection, minor repair and conversion from tape
luff to piston hanks. It replaces a Dacron 153% No. 1 genoa (light)
from the late '80s that got shredded in a gust and which would cost me
about $2,500-$2,700 Cdn. to replace, new, as Dacron.

The recut sail, about three seasons old, equals about 142% and is
slightly off the deck at the clew. Otherwise, it fits well and retains
to my eye (and I trim on PHRF race boats) a pretty decent shape. It
certainly drives the boat well and while heavier than the original
light genoa it replaced, seems like a good choice in all but ghosting
conditions, for which I have a big asymmetrical, anyway.

I am having a main cut back on the leech of the same material and
slugs added on the foot to suit my boom for about $200. I have several
nearly new Dacron sails (including a superb No. 3 that still "smells"
new) that I've culled from guys who've gone to composites mid-season
due to the insane one-upmanship you find at the club level when the
racers have a bit of cash...like $10-$15K per season...to drop on 25
year old C&Cs and the like.

It works for me. Ask a racer with a dimensionally similar boat to your
own if he/she stowed a Dacron sail after one season eight years ago
and kept it dry. Ask if you can see it. You never know.

It's working for me, and I get to budget for new sails and rigging I
really have to buy new instead of entire suits of sails all at once.

Except for the storm jib. It's 20 years old and still smells new, as
does the genoa staysail G

R.