Apologies to anyone who thinks renewing this year-old thread is without merit. In response to posts about prices, here is what I have been quoted for downwind
sails for a fractional rig self-tacking 27'
trimaran .. a bit different than the bigger boats discussed in this thread. And I suspect the worries, discussed above, about being surprised by a blow would be less for these smaller
sails.
Wingaker, including snuffer, bag, and
shipping ...
42 square meters = US$2286
51 square meters = US$2642
The Wingaker seems very much like the Parasail, but with vertical
fabric battens in the wing? Hard to find pictures showing the front; lots of owner videos from the boats.
Parasail, including snuffer, bag, and
shipping ...
46 square meters = US$2447 (essentially same as Wingaker)
The Parasail is smaller than their Parasailer, and does not have an opening above the wing. Advantage to the Parasail (assuming they do the same deal as with Parasailer, and that their locations are convenient enough) is you can go for a
training ride with them and apply the cost of the ride to your
purchase.
Asymmetrical
spinnaker kit from
SailRite ...
20.59 square meters = $720
I'll let others estimate what that would cost already sewn. Double? And then adding
hardware ... a
furler would seem most comparable to the wing spinnakers. Looks like it becomes a wash, if the wingers have the apparent
wind angle ranges they claim. Sailing a bit off of dead downwind, enough to keep a windward
hull out of the
water, would seem the best strategy for a tri.
The wingers seem like more durable sails, too.