Because sail regularly, we try to efficiently manage and care for our inventory. Chesapeake Bay YRA schedules more than twenty days of weekend racing for J/30s, many with several races per day, plus several long distance races. Annapolis YC runs a twenty week Wednesday Night Series, quite serious for some, though we tend to use it to find and train crew. Our boat is also day sailed and cruised so a mainsail is hoisted 40-50 days a season. Maybe not as much some, but I work or a living and have kids with sports and activities.

We time sail purchases to coincide with the J/30 NA's. If possible a new main and genoa are saved for a second NA or only used for major regattas like the NOOD. After several major events, they go into regular weekend rotation for about three years and are then either sold or used for Wednesday nights, deliveries, cruising, and the occasional weekend gear buster. Typically we have two, but often three mainsails on hand.

For example, we had a new Dacron main for the 2002 NA's at Cedar Point YC that we saved for the 2003 NA's in Annapolis. It became our regular weekend sail between 2004 and 2006, for a total of 55 races. Still in good condition, it was sold for 40% of original cost. That's two championships, three years, plus residual value, 3+ years/(1-40%) = 5+ years. The previous main, new for the 1999 NA's was our primary weekend sail for three years. We got five more years out of it on Wednesday nights, for a total of about 80-100 races before being sold for 20% of its original cost, 8 years/(1-20%)= 10 years.

Is there any salvage value or after life for a five-year-old carbon/Kevlar? Are these sails only used for racing or for deliveries and cruising too?