J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Dacron Main

Russ,

I ordered the new main today, so should get it in a month or so. I'll send you the photos, then. I'm going to go ahead and get a new sail. It's a little bit more, but I like the local quantum loft, and want to keep getting their service.

Also, I wonder if you noticed Steve's last post in the thread about his main. If the board is denying allowing laminate mains because they are concerned with the cost, it might be good to point out that most (overwhelmingly) J30s race predominately as part of PHRF fleets. In that post, Steve says his new plan is to have a Kevlar sail for most of his racing, and a dacron sail just for sanctioned OD racing. That sounds pretty cost IN-effective to me.

Grady - what main did you order?

Here are some questions for all those who race only PHRF. If the class changed allowable materials for mainsails, how many would travel to a one design event, and how many would come to the J/30 NAs? I've structured a series of questions for everyone in a poll at the top of this forum. Please take the time to vote, but post all comments or questions in this thread. Hopefully this poll asks questions in a neutral manner, and doesn't sway the answers one way or the other.

Question on voting in your poll;

Does one answer a question and press the 'submit' button for that question then go to the next?

Or, does one answer all questions and press 'submit' just one time?

Al - I think you have to vote each question and submit individually. It's a limitation of the forum software.

Bill
I asked Jason about NA's and he does not have a class legal main nor do I so it will be interesting to see the answers of your poll. Yet to hear from Wendell

I'm looking forward to meeting y'all in N'Orlins!!! Or am I being too optimistic?

Bill,

I ordered a class legal Quantum main. You can find my reasons for getting dacron a page or two back, but it had nothing to do with class regs.

In the Seattle area, we don't bother with the main restriction when we race OD. I don't know all the boats, but most of the regular J30s only have laminate mains.

Me and my crew have only been racing about a year, so NAs would be a big trip we're not ready for. If we were at a point where we'd consider NAs, I'd say we wouldn't come if we didn't feel our main was competitive and we wouldn't buy a new sail just for one regatta.

I didn't answer the poll question about NAs, because currently sail material has no impact.

Bill,
Nice job on putting the survey together thank you.
In an earlier post you asked Grady, "Here are some questions for all those who race only PHRF. If the class changed allowable materials for mainsails, how many would travel to a one design event, and how many would come to the J/30 NAs?"

I'm wondering how many wouldn't come if you changed the rule? As well, I'm curious as to how many would feel compelled to buy a non-dacron main in order to race at the NA's as there were several who pushed back and said the dacron was just as good.

For those interested (I know Russ is!), please contribute here and come up with a check list / data list on parameters we want gathered so that a meaningful evaluation of alternative main sail material can be presented for consideration. I'll start the list and ask that others contribute:

1. Assume other than the material, all other aspects of the main sail are per the J/30 Class Rules
2. Obtain quoted price for a complaint OD main and alternative material sail from the same supplier so there is an apples to apples comparison and show % cost delta. Provide rationale as to why the particular material was selected, and compare the material properties to Dacron.
3. Provide initial sail shape photographs, if possible under various wind conditions (need to determine parameters here).
4. Determine how often sail shape should be photographed to show aging characteristics
5. Document usage in sail log

Please add to or modify this as appropriate. I'm also going to speak with the sail maker in a few weeks to get suggestions. Our yacht club is having a demo at the sail loft on how sails are designed & fabricated and he's using my new main as an example.

I'll take this to my sail maker and get some feedback.
As well, I'm pretty sure they have shape photo's of my main from last year when it was new. This spring we can get some additional photo's to compare after 1 year and about 25 races.