new sails

[bobgoode]

In the market for new jenny and main. Use will be coastal pottering, x channel jaunts and some serious tweaking if other yachts are near. Pockets are limited

Current thinking...dacron main with three reefs and an upmarket jenny, criuser lam in tr-rad cut. thoughts or comments or experiences please.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Was told by a sailmaker that Tri-rad cut for a jenny is no good because of the way that the dacron stretches. He says you'll end up with a wrinkled sail that won't let you point very high.

He also said that tri-rad was best for cruising chutes and spinnakers

 

[ajt]

I had a new set of sails made earlier this year by Kemp Sails Theyr'e web site has lots of info on it. I went for thier performance cruise sails and a stack pack system and have been very pleased with the results and there service.
The original quote from them was higher than some others but when you added up additional costs on other quotes, they all came in very much the same.
Give them a call, I am sure they can answer any questions you can think of.

 

[vyv_cox]

Tri-radial is fine for a non-furling genoa because the stresses will always be in the right directions. A cross-cut is preferable for a furling genoa, where loading will be unfair when the sail is furled. These stresses are best resisted by the best material you can afford and this is where the new, high strength dacrons score very well.

 

[michael_w]

[ QUOTE ]
A cross-cut is preferable for a furling genoa, where loading will be unfair when the sail is furled.

[/ QUOTE ]

You do not want a cross cut sail. The whole point of the tri-radial design in to align the loads along the thread/reinforcement lines. With a cross-cut you end up with the stresses running across the threads. Try it out with a hankerchief. You will find it much stretchier on the bias as opposed to either the warp or weft.

The sheet angle as one furls the genoa does not change much. Go for tri-radial in Pentex or a cruising laminate and you will not be dissapointed.

 

[bobgoode]

food for though! Thanks.

 

[DJE]

Talk to a sailmaker or two. (I would recomend Kemps as well.) The tri-radial cut is well suited to some types of cloth and not to others but the sailmaker, if he is any good, will be more than happy to explain. FWIW I have a tri-radial furling genoa in cruising laminate from Kemps and it is excellent. But I don't often use it reefed as I have a No. 3 genoa for the windy days.

 

[bobgoode]

But I don't often use it reefed as I have a No. 3 genoa for the windy days.

--------------------
Yet another option not to be left out. Thanks

 

[cnh]

I suppose it depends on the size of your boat and of your genoa, but with older designs, the genoa tends to be very large compared with the main. I have a Trapper 500 [for sale!] and had a 'Number 3' furling jib made up. When it looks as though it's going to be breezy, I use that, since it's easy to handle and stops the boat going over on its ear.
Since I take the headsail off if I'm leaving the boat for more than a few days [doesn't everyone?], then when I go sailing, I look at the sky, and choose one or the other.

Nicholas Hill

www.channelpilot.info

 

[vyv_cox]

I bought sails in Vectran (which I see they have now re-spelt Vektran) from Hood about eight years ago. Despite extensive use, almost every weekend and holiday of the year until three years ago and a 4-5 month summer live-aboard since then, I can detect absolutely no stretch or change of shape in them. The advice about cross-cut v radial for furling genoas came from Hood themselves. See http://www.hood-sails.com/Cross_Cut_Furling_Genoa.htm for some info on the subject.

 

[michael_w]

As I understand, Vectran(spectra)is not related to Dacron in any way. Except that they are both manmade fibres.

 

[amaric]

I have a new set of performance cruise sails from "Kemp Sails", The main is fully battend, which along with a stack pack system works faultlessly. I also had a mizzen with 3/4 power battens from Kemp plus the stack pack, this sets very well, but after seeing the benifits of the fully battend main, I wish I went for the fully battend mizzen also /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif So in all Full marks for Kemp and there after "sails" service is top notch.

 

[vyv_cox]

My Hood sails, and I understand most others made by them for the cruising market, are a combination of a Dacron-like material and Vectran fibres. Polyester is used for the warp and Vectran for the weft. My original post which said 'high-strength' Dacrons could better have said 'high-performance'.