New Jib

[Bud Cary]

Hi All

Our current jib is completely tired so we're in the market for something new/newer for our J40 located in SW Florida

We have Harken furling and are looking for something in the 100-115% range, to be used for coastal cruising, no racing. We have a nearly new Doyle mainsail that came with the boat when purchased about a year ago.

I have contacted the following sailmakers to get a range of estimates for something new; North, Doyle, Ullman, Precision Sail and Bacon but am also open to a used sail if it is a good fit for our boat and has a good amount of life left.

I'd appreciate any input in terms of feedback on the sailmakers, are any an especially good fit for J's, should I include any other, what to look or watch out for, features to include or avoid, etc. 

Also, are used sails worth pursuing?  If anyone has a sail they'd like to offer, please feel free to contact me

Thanks

Bud

S/V Pooh (J40, #82)

[Michael Kahn]

I would highly recommend z sails out of Stamford CT. We got both a 135 and a 155 and they’re extremely well built and long lasting. Waldek is the guy there. He can help customize something for you that you’ll find will be much better than the larger sail makers and generally they’re a bit more affordable as well. 

Michael (J40 Kahncorde)

On Sep 16, 2025, at 12:02, Bud Cary <afca...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Wayne Cassady]

We have always bought North sails with a few exceptions over the years, including used from Bacon, used Doyle from an individual on this forum. We have been pleased with all of them. Two years ago we were due for a new main and everyday headsail and went with Schurr sails from Hunter Riddle in Pensacola. Sails have great shape and he is great on service. We have done well in some low key races where we sail. Also recently bought a new asymmetrical chute from North and have had great service from Mike Marshall there. Hope this helps. I would have conversations with both of those and more sailmakers, telling them how you sail, what you want, and what they recommend. I would expect Shazaam, John Plominski and others on this forum would have some good insights as well.

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 16, 2025, at 12:06 PM, Michael Kahn <kahnpe...@gmail.com> wrote:

I would highly recommend z sails out of Stamford CT. We got both a 135 and a 155 and they’re extremely well built and long lasting. Waldek is the guy there. He can help customize something for you that you’ll find will be much better than the larger sail makers and generally they’re a bit more affordable as well. 

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[Kim Andersen]

We are a 100% Quantum program. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Kim Andersen 

1997 J42

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[David Jade]

We are 100% Doyle and love them for our J/46.

 

BUT, what I have found is it is just as important (maybe more) to find a sailmaker who you like to work with and who takes the time to understand how you use your sailboat (and sails). That really was the key point for me when we found a sailmaker to work with who took the time to come out on the our boat and see and understand our boat (Doyle Seattle, which sadly closed up shop last year).

 

David             _/)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sean Motta]

Shazaam! has raced quite successfully with Doyle, Ulman, North, and a local independent guys’ sails. I’m now almost exclusively Doyle but hugely echo the sentiment about finding someone you enjoy working who will stand behind their products. I think that’s the key to a solid sail inventory. 

S

Sean Motta

USA 52910

J/42 Hull # 50

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[Jim Bordeaux]

We raced Solstice, J40 #54, with a roller furler and when we decided we needed a good #3, I eventually bought a Quantum sail with horizontal battens. The “logic” was that we would only use the sail on windward-leeward courses where the sail would be dropped when the spinnaker went up, or on a long upwind offshore race. The sail was great, the boat went upwind spectacularly, but it turned out that we needed it in situations other than described. It was a mistake - all because I didn’t like the looks of vertical battens!

Jim Bordeaux 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 16, 2025, at 3:34 PM, Sean Motta <sean...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Mark Wensell]

Vertical battens are great on furling sails that mainly stay on the furler, as they make doing sail changes more difficult and time consuming.   The  battens are pretty long and often have tie-in pockets to prevent the batten from working out and being lost (which I have done!).    

Rigging or de-rigging them on a pitching deck at night is a challenge but must be done to stow sails afterwards.    On the J46, the jib battens are around four+ feet long and the sail won't go down a hatch easily with them installed.   

I think if offshore racing with frequent sail changes is the goal, a conversation with your sailmaker about how to best optimize for that use case is a good topic to cover ahead of the order!

