Sail wardrobe expansion - cruising chute or 'better' genoa.

[samfieldhouse]

Thought I'd update this thread! I left my sails with Kemps for the winter. They checked the genoa over and when asked "should I get a new one" they said "we'd love to sell you one but you just don't need it" Which is great customer service if not a great business strategy. But this is what keeps customers loyal isn't it?
They went on to suggest that given the rig design, reducing it to anything less than 130% wouldn't;t be ideal anyway. So in a couple of seasons I'll return to the idea of a slightly flatter, 130%, foam luffed genoa. Probably around the time the UV strip wears out on the current one.
In the mean time - I picked up a really lovely cruising chute on eBay, with a snuffer! It's a modest size for the boat, but having played with it today, its a pice of cake to handle and does exactly what I wanted: set beautifully in light airs with winds abaft of the beam. It's a lovey thing to use and pulls her along beautifully.
Thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge and ideas.

 

[sailoppopotamus]

Congratulations to you for your purchase, and to Kemps for their outstanding professionalism. Just curious, how did you know whether the ebay chute would be suitable for your boat?

 

[samfieldhouse]

I went by the measurements: mostly an appropriate luff length and a sensible foot. I compared that against Kemps calculator - that suggested a slightly longer foot and a bit more luff for a 28fter, so I knew this one would come up slightly undersized. When I factored in the price though, this was a really good option.