[Public-List] Alberg mainsail

[John Birch]

Cathie,

Triton I found was only marginally cheaper with Premium cloth, than North with a similar premium cloth, but they used 4 full battens while North wanted to only use three. I got Schaeffer Batt cars included for a lesser price than North (with Triton) and had a full length two ply leach put on. That was in 1996 - the main still sets very well without loading the halyard or using a Cunningham and the draft remains forward at about 40-45% and has not moved aft. 

I have a draft gauge, the depth has not changed much either, maybe 1%.

I had the sail cut with minimum shelf and a full roach as Alberg mains are overpowering enough. The boat points extremely well and is very fast up wind as well as down wind. Upwind when it blows, before reefing I just drop the traveler and blade out the main with the outhaul to max. There is very little helm, just enough. 

It is a performance cruising main, it wasn't cheap by any means, but it is a fantastic sail and is triple stitched with radial fan patches (all is Dacron).

I was very pleased with the service and the sails.

The cost of sails is not exorbitant, despite whining by some to the contrary, you as a former sail worker yourself know, as I do, the intense labour required to actually build a sail, particularly a good one. I know, I helped Joe Fernandez loft my sails and was ever grateful for the experience -  I learned a ton from him and it took 3 days to build the sail. So no, I don't quibble about the few bucks the net out - good sail makers are artists as much a scientists. They don't really make enough for what they do.

Just divide the cost against the life expectancy and you will see how cheap sails really are for what you get per year of sailing, so forget price, buy the best you can afford - quality hurts once.

Our A-37 has 7.5 oz  cloth in the main, meaning the leach is 15 oz.. And where do sails usually start to fail when they age - at the leach. With 15 effective ounces of cloth there it ain't a gonna fail there. In our 1996 Club Open Regatta in Burlington with the new inventory we took line honours and beat on real time, boat to boat two X Boats, one 33 feet, the other 35, plus a Comfortina 42,  C&C's 32 & 33' and all the other 45 boats racing.

We cleaned up on PHRF too, not that PHRF is anything to brag about, the endless debate about the number of angels dancing on the head of a pin rule.

We won everything that day, corrected time, real time, line honours. Yup, Triton builds a great sail so we bought 3, main, Genoa and a 105 working jib full hoist - devastating package.

The Dacron TriRadial Genoa now is getting a little tired as its shape has moved aft - hardly surprising as the sails are now 14 years old. The Main and #3 are still super.

Scotch Mist, ah, I know her well, nice boat Cathie and congrats on becoming GLAA Commodore ( auch - that was a gree't AGM by the way, hootman Mdm Commodore ) - hope to see you at Sam & Ann's March Blahs Party.

ATB

John


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Cathie & John Coultis 
  To: Sunstone at cogeco.ca 
  Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 10:23 PM
  Subject: Alberg mainsail


  Hi John,

  I was just taking a break from doing some GLAA "stuff" and catching up on emails and read your public list posting.  Thanks for the info on the sails.  I'm starting to gather quotes on a full batten main and 155% genny.  What were Triton's prices like....and what ounce cloth?  I was considering 7 or 8 oz for the genny.  One of my first jobs (a very very long time ago) was working for Fast Eddy Botterill at Hood Sails.  

  Cheers,

  Cathie
  Scotch Mist II, A30 #448
  Picton
  ("Fearless Leader"/Commodore GLAA)
 1264136474.0