Sails scoop
Hey Bud!! Glad to hear it-The Detroit Doyle loft (ex UK) as been around for years, and in general has enjoyed an excellent reputation-one that is getting better with their switch to the Doyle gang...
For Alan, I believe you will want to speak with the SF Doyle loft. They are without doubt one of most talented in the Doyle group-especially with racing sails-They built the sails for Ocean Planet-and many other high profile yachts.
The owner, Bill Columbo, is a good friend-if you speak with him, tell him you have been in touch with me on the E-site, and that you are interested in the designs done in Chicago for Providence. You can tell him to check with me if he has any questions-but he will certainly contact the Chicago loft himself in any case.
If he has suggested changes for the Oregon Coast sailing conditions, take his advice-he knows what he is talking about.
With respect to the sock idea in lieu of the furling cover-there are plusses and minuses either way.. Obviously with any furling sail you will lose some sail area due to the shortened hoist-but, I think if your conditions are similar most of the time, and whatever size the sail is built to covers the typical sailing conditions, then it probably is fine-your boat is very easily driven. In terms of performance, you will lose more by lugging around too much gear (and anchor + rode on the bow!) thank you will by having the hoist 14-18" short. Keep the boat light and the weight out of the ends and you will be just fine. The socks are cool in that your sail has no extra weight on the leech, but, they can be very noisy in a big breeze flapping around, and I have often about dock neighbors complaining about this..If your slip is near a bunch of live-aboard types, I would think twice about this option, but if you are out on a can (mooring) it should be no problem.
In terms of the UV leech and foot covers, there are a few options: The first, and worst for a racer, is to use the Sunbrella material-which is what you see on most cruisers, and is what your main cover is made from. This stuff weighs about 9 oz./yard, and offers no strength benefits. The advantage is that most colors are available in this, and if you need to make your partner happy, you could be locked into it.
My choice is the dacron UV material-which typically is just under half the weight of Sunbrella, and being a dacron sail cloth, actually adds a little "beef" to the leech and foot-exactly where a furling sail could benefit from some extra strength. It is only available in white, though-but this is my preference for furling genoas.
2 cents submitted, good luck!!
Fair winds,
S
