New mainsail advice

ashtead

ashtead

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So our mainsail is 10 years old -it’s a fully battened elevstrom so not top quality when new but speaking to a sailmaker at SIBS vectran was suggested as a replacement - never having bought a new main (we replaced the headsail on last boat with vectran by Peter S ) what’s the current thinking . According to sailboat data it’s 42sqm approx -do we chose vectran or something else? Has anyone out there recently replaced their main?
 
In the process of looking for new main & headsail to replace 10 year old stock Elvstroms on our Beneteau. Sanders are recommending Vectron and are one of the sailmakers with their own UK loft. A few others measure up and have them made in Asia.

Vectron
 
Replaced both main and Genoa with Vectron from Jeckells The Sailmaker, a SIBs deal a few years ago.

Boat is a masthead rigged, cruiser, simple sail adjustments. FB main and furling headsail.

Performance has been outstanding. Acceleration is quick without significant heal. Pointing improved. Some +5 years later, material is still stiff and crisp.

I would recommend Vectron. However, racing is your thing, other materials may be better. I only cruise.
 
Yes our headsail on our last boat the Bav was by Sanders in vectron-I have the invoice somewhere but about £1400 back then but somewhat smaller than our current main. Apart from sanders and Kemp other quotes?
 
ashtead said:
Yes our headsail on our last boat the Bav was by Sanders in vectron-I have the invoice somewhere but about £1400 back then but somewhat smaller than our current main. Apart from sanders and Kemp other quotes?
Click to expand...
Rolly Tasker
Elvstrom
Sunstorm
Hyde
Crusader
Jekkells
Ullman
One Sails
North Sails
 
Another vote for Vectran from Kemps/Hood om my case. Kemps have an office in Gosport so can measure in the Solent area as well as Poole. Made in the loft in Wareham
 
We had Vecran main and genoa made by Kemp in 2021. 11,000nm on them so far and they have been a vast improvement on our previous dacron sails.
If you plan to do lots of miles or not, what ever sails you choose, I would specify webbing to the batten pockets to stop chafe on the rigging. Also, if it's slab reefing, add hydronet to the luff to stop wear when the sail is reefed.
 
wonkywinch said:
Rolly Tasker
Elvstrom
Sunstorm
Hyde
Crusader
Jekkells
Ullman
One Sails
North Sails
Click to expand...
Wow, you didn’t get 9 quotes did you?
It costs a fair bit of money to do a decent quote, so I generally work on asking a maximum of 3 firms to do a quote. Otherwise seems unreasonable drain on the resources and profits of what are often small businesses.
 
Crusader were incredibly helpful when I visited their loft to check over their 20 year old sails off my new to me boat. For my usage (not racing, but I like a boat to move) they recommended vectran - I'm saving up for them as we speak, although the dacron still has life in it.
 
dunedin said:
Wow, you didn’t get 9 quotes did you?
It costs a fair bit of money to do a decent quote, so I generally work on asking a maximum of 3 firms to do a quote. Otherwise seems unreasonable drain on the resources and profits of what are often small businesses.
Click to expand...
Actually 10 companies there if you count Sanders.

I have obtained quotes from 5 of them. I don't see the problem, I am a serious customer with money in my pocket and about to purchase. I think the 5 I haven't approached might be disappointed they lost a potential sale as I didn't even bother contacting them.

Two of my 5 have sail lofts in Asia so I am discounting them for the moment so I am down to 3. In the interest of transparency that is Sanders and Kemp. The third are on the "back burner" as I drill down the two favourites.

Chris Sanders took time to come to my boat prior to quoting to discuss what we had and what we thought we needed. He pointed out the mast pre bend that shouldn't be there. The rigger put it in as he thought it was a "good thing" despite it being in mast furling and having now spoken to Z Spars there should be no pre bend at all. Rigger taken that out.

The quotes are all very similar except Sanders who are a bit cheaper than all the others provided I order during the quiet winter period but I am a big believer that people do business with people and price should not be the decider.

I have chosen Vectron 8oz so I can directly compare quotes.
 
ashtead said:
So our mainsail is 10 years old -it’s a fully battened elevstrom so not top quality when new but speaking to a sailmaker at SIBS vectran was suggested as a replacement - never having bought a new main (we replaced the headsail on last boat with vectran by Peter S ) what’s the current thinking . According to sailboat data it’s 42sqm approx -do we chose vectran or something else? Has anyone out there recently replaced their main?
Click to expand...
I have a Sanders Vectron mainsail (fully battened with cars for the Technomast fitting) which came with my Westerly Storm I purchased last year. It was 5+ years old but still in excellent condition. I’ve just spent the summer during a 3500Nm Scandinavian circuit and it’s been brilliant; sets well and still looks great.

Mine came with 3 reefs which I would recommend; only had to set the third reef once and that was going up the Sound of Mull on Friday in gusts of 35K.
 
We now have a Genoa and FB main in Vectron from Sanders. Very very pleased with both. Main is just completing its 3rd or 4th season, Genoa a year older. Both sails holding shape and structure extremely well. When I was getting quotes Sanders were the only loft who actually listened to what I said and quoted for that without changing anything. You will have to decide if you want a cross cut or radial sail. We stuck with cross cut.
 
My Vectran (now Vektron for copyright reasons) main and genoa from Kemp were bought in 2000, since when they have sailed for thousands of miles. Shape remains perfect but stitching has needed repair several times. When a deal for a new genoa came in from Kemp I replaced it in about 2021 but the main is still in use.
 
ashtead said:
It’s said North sails carry a premium but any thoughts -otherwise my thinking is it’s a choice between Sanders and Kemp both of whom I have used.
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I run North sails for racing. I've also done a lot of miles cruising with Sanders, and we moved from Sanders to North for race sails.

Are North worth the premium for cruising sails? I dunno. I'd also be hesitant to assume they would have a premium price tag for the NPL tour fabric when compared to similar Sanders sails. I'd want to see quotes.
What I would say though, is that to me North only really make sense if you're going up to the 3Di range. For cruising that's either 3Di ocean or endurance. Otherwise I'd say that using a smaller, more local, loft is likely to be a better option.

But if you can justify the price tag, the 3Di stuff really is as good as it's cracked up to be.
 
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