Dan, A sail is designed, and the sailmaker builds it in an airfoil shape.
If the sail is used in too strong winds, has seen too much sunshine, or just gets old, it begins to loose the original design shape. The use in too strong winds and thereby loosing it's shape, back in the days of canvas sails, is where the expression a "blown" sail comes from. When is a sail no longer useful? Ah, that opens a can of worms. If you are a racer, then you need new sails, with the latest and greatest sailmaking technology every year if you expect to compete at the top levels of competition. If you cruise: carefully flake your sails after use; keep them clean and free of salt crystals (abrasion); use a sail cover, your sails can last for a long, long time. I still was using my original sails on my Tripp-Lentsch 29 when I sold it after 26 years of use - and the sails were in very good shape. I was still capable of passing lots of more modern boats with new sails, tall rigs, and fin keels and watch them slowly recede in the distance behind me. So were my sails old? Yes. Were they still useable? Yes Did they still have a good shape? Yes. So, I guess the final answer to your question is, do your sails still have a good shape? Is the major curvature of the main, in the forward 1/3 of the sail area? .....or has it wandered aft and is now at the mid-point of the main? If the sail is really shot, then the major curvature will be aft of the middle. Then it's time to get a new one; unless you are just going day sailing or lolly-gagging about. Then does it really matter? The boat moves. You enjoy what you are doing. If you throw money at the sails, will a quarter of a knot speed difference really mean that much to you? That's the decision you have to make! Connie ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
