Time for new inmast furling mainsail, recommendations please.

[Trop Cher]

Looking at replacing my inmast furling mainsail, which is made from dacron and looking for recommendations and experiences of other materials ie vektron .
Better sailing ability, better shape, ease of furling, etc.
Boat is a 12 metre beneteau.
Thanks

 

[Pagetslady]

Looking at replacing my inmast furling mainsail, which is made from dacron and looking for recommendations and experiences of other materials ie vektron .
Better sailing ability, better shape, ease of furling, etc.
Boat is a 12 metre beneteau.
Thanks

Hi the only advice I am qualified to offer is vertical batons are essential changed my up wind performance dramatically. I have had a Maxi roach which was wonderful I managed to get that second hand practically new £200 10 years ago, present one was from Crusader i have no complaints about the sail in fact i like it very much. But getting it was a little drawn out cant remember how much it cost but somewhere around £2000.
Mike

 

[Elemental]

Looking at replacing my inmast furling mainsail, which is made from dacron and looking for recommendations and experiences of other materials ie vektron .
Better sailing ability, better shape, ease of furling, etc.
Boat is a 12 metre beneteau.
Thanks

In mast furling sails are cut pretty (totally) flat. In addition, they are roachless (unless you use vertical battens). As a consequence, I don't think the material used in the sail will make much difference to the sailing ability or shape. Some may furl better than others. I would go for cheap dacron and ensure that you keep it sprayed in dry-lube to assist in getting a tight in-mast furl. As PagetsLady suggests above, vertical battens will make a huge difference but they can cause more problems than they solve with regard to furling ability. Even the guy at Maxi-roach was unconvinced about the suitability of vertical battens in my Beneteau in-mast (Z-Spars) due to the narrow mast slot aperture...

Thread drift: I'm in the unusual position of owning the same boat (Beneteau) from which I eventually removed the in-mast furling and replaced with conventional slab reefing (due to a mast failure). If you're interested in sailing ability and sail shape there is no contest...

 

[E-mac]

Simon,
I got a new main, 4 x partial battens, made of Hydranet a few years ago. There has been some upwind improvement but the furling is dramatically better. Old baggy Dracon sails are (very) liable to jams compared to new sails, Hydranet will keep its shape (flat) over many more years than Dracon. A friend has just bought a new main with pockets instead of baton, yet to see it so can't comment.
Ewan - call or pm if you want more details

 

[Rafiki]

I had a new in mast furling main 3 years ago made from Vektran or equivalent. The strength of the fabric ( or more accurately the threads of xxx every 5mm) meant that the sailcloth could be slightly lighter and therefore thinner than the equivalent plain dacron, this made it MUCH easier to furl in and out. So I would definitely go for Vektran over plan Dacron , mind you probably 30% more expensive!

 

[Pagetslady]

My mast is a Selden mast which does have a wider slot than most in mast rigs I have not had any problems with jams I never use a winch on the out haul or the furling lines i have done many thousands of miles over the last 27 years and would not swap if I could i am getting close 80 years i doubt if I could pull a traditional main up the mast anyway. I believe the furling line being wound around the foil has very little leverage, possibly there is a tendency when furling in the foil is pulled forward possibly touching the inside of the mast whereas the Selden has a winch on the back of the mast that drives the foil via a bevel gear on the bottom end this is driven by a continuous line back in the cockpit.
Mike

 

[Trop Cher]

Many thanks for all the replies.
I've had quotes for dacron, vektron and vektron with vertical battens sails. As there's quite a price difference between them, I'm trying to get as much information as possible before I make my decision. Struggling to get much information on vektron, is it similar to hydranet?

 

[Pete7]

Peter Sanders has some comments about Vectron which might be worth reading:

Sanders Sails: Materials | Sailmaking, Sailmakers, Yacht Marine Upholstery, Dinghies, Boat Design | Lymington, South Coast, Hampshire

 

[ip485]

I had mine by Kemp in Vectron, full length round carbon battens.

The Vectron made a world of difference, as did the battesn, also a Selden mast.

 

[jaypea]

In addition to Pete7’s comments, I suggest you would be well served in having a discussion with Peter Sanders about your specific boat/mast seeking his ideas and recommendations, all he ever wants to do is guide you in picking the sail that is right for you and your boat rather than his bottom line?