North Sails

[Joker]

Some of you may have seen the article recently about North Sails, and how they make a one piece sail with no panels.

I'm after a new jib, and I spoke to them at the Southampton Boat Show. The chap seemed quite convincing. Has anyone any experience with that type of sail - good or bad?

 

[dunedin]

What type of boat and what type of usage envisaged?

North 3D of various types generally extremely good for performance, but also spectacularly expensive compared to Dacron and also more expensive than conventional cruising laminates. But sails are the core of a sailing boat so may be worth the spend to get the best.

 

[Joker]

It's a cruising boat 30 foot.

I can get a bog standard sail for £600-800, or a fancy biradial £1200-1600. This would be £1600+. A lot of money. But, as you say, sails are the core of a sailing boat.

 

[Richard10002]

If you do no more than cruise I'd say you need no more than a bog standard £700 quid job.

 

[Pete7]

Sounds a good price for a jib, but perhaps think about a better quality dacron. This is worth a read:

http://www.sanders-sails.co.uk/materials.html

 

[BabaYaga]

I haven't read the article the OP is referring to, but I guess it might concern North Sails 3Di Nordac, which was introduced earlier this year. If so, 'better quality dacron' sounds like a suitable description.
Since this material is brand new on the market, I doubt many people outside North have much experience of it.
https://northsails.com/sailing/en/sails/materials

 

[dunedin]

If you do no more than cruise I'd say you need no more than a bog standard £700 quid job.

I would say a cruising laminate is worthwhile - will get to destinations to windward quicker and with less heeling.
And foam luff essential. We have this combination (also from North), and seems good.
But would expect to be a big gap in pricing between cruising laminate and full North 3Di which I would not see as worth the extra cost.

 

[markhomer]

Ask about vectran sails , no longer under north sails patent and now available at very reasonable prices , i have a vectran main , in its 3rd season , still sets like new and supposed to for 10 years plus , just saying

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I've just ordered a carbon 3Di Endurance headsail for my Dragonfly trimaran. I'll update here on what it's like when it arrives. This type of sail might be OTT for a cruising monohull but sail loads are significantly higher in tris because of the high apparent wind speed.

 

[saltylegs]

Ask about vectran sails , no longer under north sails patent and now available at very reasonable prices , i have a vectran main , in its 3rd season , still sets like new and supposed to for 10 years plus , just saying

+ 1 for Vectran, about 7 years on my current boat and still setting very well.

 

[richardbrennan]

I ordered a Vectran Genoa at last year's SBS from North but only had it delivered this year after the single panel sails were announced. When I queried as to whether I might have been better holding on, the view expressed by the guy from North, was that I had the tried and tested technology rather the innovation, which had not yet stood the test of time. I think based on this comment, I would give it a year or two before going down that road. FWIW, the new Vectran sail is great and makes a noticable difference to the boat's performance giving less heal and less weather helm.

 

[Daydream believer]

FWIW, the new Vectran sail is great and makes a noticable difference to the boat's performance giving less heal and less weather helm.

With all due respect---Depends on what you had before !! That could be said of most new sails if the old ones were shot

 

[Clive]

I have North's Black 3Di race sails, these are made from exotic materials, on my 30ft X-Yacht, are brilliant.

My Cruising sails are 22 year old Dacron North main & Jib. I have replaced them with the new 3Di NorDac. the spec and write up is great and hope they will be delivered beginning of December. The main has 3 reefing points and a full length top batten. The jib has 3 vertical battens and a UV strip for roller furling.

Better sail, better sailing, faster you go the further you can go in a weekend.

If you want to try them out first hand give me a shout. I am based in Portsmouth harbor.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have North's Black 3Di race sails, these are made from exotic materials, on my 30ft X-Yacht, are brilliant.

The jib has 3 vertical battens and a UV strip for roller furling.

.

Changing battens out of the cruising jib to hoist the racing jib will drive you mad. one cannot properly fold or stow the jib with the d..d things in & they are a pain.

 

[BabaYaga]

Ask about vectran sails , no longer under north sails patent and now available at very reasonable prices , i have a vectran main , in its 3rd season , still sets like new and supposed to for 10 years plus , just saying

I ordered a Vectran Genoa at last year's SBS from North but only had it delivered this year after the single panel sails were announced. When I queried as to whether I might have been better holding on, the view expressed by the guy from North, was that I had the tried and tested technology rather the innovation, which had not yet stood the test of time. I think based on this comment, I would give it a year or two before going down that road. FWIW, the new Vectran sail is great and makes a noticable difference to the boat's performance giving less heal and less weather helm.

I am a little surprised by these posts, associating North Sails with Vectran, Didn't know they used this type of cloth/material. No mention of it on their site, as far as I have been able to find.

 

[Seven Spades]

I have a North 3DL cruising genoa sail and it is simply spectacular. It is now about 6 years old and looks and performs like new. Interestingly it is heavier than the sail it replaced but boy oh boy what a shape, it just sets so well.

 

[richardbrennan]

I accept D B's comment, although my previous sail was a North cruising laminate, about seven years old, and was not in bad condition; perhaps I should just have said that the new sail sets beautifully!

 

[Daydream believer]

I accept D B's comment, although my previous sail was a North cruising laminate, about seven years old, and was not in bad condition; perhaps I should just have said that the new sail sets beautifully!

Interesting that your cruising laminate has lasted 7 years but that depends on use & how you have looked after it. Letting a sail flog whilst motor sailing etc is not wise with a laminate. I was advised to expect max 10000 miles ( 5 years) in which the sail would hold its shape fairly well, then it would rapidly deteriorate.
Is that what you have found with your old sail?
This is in comparison to a dacron which would loose its shape fairly progressively over the period but be usable for a longer period.
That being said I am on my 4Th jib (now laminate) in 11 years & 3rd main (Now Fibrecon)in 13 years. The first jib - a Doyle which is, I believe, owned by North,-lasted 4 months before being consigned to the bin

 

[flaming]

The first jib - a Doyle which is, I believe, owned by North,-lasted 4 months before being consigned to the bin

Doyle owned by north...? Don't think so!
https://plus.ibinews.com/article/MI...yle_sails_changes_ownership/?nsl=56snxya8OXIK

I've been racing with 3D sails from North for the best part of 10 years. Initially with the kevlar 3DL product, then the carbon 3DL product and now the Carbon 3DI. It's great stuff, and I'm sold on the notion of a 3D sail being easier to get a repeatable shape out of than a more traditional sail. The new cruising cloths look very interesting, and I wouldn't hesitate to consider them if I was buying a cruising sail.
But I'd also consider Sanders and a number of other lofts for cruising sails.

The one thing I'd never consider would be a Dacron sail. That material has had its day now.

 

[richardbrennan]

D B

I rarely motor sail, my boat goes well in light airs, and if there's not enough wind to sail, I usually just motor. I obviously tried not to let the sail flog and it was cleaned regularly, I also probably do not do 2000 miles a year. It still set reasonably well and will be back on the boat for the winter, although the new sail certainly performs noticeably better.

Flaming

I went for the Vectran sail as it supposedly combines the durability of Dacron with the low stretch of a laminate; only time will tell if this is true. Price wise it was almost identical to a cruising laminate and may even have been a few quid more.