Sails from Elvström-Sobstad

Sails have always been one of the most important factors for performance. When you take delivery of your new boat, the sails are new and in top condition. It is a joy to go out sailing. After some years the sails starts to lose performance. It is hard to see, as it happens gradually. A tired or worn out sail means that you cannot point as high as  when the sails were new. A baggy sail will also make your boat heal more than necessary.

Normally the furlin Genoa is the first sail to replace. A furlin Genoa is normally used in many different wind speeds, and will wear out faster than the other sails. On many boats this is the only head sail used and after 3-4 years, it wears out.

It is very difficult, more or less impossible, for a customer to compare offers from different sailmakers. Each sailmaker has their own ideas about cloth. It is never possible to get an offer with exactly the same cloth, same weight and finally same design. In order to reduce the uncertainty we offer only the Elvström Offshore quality. The Offshore line is designed for ocean sailing. Cloth and detail work are chosen for your safety.

A common question: "what can be done to improve performance"?  Here are some hints.

Before you do anything else, make sure you have a sailing propeller. A sailing propeller will always improve the performance. The result is 100 % guaranteed that you will certainly increase performance, with or without 100 %  sail trim.

If you have a in-mast reefing system, look at the new EMS-Main Sail ® from Elvström-Sobstad. The EMS gives you a powerful roach on your main. Reefing a  EMS Main is very easy as the battens flatten the  sail and reduces the wrinkles to a minimum.   The vertical battens are round and specially designed to work with your Selden in-mast furling system.  The upper part of the battens are made of carbon fiber in order to improve performance.  Change your 5 year old  sail to a EMS  Main and you will get increased performance. For boats up to HR 53, we recommend the Gitter Spectra cloth for extended cruising. If you want a Bi-radial or Tri-radial sail you should go for a DC or a DYS cloth. 

Non-Furling Main:   Fully batten or partial fully batten?

If handling is the most important issue you should, go for a fully batten main sail. The long battens guide the sail between the lazy-jacks. Reefing the sail will be easy. The partial batten sail is for the perfomance oriented sailor. A PE-Batten sail has two long battens in the top and two normal battens in the lower part. This allows you to trim the lower part of the sail more efficently in light air.

The cloth we recommend for extended cruising is Gitter-Spectra. This is a woven cloth with  Spectra polyester fibres.  This unique combination will reduce the problem with mildew.  For the cruisers, Gitter-Spectra offers more longevity to the sail and are always a cross-cut design.

DC-Cloth is a laminated cloth for you who want Biradial or Triradial sails. This is a laminated cloth that will give your boat increased performance to an attractive price. 

If you are sailing a HR 46 or 53,  you probably want to upgrade to DYS cloth which is a laminated cloth. DYS is the top of the line choice for sailors who do not want  any compromises with performance. All DYS sails come in Tri-radial cut.

These are what we call the "sexy sails".    These sails are standard on the HR 62. 

Light wind sails:

If you want to be able to enjoy light wind sailing, invest in a spinnaker or a asymmetric spinnaker. A furlin gennacker on a removable bow sprit makes the handling very easy. Almost as easy to handle as the furlin genoa.

Storm Jib

If you are going offshore, always carry a storm jib for extreme conditions.  A storm jib is a small investment, and will not be used frequently. It could be the difference between a uncontrolled or controlled situation. There is nothing more frightening than sitting in a gale and knowing that if it gets worse you have no storm sails.

Please send us an email if you would like us to offer you a new sail. If the sails are not in stock, please expect 3-4 weeks delivery time, depending on time for order.