Which Material for a New Mainsail for a LeisureFurl System

[RaptorDance]

Hi folks -

Well after 20,000 miles and 9 years – 6 actively cruising – Raptor Dance’s mainsail gave up the ghost. It was a Quantum Spectra Laminate and the UV and constant use cruising in the tropics took it’s toll.

Raptor Dance is a Valiant 50 - P: 56.70 FT E: 18.00 FT

So the question is – what next?

As many of you know, we have a LeisureFurl in boom furling system and can’t use a fat cloth like a heavy Dacron – it won’t fit in the boom.

Right now we’re looking at quotes from Quantum for a main made of their Hydra Net Tri-Radial cloth and a quote from UK-Halsey for their Cruising Carbon Tape Drive.

I’m wondering what you all think – do any of you have experience with either? Is there another option we should consider? We need someone with a good reputation, reliable, reasonably priced and can get us a new main pretty quick.

Note – the North Sails loft didn’t return our inquiry.

We will be here at the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey CA (not a horrible place to be stuck) until we get our new main.

Regards,
Bill Finkelstein
Raptor Dance
Valiant 50 #107

[speciald@ocens.]

I would stay away from taape drive sails for a cruising boat. I had two tape drives on my race boat but they failed prematurely. Stay with traditional construction. Sales would be more easily repaired out of country if they have traditional construction and fabrics. Are you sure that a Dacron sail won't fit the Leisure Furl; that's what I have on my boat.

[RaptorDance]

Yes, a Dacron sail would have to be a lighter weight than we'd like to fit.

The Tape Drives that failed for you were from which maker? And were they Racing or Cruising weight? Racing sails are not built as rugged as cruising sails.

The local cruisers here in So. Cal and Mexico love theirs - but they are the UK-Halsey technology and not the North Sails technology.

[Intentional Drifter]

Just curious -- was there something about the Quantum Spectra that you didn't like? Sounds like you got your money's worth from it. If it worked well with the LeisureFurl, then why change?

ID

[RaptorDance]

The Spectra worked fine shape wise, strength and longevity. The biggest problem was that after a few years mildew took up residence around the stitching, spread between the laminations and it got "ugly". Purely cosmetic, but it wasn't esthetically pleasing! It was also a bit pricier than newer fabrics that supposedly achieve equivalent performance without the mildew problem.

[RaptorDance]

Some more info:

Here is the link to the website of the fabric manufacturer Quantum proposes: Hydra Net® - Sailcloth Technology by DIMENSION-POLYANT - Sailcloth and laminates for high performance sailing and polyestersailcloth for surf

and

Here is the link to the spec sheet for the specific fabric that Quantum specified: http://dimension-polyant.com/en/pdf/...t_radial_E.pdf

[Paul Elliott]

Bill,
I think you're looking for something a little higher-end than this, but on VALIS (Pacific Seacraft 44) we have a leisurefurl, and have a Hood Vektran mainsail. It's been to Hawaii and back twice, plus some pretty windy coastal (San Francisco) sailing, and it seems to be holding its shape well. Vektran is a woven dacron cloth with some vectran threads mixed into the weave. For a given strength is is definitely lighter than a pure dacron. It's nothing like a high-tech laminate, but it is rugged and forgiving.

Good luck,
Paul

[RaptorDance]

Hi Paul - Actually the Hydra Net Radial fabric is Dyneema threads woven into Dacron, not a laminate as I first thought.

[CarlF]

I think the hydra-net is an updated (and better) woven cloth than the Vektran. I had a vektran main and it stretched. Not as bad as dacron but a whole lot more than a laminate sail. I'm not sure the hydra-net is thin enough to meet your boom requirements.

In the laminate sails you might look at the Doyle "Cruising Stratis". It is supposed to have a whole lot of anti-mildew treatment. I believe all of the sailmakers are using better anti-mildew treatments than when your current sails were built.

You might also consider having the whole new sail treated with McLube SailKote. This really helps to seal the sail from moisture.

Carl

[RaptorDance]

Hi Carl - The Doyle looks interesting, but there's no loft near here in Marina del Rey in Southern CA. We're stuck here until we get a new sail and we'd like to get moving again. So right now it's pretty much between Quantum and UK-Halsey - both can get us a new sail in (they say) 3 to 4 weeks. Both have attractive proposals with technology that we would probably also choose if we had more time.

[CarlF]

Then I would tell them each of the that you're going with whoever has the best "no mildew" promise. It's not rocket science. Maybe they can put on an extra layer of treated taffeta or something.

Carl

[RaptorDance]

Yes, Carl - Well the Hydra Net material is not a laminate. It's Dacron woven with Dyneema - so it should inherently be more mildew resistant than the Tape Drive. But what about longevity, cost effectiveness, shape maintenance and failure modes (catastrophic or repairable)? Those are interesting questions that I'm looking for facts on. Too much marketing hype to wade through.

[RaptorDance]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the conversation.

We signed up and put a deposit down today for a new main from Quantum in Pt. Richmond, CA.

Details: P: 52.35 FT E: 16.90 FT
SAIL AREA 526.4 FT²
Computer designed and cut tri-radial construction using Dimension Hydra Net 433
Radial (75%), Dimension Hydra Net 393 Radial (25%) with Handsewn luff and foot hardware, leech cord with a cleat, telltales, sail ties, sail bag, fitted to our Leisure Furl, with (6) Batten Pockets and Battens.

Don Teakell from Pt. Richmond will come down to verify all measurements before
construction and return to fit and go on a sea trial with us. We are in Marina del Rey right now so that's about a 400 mile trek for him (he'll fly, OAK to LAX).

Delivery is promised in 3 to 4 weeks.

Regards,
Bill

[Bash]

Originally Posted by RaptorDance

Delivery is promised in 3 to 4 weeks.

None too soon, Bill. I spent a month once at the California Yacht Club, and it got harder and harder to leave with every passing day. Be especially wary of the seafood buffet on Friday nights, if they still have it. Half the transient yachties who dine there ask for a liveaboard application after the second course.

A six-batten main? My oh my.

[RaptorDance]

Yes, they still have the outstanding Sea Food Buffet on Friday nights. We've been members of Cal since 1987 (non-resident since 1992) and it's just as good as ever!

Yes, and with the Leisure Furl, each batten is a reef point! We've never been beyond the 3rd Reef (and don't want to be...), but it's nice to have, just in case.