Kudos to Far East Sails

[RTN1]

Just want to give some positive compliments to Far East Sails (https://www.fareastsails.com/) and their representative Michael.

I ordered a new triradial mainsail for my Bob Perry designed Saga 43 in 2019. The sail arrived on time, workmanship appeared very good and the sail fit perfectly (there are a LOT of dimensions that need to be given before they can make your sail). The shape of the sail was very nice for that first summer of light air cruising, but in higher winds when sailing to Mexico the sail stretched a bit and did not retain its shape as well as I had expected.

I sent descriptions and photos, tried different battens as they recommended, made adjustments to outhaul, batten tension, halyard tension, etc as they suggested. Finally, it just became clear the sail was simply not holding its shape in wind above 25kts.

To my surprise and relief, Michael agreed to make me a totally new sail, at no cost. Wow. Then Covid hit with workforce and raw material issues. Through this past winter I stayed in touch every few weeks and was reassured that the sail would be made as soon as they could bring together all the components and had worker availabilty. This dragged on for several months and frankly I was starting to lose hope, but then, earlier this summer, my new sail was completed, shipped and received. It is made with heavier Contender cloth and again, sizing and workmanship are right on. As you can see from the attached photo, the shape is very nice.

I can highly recommend FES and can attest to their ethics and expertise. The cost of a new sail from their China loft is around 30-40% less than from a name brand sailmaker, and with the new sail I don't see anything lacking compared to the name brands. I do support and appreciate the products coming from major lofts, but if you're looking to save some money and are willing to take the time to provide accurate measurements, Far East Sails is worth your consideration.

Fair Winds to All,

Roger