Asymmetric Material Advice

[tackdriver]

Hi all,
the boat I'm sailing on at the moment needs a new asymmetric headsail. Its actually called a Gennika on this boat. We've got some quotes all for different materials and hoped that someone had an opinion (probably pretty safe there).
Option 1 - 1.5oz Ripstop
Option 2 - 2.2oz Maxlite
Option 3 - 2.2oz Challenge Nylon.

The sail is for a 56' Fontaine Parjot cat. Generally its used up to about 18kn. Luckily I wasn't the one on duty when the squall came through and killed the old one!
Please let me know if you have experience/preference on any of the above materials, as its pretty hard to tell which would be best from where I'm standing.
cheers
JMB

[Kestrahl]

Spelt Maxilite, and that is the best of the three.

[davecalvert]

This will depend on what your discription of Gennaker is. Is this a spinnaker or Code 0 type sail, with an anti torque luff rope for furling?
Spinnakers, because of the lower angles they are used, will have less loads than a Code 0. Asymmetrical spinakers, for boats this size should have cloth like the Contender Maxilite as well as double tapes and lines on all three sides, and large patches. Code 0 type sails with luff ropes for furling should have stronger cloth like the various Code 0 lines from most major sailcloth manufacturers.

[tackdriver]

OK, thanks for that - in answer, yes its on a furler. What is Code 0 ?
cheers
JMB

[davecalvert]

Hi JMB,
There are several names for reaching/down wind sails like this. In the US we call the sails used on bow sprits, sheeting around the shrouds, with luff ropes, reachers, or Code 0s. The Code 0 originated as a flat asymmetrical spinnaker that could be used close reaching. These evolved into sails with straight luffs and anti twist ropes used on continuous line furlers.
Dimension Polyant Sailcloth designed a line of Code 0 cloth to offer light weigh, strong, laminated cloth that could take the high loads of close reaching on larger boats. These styles have Technora and Kevlar fibers in the warp and a light woven taffeta on one side. Weights range from 1.7 oz. to over 4 oz. Now, most sail cloth manufacturers offer lines of the Code 0 cloth. On your Fountaine Pajot 56, this may be something to consider. I would recommend the heavier weights like the CZ 60 and CZ 90. If using weights this high, a light UV strip can also be installed allowing you to leave the sail up furler for lengths of time.
Cheers,
Dave