Which Racing Sail is Right for Me?
First decide whether you need a Club sail, a Practice/Race (Like the WinDesign 3.9) sail or a Racing sail. McLaughlin continually looks at the performance of sails from many different sail makers and tries to keep in stock those that are popular.
Club Sails
Club programs will defiantly want the Club Sails . They are built for long wear with an easily adjustable medium shape needed for training. Club Sails can be purchased with or without a window. More care is needed with a window sail. If creased too many times the window is more susceptible to cracking then sailcloth. Club sails come with: Durable battens and a sail bag which is intended to hold the entire rig with the sail still tied in place. When purchase with a boat these sails include sail ties. Numbers can be installed at an additional charge.
3.9 Race Sail
If you have any racing ambitions at all, you should seriously consider purchasing a 3.9 Race/Practice sail. It combines the durability of a club sail with the shape and panel cuts of a racing sail, and only at a marginally higher price. The sails are perfect for regional racing and all practice sessions. The sail gets its name from the 3.9 oz Dimension sail cloth use in its construction. While only being about 1 oz heavier the material allows for a fast shape that is easily kept in the grove. That extra 1 oz gives the sail enough strength to out last a normal racing sail by 3 times. The 3.9 sail and all other race sails come in specifically design cuts matched to the weight of the sailor. These sails come with a sail bag, sail ties, tapered race battens, window, and sail numbers installed.
Race Sails
Sail makers and are constantly improving the shape and performance of their sails. While years ago we only had straight panel cut sails, today we have radial, tri radial and combination cuts. Most sail makers are using Polyant 140B sailcloth for it's fine weave and superior stretch characteristics, which allow the sail to perform well over a broad range of wind conditions. These sails are never folded only rolled. Race Sails are shipped rolled up in boxes and tubes. You will find very few wrinkles in these sails. Some of the top companies are North, Toni Tio, Omega, Windesign and Olimpic. These sails come with numbers installed, tapered race battens, high-end sail ties, window and a sail bag.
Durability
Some people ask us, "will a more expensive racing sail make up it's cost in longer life?" The answer is a resounding "NO!" Giving a brand new sailor a Racing sail for his/her primary sail is like tossing a 15 year old the keys to the Porsche and saying, "go teach yourself how to drive!" Racing sails are made with performance in mind not durability. Club / Practice sails will hold their shape and last 5 times or more as long as race sails.
Class legal
To be class legal the sail must have a green IODA class plastic fees paid button attached to the clew of the sail (Watch Out! Some manufacturers do not provide this). The sail should pass measurement, (most sails do!) and have the properly placed and sized: class logo, country code (USA, etc) and the boat number installed. If want directions for all this and the class rules see FAQ's "Sail Numbering and Removal". If you are just starting out or sailing locally you do not need the logo, country code etc. They can be added later for about $35.
Why Are Some Sails So Expensive?
When you purchase sails, you are paying for 3 things, fabric, construction and name brand. Fabric is simply a matter of material cost. Fabric for racing sails is: thin with a high thread count, very difficult to make and, thus very expensive. Fabric for club and practice sails is not as expensive so, they can be made more inexpensively. Construction is where the greatest cost enters. Club sails do not need to be cut and sewn perfectly and identically so, many are made in the Asia. Racing sails, on the other hand, must have greater care taken in each cut and each stitch; this of course, is more expensive. But it goes much deeper than that, racing sails do not just happen, they evolve. It takes any sail maker years of sail development to reach the upper echelons of competitive sailing. Name brands in sails are important; they are insurance that you are getting the quality and performance you paid for. Buying a name brand means you can research who is winning at top levels and why. It means you can talk to coaches, sailors and parents, getting useful feedback on a known quantity. When you sail onto the racecourse that is the kind of assurance you need to win. |
