I'm collecting quotes for new mains in various configurations:

1) Class Dacron
2) PHRF non-exotic
3) PHRF unrestricted (but budget conscious)

North is the first to respond, and has suggested a tri-radial cut from Nordac Radian 7.5

The sales guy says it will outlast/perform Pentex. Does anyone have experience with this?

I wonder if the 7.5 is that much different that the Radian 7.3 they sold me in 2010? It is a nice heavy duty main that we like for heavier wind.

After five years it probably is slightly blown at the foot as the crew insists on over tightening the out haul, and then forgetting to release it when we finishing sailing. In light wind the full battens tend to invert the main on a tack, requiring a special pump. No real signs of wear and we do get out a bit during the year.

I don't know. The sail cloth is listed only as NDR 7.5
I won't be getting full battens, just full top with 3 leech.

The "regular" class main quote was for crosscut NorDac 78HA, presumably 7.8oz. Seems heavy, given we only rarely have winds over 20kts. Perhaps in the name of longevity?

What does 5yrs of sailing mean for you? I'll be getting 150hrs +/- on the water. I hate doing the per hour cost of sailing... ouch.

None of the other lofts (Quantum, UK, Haarstick, Evolution, or local guy) have responded yet. Not much to compare to.

Who do other owners use? Big lofts? Local?

7.8 is indeed heavy and probably considered a bullet proof cruising main. I had a 7.8 and dropped down to the current, which is probably a bit too heavy for racing under 12.

This winter season is a minimum of 30 weekends, 2 days a week and 3.5 hours a day. When I had Vee Jay 2 up north we added 15 weekends, 2 days a week, 4 hours. All I really care to do is a day sail spin run with enough crew to make it nice and relaxing.

Only reason I use north is that is what I did ... but Doyle seems also to be an option here which I will have to look at.

My most recent main is a North Radian 6.3. Very happy with it, so far only one season on it so I can't testify as to longevity.

I'm racing with a Quantum main which was new last year and am happy with it Steve and I both had good boat speed against each other so I would sail it was sail handling and luck that made a difference head to head
the real question is what kind of sailing and racing are you going to do? are you going to roll the main? is the going to be used for racing or cruising? flogging which will happen when day sailing will probably age a main faster than anything

Charlie -

I don't actually own a J/30 yet, so a little cart-before-the-horse. I am under contract with one though, that will need a new main.

I'll be almost exclusively PHRF racing as there aren't any fleets here in Maine. However, there are a number of J/30s (a couple newly arrived) so perhaps we'll get the ball rolling.

The mainsail will be kept on the boom. I rolled the membrane sails on my last boat for awhile but gave up when I determined I was causing more damage by rolling and subsequently folding to get below (no structural tube in the roll). With out using a shackle for the clew, the sail gets mangled running the foot down the track. I've found easing the outhaul and doing big loose flakes with a horse-blanket cover is the least damaging, in my situation anyway. Alternatively using horizontal battens and doing a 2/3 roll with storage on the boom is effective (though the sail ties end up heavily loaded keeping the roll stable). We did this method on a Farr 40 program I crewed for.

Why do you say flogging will happen during day sailing vs. racing? That's not the case for any of the boats I've been involved with. The sound of flogging is a sail makers money maker.

For anyone looking, these are the prices I collected, valid for roughly 30days:

North -
Nordac ND78HA (7oz) $2678
Radian NDR75 (tri-radial) $3428
3DL 600 Aramid $5710

Quantum -
Contender 7oz $3270
DP 300 SF HTP+ $3450
MR3000 Poly (membrane) $4140
DP Flex19 Poly (tri-radial) $3347

UK -
DP 280 AP 6.5 $3124
DP 280 AP HTP $4575
Tapedrive Silver $4234

Doyle -
DP 300 SF HTP $3470
DP Flex 16 Poly (tri-radial) $3095

Haarstick -
Challenge 7.62 VF $2340
DP 280 AP HTP $2690
DP Flex 15 Stealth (tri-radial) $3500
Loadpath Carbon (membrane) $4750

These are standard build; loose foot, reef, cunningham, full-top, luff cords, tell tales, draft stripes, numbers, ties, bag, etc. Quantum had boat-show promo that was good for a discount, but it has since expired. A couple of the lofts lowered when I dug a bit deeper, but I didn't post any of the reduced pricing, as I suspect it's case-by-case.

EDIT: I also checked a local loft and FX Sails; both were less than anything listed above for crosscut dacron, but I don't have those quotes in front of me.

For my purposes, a number of the sails listed won't work, as anything with HTP must be rolled; cannot be flaked on boom.

A number of them are not Class Legal either, in case you couldn't figure that out!

nice research ... thanks.
I'm looking to get a jenny and main same material but not OD for PHRF and am interested if anyone has run into something other than 3DL which has a limited life in strong sun.