Recuts and Upgrades

RECUTS AND UPGRADES

Our service team regularly undertakes common modifications and recuts to existing sails to improve their functionality, or to fit a new rig should you upgrade. The following list covers the most common improvements, though please feel free to contact us if you have a specific request.

 

HEADSAILS

LUFF ROPE CHANGE
This is one of the most common recuts we carry out. Whilst doing this we can (with limitations) reduce the luff length to allow for larger drum sizes’ and re-profile the luff hollow to improve your sail shape and improve your pointing angle.

FOAM LUFF
Fitting our unique ribbed foam luff inserts on to an existing sail is a very common upgrade which will improve an older sail’s shape when it is partially furled.

UV STRIP CHANGE
All furling genoas are fitted with sacrificial strips along the leach and foot though these degrade over time. So changing them for a new material will give your genoa an extension to its lifespan. We also offer upgrades to WeatherMax which lasts significantly longer than a standard UV strip. We recommend an upgrade to WeatherMax if you are planning trips to locations with higher UV levels, such as the Mediterranean.

 

MAINSAILS

ADDING AN EXTRA REEF
Retrofitting a third reef into a mainsail is very common, and we fit all our third reefs to comply with ORC safety regulations. Its not uncommon for sailors that go ocean sailing to add a 4th reef. This is especially common with fully battened mainsails on a track system, as flying a trysail is not possible in many cases.

BATTEN UPGRADES
We offer batten upgrades that can upgrade your sail to  fully battened or ¾ battened, depending on suitability. To determine whether this is possible, we will need to inspect your sails in advance.

LUFF ROPES
Shrinkage in your luff ropes is almost inevitable, this will dramatically affect the sail shape of your main, making it very full in the entry and therefore significantly reducing your performance. Fixing this is a fairly simple job for our team, and has a massive benefit on your performance.

REEF SPECTACLES
The addition of reef spectacles is a low cost modification to an existing main which can make reefing much simpler for your crew.

LUFF CUNNINGHAM
Adding a luff cunningham will increase your ability to trim your main, for sailors that are racing round the harbour, or looking for higher performance it is a must have.

 

DOWNWIND SAILS

FURLERS
With the introduction of furling systems for asymmetric spinnakers, there is a need to update your sails hardware to improve furling. Older sails will have either large O rings or press rings fitted, which stop your sails from being able to furl efficiently. We offer a service to remove the old bulky rings and re-build the head and tack with soft webbing loops, allowing your sail to furl effectively.