Making my Carbon Mainsail smaller?

[Cariadco]

Just having a fancy at at buying smaller boat, selling mine but keeping my Carbon Mainsail.
So, my question is, is it possible to have my sail made smaller, to fit the new boat?
I'm generalising here but the current sail on the smaller boat is about 30% less than my current sail.
Any views?

 

[Laser310]

Just having a fancy at at buying smaller boat, selling mine but keeping my Carbon Mainsail.
So, my question is, is it possible to have my sail made smaller, to fit the new boat?
I'm generalising here but the current sail on the smaller boat is about 30% less than my current sail.
Any views?

i'm sure it can be done - but i doubt it's a good idea...

what cloth is it?

on many mainsails - for example, those made with DP carbon sport or GPL - they use one level heavier for the leech than the rest of the sail. That's the part you will probably need to cut off.

now, it could be that whatever they made the rest of the sail of is fine for the entire sail on a smaller boat.., but still - all the reinforcing patches will have to be redone at the head and the clew.

the batten pockets and reef points won't be in the right place.

there is a good chance that the luff curve needed for the new boat is different enough that some work might have to be done there as well

if you think including it in the sale won't add enough to the selling price.., maybe you can sell the carbon main separately. If it's a common boat this should be possible.

presumably you have a lower tech older main to include with the sale?

 

[savageseadog]

Anything more than minor changes, ie 1-3% will be difficult to do, expensive and probably won't work properly

 

[dunedin]

Would need more precise info on the sail, but generally the carbon fibres are positioned and structured carefully to suit the load lines, so I would think in practice …. No.

 

[Cariadco]

Thanks you all for your replies.
All along the lines I was thinking about.
Much appreciated.

 

[savageseadog]

I am intending to do a similar job with a carbon laminate jib. On a 15m hoist I need to take about 10cm off the head, I wouldn't want to take much more off. The fibres taper down to the head and I have to reinforce the slightly wider head to take the load and spread it correctly. I'm doing the job myself but have Pro machines to do it.