Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 29
Number 19
October 1, 2003

Market Scan: Sails and Sailmakers

Sailmakers tend to be competitors on the water, and it carries over, ferociously, into the marketplace. But while bragging rights used to come only from the race course, cruising sailors carry real clout today. We'll give some major sailmakers plenty of time with the conch shell here, so that we can get up-to-date on terms and technology.

An Ericson 35 hustles along with UK cruising sails made with a polyester laminate and carbon fiber reinforced tapes.

Trying to pin down the technology, trade names, and jargon that define contemporary sailmaking is more than daunting—but it must be done once in a while, even if accuracy is fleeting. PS checked in with representatives from the major sailmaking labels in the U.S. to see what's available these days for recreational and cruising sailors. (We'll speak here only of mainsail and upwind headsails, not spinnakers.)

The companies that make and market sails usually segment their consumers (and thus their products) into two general realms—racing and cruising—with the former normally garnering the lion's share of R&D resources as well as the marketing muscle. This situation, however, appears to be in flux…

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