Lagoon 380 Replacement Sails

[michaux]

I am going to replace the tired cruising sails on my 2008 Lagoon Catamaran from a far eastern loft (as my sails are not custom made).
My sailing is, at present, coastal week-end sailing in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand and beyond.
I would like to get maximum performance whilst still having decent life.
My main sits in a lazy bag and has 2 reef points. The jib is furling and reacts to small changes.
I am confused as to what material, shape, cut and size to use.
I have been advised to get radial cut sails for performance.
If anyone has experience, please let me know. I cannot change the boat, so that is not an option to increase performance...
Thanks in advance

[Jmstee]

I'm by far no expert on this matter but my understanding is radial cut sails hold their shape better and last a little longer because of the way the load lines fall. however they do tend to cost a bit more up front because there's more wastage in material during manufacturing and they're a lot more labor-intensive with all the cutting and sewing.if you're just a weekend cruiser out for an evening doing simple stuff cross-cut Dacron is probably the way to go for longevity and cost-effectiveness. When it comes to all your other questions shape size etc think about what you like with your current sail and what you don't like and talk to a few different manufacturers. I had my new sail cut a hair shorter to accommodate a dodger. They're always going to try to upsell you are always going to try to give you a more expensive product. Laminates have come down in price but not worth the cost/short lifespan unless serious racing. There's a million opinions out there and everyone has their own thoughts. Also find someone with good service. Ordering is only a small part of your experiencing. Some places blew me off when I called and others spent an hour educating me and taking through every aspect of manufacturing and have me a lot of things to consider. Then also do you want a local loft to measure for you and service them or maybe a cheaper large loft online.

[Kestrahl]

Here are some points to consider

1. All sails are custom made, it doesn't matter if you have a production boat. French boats are especially bad for changing suppliers and setups on the same model.
2. You are going to mail order sails from the far east but maximum performance - these two things are normally opposites. Is the person designing the sails even a sailor?
3. Sail shape is more critical for performance than construction, matching the sail curve to match the bend of the mast ( which varies according to how the mast was setup ).
4. Radial cut dacron is often used as a performance up sell. But unless using highly stable material - like a laminte - can actually be a decrease in sail performance as the sail ages.
You can see in the photo a well use cross-cut sail and a well used radial sail. The cross-cut sail has a lot less panel distortion.