[John Plominski]

We ended up doing vertical battens for our new J3 a couple years ago so it would furl for cruising and buoy racing and we do use it that way sometimes, but more often than not its offshore when we need that sail and vertical battens are a PITA to flake and handle so I am adding a second set of horizontal batten pockets to that sail this winter so we can set it up however makes sense for the cruise or the race... I am having Doyle Newport do that this winter.

We are quoting a proper racing light #1 genoa right now from Fries Sail Design (Waterford, CT.  John Fries has designed essentially Artemisia's full inventory at this point), Doyle Newport, Thurston (Quantum Bristol RI), and UK Northeast (RI) right now and I am leaning towards Doyle bc they do most of my sail servicing already and Alex Clegg is one of the best in the business for figuring out the details of what a program needs.  We're looking at other lofts for this sail outside of Fries Sail Design because I want to keep building a relationship with a "full service loft" for repairs and future consulting, etc and nothing builds relationships like writing a check for $10k..  Fries does some repair work in house and his service is excellent (Hes gotten me 14ft long replacement battens for my main sail in a matter of days) but its important to have other options.

Sorry for long reply. 

TL;DR  

You get what you pay for with sails.  Used sails are used and may not fit just right but are probably fine for cruising, but I'd just as soon spend the money and get a purpose built sail designed for exactly what you are doing since modern dacron sail clothes are so durable now you'll get more miles out of something purpose built  (For example:  My 2 year old main sail Fries designed is a bit flatter than normal to better control power since I am often racing doublehanded or cruising with just family and don't always have a ton of weight on the rail.  Im not going to need another main for a while the way I use the boat and how its built).

Drew

J40 Artemisia 

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 5:50:48 PM UTC-4 Jim Bordeaux wrote:

[Michael Moradzadeh]

While I am learning the ropes on new-to-me O2 (ex HotFlash) I have gotten a used jib from Minney's

Fits pretty well and is in excellent shape.  Not bad for $800!

Not for serious racing, but it will get me around the bay!

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[Larry Romano]

Another sail maker is Sobstad. He has made me beautiful sails over the years and his prices are good.

On Sep 17, 2025, at 10:17 AM, Michael Moradzadeh <m...@yachtpc.com> wrote:



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[Bud Cary]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback and information

 

The major takeaway seems to be that they are all good and can/will build a sail that fits our needs … it just takes communicating and working with whichever you feel most comfortable with

 

In any case we are contacting the additional names provided

 

Thanks again

 

Sean Motta

 

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[David Haller]

Does anybody think that making your own sail out of a thing like a Sailrite kit is or has any possibility of being effective my sewing skills are very high
Club racing, long distance, racing and cruising

David J Haller

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[John Plominski]

Its possible.  A guy at my yc did that a few years ago and the sails were decent.  You get them designed and the panels cut and delivered. Then you glue together and stitch... the trick is you need a sewing machine that can do it.  They start around $1200 and go up from there.

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[David Haller]

J/42

I do know how their kits work that’s not my question Has anybody had any experience with this company ,  can these sail designs be competitive for club racing, is the shape of say an A3 reacher achievable and is risk involved in creating a sale that doesn’t work

David J Haller

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[John Plominski]

You'd have to ask whoever designed the sail in the kit what the goal was.  My guess is without specific rig measurements to fit your boat it is going to be a one size fits most, middle of the road, rudimentary sail shape that is fine for cruising but will not perform as well as a racing designed sail. 

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[Fred Hawes]

Our J46 sails fast with vertical battens, in the 100% jib. The black sails by Quantum, they call them membrane sails are great, 

so great for a good breeze, a bit too firm for really light air, but for my budget, all-around, they're great. Without UV protection 

on the leach and foot, we always use a headsail cover inport. And, of course the vertical battens roll up easily and tight. 

Previous sails were North, kevlar, nice but not as good as the Quantum membrane sail.

Fred Hawes, J-46 #16, ANONA

619-920-6661

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[David Tabor]

I had a J3 built this year for offshore racing and it had (has) vertical battens.  Which do work.  BUT, the thought of doing headsail changes in the conditions that warrant a change and then handling that sail made me rethink things.  The sailmaker left the pockets, but added horizontal battens that are a bit shorter and we can flake the sail by the leech.  Not sure how well this will work out as we haven't tried it yet.