Confused over mainsail material

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sgreenway

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Hi there,
Thought I'd ask those more knowledgeable than me as to what is the better mainsail cloth. I have had various offers to replace my mainsail and all seem to have different cloth, but the pricing is there or there abouts the same.

Jeckell - Performance Cruise (Marblehead)
Quay - Cross-cut Cruise Mainsail in Contender Supercruise Polyester or Cross-cut Premier Cruise Mainsail in Contender Fibercon Polyester
Sanders - Contender Fibrecon 7.38AP or Dimension Polyant 300SF Dacron
Arun - 7.520z Contender Fibercon Pro
Onesails - Standard Dacron or Best Dacron alternative

These are the only offers so far, so any advice gratefully received.

Steve
 
The
Jeckells web site does a reasonable overview of the options, and the compromises that may need to be made. We have opted for new sails in Marblehead Dacron, the tightest weave for my money. Time will tell, but the notion they are the choice of long distance cruisers who seek longevity (After an initial 5% stretch) sold the Marblehead Dacron to me. I am sure Chris J will answer your questions. CH
 
Concerto said:
I would consider using a Vektron reinforced sail cloth for longer life and full length battens. Both cost a little more but worth it if you plan to keep the boat for 10 years or more.
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Definitely a worthwhile option. My previous Dacron genoa was clapped out after three years. I replaced it and the mainsail in Hood Vectran (now called Vektron) in 2000, since when they have been heavily used, liveaboard for half the year. There is no detectable shape change, although the stitching has been redone twice on the genoa and once on the mainsail.
 
I am planning on keeping the boat (GK29) for quite a while yet, so prefer to get the right product than necessarily the cheapest. I am still waiting for offers from:
Kemp; Hood; Crusaders; Hyde; North.

I'm aware it is SBS week so these may be a little later than the others.
 
It is usually cheaper in the long run to pay a bit more. On my current boat, the first main (Elvstrom) lost its shape in a couple of years. The next, in a non-rip Dacron from Kemp whose name I've forgotten, lasted twelve years and the shape had deteriorated a few years earlier. I'm hoping that my present Hydranet will do even better.
 
I had a new mainsail from Kemp last year. I am very pleased with it, it sets beautifully and has been widely admired. However, I am looking for a new genoa at the moment and I am tempted to go to North's as their NPC Radian cloth claims to have the durability of Dacron with the none stretch quality of a laminate. Suggest you have a look on their website.
 
richardbrennan said:
I had a new mainsail from Kemp last year. I am very pleased with it, it sets beautifully and has been widely admired. However, I am looking for a new genoa at the moment and I am tempted to go to North's as their NPC Radian cloth claims to have the durability of Dacron with the none stretch quality of a laminate. Suggest you have a look on their website.
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I'm waiting for North to reply to the initial request - see what they have to say.
 
Hood is Kemp with a Hood logo.
Proper Hood long gone now.Wish they were still around,I need a new set.
Will go with Vektron but not sure which sailmaker.
 
sgreenway said:
Crusaders have offered either standard batten Premier Cruise sailcloth or fully battened Premier Cruise.

Now that addition of fully battened has added an extra dimension!!!!
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I heartily endorse Crusader, based on experience.

Full length battens work especially well with lazyjacks & batten weight coupled with batten cars drop the mainsail like an ore's drores. If you go for Hydranet cloth (which contains Dyneema/Spectra fibres) it'll stretch less, so sails will last longer & you can also drop a cloth weight as well.
 
I am also in the process of looking for new sails and I empathise with your sense of bewilderment at the choices. Every sailcloth manufacturer uses different names and codes so it is not easy to compare the quotes.
I will most probably opt for Fibercon Pro for the mainsail and either that or Fibercon Hybrid for the genoa.
The reasoning behind this is that the main will be fully battened as is the current main. No flogging thanks to the full length battens, which reduces wear, so a very good Dacron will do. As the genoa suffers more, the Fibercon Hybrid, which contains a fair proportion of Dyneema and hence is much stronger, but more expensive, could be justified.
The sailmaker will be local because I value good service.
 
If you call Pete Sanders, he will go over the various options with you in a no nonsense and honest way.

You might be surprised at some of the answers.

I've yet to find anyone with a bad word about him or his sail loft. Our current sails are from him and they are excellent.
 
After getting a few offers and looking at cloths etc I've got my shortlist of 5 sailmakers and different types of material:
Sailmakers:
Kemp
Jeckells
Sanders
Crusader
Arun

Materials:
DP HA;
Vektron/Vektran;
DP SF;
Challenge Marblehead
Is there equivalent material I've missed?
 
Last edited:
vyv_cox said:
Definitely a worthwhile option. My previous Dacron genoa was clapped out after three years. I replaced it and the mainsail in Hood Vectran (now called Vektron) in 2000, since when they have been heavily used, liveaboard for half the year. There is no detectable shape change, although the stitching has been redone twice on the genoa and once on the mainsail.
Click to expand...

Another vote for Hood Vectran with full length battens. Mine is now twelve years old and still holds an excellent shape.
 
sgreenway said:
After getting a few offers and looking at cloths etc I've got my shortlist of 5 sailmakers and different types of material:
Sailmakers:
Kemp
Jeckells
Sanders
Crusader
Arun

Materials:
DP HA;
Vektron/Vektran;
DP SF;
Challenge Marblehead
Is there equivalent material I've missed?
Click to expand...

All of those firms - and all of the materials will provide good sails for you, as evidenced by the recommendations here. Very few people have experience of more than 2 sails of different construction/material on the same boat - the old ones and the new ones, so few can make comparisons. Anyway, by the time replacement comes up, cuts and materials have changed so new sails are inevitably different (and better).

There is a danger in overanalysing the "problem". You have done your research and identified the type of sail you want so just pick one of those thta you feel comfortable dealing with and let them get on with it.
 
MY boat has
Genoa
Goacher - Bainbridge cloth but Goacher cannot cut a sail correctly to save their life

Self taking jibs by :-
Doyle - Threw it away after 3 months from new- rubbish
Lonton & Gray- Bainbridge - Nice cut personalised fitting but worn out after 4 very years hard use. I rather like that sail maker & have had sails made by them for my squib
Hyde - Marble head- Knackered after about 5-6 years but really abused
Ultimate - Laminate - excellent but only had 2 years very nice cut but problematic batten fitting

Mainsails by
Doyle- dacron made of elastic finally gave up after a recut by Lonton & Gray & 6 years use
Hyde- marblehead- had it 7 years still OK for cruising but want something new so ordered fibrecon from Hyde

cruising chute
Goacher- sent it back as did not fit anywhere
Hyde- excellent

So out of that I would say Marble head Ok - do not use any of the Bainbridge range or get anything from Doyle which I am told ( but cannot substantiate) is a loft owned by North as a cheap sail outlet

On my last boat I had 5 new Kemp sails when launched & the genoa had to go back. They were rude & unhelpful & the mainsail was poorly cut. Would never use them again.
 
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